Page 46 of Rescuing Rebel

“That seems more IT-related. How does that spark suspicion of a mole?”

“It’ll make it seem like a Haven employee is shopping information around. Nothing too obvious, but just suspicious enough activity to catch their eye if they go digging.”

“Gotcha.” I exhale, feeling the pieces slot into place. Between Mitzy’s operations magic and our fieldwork, we might pull this off after all. “You’re a genius. This is perfect.”

Mitzy shrugs but looks pleased. “All in a day’s work. Just make sure you sell the cover story, get them eating out of your hands.”

I marvel at Mitzy’s skill, conducting this intricate manipulation right under Haven’s nose. Truly masterful.

“So, this justifies bringing in outside security specialists like yourselves to investigate a breach. You provide security for your IT specialists and outside support for Kaufman, who will be suspicious of his entire organization. He won’t have anyone to trust but you.”

“Kaufman?" I lean back. Ally’s words return to me.Something like a cough.This must be who she meant.

“Yeah. Sorry, should’ve led with that. He runs Haven.” Mitzy confirms, her voice even, factual.

“What do we know about Kaufman?”

“He's got his fingers in crime syndicates across the world, particularly in Eastern Europe. Wealthy, well-connected, and well-protected.”

I nod, the pieces beginning to slot together.

“Haven is a relatively new venture for him. He calls it ‘acquisitions management.’” Mitzy's lips form a straight line. “But we know what that means. He snatches women and sells them to the highest bidder. Kaufman’s not just a criminal; he's a predator.”

“And we're going to waltz into his hunting ground as tech specialists?” I glance around. “You realize we look nothing like geeks. No offense, but…” I gesture to my team.

“You’re the muscle. Yeah, I’ve thought about that.” She pauses, the air around her seeming to bristle with unspoken secrets. “You’re security services.”

“Security services?” I stroke my chin thoughtfully.

“We offer our IT services to fix the breach in their system, and our security services track down the imaginary mole. That gives you a reason to get out and about around Haven. Hopefully, it’ll give you a reason to access sensitive areas under the pretext of your search. Although...” Her voice trails off, the word hanging tantalizingly as she shifts her weight. The creak of the chair fills the charged silence.

“Although, what?”

“From what I’ve seen so far, he’s professionally paranoid. You might have to convince him to grant that access. All I can do is plant the seeds of a mole inside his organization.”

“I can work with that. All I need is justification for an expanded presence inside Haven. Your idea of a mole gives me that. I’ll have Kaufman ready and willing to give us the run of the place in no time.”

This feels right. With Mitzy’s narrative, we now have an airtight reason for Charlie team’s presence. Not just the IT specialists but the whole crew.

“There is one problem.” Mitzy surprises me.

“What’s that?” I look up, a bit stunned.

“Charlie team can’t pull off being IT experts,” Mitzy continues. “No offense to your team, but this is complicated stuff.”

I shrug. “None taken. Give us guns and combat, not geeky tech stuff. What about Jeb? He’s our team geek?”

“This is beyond him. I’m concerned about that part of the plan the most. Technical training, especially dark web encryption, isn’t something that can be faked.”

“Can you ‘prep’him on what he needs?” I use air quotes to highlight my concerns, not at all sure I know what kind of training Jeb might require.

“Already on it. I asked Jeb to start shadowing my team.” Mitzy looks up from her monitor. “He’s adept, but he needs extra training. To be honest, Haven’s security is too advanced for him.” She tugs at her psychedelic hair. “That’s why I’m sending one of my best with you.”

“You’re what?” I glance at CJ, who returns a shrug. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

“Why not?” She returns a steady stare.

“No offense, but a spindly, acne-faced geek barely out of high school is a liability.”

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