Page 47 of Rescuing Rebel

“Stereotyping much?” Mitzy arches a brow, but then rolls on, not one bit put off by my comment. “Meet Stitch, not your average pimply-faced nerd.”

“Stitch? What kind of name is that?” Once again, I look to CJ for support. He understands the unique dynamics of a team. The old saying, ‘You’re only as good as your weakest link’ is there for a reason.

“Stitch was quite a mess when I foundher,” Mitzy says.

Her?I palm my face, realizing my error. I’m going to pay for my assumptions.

Mitzy shakes her head. “Bright teenager but channeling her skills where she shouldn’t. NSA, major banks—you get the picture.” She pulls up Stitch’s file, photos flashing across the screen. “She got nabbed hacking into an NSA database and was facing serious jail time.”

I whistle under my breath. This girl likes to play with fire.

“I saw her potential, stepped in, and made a deal to get the charges dropped if she joined Guardian HRS.” Mitzy smiles. “Pulled a few strings, called in some favors. Next thing you know, Stitch is working for the good guys.”

The door to the briefing room swings open, and a young twenty-something female saunters in, combat boots thudding on the tile. She wears a mismatched goth ensemble—a ratty black t-shirt, distressed jeans, and clunky boots.

Tossing her dark hair to the side, she surveys the room through heavily lined eyes, lips painted in black, and her mouth twisted into a wry grin. She leans against the wall, one ankle kicked casually over the other, looking every bit the rebel.

I hide a smile, used to her disregard for protocol and authority figures. Stitch will never officially join any organization, but she’ll grudgingly collaborate when needed—giving me grief along the way.

Her raised eyebrow says she’s waiting for me to speak. I say nothing, letting the silence grow, showing her that I’m not impressed by her goth persona. We have a lot to cover and not much time. No way am I spending any of that pandering to this societal rebel.

Finally, with a huff, she shifts her feet and speaks. “NSA security was pathetic.” She blows a puff of air, moving hair out of her eyes.

“Yes, thank you for that colorful assessment.” Mitzy sighs, but I can see the truth in her eyes. Stitch’s goth persona is an absolute one-eighty from Mitzy’s psychedelic quirkiness, but she sees a version of her younger self in the young hacker.

I chuckle under my breath. This girl has attitude to spare, and she’s exactly what we need—someone unafraid to skirt rules and break barriers.

“Just point me to what you need hacked and I’ll get it done.” Stitch’s unwavering gaze tells me she’s ready for anything.

“If you’re taking Jeb for additional training, I want Stitch to join Charlie team. I’m not taking along a young twenty-something female without basic self-defense skills.”

“Who says I can’t take care of myself?” Stitch scoffs. “Please. I think I can handle babysitting a few grunts.”

I bristle slightly. “This is non-negotiable. You train with my team, or you’re off the mission.”

“There’s nomissionwithout me, dumbass.” Stitch opens her mouth to say more but catches Mitzy’s stern gaze. Stitch rolls her eyes dramatically. “Ugh, fine. Whatever. I’ll train with the grunts.”

“Glad that’s settled.” I hide a smile. This one has spirit, but she’ll fall in line. “Report to the training room at 0600 hours.”

Stitch gives a barely perceptible nod, her intense gaze taking my measure. She’s ready to do whatever the job requires but can’t help herself from grumbling under her breath.

She’ll be a valuable asset with the right guidance. Haven’s security doesn’t stand a chance against someone who cracked the NSA’s tight encryption and security protocols.

This mission just got a lot more interesting.

* * *

The next sixweeks are a whirlwind of intense training. Stitch surprises me, being well-versed in the art of self-defense. Only afterward do I find out she’s been training with both Jeb and Jinx on the side. Jinx is one of Guardian HRS’s newer female operatives, exceptionally adept at Brazilian fighting techniques. Stitch played me, knowing I would underestimate her skills.

I vow never to judge her abilities again.

Then Mitzy calls the team for another briefing.

“I created the security breach in Haven’s network. Put in footprints for the mole. Guess who sent out inquiries, urgently seeking outside help?”

“Nice work.” I can’t help but admire her skill.

“If I do say so myself.” Mitzy’s not one to ignore praise. She’s cocky and deserves all the praise in the world. I’m happy to supply a bit of an ego boost. “Theydiscreetlyreached out to ourexperts.” Mitzy switches the screen to show her monitor.

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