Page 56 of Rescuing Rebel

I don’t budge. “You can’t fake that kind of heat, sweetheart. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Voices sound from down the hall. She shoves me, eyes panicked, moments before two armed guards round the corner. Their hands drift toward their holstered guns.

“Get this trash away from me,” Rebel snaps, adjusting her dress with feigned annoyance, but her hands tremble.

The guards grab my arms, and I let them steer me down the hall, but when I glance back, Rebel stands alone, looking small and shaken. Whatever her reasons, this is taking a toll on her.

I’ll uncover the truth. The real Rebel is still in there somewhere, and I’ll do whatever it takes to find her again before this nightmare kills us both.

TWENTY

Ethan

I slideinto the chair in the secured comms room, the door hissing closed behind me to seal out any chance of eavesdropping. The guys on my team shuffle around, dropping gear and watching the screens intently.

“What’s going on?” Gabe gives me a look.

“I just ran into Rebel.” My teeth grind together.

“Rebel?” Hank glances at Gabe, eyes widening. “From Nicaragua? Your Rebel?”

“Yes.” I lean back and blow out a breath.

“Red hair, green eyes? That Rebel?” Jeb glances at Hank and mouthsNo-fucking-way.

My heart hammers as I key in the encryption code to connect with CJ back at headquarters. The guys gather close, listening in. We take no chances communicating from within these walls.

CJ’s craggy face flickers onto the screen. “Status update?”

I take a bracing breath. No way to ease into this. “Rebel is here.”

“Come again?”

“Rebel. She’s here.” I do my best to keep my voice low and steady. “I was making my way through the east wing. I was checking the basics of their internal security systems when I heard it. A voice I never thought I’d hear again. It stopped me dead in my tracks. It was Rebel.”

“We’re not prepped for a hostage rescue.” CJ responds with the obvious. Ours is an intelligence-gathering mission.

“She’s not a captive.”

“What?” CJ’s brow furrows. “Impossible. Why would she...” He blows out a slow breath, eyes sharpening. “Explain everything.”

I recount the details, still in disbelief. “She was in a room, moving among the captives like she belonged there. Assessing them. So cold and detached.”

I mention Rebel orchestrating operations. “I remember her differently. The woman I rescued, the woman I... I thought I knew. She's not the same person. This Rebel, she's a monster.”

“If she saw you… She’s the single greatest risk to your safety. One word from her, and this whole op gets shot to hell.” His expression hardens. “She didn’t expose you to the guards? I want to know why.”

“When I confronted her, she was evasive but clear on one thing. She said it's not safe, that I needed to leave. She claims she's in too deep to be saved."

“That you need to leave?” Hank scratches his head. “Doesn’t sound like turning you in.”

“I know.”

“It’s your call.” CJ is silent for a moment, considering. “We’re limited in what we can do right now.”

“I need more intel, understand her role, why she’s warning me off, yet playing a part in this place.”

“She’s the single greatest risk to your safety... She didn’t expose you, and I want to know why.”

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