Chapter 8 #2
Jason leaned forward somewhere on the other end of the line. Reece could hear the shift. “So, let’s talk through the solution.”
The specialist didn’t hesitate. “Reece goes in,” he said.
“Undercover as a civilian. He’ll be the mandated third-party operational resilience consultant.
Rio North is looking for applicants for several positions within Darkwater at this time.
We have a way in. Reece doesn’t touch the code.
He doesn’t pull files. He observes. He maps behavior.
He watches access patterns. He sees who moves when Maggie moves. ”
Reece nodded, even though they couldn’t see him. “I stay close without being attached.”
“Exactly,” his father agreed. “You’re background noise. Plausible. Necessary. And invisible.”
Reece spoke then, voice steady. “And Maggie?”
“She keeps doing what she’s already been doing,” the specialist said.
“She finds the access, what’s been taken, what can be taken, and how many programs have these access points.
She documents them. She proves intent, background, and evidence.
I’ll guide her when I can, but she’s intelligent; she knows where to look and what to do. ”
Reece frowned. “What if they realize she’s onto them?”
“They already suspect,” his father’s man said. “But suspicion isn’t action. Not yet.”
“And Guardian stays out of sight,” Reece said.
“Yes,” the specialist replied. “Until there’s no way to misconstrue the move.”
Reece let out a slow breath. “So, I’m there to protect her.”
“You’re the insurance,” his father corrected. “If something shifts, the two of you may see it before Maggie does.” His father was quiet for a moment, then said, “Reece?”
“Yeah.”
“This isn’t an order.”
“I know.”
“And you’re sure?”
Reece didn’t hesitate. “I’m already in deep, Dad. She’s someone I care for. If you don’t get me on that platform, I may swim there.”
“Then we move.” Jason made the call.
The specialist’s fingers tapped against something on his end.
“Cover identity will be finalized shortly, along with Reece’s selection from Rio North’s company.
No digital trail connects Reece to Maggie.
The only change will be his name. They have no images of Reece.
If anyone on the platform looks him up, he’s boring. ”
Reece smiled faintly. “I can do boring. What do I call you? Computer guy?”
There was a laugh on the other end. “I’ve been called worse. Let’s go with … Max.”
“I’m almost one hundred percent sure that isn’t your real name.” Reece chuckled.
“What? Would I lie to you?” The man chuckled before moving on to the details. The call got serious after that, and they talked about timing and boundaries that would keep both him and Maggie safe.
When Reece ended the call, he just lay there for a moment, the phone resting in his hand. The weight of the decision settled with him. The next thing to do was to tell Maggie.
* * *
Halfway across the country, Jason remained on the line.
“Before we hang up,” Jason said, “one more thing.”
Max paused. “Yeah?”
“Have you gotten to the bottom of the Darkwater CEO?”
There was a beat. Then Max let out a short, humorless breath.
“Oh, that’s a never-ending hole,” he said. “Every time I dig, it gets deeper and uglier.”
Jason’s jaw tightened. “How bad?”
“Bad enough,” Max replied calmly. “By the time Reece’s woman gets the proof she’s looking for, I’ll have enough ammunition to bury him in a maximum-security facility for the rest of his life.
Or we can send his file to the Council. He isn’t a flight risk as far as I can see, but you never know about these megalomaniacs. ”
Jason closed his eyes briefly. “Good. And remember, this isn’t about taking out the entire operation. It’s about making sure the right people go down.”
Max chuffed out a laugh. “That’s what we do, boss. I’m surgical, you know that. The executive staff on the platform needs to go, but Ethan is working on that research. Don’t worry, between Reece, Maggie, Ethan, and me, we’ll make sure we give them no way out.”
“Good.”
“Hey, boss, have you given any thought to what will happen to this facility when we take them down?”
“I’ve been talking to him about it.” Jason didn’t need to define who he was talking about. They both knew he was speaking about Gabriel.
“And?” Max asked.
“The concept is viable. Information gathering, computer specialists not bound by national laws working in international waters, is genius. But it’s a risk. The same people they’re selling information to now would want to own that facility or take it by force.”
“We aren’t going to let that happen.”
Jason smiled at Max’s statement. “No, we aren’t, but Guardian Security isn’t in the information brokerage business.”
“Not yet.” Max chuckled.
“Not ever. We’re thinking a new company, under his umbrella, Guardian adjacent but not in the same chain of command.”
“Ah … that makes sense. Have you developed a concept yet?”
“We’re working on it.”
“Who would ramrod it?”
“The current logic says Flack and Smithson because of the need for information for the Shadows and the Council. Someone would be appointed to run the normal day-to-day operations. We haven’t talked about that, though.”
“Maggie should be considered. She’s capable and damn good at what she does.”
“I’ll take that to him.” Jason truly hadn’t thought about it, but Max’s recommendation held one hell of a lot of water.
Max made a sound of agreement. “That’s operations, but who would make sure the facility was safe? Not that those two assassins aren’t security conscious, they are, but someone needs to maintain a focus on the platform’s security.”
“I’ve got an idea.”
“Reece?”
“Yeah.”
“Hot damn. That is … Yeah, and with Maggie and a few key people from the facility who are already there and trustworthy, yeah. Boss, I want in on this, too.”
Jason chuckled, “I thought you said you wanted to slow down?”
“Not that slow. Ethan and I are getting bored. Let us have fun. We could tag in and out. Help her when things get pushed into the gray area or if it’s above her capabilities.”
Jason shook his head, “Okay, okay, I’ll let him know you two want to play.”
“Good. And boss, if we can get Maggie to stay, Reece will probably want to stay, too.”
“And I can use him as the corporate liaison to Guardian Security. No doubt some of the information they obtain will require Guardian to act.”
“Would he be willing to take it on?”
Jason took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “That, I don’t know. But if Maggie’s involved, I think he’d consider it.”