Chapter 5
Brie
Tuesday morning, we had our final team briefing for the Mnemis job.
I jotted some notes on my tablet, keeping half an eye on the big screen at the end of our conference room where Drew and Gideon Tremaine discussed security protocols for the Mnemis facility.
Tomorrow, Will and Ashley would walk into one of the most secure buildings in the world, posing as newly hired staff on a two-week rotation.
And I’d be monitoring them from the safety of our HQ in Halifax.
“I’ve confirmed William and Ashley Stone in the HR system as Data Center Technicians,” Gideon was saying.
The founder of Tremaine Industries was a cybersecurity genius, whose systems I’d almost conquered when we started looking for his data center.
Fortunately, he gave us preferential treatment after Drew helped him with a sticky situation this past June.
“Will as a Systems Hardware Analyst, Ashley as a Software Support Analyst.”
Will nodded, making a note on his tablet.
Undercover jobs called for complex cover identities. But with Will’s inexperience in fieldwork, Scarlett decided using real first names would ensure he didn’t slip up.
“There’s also an additional file that confirms you as pen testers,” Gideon continued.
Penetration testing was one of our specialties—helping ensure our clients’ systems were as secure as possible by trying to breach them, whether digitally or physically.
“If someone figures out you aren’t genuine employees, we have a specific protocol.
Speak with the head of security, and he’ll be able to confirm you’re legitimate.
It means the end of your opportunity inside, but it will ensure they don’t contact the authorities. ”
“Speaking of security protocols,” I said, looking up at the screen and its camera, “did Drew talk to you about the email we received from Rav?”
“Yes, and I made some inquiries.” The corners of Gideon’s mouth tightened.
“The senior staff at Mnemis enjoy a considerable level of autonomy—they need the freedom to react quickly to situations that arise without waiting for corporate approval. We previously had a proprietary, enterprise-grade VPN and packet inspection firewalls, but it appears they’ve replaced the old system with an AI system that monitors the Wi-Fi for security breaches. ”
That was going to pose a problem.
Gideon continued, “It’s designed to monitor incoming and outgoing communications over the Wi-Fi, searching for keywords, patterns, data signatures—anything that might indicate someone’s attempting to extract sensitive information.”
“Rav probably knows about it,” said Emmett. “He knew you’d analyze his email and come up empty.”
I spun my stylus around my fingers. “Any chance there’s a back door?”
“From what I’ve learned so far, no.” Gideon leaned forward slightly. “I’ll send what details I can. Cellular is also an option, but only when you’re outside, and it’s spotty.”
My gaze met Will’s. He and Ashley would be more cut off than expected. “Will, do you have any tech ready that might help?”
He pursed his lips. “The sat phone prototype. I’ll look at it this afternoon and see if it’s an option.”
“What about the weather systems developing in the Atlantic?” Emmett asked, moving past the tech challenges, no doubt assuming Will and I would have it handled. “There are two developing now.”
Gideon nodded, obviously prepared for the question. “Tropical Depression Fifteen and Sixteen. We’re monitoring both, but neither poses an immediate threat to Blue Haven. Even if they did, Mnemis itself can continue operating during a direct Category Five hit.”
Hurricane season wasn’t ideal for operations in the Caribbean, but avoiding the weather would mean waiting at least another month and a half.
“We have underwater cabling for both power and internet feed that runs to the mainland,” Gideon explained, “but we have backup generators that can support the facility for thirty days. If either weather system heads in the island’s direction, we may evacuate the resort, but the data center would operate normally. ”
I glanced around the table. Mum sat at the head, Emmett to her right, and Scarlett to her left. Will was across from me, looking more rested than he had at the party last night. I’d hardly slept, my mind replaying his mother’s embarrassing revelation.
She’d known all along.
Heat climbed up my cheeks. One time. We… we did that… one freaking time, and the morning after, Diane walked into Will’s workshop offering us breakfast. I should have known she would, because she always did when I stayed over.
We were only supposed to be working on a computer. Not…
Focus, Brie.
Scarlett’s phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at it, frowned, and muttered, “Shit.”
“What’s the matter?” asked Evelyn.
“One sec.” She started a call, waited for a ring, and Zac picked up. “You’re on speaker.”
“Hey, everyone,” Zac’s voice filled the room, tense and slightly breathless. “We’ve got a problem. Ashley took a fall on our stairs this morning. I’m taking her to the hospital now.”
My stomach dropped. She was supposed to be flying out this afternoon.
“How bad?” Scarlett asked.
“I’m pretty sure her arm’s broken. She hit her head too, but her pupils are dilating properly, so I don’t think she has a concussion. Either way, she can’t fly today.”
“Which arm?” I asked.
“Her right.”
Ashley cursed in the background of the call. “Watch the road, Zac!”
“I’ve got to go,” he said. “I’ll update you as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Zac,” Scarlett said. “Keep us posted.”
The call ended, and all eyes turned to Scarlett.
“We fly out in four hours.” My older sister was always so calm. Despite this last-minute news, she was still in control. “Options?”
“Could we fly Ashley out tomorrow?” Emmett suggested. “If it’s just a fracture—”
“It won’t work.” I tapped my stylus on the conference table. “Even if it’s a minor break, she wouldn’t be able to do her cover job. In software support, she’ll need to do a lot of typing, not to mention the extra work we need her to do.”
Gideon added, “The two-week shift rotation for the technicians starts tomorrow. If she can’t go today, we’ll postpone for two weeks until the next one.”
On the screen, Drew turned to Gideon. “Would it be possible to swap team members at this point?”
“Possible.” Gideon nodded slowly. “I could tell my head of HR that the security consultants need to switch their pen testers. But I’d need to approve whoever goes.”
“What about Talia?” Scarlett asked, turning to me.
“Maybe.” I mentally reviewed her last five jobs.
Solid work, professional, but required too much guidance.
“She’s a whiz with the dark web; that’s her specialty.
But the skills required for customer support, while also attempting to hack into the Tremaine systems?
That’s different. I’m not sure she could pull them both off. ”
“There’s no room for maybe in this operation.” Mum’s eyebrow was already up. So was Scarlett’s. The eyebrows were a challenge to come up with another idea.
Was postponing for two weeks an option? “If we fit her with an earpiece and somehow sneak it into the data center, I can walk her through things, but—”
“You can’t do that,” said Gideon. “I can get your employees into Mnemis, but I can’t order the security team to forgo the X-ray or bag searches.
It would raise too many questions, and if word got out that I interfered with security, I may as well shut the place down.
I’m willing to help you find those bastards, but I’m not risking my reputation—let alone my entire company—for it. ”
We’d chosen two of our most tech-qualified team members to go in. Anyone who took on this job would be flying blind and would need serious skills to do it.
Will cleared his throat. “The person best suited to replace Ashley is the woman who coached her on every aspect of this job.”
He does not mean…
But the room went quiet. All eyes fell on me.
He did mean me.
“No way.” I dropped my stylus. Don’t panic. Don’t run. “I’m not suited for undercover work.”
“It’s an excellent idea,” Mum said thoughtfully, studying me with her calculating eyes.
Scarlett nodded in agreement. “You and Will won’t have to fake your history. That part of the cover will be easy.”
“I can’t lie.” Calm down, Brie. Your volume is rising.
“I can’t fake things. I’m the person behind the computer, not in the field.
” My hands were practically flailing now.
No way are you doing this. I looked to Scarlett, desperate for a way out.
“You hate last-minute plan changes. We should reschedule.”
“Nothing’s really changing,” Will countered, his voice far too steady, “except having an even better hacker going undercover with me.”
My eyes met his across the table. How was he so calm about this?
Mum’s voice was soft when she spoke. “This is our window to clear your father’s name, darling.”
My father was serving a life sentence for espionage and had likely been framed by the same organization that had kidnapped my brother. The same organization whose servers contained blackmail photos of Scarlett and potential evidence that could exonerate my father after twenty years of imprisonment.
Memories of security checkpoints, suspicious guards, and the smells of industrial cleaner flooded my brain. Of my father aging behind bars, year after year.
I couldn’t even remember his face from before.
“I’ll need to…” Analysis mode. That’s what I needed. Focus on plans and numbers and code. Not on emotions. “I need to review all the mission parameters, pack appropriate clothing for a tropical climate and professional setting, verify the credentials—”
The words tumbled out as I retreated to the safety of logistics and technical details. Binary code didn’t have feelings. Algorithms didn’t get nervous about pretending to be someone else.
“You already know the whole cover.” Scarlett used her command voice on me, like she’d been doing since before we’d moved to Halifax.
“I’ll take you shopping after this meeting, and I’ll help you pack.
We can delete the fake photos from your phones and replace them with real ones of you and Will. This cover will be easy.”
Real photos of us. We had plenty of photos—years of friendship captured by his mother, the photographer. Not like the fabricated history we’d created for Will and Ashley’s romance. Pictures of us building Legos as kids, in high school and university, celebrating birthdays. All genuine. All safe.
Oh shit! I’d have to pretend those moments were romantic, not platonic.
“I’ll coach you during the flight,” Scarlett continued. “We have four hours before we leave, and we can postpone an extra hour or two if we need to. It’s doable.”
I nodded mechanically, my heart pounding as I caught Will watching me with an unreadable expression. I’d be with him. After missing him for a year, spending two weeks with him would be fantastic.
Except…
Another wave of heat rose up my cheeks.
Except he and I would be sharing a room and pretending we were married.
“If there’s nothing else,” Evelyn said, “let’s get moving. We have three objectives: destroy the blackmail photos of Scarlett, gather intel on Fenix’s operations, and find evidence related to Joseph’s case. Time is of the essence.”
The meeting broke up, and everyone dispersed, as if this were still a normal day. But I remained glued to my seat, staring blankly at my tablet.
In the span of ten minutes, I’d gone from safely doing my job here at home and encouraging Will over his anxiety about going undercover to… to going undercover with him.
“Are you okay with this?” Will’s quiet voice startled me.
I twisted in my seat to face him, where he’d paused at the door. “Do I have a choice?”
“There’s always a choice.”
“Tell my mother that and get back to me on it.”
He chuckled, the sound not enough to relax me. Although he obviously understood my point. “We’ll make it work, Bug. We always do.”