Page 25 of The Fixer
The guard’s eyes narrowed, flipping through the pages. “You’re not on the list.”
Reyna’s smile was sharp and confident. “Try refreshing it. The boss is known for last-minute changes.”
The guard hesitated, then pulled out a tablet, tapping at the screen. “You’re right. The list hadn’t been updated. Why do they not ensure we have the updated info? We’d hate for Mr. Lang to feel his people weren’t welcomed properly.”
Reyna placed her hand on the guard’s arm. “He doesn’t need to know about this glitch.” She winked, and the guard visibly relaxed.
“Thanks.”
“Not a problem,” said Jake as he took Reyna’s elbow and headed inside.
Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was electric with a kind of concealed apprehension. Men and women sat around a long, polished table, their faces a mix of cold calculation and veiled malice. Jake and Reyna taking seats at the edge of the room., each of them recognizing several individuals immediately.
“Jake,” Reyna whispered, “We’re in illustrious company. That’s Sergei Ivanov on the far left. Weapons broker with ties to half the hostile nations on the planet. And the woman two seats down? Amal Rahimi. She’s on every terror watchlist.”
“Yeah, I saw,” Jake murmured, his gaze sweeping the room. “Lyndsey, keep an eye on the exits.”
Lyndsey’s voice was cool over the comms. “Already on it.”
Reyna’s pulse quickened as she watched the scene beginning to unfold. She lived for this kind of thing. She was known as being an adrenaline junkie, and usually only found peace within the secured clubs to which Cerberus was attached. The room was a who’s who of the world’s most dangerous players, and they were sitting right in the middle of it. King had been right to send her as backup.
A man at the head of the table cleared his throat, drawing the room’s attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get down to business. The item up for sale tonight is a prototype with the potential to change warfare as we know it.”
Reyna could hear Lyndsey’s breath hitch through the comms. This had to be hard for her. Everything she’d read about Lyndsey said the woman was dedicated to helping people, not harming them. Reyna’s gut twisted as a sleek metal case was placed on the table. The man opened the case and turned it around so everyone could see. Inside, nestled in protective foam, were vials containing what could only be nanobots.
“Jake,” Lyndsey said, her voice trembling, “from the way they’re describing it, that has to be my work.”
Jake’s jaw tightened, his expression unreadable. “We’ll handle it.”
The auction began, the numbers climbing higher with each bid. Each time Jake and Reyna were outbid, they could hear Lyndsey’s reaction. The cold efficiency with which these people negotiated over technology meant to save lives had to be devastating to her.
“Stay focused,” Jake’s voice seemed to be a grounding force for Lyndsey. “We need names, faces, and as much intel as we can get. This isn’t over.”
They could hear Lyndsey’s fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked to capture every detail. She had to be tied up in knots—although Reyna wasn’t sure that might be the best thing for her. They were in the lion’s den, and one wrong move could cost them everything.
Reyna adjusted her earpiece as she scanned the room, her sharp eyes darting to every corner of the tension-filled conference room. The heavy oak table gleamed under the overhead lights, reflecting the faces of the syndicate membersseated around it. She noted their expressions—calculating, guarded, and dangerous.
Reyna leaned slightly toward Jake, her voice barely above a whisper. “This crowd isn’t here for small potatoes. This is top-tier, Jake. They’re making moves.”
Jake didn’t look at her, his eyes fixed on the case at the center of the table. “Stay sharp. We need everything we can get.”
A man at the head of the table, whose tailored suit couldn’t mask the menace in his posture, began to speak. “Tonight, we are not simply discussing a product. We are talking about power. Whoever controls this technology holds the keys to the future.”
Reyna’s stomach tightened as she caught the flash of recognition in the eyes of Sergei Ivanov, seated two chairs down. The weapons broker had his hands folded, his expression neutral, but Reyna knew that look. He was interested.
“This is bad,” she murmured into her mic, her tone flat but urgent.
Jake’s jaw tightened. “Focus. We’re here to listen and observe.”
She hid her amusement at his stoicism. Cool under pressure—that was Jake all the way. But even he couldn’t ignore the electric charge in the air.
As the numbers climbed higher with each bid, Reyna scanned the others sitting at the table. As Rahimi raised her hand to double the previous offer, Reyna’s pulse quickened. These weren’t just buyers—they were power players in the global underworld. And each of them wanted to weaponize Lyndsey’s work.
Reyna glanced at Jake. His calm exterior hadn’t cracked, but she saw the tightness in his shoulders, the slight twitch of his fingers near his thigh. His hand brushed the edge of the table, his knuckles white.
“You’re thinking too loud,” she muttered, earning a sharp look from him. “Relax. We’ve got this.”
Jake didn’t respond, but his gaze flicked to Rahimi as she leaned forward, her voice carrying over the room. “And what guarantees do we have that this technology is as effective as you claim?”