Page 51 of The Fixer
As the office door closed behind him, Jake couldn’t help but believe that the fight was far from over.
Jake left her with her laptop and joined the others in the Cerberus conference room. He leaned over the table, his eyes locked on the satellite images spread before him. The room was dim, the only light coming from the projector casting a faint blue glow over the gathered team. Lyndsey joined him, studying the screen.
“I set up an automated search for what I need, and some guy named Sully in the London office is setting up a patchwork relayso I can get to my data from the lab. They can’t trace any of it back to my location. The logs will show it was me, but not from where I was transmitting.”
Jake nodded.
“This is it,” Reyna said, her voice low but intense. She tapped the screen, indicating a nondescript building nestled in a remote industrial area. “Lang’s been using this as a front. On the surface, it’s registered as a packaging facility, but according to Daniels’ intel, it’s the nerve center for his operation.”
Jake’s jaw tightened. “It’s isolated. Minimal security on the exterior, but that’s just a façade. He’ll have defenses inside.”
“Exactly,” Reyna replied, her tone grim. “Lang’s too smart to leave this place vulnerable. If we go in, we’ll need a solid plan.”
Lyndsey shifted beside Jake, her gaze flicking to the images. “What’s inside? Is it connected to the auction data?”
Reyna nodded. “Most likely. Daniels’ team intercepted chatter about high-level meetings taking place here. It’s where Lang coordinates his deals, stores his intel, and keeps his most valuable assets.”
Jake exhaled, his hand brushing the back of his neck. “It’s a target-rich environment, but it’s also a trap. If we’re not careful and we walk in, Lang’s people will pick us off one by one.”
The room fell silent as the team absorbed the consequences of what they were proposing. Lyndsey broke the silence, her voice steady despite the stiffness in her posture. “If we hit this place, can we shut him down for good?”
Jake glanced at her, his expression softening. “We can cripple him. Take out his infrastructure, expose his network, and make it impossible for him to operate. But it won’t be easy.”
“I’m in,” Lyndsey said firmly. “Whatever it takes.”
He had to admire her moxie in the same way it sent a shiver of fear through him. He pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand. “Reyna, get Daniels on the line. We’ll need the FBI’ssupport for this one. And let’s start working on a layout of the facility. If Lang’s got defenses, I want to know about them.”
Reyna nodded, already pulling out her phone. Jake turned to Lyndsey, his voice dropping to a quieter tone. “You don’t have to go in. You can stay here, work remotely...”
“No,” she interrupted, her eyes blazing. “I’m not sitting this one out, Jake. This is my fight too.”
“You can do what you need to do from here…”
“If you leave me behind, I’ll figure out a way to follow you. If nothing else, I’ll call the FBI and tell them I’m being held against my will.”
Jake studied her, torn between admiration and frustration. “Fine. But you do as your told. No heroics.”
A faint smile curved her lips. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Several hours later, the team had their strategy mapped out. Jake stood with Reyna and Daniels, running through the final details while Lyndsey reviewed the files from Marcus one last time.
“We’re ready,” Jake said, his tone firm. “We hit the facility at first light. In and out, minimal noise. Our priority is securing the intel and disabling Lang’s operation.”
Daniels nodded. “My team will cover the perimeter. You focus on the interior.”
Jake’s gaze shifted to Lyndsey, who was watching him from across the room. Her presence grounded him in a way he couldn’t quite explain, but it also sharpened his focus. Lang wasn’t just a threat to her—he was a threat to everything Jake had sworn to protect.
Reyna’s voice cut through his thoughts. “We’ve got movement,” she said, her eyes on the surveillance feed. “Two vehicles leaving the facility. Looks like they’re making a drop.”
Jake moved to her side, his eyes narrowing at the grainy footage. “We follow them. They’ll lead us to Lang’s next play.” They watched the footage for another minute, assessing where Lang’s men were headed. “We’re not too distant. I say we follow them now. We should be able to cut through here and here,” Jake said, indicating two places on the map. “And catch them at this point…” He indicated a third spot.
Reyna grinned. “Always thinking ahead, Sands.”
The Cerberus team headed down to the vehicles and took off, taking Jake’s suggested route until Lang’s vehicles came into view and then tailed them, keeping a safe distance as they wound through the darkened streets. Lyndsey sat beside Jake in the SUV, the feeling between them undeniable.
“This feels too easy,” Lyndsey murmured, her voice barely audible over the hum of the engine.
Jake glanced at her, his jaw tightening. “Lang doesn’t do easy. Stay sharp.”