Page 107 of Rescuing Mia

Chinese is notoriously difficult to master unless one is a native speaker. Word meanings can vary greatly depending on context.

“If they’re using the name ‘Sentinel’,” I explain, “it suggests they see themselves as some kind of guardian or protector. But they’re not guarding anything. They’re stealing it.”

Mitzy glances over at Skye, a look of trepidation passing between them.

“What?” I glance between the two women, wondering what thoughts are going through their minds because when I translatedshàobing, a palpable ripple of fear passed between them.

“Sentinel is… Well, they’re bad news. They’re involved in all sorts of illegal activities: human trafficking, money laundering, and arms dealing, but we’ve never been able to pin anything on them. They’re like ghosts, always one step ahead of us.”

“You’ve run across this before?” I knew there was something.

Mitzy leans back in her chair, her expression grim. “Yes. Like I said, I’ve run across it. In some of the files we recovered from a previous operation.”

Sentinel.

The name hangs in the air like a dark cloud, and the tension in the room suddenly spikes.

I’ve never heard of Sentinel before—but it seems GuardianHRS has. From the tight expressions on their faces, it’s clear this is a significant actor within the criminal world.

“What operation? What files?” I ask.

“It was a mission with Charlie team. A case involving an organization known as Citadel. We destroyed their operation, but discovered a sister organization, Sentinel, but never learned much about them. However, their name kept popping up concerning all sorts of illegal activities.” Mitzy shakes her head, her brow furrowed.

“You think it’s the same, don’t you?” Skye’s head snaps up, her eyes widening.

Mitzy shrugs, her expression uncertain. “I don’t know. Like I said, I didn’t recognize the symbol as a word. I thought it was just random scratches, some kind of code or encryption. But now, seeing it here, in connection with Red Phoenix? I just don’t like coincidences.

“What are the chances it’s one and the same? It could be a coincidence.” Skye shakes her head, her voice low and urgent.

“True. But the fact that it’s showing in these files, with the same kinds of illegal activities we saw before. It’s too much to ignore.” Mitzy nods, her eyes distant.

“I can’t believe this is happening. That Red Phoenix could be involved with something like this.” It’s like putting together a terrifying jigsaw puzzle. “Do you really think Red Phoenix might be working with this Sentinel group? That they’re part of some larger criminal network?”

Mitzy sighs, her expression grim. “It’s starting to look that way. The encrypted files, the coded messages… The fact their symbol is showing up in these files, in connection with the excess deuterium; it can’t be a coincidence. It all points to something bigger than just one company.”

“Then we need to find out more. We need to dig deeper and follow the trail wherever it leads. If Red Phoenix is involved with Sentinel, we need to know what they’re planning and how to stop them.” Skye leans forward, her eyes blazing with determination.

All I wanted was to hand off the tablet, wipe my hands of it forever, and find a quiet place to hide for the rest of my life.

“This begs a greater question.” Skye leans forward, her brow furrowed. “What would Sentinel want with nuclear weapons? What’s their endgame?”

Mitzy shakes her head, her eyes distant. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, it can’t be good. An organization like Sentinel, with its resources and connections, terrifies me. The thought of them getting their hands on nuclear weapons is beyond terrifying.”

“So, what do we do now? How do we stop them?” A wave of nausea washes over me, and the full weight of what I uncovered sinks in. It feels like getting hit by a truck.

Mitzy looks up at me, her eyes blazing with determination. “We keep digging. We find out everything we can about Sentinel, about their connection to Red Phoenix, and then we use that information to bring them down.”

Skye nods, her jaw set. “Mia, you’ve already done the hard part. You brought this information to light at great personal risk. Now it’s our turn. We’ll take it from here.”

I take a deep breath, and the knot of fear in my chest loosens slightly.

“All I want is to put this whole thing behind me.” But there’s a small part of me that whispers this isn’t over yet.

“No wonder Red Phoenix wants you dead.” Mitzy turns back to the table, fingers tapping, eyes scanning, brow furrowed tight with concentration.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

MIA