Page 46 of Jenna's Protector
Gabe grabs my sketch pad and draws it close to him. He flips to the beginning and then questions me again.
“What about this building here?” Gabe inquires, tapping a sketch of an opulent mansion.
“That’s where some of the parties were held,” I explain, my voice tight.
Jeb leans forward, his brow furrowed. “Jenna, in this sketch of the auction room, do you remember if there were any security cameras? Any tech we should be aware of?”
“I… I think there were cameras in the corners. And some kind of electronic bidding system.” I close my eyes, trying to recall.
The questions continue, each team member focusing on different aspects of the sketches. Forest and Skye exchange glances as they study a drawing of a man with a distinctive scar.
Finally, Carter speaks up. “Is there anything we can do with this information? Can we identify these men or locate these buildings?”
Mitzy nods enthusiastically. “Absolutely. We can run facial recognition on the sketches of the men and cross-reference the buildings with satellite imagery. It’ll take some time, but this is golden. It’s more information than we had before.”
“You okay?” Carter leans in close, his voice low.
“Yeah. It’s—it’s a lot, but if it helps, it’s worth it.” I manage a small smile.
The room devolves into several conversations at once. Mitzy and Stitch huddle over a computer, their fingers flying across the keys as they input the information from my sketches. The men of Charlie team confer in hushed tones, their expressions grim and determined. Forest gravitates over to his sister, Skye. They lean toward each other, heads pressed close, talking in hushed whispers. Sam and CJ sit beside each other, arms crossed, expressions brooding as they observe the others.
Thankfully, I have Carter. His presence keeps me grounded. When he rests his hand on my knee, his touch soothes my frayed nerves. Max whines beside me and places his chin on my knee. Soulful doggy eyes stare up at me. He doesn’t know what’s wrong, only that I’m upset.
I wish I had a treat for him. Instead, I pat his head and tell him everything’s going to be alright.
“You did great,” Carter murmurs, his breath warm against my ear. “I’m so proud of you.”
I manage another small smile, but the moment is short-lived as Mitzy’s voice cuts through the chatter.
“We’ve got something.” Her tone is flat and devoid of the excitement such a statement should bring. “Or rather—nothing.”
The room falls silent, confusion etched on every face.
“What does that mean?” Forest’s deep rumble fills the room, shaking the air like thunder.
“The men in Jenna’s sketches don’t exist.” Mitzy’s eyes flicker with irritation.
My heart stops. The world around me blurs and the voices become distant—muffled.
“How do they not exist?” Carter’s voice cuts through my haze, tight with tension.
“There’s no record of them anywhere,” Stitch explains, her voice gentle but firm. “No birth certificates, no driver’s licenses, no social security numbers. It’s like they’ve been erased from every system we can access.”
“But—they existed. They’re real.” My voice comes out barely above a whisper.
When I close my eyes, I can still feel their hands on me, see their leering faces, and hear their cruel laughter.
They were real.
They had to be.
The room falls silent, with all eyes on me. I feel their doubt, and it’s suffocating. My hands shake, and I clench them into fists to stop the trembling.
“Jenna, we absolutely believe you.” Forest steps forward, his expression serious. “The fact that we can’t find any records doesn’t mean these men don’t exist. It means someone has gone to great lengths to erase their digital footprint.”
Ethan nods in agreement. “This level of information scrubbing lends credence to your story. Only an organization with immense resources and reach could pull this off.”
Relief washes over me, but a new kind of fear quickly replaces it. “But how? How can someone erase people from existence like that?”