Jenna’s Protector (Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists: CHARLIE Team #4)

38. Carter

THIRTY-EIGHT

Carter

The antiseptic smell of the vet clinic hits me as soon as we walk through the doors. Jenna’s hand tightens in mine, her anticipation palpable. The receptionist recognizes me immediately, offering a warm smile as she leads us to Max’s room.

My heart clenches as we enter. Max lies on a large, padded bed, various tubes and monitors attached to his body, but as soon as he sees us, his tail thumps weakly against the bed.

“Hey, buddy,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. I kneel beside him, gently stroking his head. “You gave us quite a scare.”

Jenna joins me, tears streaming down her face as she carefully hugs Max.

“My brave boy,” she whispers, burying her face in his fur.

“He’s doing remarkably well.” The vet enters, clipboard in hand. “The bullet missed all vital organs, and he’s responding well to treatment. With some rest and care, he should make a full recovery.”

Relief washes over me. I look at Jenna, seeing my own emotions mirrored in her eyes. We’re all going to be okay.

We spend the next hour with Max, talking to him softly and showering him with gentle affection. Jenna pulls out some treats she made special for him. His eyes never leave us, as if he’s afraid we’ll disappear if he looks away.

“I’m so sorry, Max,” Jenna murmurs, her fingers tracing the bandages on his side. “You were so brave.”

I wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “He protected you. Just like he always has. Just like he always will.”

Max’s tail wags a bit stronger at that, as if he understands my words. He manages to lift his head enough to lick Jenna’s hand. She laughs softly, the sound like music after everything we’ve been through.

As we sit there, the three of us reunited, a sense of peace settles over me. Despite everything that’s happened, this moment feels perfect.

The vet returns, informing us that Max needs his rest. We say our goodbyes, promising to return every day until he can go home. As we walk out, hand in hand, I realize how lucky I am to have Jenna by my side and Max on the mend.

We’re halfway to the car when my phone buzzes. I pull it out, seeing Ethan’s name on the screen. My stomach tightens—this isn’t a social call.

“Everything okay?” Jenna asks, noticing my hesitation.

I nod, squeezing her hand reassuringly before answering. “Ethan, what’s up?”

“Carter, we need you back at HQ.” His voice is tense, urgent. “Mitzy and Jinx have cracked some of the encryption. It’s big.”

“Jinx?” I frown, the unfamiliar name catching me off guard. “Who’s that?”

“Right, sorry,” Ethan says quickly. “Jinx is a former DEA codebreaker. Forest brought her in to help with the decryption. She’s good. Really good.”

“How soon do you need me there?” I process this new information, my mind already racing with possibilities.

“Now, if possible. Sorry, I know you’re with Jenna and Max, but...”

“No, I get it. I’ll be there soon.” I hang up, turning to Jenna with an apologetic look.

“Duty calls?” She smiles sadly, understanding in her eyes.

“I’m sorry.” I pull her in tight, loving the feel of her in my arms .

“Don’t be,” she interrupts, her voice muffled against my chest. “Go. Do what you need to do. Max and I will be here when you get back.”

“I’m not leaving you alone.” I kiss her deeply, trying to convey everything I’m feeling—love, gratitude, determination. As I pull away, I rest my forehead against hers. “You’re coming with me, where I can protect you.”

“Carter—you don’t have to…”

“I love you, and I’m not leaving you alone.” I’ll repeat myself as many times as it takes. After almost losing her, there’s no way I’m leaving her without protection.

“I love you more.” She lifts on tiptoe for a kiss. “Now go save the world.”

We head back to Guardian HQ. I drop Jenna off at medical to visit Sophia.

The familiar hum of activity greets me as I stride into Guardian HRS headquarters. The command center is a hive of focused energy, screens flickering with data streams and analysts hunched over keyboards. I spot Ethan near the central console and make my way over.

“What’s up?” I ask, diving straight in.

“Mitzy and Jinx are about to brief us.” Ethan’s face is grim.

As if on cue, Mitzy approaches. Her rainbow hair contrasts sharply with the seriousness in her eyes. Beside her is a woman I don’t recognize—Jinx, I assume. She’s tall and lean, with sharp features and eyes that seem to take in everything at once.

“Glad you could make it, Carter,” Mitzy says. “We’ve got a lot to cover.”

We gather around the main display as Mitzy pulls up documents and diagrams. The encryption symbols I remember from earlier are there, but now they’re partially decoded, revealing a complex web of information.

“Alright, listen up,” Mitzy begins. “Thanks to Jinx here, we’ve managed to crack a significant portion of Sentinel’s encryption. What we’ve found is… Well, it’s not good.”

“The nine Sentinels aren’t just an organizational structure.” Jinx steps forward, her voice crisp and professional. “They’re individuals, each with a specific role in Sentinel’s global operations.”

She taps a few keys, and nine silhouettes appear on the screen, each labeled with a number and a title. Only the ninth one has a name and a face.

“Sentinel One: Strategy and Leadership. Two: Finance and Money Laundering. Three: Weapons Development and Distribution. Four: Cyber Operations. Five: Intelligence and Counterintelligence. Six: Recruitment and Training. Seven: Logistics and Transportation. Eight: Research and Development. And Nine: Human Trafficking and Exploitation.”

My stomach churns as I stare at Jonathan Greave’s face, the Ninth Sentinel. The man who took Jenna and hurt so many others. He’s just one part of this monstrous organization.

“Each Sentinel operates independently,” Jinx continues, “but they’re all connected through a centralized communication network. They report to a single individual known only as Malfor.”

“Tell me more about Malfor?” I know a little, but not nearly enough.

“More than we’d like, but not nearly enough.” Mitzy’s expression darkens. “Stitch, you want to take this one?”

Stitch steps forward, her usual confident demeanor tinged with unease. She takes a deep breath before speaking.

“Malfor isn’t just a name in encrypted files. He—or she, or they… It’s personal.” Stitch’s voice is tight with suppressed emotion. “Malfor was my mentor, back when I was just a kid with a keyboard and too much curiosity. Taught me everything I know about hacking. Well, almost everything.”

She pauses, her eyes distant. “Malfor’s the one who got me arrested. Dared me to hack the NSA, then abandoned me when I got caught. I thought my life was over after that, but Mitzy recruited me. I joined Guardian HRS and was immediately assigned to the Citadel case.” She shakes her head. “After the Citadel incident, I received a text from Malfor. Telling me to back off and stay away from Sentinel.”

The room falls silent as I process this information .

“Malfor’s not just the head of Sentinel,” Ethan says slowly. “He’s a master hacker, on par with, or better than, Stitch.”

“And they’re not afraid to play the long game.” Mitzy nods grimly. “Grooming Stitch from childhood, setting her up years later… This is someone with patience, resources, and a frighteningly strategic mind.”

“But we still don’t know who he is?” Frustration colors my voice.

“No,” Stitch admits. “Malfor could be anyone. Man, woman, a group of people… Hell, for all we know, it could be an AI. Whoever or whatever Malfor is, he/she/they are incredibly good at staying hidden.”

As the briefing continues, I can’t shake the feeling we’ve just scratched the surface of something far more complex and dangerous than we ever imagined. The fight against Sentinel isn’t about bringing down criminals anymore. It’s a chess game with the highest stakes imaginable, and we’re playing against a grandmaster we can’t even see.

After some discussion, the room falls into a tense silence as we all grapple with the implications of what we’ve learned. CJ finally breaks the silence, his voice cutting through the heavy atmosphere.

“It’s time we hear from someone who’s been on the inside.” His eyes scan the room.

“Agreed. Let’s bring Sophia in.” Mitzy nods, her expression grim. “Our hope is she will be able to fill in some of the gaps.”