“Well, we can’t change the past,” Reed said quietly. “But we can make sure this ends differently.”
Elena wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust that this time, they could win without losing each other in the process. But she knew Webb too well, knew the resources he commanded. She knew he'd do anything to protect his operation.
“Tell me about Vancouver,” Reed said, shifting the conversation back to operational matters. “What kind of security can we expect at this auction?”
Elena pulled out her laptop, grateful for the familiar routine of mission planning. “Webb’s hosting it at the Blackwood Estate, about forty minutes outside the city. It’s a private compound, heavily fortified. Multiple security perimeters, electronic surveillance, armed guards.”
She opened a file containing architectural blueprints she’d acquired through carefully cultivated contacts. “The auction itself will be held in the main house, but Webb will have the WATCHDOG access codes in a secure server room in thebasement. Physical isolation from the main network, biometric locks, the works.”
Reed studied the blueprints over her shoulder, and Elena tried to ignore the way his proximity made her pulse quicken. He smelled like expensive cologne and something uniquely him, a combination that brought back memories of quiet mornings and whispered conversations.
“Guest list?” he asked.
“Invitation only. Representatives from at least six foreign intelligence services, plus various criminal organizations with the resources to afford Webb’s asking price.” Elena scrolled through another file. “I have partial identities on most of them, but Webb’s been careful to compartmentalize information.”
“How many people?”
“Twenty-five, maybe thirty. Plus their security details.” Elena rubbed her temples, feeling the familiar headache that came with thinking about the scope of what they were up against. “Reed, these aren’t just buyers. Some of these people... if they get their hands on WATCHDOG’s capabilities...”
“They won’t,” Reed said with quiet conviction. “We’re going to stop this.”
Elena looked up at him, seeing the determined set of his jaw, the steady confidence in his eyes. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe him. To trust in the man who’d once promised to protect her from anything the world threw at them.
“There’s something else,” she said reluctantly. “Webb isn’t just selling access to WATCHDOG. He’s been upgrading it. The system I designed was powerful, but what he’s created...” She swallowed hard. “It’s beyond anything I imagined. Real-time facial recognition tied to every security camera in major cities. Social media monitoring that can predict behavior patterns. Financial tracking that can freeze assets or manipulate markets at will.”
Reed was quiet for a long moment, processing the implications. “He’s created a tool for controlling populations.”
“Exactly. And once it’s in the hands of hostile governments or criminal syndicates, there’s no taking it back. The damage will be permanent.” Elena closed the laptop and looked directly at Reed. “I need you to understand what you’re agreeing to help with. This isn’t just about stopping an auction or bringing down a corrupt official. We’re talking about preventing the complete erosion of human privacy and freedom. The stakes couldn’t be higher.”
Reed met her gaze steadily. “Then we had better make sure we don’t fail.”
The simple statement, delivered with such quiet certainty, made Elena’s heart skip a beat. This was the Reed she remembered—the man who faced impossible odds with unshakeable determination. The man who’d once made her believe she could save the world.
“We’ll need a team,” she said, forcing herself to focus on practical matters. “At least six people, maybe eight. Surveillance specialists, technical experts, someone who can handle close protection...”
“I have people in mind,” Reed said. “My head of security used to be Delta Force. My tech specialist is former NSA. They’re good people, Elena. People I trust with my life.”
“And now you’re asking them to trust you with theirs.”
Reed’s expression softened. “These people knew what they signed up for when they came to work for me. STAR Enterprises doesn’t just build corporate security systems. We’ve been involved in some very serious operations over the years.”
Elena felt a stab of something that might have been jealousy. In the five years she’d been hiding, running, surviving day by day, Reed had built a company, a team, a whole life that she knew nothing about. He’d moved on in ways she never could.
“What is it?” Reed asked, apparently reading something in her expression.
“Nothing,” Elena said quickly. “I just... I’m glad you built something good. Something meaningful.”
“Elena—”
“We should get moving,” she interrupted, standing and moving toward her travel bag. “If we’re going to relocate tonight, I want to do it while there’s still enough traffic to provide cover.”
Reed watched her pack with the efficiency of someone who’d learned to live out of a suitcase. Everything she owned fit into a single bag—a fact that wasn’t lost on either of them.
“Ready?” he asked when she shouldered the bag.
Elena looked around the sterile hotel room one last time, then at Reed. Standing there in his expensive suit, looking every inch the successful businessman he’d become, he should have seemed like a stranger to her.
But he didn’t. He looked like home.
