Page 22 of Fearless

Despite the exhaustion, she couldn’t deny the rush of exhilaration and excitement swirling within her. This was the chance of a lifetime. OZ had been chasing the Wren Project for years and had barely scratched the surface. She was now in the belly of the beast. What an amazing opportunity to gather information. Sure, she was smart enough to be a little scared, but she refused to waste this opportunity.

Grabbing underwear and clothes for the day, she locked herself in the bathroom again. Just because these people were disgusting enough to have cameras everywhere didn’t mean she had to give them a show. Thankfully, the toilet was in a small closed-off room that she had determined last night was free of cameras. At least they weren’t that disgusting. After taking care of her needs, she took a shower and reviewed all she’d worked out through the night. She was quite certain Kingsley intended to try to use her for her hacking and coding skills. Which meant she was more than prepared.

Last year, she had presented a radical idea to Ash. She had suggested that she set herself up as bait for Wren to take her. She had told him her skills had likely made her a target already, and why not take advantage of that? Once inside, she could then work within the organization to bring them down. Ash had given her an extremely hard no, refusing to even consider the idea.

Even though he had hated the idea, his refusal hadn’t stopped her from thinking about it. These people knew her capabilities. The impenetrable firewall she’d created had not only done its job, it had also called attention to her unique skill set. Honestly, it had only been a matter of time, whether she set herself up as bait or not, that they would find a way to get to her.

How they’d managed to find her in Montana was concerning. She had always assumed that Francine would be her most vulnerable location, since they knew about that one. But only a handful of people knew that Option Zero was even located in the US, much less that they were situated just a few miles outside of Bozeman, Montana.

Dressed in a skirt, short-sleeved blouse, and low-heeled sandals, she returned to the bedroom, ready to face whatever came her way. Her first order of business was to see what lay outside the window. Last night, she could see nothing, but the sun would be rising soon, and finding out her location would go a long way toward helping her make her next moves.

The instant she stepped into the bedroom, the delicious fragrance of coffee and baked goods drew her eyes to the desk. A tray with a small coffeepot, mug, and several pastries was waiting for her.

Pouring herself a cup of the fragrant brew, she took a sip and then turned her attention to the window. It was still quite early, so daylight was just creeping across the land, revealing details in small increments. Her confusion grew with each structure the light revealed. If she didn’t know better, she would assume she was at an exclusive and very expensive resort. To the left, she spotted a large putting green. Beyond that was a forest so dense she could see nothing beyond it.

To the right were tennis courts. Directly ahead, she spotted what looked like a large man-made lake and a walking trail. Right below her window was an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Just the glimpse she’d gotten last night had given her the knowledge that this place was large. But this was more—so much more.

Mind racing, she finished her coffee. Just as she reached for the pot to refill her cup, a knock sounded on the door. She turned and, out of habit, called, “Come in.” She had no doubt whoever it was would have come in anyway.

A young man, barely out of his teens, appeared. Dressed in a suit and tie, he had military-short hair and a rigid posture. Even though he was smiling, the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He looked much too emotionless, almost as if he were AI-generated.

“Hello, Ms. Donavan. My name is Smith. I’m here to invite you to breakfast with the other guests staying here.”

“Invite? I have a choice?”

Not that she would turn it down, but she wanted to start feeling out the boundaries of her new reality. She had a job to do, and that required getting as much information as possible. Having breakfast with “the other guests” would be a good start.

The young man’s smile never wavered. “We all have choices. However, all choices have consequences. Making the right choice in the beginning gives one the ability to avoid unpleasant consequences.”

She had a sad feeling that this poor kid had suffered unpleasant consequences, and that was the reason he could spout the canned reply with all the emotion of a robot.

“I’ll be happy to join everyone for breakfast.”

He gave a nod and waved his arm toward the door. “After you.”

“No handcuffs or wheelchair?”

“Of course not. You’re a guest here, and you’ll be treated as such, unless something happens to change your status. Hopefully, nothing will.”

She went through the doorway, aware that she was likely being closely watched and evaluated. Ignoring that, she took in her surroundings. As she had observed on the way to her room last night, the décor was both upscale and rich but comfortable. Instead of going to the elevator, Smith led her down the stairway, giving her a greater appreciation for the immensity of the place.

Hoping to get some information on the way, she glanced at her escort. “Do all the guests stay here?”

“Some of them,” he said.

“Where do the others stay?”

“In other places.”

Getting this man to give her intel wasn’t going to happen. He was too well programmed. She instead concentrated on getting the lay of the land. She noted that all doors were closed, so she had no way of knowing what was behind them.

They walked across a large, elegant marble foyer. Smith opened a door for her, and Serena entered a dining room. Delicious fragrances wafted through the air, and her stomach gave a delighted growl. At least she would be well fed while she was here.

The table in the middle of the room seated eight, and five chairs were already occupied. The instant she entered the room, everyone stood.

Knowing all eyes were on her, she made her way to an empty chair. Smith pulled the chair out for her, and she sat. The others followed suit. Since she’d given only a cursory glance at the others when she’d arrived, she now took in her fellow “guests.”