Saved by Moxley (Book 1 of 4)

Chapter 12 - The Calm After the Storm

After the intense hunt for The Handler and the successful capture of Moxley, the organization was in a state of recovery. Rachel and her team had been working tirelessly to secure their systems and ensure that there were no other traitors in their midst. The aftermath of the crisis had left them all exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

Rachel sat at her desk, her eyes fixed on the computer screen in front of her. She was going through the logs of the recent attacks, looking for any clues that could help them track down The Handler. The sound of footsteps approaching caught her attention, and she looked up to see Reyes walking towards her.

"Any luck?" Reyes asked as he sat down beside her.

"Not yet," Rachel replied, shaking her head. "The trail has gone cold. It's like they've vanished into thin air."

Reyes let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair. "We'll find them," he said. "We always do."

Rachel managed a small smile. She appreciated the reassurance, but the reality of the situation was starting to sink in. The Handler was still out there, and they had no idea what they were planning next.

As she continued her search, Rachel couldn't help but think about Moxley. He had been a trusted member of their organization, and it was hard to believe that he had betrayed them all. She wondered if there were any signs that they had missed, any clues that could have tipped them off.

Lost in thought, Rachel didn't notice when her phone rang. Reyes reached over and picked it up, holding it out to her.

"It's for you," he said.

Rachel took the phone, glancing at the caller ID. It was an unknown number, but she answered it anyway.

"Rachel speaking."

"Hello, Rachel," a voice said. It was deep and distorted, making it hard to tell if it was male or female.

"Who is this?" Rachel asked, her heart pounding in her chest.

"I'm the one you've been looking for," the voice said. "I'm The Handler."

Rachel's mind raced as she tried to come up with a response. She knew that they had to keep The Handler talking, to try and trace the call.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I want to make a deal," The Handler replied. "I have information that you'll want to hear. Meet me at the abandoned warehouse on 5th Street at midnight. Come alone."

The line went dead, and Rachel felt a sense of dread wash over her. She knew that meeting The Handler alone was a risk, but they needed to find out what they knew. She quickly called a meeting with her team to discuss the situation.

"We need to take this seriously," Rachel said as she stood in front of her team. "The Handler is out there, and they have information that could be crucial to our mission. But we have to be smart about this. We can't afford to lose anyone else."

Her team nodded in agreement, and they spent the rest of the day preparing for the meeting. Rachel was nervous, but she knew that she had to go through with it. She couldn't let The Handler slip away again.

As midnight approached, Rachel made her way to the abandoned warehouse. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she walked through the dark alleyways. She had her gun at the ready, just in case.

When she arrived at the warehouse, she saw a figure standing in the shadows. It was impossible to tell if it was The Handler, but Rachel had a feeling that it was.

"I'm here," she said, her voice steady despite the nerves.

The figure stepped forward, and Rachel saw that it was a familiar face. It was Agent Carter, a trusted member of Rachel's team. He looked uneasy, his hands fidgeting at his sides.

"Carter, what's going on?" Rachel asked, concerned.

"I need to talk to you," Carter said, his voice low.

Rachel motioned for Carter to follow her into a nearby conference room.

"What's going on?" Rachel asked, once they were alone.

"I've been approached by an outside organization," Carter said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rachel's heart began to race. "What organization?"

"I can't say. They want me to spy on the agency, to gather information and report back to them. They're offering me a lot of money and resources," Carter said, his eyes flicking up to meet Rachel's before quickly looking away.

Rachel felt a surge of anger. "And you're seriously considering this?"

Carter looked ashamed. "I don't know what to do, Rachel. I have debts, and my family needs help. I thought maybe I could just do this once and then walk away."

Rachel shook her head. "No, Carter. You can't do this. We have to report this to the higher-ups and take action."

Carter nodded. "I know. I just needed to tell someone. I didn't want to do something I regret."

Rachel placed a hand on Carter's shoulder. "We'll get through this together. We'll report this to the proper authorities and make sure you're protected."

Carter nodded, looking relieved. "Thank you, Rachel. I'm sorry."

Rachel sighed. "Let's go talk to the director. We need to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Together, Rachel and Carter went to the director's office to report what had happened. It was a difficult conversation, but they knew it was necessary. The agency took swift action, launching an investigation and increasing security measures. It was a small victory, but it was one that Rachel knew would help protect the agency and its people.

As she walked away from the director's office, Rachel felt a sense of pride and satisfaction. She had helped stop a potential threat, and she had done it with the help of her team. It was a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was always hope for a better future.

Rachel walked down the hallway, a small smile playing on her lips. She couldn't wait to share the good news with her team, to see the looks of relief and pride on their faces. It was moments like this that made all the long hours and sleepless nights worth it.

As she turned a corner, she nearly collided with someone. She looked up and saw a man she recognized from the security footage. It was the same man who had been lurking around the building for the past few days.

"Excuse me," Rachel said, stepping back.

The man smiled at her, a cold, calculating smile. "Hello, Rachel. We need to talk."

Rachel's heart raced. How did he know her name? And what did he want to talk about?

"I'm sorry, I don't have time right now," Rachel said, trying to step around him.

But the man blocked her path. "I think you'll want to hear what I have to say. It's about The Handler."

Rachel felt a chill run down her spine. How did this man know about The Handler? And more importantly, what was his connection to them?

"What do you know about The Handler?" Rachel asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

The man leaned in close. "I know everything. And I'm willing to share it with you. But first, we need to get out of here."

Rachel hesitated for a moment before nodding. She didn't know what this man's game was, but she couldn't ignore the possibility that he might have valuable information.

Together, they slipped out of the building and into the parking lot. The man led Rachel to a nearby car and motioned for her to get in.

"Who are you?" Rachel asked, as the man got into the driver's seat.

The man smiled again, that same cold smile. "My name is Jack. And I'm here to help you bring down The Handler."