Page 19 of The Honeymoon Hack
“I think they started finishing each other’s sentences around eleven years old,” said Emmett.
I glanced at the latest weather models he was watching. The vibrant swirls of the developing tropical systems stood out against the blue of the Atlantic on the map. If Lorenzo began tracking north, we could be in for another last-minute change of plans. The resort would evacuate, which meant Scarlett, Malcolm, Emmett, and Jayce—most of our on-site support—would be gone.
We’d effectively be trapped under the island.
As though giving words to my thoughts, Brie said, “I’m glad Rav’s already there. If things go sideways, he’ll get us out.”
“I also have this,” I said, pulling out my backup phone and showing her the custom case. “This is the satellite phone modification. It’s in beta like everything else, though.”
“Will a sat phone work underground?” asked Emmett.
“No.” Brie took it, eyes lighting up as she examined the case. “But it will work when we go up to Little Haven.”
“Exactly,” I said. “We just need to go outside for a few minutes each day to check in, and the earbuds are compatible.”
“That’s brilliant,” said Scarlett. “I knew there was a reason Mum wanted you to come home.”
“Speaking of mothers,” Malcolm said, “how’s Northwind Place?”
“The staff are excellent so far, but it’s still new for both of us.” My mother had been perfectly lucid when I had visited her prior to departure.One of her good days. “Evelyn promised to visit every day while I’m gone.”
A shadow crossed Brie’s face, and she put down the phone to pace again. But not before she squeezed my shoulder.
God, I’d missed her.
“Let’s talk sleeping arrangements and public behavior,” Scarlett said, tapping her tablet. She must have had a long to-do list to work through. “You’ll need to appear genuinely comfortable with each other. Casual touches, terms of endearment, inside jokes—all the things that make a marriage believable.”
“We only need to be convincing, not theatrical,” I offered, watching Brie for her reaction. “Small touches, finishing each other’s sentences—things we already do naturally.”
“We don’t have to be big on PDAs,” said Brie from the mid-cabin. “Plenty of couples aren’t.”
“The most important thing is consistency,” Scarlett emphasized, craning her neck to direct the comment at Brie. “If you’re affectionate in public but completely distant when you don’t think people are watching, staffwillnotice. Assume there’s at least a camera on you at all times.”
“The bigger concern is communication during working hours,” I said, redirecting to more practical matters. “Once we pass through security screening to the work areas, we won’t have contact with each other or the outside team until our shifts end.”
“Not unless one of your gadgets makes it through,” Emmett pointed out.
“If I need to use Morse code to get out of a situation, we’ve got bigger problems. And the earbuds are simply too risky unless it’s a last resort.”
“Speaking of last resorts,” said Emmett, “what if youdoget caught with these things and someone suspects you of spying?”
Brie froze mid-pace.
“Gideon already took care of that with the pen tester layer of our cover story.” I collected mygadgets—as Emmett called them—and stuffed them into my backpack. “If we’re caught, that’s our excuse.”
“Right.” Brie visibly relaxed, resuming her trek toward the back. “But itdoesmean the mission ends early.”
“But we won’t have another chance at the Fenix servers,” Scarlett added quietly. It sounded less like manipulation when she said it, compared to Auntie Evie. “Or the evidence that might clear Dad’s name. So, try lying first. Make sure you rehearse an excuse every time you do something suspicious.”
Brie’s jaw tightened. Her father’s imprisonment had shaped her entire life, creating the woman she’d become. Evelyn had confessed a lot after our job in Monaco, but Brie hadn’t been ready to tell me everything.
All I’d been told was that Joseph Reynolds had pled guilty to protect his family from threats. Someday, she’d tell me more.
“What about the reconnaissance aspect?” Malcolm asked, drawing my attention back to the conversation. “How do you plan to identify which server belongs to Fenix among thousands?”
Brie and I exchanged a look before she answered. “We have several data points to work with: the shell company names Mum identified from her investigation into Dad’s case, some suspicious financial records from Gideon’s wife, and the trails we’ve pieced together from our encounters with Fenix in Italy, Monaco, and DC.”
“But we’re still missing a lot,” I added. “Gideon told us what he knew about the Mnemis systems, but this AI level means the on-site team has been modifying the security protocols independently. I expect we’ll be dealing with unknowns once we’re inside.”
