that with Charlie.
Lesson learned.
We break and I head to medical where Skye is waiting for me. I’ve figured out the structure of Guardian HRS, putting all the people I’ve met into place. At the top is Forest and his sister, Skye. They created the Guardians.
Forest is top guy, but he doesn’t actually run anything. He’s got his hands in too many things, like managing the rock band Angel Fire, among many other things, to really lead the Guardians. That task goes to Sam, ex-Delta operative and former FBI Hostage Rescue Specialist; he’s the man who took Forest’s idea and turned it into reality.
He recruited CJ to be the Delta team leader, but CJ stepped up from Delta-One, to command all four Guardian teams.
The other people who work at Guardian HRS refer to the teams as the pointy tip of the spear. But there’s a lot more to Guardian HRS than the teams. For instance, Skye and her medical department.
Also recruited from the ranks of the military elite, her team of combat medics bring excellence in all things to the front of the line. Then there’s Mitzy with her team of computer whiz kids, hackers, intelligence specialists, and engineers who make all kinds of cool gadgets, like the tiny dragonfly drones I’ve seen Griff and his team working with. Not to mention the virtual reality set up she and Forest designed together. Talk about mind-blowing.
Skye, Mitzy, and CJ report directly to Sam. Forest comes and goes, poking his nose in missions of personal interest. I thought he was the boss, but he’s more like an interested party with full access. I thought he would be the one who decided if I was mission ready.
He’s not. That’s up to Skye, CJ, and ultimately Sam. Oh, and of course, Max. The teams work independently. Max has ultimate say in what happens on his team. If Sam says I’m ready, but Max says no, then I’m off the mission. It’s a bit convoluted but important to understand. I haven’t been pleading my case with Max the way I should. He’s the one I have to convince.
I knock on the door to Skye’s office and walk into the waiting area. The medical facilities are similar to what anyone would find apart from Guardian HRS, with a waiting room, check-in desk, and exam rooms, but there’s a full surgical suite, imaging facilities, and intensive care unit as well. Basically, they run a mini-hospital and clinic.
“Hey, Moira.” Skye pops her head out from a door leading off the waiting room. “You ready?”
“Maybe?” I’m so not ready.
“Relax, it’s a very simple procedure.”
“You sure about that? Getting a tracker implanted in my body doesn’t seem simple to me.”
“It really is. Come on, I’ll show you.” She leads me down a corridor and shows me inside a procedure room. “Have a seat.”
I hop on the patient table, complete with the requisite paper barrier, and kick my heels against the edge as I fidget with my fingers.
“Look, it’s super small.” She holds up a small plastic pack and hands it to me. “See, a little larger than a grain of rice.”
“And it goes where?”
“Well, initially we put them in the arm, but…” She looks at me squirm. “Let’s just say, we place them in a much more secure area now.”
I don’t want to ask why they switched. “And how do you stick it in me?”
She holds up something that looks like a cross between a gun, a needle, and a medieval torture device. “It’s a prick, just like getting a shot.”
“That’s a pretty big needle.” I glance at the door because I suddenly have a very pressing need to have Griff by my side. He’s with his team, doing whatever it is Guardians do when they aren’t on a mission, or torturing their girlfriend on the mat.
“Trust me, it’s safe.”
“And where are we putting it?”
Skye pulls back the hair behind her ear. “We’re putting in two.”
“Two?”
“Yes, another precaution.”
“I don’t understand.”
“One to find and one to hide.”
“Stop scaring my girl, Doc.” Griff’s brusque tone sounds from down the hall. “Did I miss it?”
“No, you’re just in time, and I wasn’t scaring your girl.”
My eyes round because that’s exactly what’s happening. The idea of anyone doing a full body search that would turn up a tracker embedded in my body is way more thorough than I realized.
“Do you think I’ll really get searched?”
“People are far more tech-savvy today than ever before, but don’t worry.”
“I’m very worried.”
“I only mean that you will also have