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Audio version of Jacklyn Taylor Stories
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The night was dark, with moonlight barely piercing through the thick clouds. Jack sat at the table in Carl’s cabin, focused intently on the screen of his laptop. He was awaiting the next report from Ali and Sam, who had gone on an investigation. The silence in the room was almost complete, disturbed only by the creak of the old floorboards as Carl passed by, contemplating their next steps.
Jack opened another encrypted file, which was the result of their last operation. However, instead of the expected information, he saw a troubling warning:
“Access Denied. Suspicious activity detected.”
His heart sank. It could only mean one thing — someone had accessed their data.
Carl, hearing Jack’s heavy exhale, approached him.
“What happened?” his voice was quiet, but alert.
“We’ve had a breach,” Jack replied, showing Carl the screen. “It’s their move. Mickey found a way into our network.”
Carl frowned, running his hand through his graying hair.
“I feared this. We relied too much on our security, not expecting them to strike from the inside.”
“Do you realize what this means?” Jack looked up at Carl. “We’re risking everything. If they gain full access, they can not only destroy our operation but also harm the people we’re trying to protect.”
Carl sat down opposite him. His face remained calm, though he undoubtedly felt the tension inside.
“This isn’t the end, Jack. We still have time. We need to find out where the breach happened and stop them before they make their next move.”
Soon, Ali and Sam returned from the mission. Their faces were weary, but focused. Sam broke the silence first:
“We have information, but it’s not good. We found traces of a hack. Someone inside transmitted data from our access point.”
Ali nodded, adding:
“This wasn’t a random incident. They knew exactly where to look. We suspect they had a specific plan.”
Jack listened in silence, clenching his hands into fists.
“Someone from within? Or did they trick the system?”
Sam threw a folder with data prints onto the table.
“Most likely, it’s someone from us. They had full knowledge of our actions.”
Carl studied the documents, and his face grew darker.
“If this is true, we’re dealing with something bigger than just a leak. They’ve been preparing this for a long time.”
Jack stood up from the table, his eyes flashing with determination.
“We can’t let them win. We have one advantage — we know what they plan to do next. We have to use that.”
Carl nodded, supporting the resolve.
“But do you understand what this means? We could lose everything if we don’t handle this right.”
“I’m ready to take the risk,” Jack said firmly. “This is not just my fight, it’s our mission.”
Sam, looking at Ali, said decisively:
“We’re with you too. We have a chance to regain control, but we need to act fast.”
Sam stood by the window, gazing into the darkness where the faint light from a streetlamp illuminated the empty street. His massive figure looked tense, like a taut string. Ali sat nearby, holding his phone. His gaze was tired, but deep in his eyes, there was concern.
“Are you sure it’s one of us?” Ali asked, breaking the silence, looking at Sam. “Maybe they just managed to get in by hacking the network?”
Sam didn’t answer immediately. He slowly turned to his younger brother, his voice low and measured.
“This isn’t a coincidence, Ali. They knew our routes, our meeting places. This is more than just a hack. Someone pointed them in the right direction.”
Ali lowered his eyes. Doubts began to swirl in his mind.
“But who could have done it? Our circle is small, and everyone has been checked.”
Carl, watching their conversation, finally intervened.
“You’re both forgetting one thing. Even the most trusted people can crack under pressure. Or they may have their own reasons.”
These words made everyone fall silent. Jack, who had been sitting in the corner, deep in data analysis, lifted his head.
“If that’s the case, we have to act cautiously. We can’t let this person know we suspect them.”
Sam furrowed his brow, his voice becoming more rigid.
“What if it’s not one of us? What if someone from Mickey’s past infiltrated our network?”
Ali looked at Sam, his voice trembling:
“Why are you so sure? Do you know something we don’t?”
Sam froze, as if evaluating whether he should continue. Then, slowly, he nodded.
“I saw something. When we were on the mission, one of Mickey’s men recognized me. He didn’t say anything, but there was something… familiar in his eyes.”
Carl stood up abruptly, his gaze turning cold.
“And you’ve kept quiet until now? This could be the key. If they know who you are, we’re all in danger.”
“I wasn’t sure,” Sam replied. “But now I have no doubts. It’s someone from the past.”
Ali nervously drummed his fingers on the table. He turned to Jack, expecting him to say something, but Jack remained lost in thought. His gaze was fixed on the screen, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.
“Jack, are you okay?” Ali finally asked.
Jack slowly lifted his head.
“I’m fine, Ali. Just thinking about how far Mickey might go. His goal isn’t just to destroy us, but to take full control. If that’s true, we’re all in danger.”
Sam spoke again, his voice sharp.
“We can’t sit idly by. We need to act.”
“Act?” Carl crossed his arms. “And what do you suggest? Without precise information, any action we take could lead to failure.”
“We can use false information,” Jack interjected. “If we have a mole, they’ll inevitably reveal themselves if they’re given something valuable.”
Sam and Carl exchanged glances. It was a risky but logical move. Ali, however, looked concerned.
“What if they figure out it’s a trap? Then we lose everything.”
“We have no choice,” Jack said coldly. “If we do nothing, it will be even worse.”
The next morning, Carl and Jack began preparing the plan. Sam and Ali stayed behind at the house to prepare the equipment and gather additional data. But the tension between the brothers began to rise.
“You’re hiding something,” Ali said, looking at Sam. “You always keep everything to yourself, and then we end up in trouble.”
Sam reacted sharply.
“Don’t start, Ali. I know what I’m doing.”
“And I should just trust you?” Ali raised his voice. “Like that time you decided to act alone and everything went to hell?”
Sam exhaled heavily, his fists clenched.
“I do it to protect us. You’re too young to understand.”
“Young?” Ali jumped up. “I was there with you! I risked just as much as you!”
Hearing their argument, Carl entered the room.
“Hey, enough. We don’t have time for this. If you don’t start working together, we’ll lose.”
The brothers fell silent, but the tension in the air remained. Carl looked at them sternly.
“We’re all on the same side. Don’t forget that.”
In the evening, the team gathered in Carl’s secret room, where they worked on the plan. Jack suggested using false information as a trap to identify the mole. Carl agreed, understanding that it was a risky move, but perhaps the only way to uncover who was feeding information to Mickey.
Jack stood up and pointed at the screen, where false documentation for the new operation had already been prepared.
“We’ll send out the message about the new operation,” Jack said. “It will look like a real mission: transporting key data through a secret channel. If there’s a mole, they’ll definitely pass this information along.”
Sam crossed his arms over his chest.
“And then what? We just wait?”
“No,” Jack answered firmly. “We’ll set up several observation points to see who’s transmitting the data and how. Carl will use his old network of contacts to trace the leak.”
Ali, still shaken from the argument with his brother earlier, shook his head.
“This is too dangerous. If they suspect us, we’ll be trapped.”
Carl placed his hand on Ali’s shoulder.
“Sometimes, risk is the only way forward, kid. But we’ll be ready.”
The next day, the false information was integrated into the network. Jack pretended to send it over encrypted channels, leaving small vulnerabilities to give the mole a chance. The team watched closely, monitoring every move.
A few hours later, Carl received an alert.
“Someone accessed the file,” he said, looking at the screen. His voice was low but firm. “This can’t be a coincidence.”
Jack walked over.
“Where is the signal coming from?”
Carl frowned.
“It’s coming from our house.”
The room fell silent. Ali paled, and Sam stared at the screen with anger.
“So it’s one of us?”
Jack paused for a moment, then turned to Carl.
“Can you find out who exactly?”
Carl nodded and began checking the access logs. A few minutes later, he looked up.
“It’s Ali.”
Ali froze, his face contorted in horror.
“It can’t be! I didn’t do anything!”
Sam rushed over to his brother, grabbing him by the shoulders.
“Do you understand what this means? You’ve put us all in danger!”
“I swear, I didn’t do it!” Ali desperately tried to defend himself, but his voice shook.
Carl raised his hand to calm Sam.
“Wait. It’s possible his device was compromised. We need to check this.”
Jack nodded slowly.
— Carl is right. We can’t jump to conclusions. But, Ali, if you’re hiding something, now is the time to tell the truth.
Ali, nearly in tears, shook his head.
— I’m not hiding anything. I don’t know how this happened.
Sam stepped back, his gaze cold.
— We can’t just sit here and wait for them to come for us. If it was a mistake, we’ll figure it out. But if it’s true, Ali, you need to understand that you’re putting all of us at risk.
Ali looked at his brother with pain in his eyes.
— I haven’t betrayed you.
Jack, realizing the tension was rising, decided to take control of the situation.
— We need to keep working. We’ll check all the devices and restore security. But if it was really one of us, we’ll find out.
Carl nodded.
— I’ll use my old network to find out who else could have accessed it. But be ready: Mickey won’t wait.
The room fell into tense silence, broken only by the muffled sound of the fan. Ali sat in the corner, his head in his hands. His face reflected a mix of fear and indignation. Carl continued scanning the logs, trying to find any clue to either justify Ali or confirm the suspicions.
Jack stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze focused. His mind was racing, analyzing every detail. The mistake could be catastrophic. He fully understood that internal division could play into Mickey’s hands, which only increased his anxiety.
— Carl, — Jack finally broke the silence. — We need more data. If it wasn’t Ali, who else could have accessed it?
Carl replied without looking away from the monitor.
— I’m checking. The signal could have been faked to mislead us. But that doesn’t explain how they got into the system.
Sam, whose anger had now given way to tense contemplation, approached his brother.
— Ali, — his voice was hoarse but softer now. — If you really aren’t guilty, you need to help us. Think: could someone have used your device or accessed it without your knowledge?
Ali lifted his eyes, full of despair.
— I… I don’t know. Maybe my tablet? I sometimes leave it in the common room. But I swear, I didn’t pass any information!
Jack took a step closer, his expression stern but not accusatory.
— We need to check everything. If we have even the slightest chance of finding the real mole, we have to take it.
A few hours later, Carl found something strange.
— Here it is, — Carl said, pointing at the screen. — The signal was indeed redirected through Ali’s device, but the source… it’s not from the house. It’s external access made to look local. Someone wants us to think it’s Ali.
Jack frowned.
— So they know we’re watching them. It’s Mickey. He’s playing with us.
Sam, hearing this, exhaled in relief, but his face remained hard.
— So Ali isn’t guilty. But how did they gain access?
Carl leaned forward, his fingers rapidly moving over the keys.
— I don’t know yet. But if we don’t strengthen the security, they could do it again.
Jack nodded, his voice firming.
— We’ll strengthen the security. But even more importantly, we need to understand what they’re trying to do. If this was a distraction, what are they actually planning?
Meanwhile, in one of his hideouts, Mickey grinned as he watched the screen displaying the data from their trap. His men watched him expectantly.
— They found the false lead, — he said, taking a sip of whiskey. — Just as planned. Now they’re caught up in internal suspicions. And we’ll focus on what really matters.
One of his men leaned in closer.
— Continue watching the restaurant and the house?
Mickey shook his head.
— No. They’re expecting us there. Let them think everything is under control. We’ll strike when they least expect it.
In the secret room, Carl finished setting up the enhanced security. Jack glanced around at the gathered team.
— Now we need to move forward. We know Mickey is manipulating us. But that means we’re closer than we think. Carl, keep working with the network. Sam, Ali — you’re both coming with me. We’ll track their next move.
Ali, feeling relieved after the suspicion was lifted, nodded.
— I’m ready.
Sam patted his brother on the shoulder, showing that the tension between them had eased.
— Then let’s do this.
Jack took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decisions ahead. Only fog lay before them, hiding Mickey and his dangerous plans. But in this uncertainty, Jack knew one thing: the team would not give up.
