Furthermore, The Raven was already beginning to suspect her true identity.
He absolutely could not allow even the slightest threat to get near her.
Jerrick reached out, his fingertip resting firmly on the projected transit route for Specimen Fourteen's entry into Whitecliffe Harbor. "The escort for Asset 14 will proceed exactly as planned. There can be no gaps in the security perimeter during the handover."
His deputy, standing rigid by the table, offered a low murmur of acknowledgment.
Jerrick tapped two more locations on the map. "Have Squads Two and Three infiltrate the harbor sector ahead of schedule. I want them holding the high ground along the route and securing all secondary extraction channels."
After laying out the tactical groundwork, Jerrick pulled out a separate personnel roster and methodically circled a handful of names.
"This unit will shadow The Panacea."
The deputy paused, his head snapping up in sheer disbelief.
The names Jerrick had just selected belonged to the most elite, battle-hardened veterans in their entire PMC.
Some of these operatives were specifically held in reserve as the ultimate failsafe for catastrophic emergencies.
And they weren't being deployed to guard Specimen Fourteen, but rather... to babysit The Panacea?
"Once we hit the harbor, they are to adjust their positioning based entirely on her movements. They are not to interfere with her work, but any anomalies in her immediate vicinity must be neutralized instantly." Jerrick's voice left absolutely no room for debate. "And wherever she goes, our people must be staged nearby. I want all potential sniper nests, ambush choke points, and containment routes swept in advance. If things go sideways, her safe extraction is the absolute highest priority."
"Maintain absolute stealth. Under no circumstances is she to realize they are there."
He knew all too well how frighteningly perceptive his sister was.
If he sent standard operatives after her, she would sniff them out before they even cleared the docks.
And if she decided she wanted to lose them...
All of his tactical planning would be for nothing.
That was exactly why the people watching her had to be the absolute apex of his forces.
They had to be men he trusted with his life.
As the deputy listened, his expression twisted into one of utter bewilderment.
This wasn't just casually offering protection to a temporary medical consultant.
This was elevating The Panacea to the absolute highest security clearance of their entire operation!
"But..." The deputy tried to hold his tongue, but the tactical inconsistency was driving him crazy. "Captain, Ms. Panacea already has The Sterling Sovereign by her side."
"According to our intel, The Sterling Sovereign commands a private army of his own, and... they are far from weak."
"Do we really need to divert this much of our own manpower?"
The crux of the issue was that they were severely cannibalizing their own strength to guard her.
The Sterling Sovereign's identity and power were undisputed.
Once they arrived at Whitecliffe Harbor, the man certainly wouldn't be walking in blind or unprepared.
Moreover, judging by how fiercely
protective The Sterling Sovereign was of The Panacea, it was highly
unlikely he'd ever let anything happen to her. . FindNovel.net
Jerrick lifted his gaze, his slate-blue eyes entirely devoid of warmth. "Yes, we do."
"The Sterling Sovereign is his own entity. We rely on ourselves."
There was no way in hell he was trusting his little sister's life to a man whose true motives were still shrouded in shadow.
He didn't deny that Nicholas was formidable.
Nor did he deny that the man seemed genuinely obsessed with Serena.
But so what?
No matter how capable Nicholas was, he wasn't family.
Even if the man showered her with affection right now, it didn't guarantee that he would prioritize here over his own when the real bullets started flying.
Jerrick refused to take that gamble.
He would never use his sister's life as a casino chip.
He didn't need another man's promises.
He would never treat a stranger's protection as her sole lifeline.
Jerrick stared darkly at the map of Whitecliffe Harbor, his fingers pressing into the
table hard enough to turn his knuckles white.
The Obsidian Sun was absolutely going to retaliate at the port.
The ship's command wasn't entirely trustworthy, either.
And then there was the enigmatic Sterling Sovereign...
Serena was currently standing at the dead center of a massive, converging hurricane.
And the arrogant, brilliant little mastermind clearly had no intention of backing down.
Since she was hellbent on walking
straight into the fire, he would donet
everything in his power to be the invisible shield guarding her back
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