The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Barnaby chuckled, a hint of steely resolve behind his humor. “I choose to have the chip removed even if it means | have to be conscious during the process.” No matter the pain, she refused to let someone else dictate the course of her life! “The chip is currently lodged in your brain, and I'll be performing the surgery with my mom. We'll keep chatting with you throughout, and you'll even hear and feel us poking around in your noggin, so brace yourself.” It sounded simple enough, but only those who have been through it knew the agony was beyond any normal threshold of endurance.

It was akin to the trauma Arabella suffered after Brody and Vivienne had planted and then diffused a bomb inside her. The psychological scars were likely still unhealed.

Not that she had much tfor healing.

Barnaby nodded in agreement. “Alright, let's get on with it.” Twas of the essence. The chip could travel through her bloodstream to any part of her body.

Noah had met his end when a similar chip had migrated near his heart. Barnaby was luckier; the chip was near her stomach when Karen intervened, sparing her life.

But now the chip had moved to his brain, and if F-Poison struck again, it would be too late.

Soon, Barnaby was wheeled back into the OR, with Karen and Vivienne scrubbing in together.

Throughout the procedure, Barnaby’s eyes remained open. She could feel the drill and other surgical instruments stirring inside her skull, each nerve echoing the whine of the drill, her glands vibrating with every movement.

The sensation was indescribable.

If she had to label it, ‘terrifying’ would be a vast understgggment.

“When was this chip put in? Can it track our location?” Barnaby inquired, curious despite the circumstances.

“No idea, but it was after Belle was captured. Belle, Scott, Rowan, and Ismene don’t have chips, or they'd be dead by now,” Vivienne said, her gaze fixed on the screen displaying Barnaby’s brain scan.

Karen, manipulating the scalpel, added, “The chip can track and explode inside the body, undetectable even to the latest scanners. Think back to when you might have lost consciousness and had it implanted.” Barnaby pondered for a moment, then said, “I can’t recall anything. Maybe we ingested it without realizing.” “That's a possibility,” Karen agreed, nodding at the theory.

“But how could we swallow a chip without noticing?” Vivienne questioned, skeptical.

“Of course.” Karen had just pried open another part of the skull and switched instruments to dig deeper. “The chip could dissolve upon entry and then slowly assemble its particles inside the body.” Pausing, Karen mused, “That's a promising lead. We should engineer something similar. Imagine being able to track your little protégé’s runaway dog anytime.” “Yeah, with the pet market booming, who could resist a device that pinpoints your pet's location? We could even link it to the pet's retina, offering a pet’s-eye view of the world,” Vivienne rambled on, already hearing the cash register in her head.

Barnaby had not expected her casual question to spark such a lucrative brainstorm between mother and daughter.

True to form, they were quite the pair—money-minded through and through! “Mom! | see it!” Vivienne suddenly exclaimed.

Three hours later, Karen and Vivienne successfully extracted the chip from Barnaby’s brain.

Post-surgery, Barnaby slipped into unconsciousness.

“Madam, is my sister going to be okay?” Caspian asked, concern evident.

Vivienne nodded her head reassuringly. “She’ll be fine. She just needs ssleep, and my mom ensured she won't remember any of the surgery to prevent any trauma. Don’t worry.” “Thank you, Madam, thank you, former captain. I'm in your debt,” Caspian said, bowing repeatedly.

Barnaby was his only family left. After years apart, it was only thanks to Vivienne and her team that they could reunite.

Vivienne waved off the thanks. “If you're truly grateful, go do something worthwhile.” Wiping his tears, Caspian was eager. “Anything you need, just say the word.” Meanwhile, Karen had connected the chip to Vivienne’s laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard. Soon, a satellite map appeared on the screen, dotted with numerous red points marking individual locations.

Vivienne printed the map and handed it to Caspian. “Take this to your commander. It's tto dismantle GTO’s stronghold!” The realization sank in for Caspian. Those red dots were the whereabouts of every member of GTO! “Yes, right away!” This was not just a task; it was an opportunity to make a difference! With the map in hand, Thomas, Leopold, Soren, and their squads arrested every marked individual, using a jamming device developed by Karen and Vivienne to block the chips’ signals.

In other words, even if F-Poison wanted to kill them now, there was no way to do so! Except for F-Poison, who remained at large, all GTO members were captured.

It was Vanguard Agency's first major victory since the “Destruction Plan,” earning Thomas, Leopold, Soren, and even Anna medals of honor.

Anna laid her medal at Daphne's grave. After years, she could finally give her mother a proper memorial.

Everyone rejoiced except for Percival and Vivienne, who could not quite muster a smile.

Though the treat inside the Vanguard Agency seemed eliminated, F-Poison was still a serpent lurking in the shadows, its venomous fangs poised to strike anew. As long as F-Poison was at large, a veil of unrest shrouded the world.

Barnaby had awoken, and Vivienne, toting a fruit basket befitting a hospital visit, cto see her.

“So, what's next on the cards for you? | hear your brother wants you to join forces with him at Vanguard Agency,” Vivienne inquired, a hint of intrigue in her voice.

Barnaby picked up an apple but hesitated to bite into it directly, instead meticulously cutting it into bite-sized pieces with a paring knife.

A side effect of having your skull cracked open is that certain things becmore complicated.

“You've call the way here, and now you're trying to pushinto Vanguard Agency?” Barnaby knew all too well that Vivienne’s visit was a recruitment pitch.

With a click of her fingers, Vivienne dangled the bait. “How about a salary of a million a month? Are you in?” Of course, Barnaby was in! That was a monthly paycheck, and not just any paycheck—a million! That was more than Caspian could make in a lifetat Vanguard Agency!Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

Vivienne sure had deep pockets! “Boss, from now on, I'm your woman in life and your ghost in death. I'll move mountains for you, and the only thing | ask is that you never skimp on my payday!” Vivienne nodded in approval, a satisfied grin on her face. Indeed, a mercenary heart was essential for her recruits.

“Deal. Pick a code nfor yourself, something to keep it smooth in the underworld,” Vivienne said, casually taking a bite from an apple.

After a moment's thought, Barnaby replied, “Armadillo!” Vivienne nearly choked on her apple. Apparently, coming up with a cool code nwas not Barnaby’s forte! Once discharged, Barnaby was dispatched to the Nine Mystics Society and left in the care of Draven. Meanwhile, Vivienne set off to her next mysterious destination.