Rogue: The Genesis Files, #1

By Bonnie Synclaire

Synclaire's debut novel is a spy-thriller packed with action, mystery, and danger at every turn.

 

When reclusive master spy Victoria Hollis disappears with classified files from the CIA, she leaves no trace of her existence. Her twin daughters Harper and Beatriz—rookie agents for Genesis, an off-the-books espionage agency run by their estranged family—decide to track down Victoria to prove her innocence.

 

While working to clear their mother's name, the twins soon uncover a nefarious plot linked to a dark family past, and vendetta-driven enemies who have been watching their every move…

 

On the hunt to expose the truth, they fight against shadowy organizations, ruthless assailants, and deadly deceptions masked by intrigue. And one ally will teach them their first lesson of espionage the hard way: trust no one.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Synclaire Publishing
• Release date: Jan 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781393127840

Book preview

Prologue: Going Rogue

Circa 2000

THIS DEFINITELY FELT LIKE A SETUP.

She wanted to confirm this was the right location before she proceeded inside—and confirm that the backup unit was on standby, just in case things got awry—but to her dismay and utter annoyance, she was ill equipped and going in blind. If this operation was as cloak-and-dagger as she knew it was, she would have gotten in touch with the backup squad before even leaving headquarters, as well as requested more adequate equipment. But at the end of the day, it never mattered; she was used as a pawn—bait, often—in nearly every assignment she was thrown into for her own family’s benefit. She didn’t have a choice. She’d signed up for this, after all, and she always got the job done, every time.

The decades-old brick factory in the middle of nowhere looked unsuspecting on the outside. It was displayed as one of the umpteen discreet manufacturing plants in a town no one heard of. But she knew that down the very last corridor on the right side, down a hidden set of stairs and through an iron door, was one of several sites for illegal machines auctioning. She learned that these deals ranged from smaller electronics and inventions that hadn’t hit the market yet to heavy duty, military-grade weapons that could very well obliterate anything in its path. More importantly, one of her family’s weapons was being illegally auctioned off, a gadget that could cause mass terror if the wrong person got their hands on it…

As soon as Victoria Hollis had graduated from her program the year before at just nineteen, she was thrust into every risky intel-collecting job that Ronaldo Hollis, her father, needed accomplished, using her world-class training to ensure her father’s CIA-funded espionage agency, Genesis, was always ten steps ahead of whatever enemies lurked in the shadows. For most of her life, she was trained and used like a soldier.

Victoria took a shuddery breath and forced herself to clear her head as she drove closer to the factory in her black BMW convertible. She never traveled with the rest of the squad, in fact she embraced being a lone wolf now. Besides, tonight she had an agenda of her own, and she didn’t need anyone getting in the way of that…

The voice of Liaison Agent Ford Lennox came through the intercom in her left ear, We already know that whoever got ahold of that device has the clearances to access the tech center back at HQ.

And better yet, the voice of Operative Jeremiah Shields added, they know how to cover their tracks on various technology platforms. That means we can narrow down their status to either Liaison or Special Agent that was moved up the ranks.

Victoria looked in her rearview mirror at the black van that drove behind her. Her five squad members were inside, hopefully prepared to gather some new information, or even take some evidence if fate allowed. None of them had the clearances to even look at what lied inside the technology center back at their home base, which housed every weapon and gadget a spy could dream of, not even Victoria herself.

She reached up and tapped her intercom to speak. So…there’s a mole. Victoria said what everyone was thinking.

Special Agent Antoine Gold said, Has to be.

It had to have been someone higher up—someone her father, the director, trusted. Was close with. Maybe even someone from the board of directors. At least that narrowed down Victoria’s mental list of potential suspects.

"Perimeter scanned. Everyone exit and proceed to your positions." Josslyn Greaves’s voice said into everyone’s intercoms that were inside their left ears. She was the Assistant Director of Genesis, Ronaldo Hollis’s right-hand person. She was going to be their extra set of eyes for tonight’s operation.

Victoria slowed to a stop and parked her car. She checked to make sure she had enough ammunition in her .25 handgun and that her bulletproof vest was tightly fastened as the squad emerged from the black van. As they crept to their positions around the factory, Operative Martin Eastman walked up to Victoria’s car just as she was getting out. His wide, six-foot-three frame looked bulkier with all of his equipment strapped to him, and a look of worry washed over his face. He sighed.

You ready? Victoria asked, doing a count of all of her gear.

I don’t have a good feeling about this. Martin murmured as he stepped up to her and tucked a coil of hair behind her ear. I know this is what we signed up for, but…are we really going to be risking our lives like this forever? Will it ever end?

Don’t worry. I don’t have a good feeling about this either, but I won’t be around here long.

What do you mean? Martin’s hand fell back to his side.

I know this isn’t going to end well. When things go left, just follow my lead, okay? Don’t listen to the others.

Martin nodded. Alright. He put his hand in hers. Just be careful, okay?

Always. Victoria let her hand slip from his grasp and she darted in long strides to the back door of the factory, simply a shadow in the night with her all-black attire. Ford Lennox wasn’t too far behind with his equipment and tools, while Antoine Gold, Jeremiah Shields, and another newbie operative she didn’t quite know yet ventured to the other entry point at the opposite end of the vast lot. Victoria crept along the ten-thousand-square-foot building to where she was instructed the door that led to the hidden basement was located, and waited for her cue. Having studied the blueprint of the factory, she could maneuver it blindfolded if she needed to. She adjusted her neck gaiter that concealed her distinct West Indian and African features. Her long, coily dark brown hair was secured in a low bun. The only thing one would see was her large doe-brown eyes.

Martin Eastman was crouched a few feet away from her. I can’t believe this is only, like, your second assignment? My father must’ve seen a lot of potential in you to throw you in this mess.

Eh, or he just wants to get rid of me. Martin replied, and Victoria could tell by his voice that he was nervous. Strong emotions like those could fog one’s brain, rattling their sharp wits and good sense of judgment, ending in catastrophe, but she didn’t point that out to avoid making him feel worse. Martin was two years older than her but didn’t have nearly the amount of experience and credentials that she proudly held to her name, but that was alright. Tonight she only needed someone to play helper. She didn’t need help from anyone, never did.

Just stay behind me. Victoria said firmly.

Martin nodded silently.

"Move in." Greaves ordered.

The back door that they were instructed to go through looked like it had rotted out years ago, so Victoria decided to break the lock with a swift power kick, causing the door to creak and swing open, dust and particles slowly settling to the ground. She aimed her gun in front of her as she quickly stepped inside and backed herself against the nearest wall as Eastman, Shields, and Lennox followed, scanning the perimeter of the area. Red lasers from the barrels of their guns danced around the dim space before Jeremiah Shields confirmed, All clear. The door slammed shut behind them, causing Martin to startle but quickly regain his focus. Victoria nodded to her squad members, signaling them to follow her as she led the way down the corridor.

Martin secretly admired her as they crept along the cement wall, relieved that he was not the one leading the group, but nonetheless feeling a strong need to be her lookout at the same time. He had only truly known her for under a year but already wanted to prove himself to her, to prove that he could hold a permanent spot on the team and be the tough, take-no-mercy agent that his own ex-CIA father was expecting him to be, not the scared, nerve-ridden rookie everyone saw him as. Although Victoria reminded him countless times that she didn’t see him as such, he was still embarrassed by the fact that he was older but didn’t have the skills needed to be in the big leagues of the project yet, or the guts to make any major moves in an op, at least not yet. But he wanted that to change. He needed to prove himself if he wanted to appease his own father, stay on the A squad, and potentially make Victoria see him differently.

Never in a million years did he think he would have been given the opportunity to work alongside the Victoria Hollis, one of the most highly-trained and sought-after spies in the continent. But now that he was here in the moment, he forced himself to snap into focus. There was no way he was going to let himself slip up tonight. Not in front of her.

Minutes later they made it down to the iron door.

Greaves, do we have eyes on the cellar? Lennox spoke into his intercom device.

Unfortunately not, Lennox. You’re gonna have to go in blind. Greaves said dismally.

Okay, so who are we going to sacrifice first? Antoine Gold joked.

Victoria rolled her eyes. Move. she muttered, and all of the men of the group took a few steps back, covering her with their guns from different angles just in case anyone was lurking around. She tapped on the doorknob a couple times with the tip of her gun, and to her surprise it didn’t feel locked. She raised her arm and counted down with her fingers. 3…2…1. She kicked the door open to reveal a cold, empty room. This definitely was not a weapons manufacturing plant at all. There’s nothing here, she thought in disbelief.

This was, in fact, a setup.

The notorious men who’d attended the discreet auction site closed in on her squad swiftly, trapping them where they stood with heavily loaded rifles pointed right at their faces. Their identities were hidden with black ski masks and long-sleeved black attire. But Special Agent Antoine Gold signaled for the unknown men to hold their fire as he walked up to Victoria with a smug smile on his face. But his smile turned into a menacing scowl as he harshly dug his weapon of choice into her forehead, leaving a mark.

I should have known it was you. Victoria said bitterly, looking Gold in the eyes. You really think you’re doing something with that gun in my face?

Antoine Gold chuckled, lowering his guard. No, Hollis. I know nothing scares you. I just figured you’d try and pounce on me, is all.

Just then one of the criminals standing behind Gold tossed him an object. It had a small antenna, a blinking light, and…

An analog timer.

He’s got a detonator! Lennox shouted. He reached up to tap his intercom to alert Greaves, but Gold hit him in the head with his gun.

Alert HQ, and this entire facility blows up. Gold spat.

Argh! Lennox buckled from the pain, holding the side of his head with his now bloodied hand. You’re crazy!

You’re not going to get away with this, Gold. Victoria seethed.

But Gold took another step closer to her and grinned. I believe I already have.

"The van’s being raided, Greaves shouted through their intercoms. I don’t know how they got inside, but go, now!"

Our equipment and case files are still in there. That kind of stuff can’t get leaked out. Lennox said as he stood up. Shields supported him by his arm. We have to go after it.

Lennox is right… Gold pressed the button on the detonator.

A countdown started from three minutes.

If I were you, Gold said in a low voice, I’d get as far away from here as possible.

Victoria’s chest tightened and her eyes widened as she watched time pass by the second. She could barely get the word out. "Run. Run now."

Let’s move, guys. Gold ordered, and the criminals began to pack up their supplies hastily and make their exit. We need all this evidence burned to the ground. We got everything we needed from the van, thanks to my squad.

Quick on their feet and hearts pumping with adrenaline, Victoria, Martin, Shields, and Lennox retreated and scurried back to the black van, which had now been robbed and was empty. Shields and Lennox strapped themselves in the front row and peeled away in the direction they came.

We have to get out of here. Victoria said shakily. Get in my car. She sat down in the driver’s seat and pressed a button to restore the roof of the car, and she started the engine.

Martin gratefully sat beside her and fastened his seatbelt. Step on it. he urged, and the convertible’s tires screeched as the vehicle did a 180° turn and disappeared into the night.

Seconds later, a mass explosion of orange and red erupted behind them, setting the car off course for just a second before it stabilized itself.

Victoria let out a shaky breath. So did Martin. They both had just narrowly escaped with their lives from a sudden unexpected betrayal.

Shaking her head, Victoria said, "I’m going rogue for a little while, and I want you—no, I need you—to come with me. I need you to come with me." Victoria stared intently into his eyes for a moment before turning back to the empty highway before them.

You know I’ll follow you wherever you go. Martin confirmed. But…shouldn’t we go back to HQ and tell them what just happened? How we almost ended up in a suicide mission?

We can’t.

We…can’t?

I know exactly what’s going to happen: Genesis is going to fall. And if we go back there, we’ll fall with it.

Chapter 1: An Act of Treason

Present Day…

SHE WAS RUNNING OUT OF TIME.

They couldn’t wait much longer; every minute that passed only added to the risk. In moments like this, it seemed, time was never on your side. Victoria Hollis scrambled around her spacious yet