Page 36 of Code Name: Ember
“They’re not some fly-by-night LLC,” Josie says.“They’re legit and very similar to Jameson.Government contracts.Extraction operations overseas.Disaster response.Executive protection.But they only recruit former Special Forces, leaning heavily on mercenaries.On paper?They’re elite.”
I skim the top sheet and see awards, defense commendations, partnerships with federal agencies.They look… respectable.
“When you look at all that, it’s hard to believe they’d be dirty,” Josie says, then offers me a wry smile.“But I don’t believe in halos.”
“Neither do I,” I murmur.
I flip the page and see a dossier on the founder and CEO, Jason Pelham.There’s a photo of him.He’s handsome in an off-kilter way.Strong features, but a pockmarked face.I see he’s forty-seven, holds an MBA from Stanford, and was a former defense logistics consultant to the US government.
“He’s based in San Francisco,” Josie says and I look up at her.“Married.Three children.Enjoys skiing and competitive amateur golf.
“Sounds like a regular Joe,” I murmur, focusing in on the personal bio.“But there’s always more if you know where to look.”
Josie chuckles.“Let’s see what you got, Miss Investigative Reporter.”
I shoot her a wink and start tapping away on my laptop.I start with his profile on LinkedIn, which is sparse but polished.He’s wearing a suit and tie in his profile pic.I next move to Instagram but there’s no account.I don’t bother with TikTok and instead turned to my tried and true… Facebook.It seems no matter who you are, most people have at least an account that one of their family members insisted they get so they can keep up with family information.
And bingo… he has one.His profile pic is the same one from his LinkedIn profile.He has no other photos, no other posts.Looks like Jason Pelham created his account and then promptly forgot about it.
His bio line is short and sweet.“Married to Rebecca.Father of three.Grateful.”
Rebecca.
My fingers pause over the keyboard and a connection fires in my memory.I quickly click open a file I’d built on Gavin DelRey, the CEO of RainVest.I flip through corporate filings, peer-to-peer connections, charitable foundations.I scroll to the family section and scan my notes.
There it is… he has a sister and I found a few mentions of her from his own Facebook profile I researched a few weeks ago.
He had some posts where he mentioned his sister “Becky,” although she wasn’t tagged.
“Do you believe in coincidences?”I ask Josie, looking up from my screen to meet her eyes.
“Nope,” she replies.“What do you have?”
I ignore her for a second, doing a search on Facebook for a Becky DelRey.Nothing.Rebecca DelRey.Nothing.Rebecca Pelham.Nothing.Becky Pelham.Nothing.
I blow out a frustrated breath and turn my laptop to face her.“Pelham’s wife is named Rebecca.Gavin DelRey has a sister named Becky.What are the chances they could be related?”
Josie’s fingers are already moving across her tablet.“Hold on.”
She looks up after less than thirty seconds.
“Rebecca DelRey married Jason Pelham in 2011,” she says.“San Francisco ceremony.High-profile guest list.Defense industry crowd.”
I lean back in my chair slowly.“So SAPG,” I murmur, “is owned by Gavin DelRey’s brother-in-law.”
Josie nods once.“Brother-in-law with access to trained operatives, logistics networks, and government-grade operational experience,” she adds.
The pieces don’t just fit.They lock.“I’m suddenly no longer having a hard time believing a company like that would agree to arson and murder for a client.”
“Family ties,” she muses.
Erik hadn’t stumbled onto some random security vendor.He’d uncovered a family operation.My brain whirs on overdrive.“If Pelham is facilitating ‘controlled asset clearing’ under the guise of risk mitigation, then this isn’t just corporate greed.”
“It’s conspiracy,” she says with a glinting smile.
I stare at Pelham’s smiling profile photo—clean cut, well dressed, the kind of man who sits on nonprofit boards and donates to wildfire relief funds.
Josie’s eyes sharpen.“You’re on to something.”
