THE SEARCHER: PERMISSION GRANTED

What if hunting for Rembrandt's stolen masterpiece of a storm at sea was the only way to calm the storm raging inside you?

Against Alaska's unforgiving wilderness, ex-Marine Special Forces Officer Jax climbs a forbidden glacier wall, ice axes biting into ancient blue ice—her disregard for boundaries as telling as the military precision in her movements. This is Jax: fearless in the face of nature's wrath, yet haunted by storms she cannot escape.

By day, she pours drinks at a Boston bar. By night, she's consumed by two obsessions: the ghosts of a shattered Special Ops mission and the missing Rembrandt masterpiece, “Storm on the Sea of Galilee." As one of the first women secretly deployed in an experimental combat program years before official policy allowed it, Jax proved herself in firefights that remain classified. But a catastrophic friendly-fire incident left her with both physical scars and psychological wounds that no amount of whiskey can drown.

When the world of the stolen Rembrandt unexpectedly blows into her life, something about it seizes her with unexpected force. The painting—depicting terrified sailors during a violent tempest—becomes more than an art mystery. It becomes a mirror. In the face of one particular sailor staring out from the canvas in terror, Jax recognizes her own reflection across centuries—a soul caught between faith and fear.

As Jax applies her tactical training to investigate America's greatest unsolved art heist, she draws the attention of FBI Agent George Kent, who has pursued the missing paintings for decades. Her growing obsession leads her into Boston's criminal underworld and the orbit of Robert Gentile, an aging mobster with possible connections to the stolen artwork worth over $500 million.

What begins as personal investigation rapidly escalates into deadly stakes. Jax realizes she's no longer the hunter—she's become the hunted. For a woman who scales glaciers and sleeps in forest canopies, the most treacherous terrain may prove to be within.

"Permission Granted" introduces an unforgettable protagonist whose strength is matched only by her inner demons. This meticulously researched thriller blends real-world art history with heart-pounding action while exploring the psychological landscape of veterans and the healing potential of unexpected missions. With each step closer to the missing masterpiece, Jax discovers that finding the painting might not be her true purpose.