The plan had been straightforward in theory: Sneak into the meeting, collect the intel and slip away undetected. But as James and his team huddled in the shadows, listening to the meeting play out, it became all too clear that things were no longer under their control.
The men sitting around Karpov were formidable and dangerous untouchable in the world’s eye. But what James heard next chilled his blood. Karpov was not only interested in power. His intent was much worse: he was weaving a world wide web of such influence that governments, corporations and international agencies would soon be falling like dominos.
“Everything is in place,” Karpov’s voice reverberated in the dimly lit room, each word deliberate and progressively paced. “We’ve locked up the main guys. Now we can move ahead wi
