THE MONASTERY
PART ONE: THE DESCENT
11:47 PM — Swiss Alps, Altitude 2,847 meters
The helicopter descended through clouds so thick they looked solid. Aria hung in the open door frame, rappel line secured, her body suspended in the darkness. Below her, invisible, was the monastery. Built into the mountain itself. Built seven hundred years ago by monks who believed they were creating a sanctuary. Now it was a tomb.
Her headset crackled. Marco’s voice from the ground team: “Visual on the structure. Main entrance is guarded. Secondary entrance is clear. Rappel point is hot.”
Aria didn’t respond. She was counting her heartbeats. Each one was a second they didn’t have. Each one brought midnight closer.
The helicopter lurched as the wind caught it. For a moment, she was suspended over nothin
