The stench of diesel fuel and fresh fear had replaced the acrid smell of death in the Falco’s hold. I was back in the command cabin, the small, circular space serving as the epicenter of a war that spanned the entire Mediterranean. Vasily’s betrayal was an ice shard now, painful, but perfectly lodged, giving me clarity. I knew the rules of the ambush. I knew the cost of the ransom. Now, I needed the final battlefield.
Ivan and Alexander were hunched over the main tactical map, their heads close, whispering in quick, clipped Russian. Domenico’s voice crackled through the encrypted satellite line, sharp with impatience. He was flying high above, maintaining orbital surveillance while his brothers steered the fast interceptors toward the designated engagement zone.
I took the headset from t
