The transition from the freezing, sulfur-crusted purgatory of the salt-mines to the blinding, sterile luxury of the Cologny villa was like stepping from a grave into an operating room.
The lower mechanical deck of the fortress was a cavern of polished white concrete, gleaming chrome pipework, and the high-frequency hum of central climate units that blasted warm, dry air across their soaked bodies. It felt grotesquely clean. Elena stood shivering slightly as the heat hit her wet tactical jacket, her dark hair plastered to her neck, framing the silver vulture collar that rested solid and heavy against her throat. On her finger, the black diamond caught the harsh fluorescent glare of the room, throwing cold, prismatic sparks against the sterile walls.
Beside her, Julian was a terrifying spe
