Six months after the South American operation, Elena stood before the institute's newly formed Rapid Response Division, addressing the first graduating class specifically trained for exactly the kind of sustained, ongoing surveillance work Ferrante's fragmented network had demonstrated as necessary.
"You're not being trained to stop a single mastermind," Elena told the assembled graduates. "You're being trained to watch, wait, and respond to threats that might take years to fully unravel. This work requires patience most people don't associate with prevention response."
A graduate raised her hand. "Dr. Cole, has Ferrante himself ever been located?"
Elena considered her answer carefully. "Not directly, no. We've dismantled four additional cells connected to his network over these past mo
