The vibration of the receding lift hummed through the soles of Seraphina’s boots, a mechanical taunt that stole the air from her lungs. She didn't scream; she didn't weep. Instead, she leveled her Glock at the bridge of Vincenzo’s nose, her finger taking up the slack on the trigger.
"Stop it," she commanded.
Vincenzo didn't flinch. He swirled the dark liquid in his glass, the vintage catching the flickering overhead lights. "Gravity is a relentless master, Fiammetta. The pod is already three hundred meters below the bedrock, accelerated by a pneumatic rail. In four minutes, it will eject into the Rhine. My teams are waiting at the extraction point with a submersible."
The heavy oak door splintered inward. Alessandro charged into the room, a wraith of soot and fury. His tactical vest was
