Raymond's hands rested softly on the maid's shoulders as he asked, "Did you talk to the gun dealer? We gotta attack him tonight."The maid nodded, saying, "Yeah, I did. He wants us to meet him in an hour. But should we really attack? What if he's at the Vertice Hotel?"She leaned in, planting a gent

The sun went down behind the tall towers of the capital city, and a gentle evening breeze blew across the open balcony, carrying away the noise of the traffic below. On the rooftop terrace of the Grand Palace Hotel, soft golden light illuminated the tables where Ethan, Angela Miretti, and Dr. Chloe

A white private jet touched down on the damp runway of the capital airport. The twin engines whined softly as the plane rolled to a halt outside a private terminal.Julian Mercer stepped down the folding stairs into the cool night air, buttoning his tailored cashmere coat. Two bodyguards in dark sui

The wall clock ticked steadily inside the quiet top-floor office as rain tapped against the windows. Julian Mercer sat on the leather sofa, puffing his cigar with a lazy grin as he tapped his shoes against the floor."Ten minutes have already passed, Miss Miretti," Mercer said. "Your five minutes of

The morning mist hung low over the glass towers of the capital city. A cold wind blew through the tall stone columns outside the State Product Safety Commission.Vivian moved with rapid, calculated precision. She did not hire street thugs or stage protests like her foolish cousins in the south.She