The call came at 3:17 AM on a Tuesday, jarring Adrian from sleep with the kind of electronic insistence that meant someone had died or disappeared in ways that required immediate federal attention. The voice on the other end belonged to Agent Martinez, but her tone carried the controlled urgency that marked situations where routine communication protocols had been abandoned in favor of crisis management."Agent Cross, we have a situation. Three federal witnesses from the Sokolov prosecutions have been eliminated in the past eighteen hours. Professional hits, no evidence, perfect execution."Adrian was already reaching for clothes, his mind shifting from sleep to operational mode with the automatic response of someone whose job regularly interrupted normal human schedules. "Locations?""Atlanta, Philadelphia, Denver. Coordinated operations across multiple time zones, suggesting sophisticated planning and unlimited resources.""Sokolov?""Unknown. He's been off our radar since Prague, b

The pattern became clear at 2 AM when Adrian's secure phone buzzed with intelligence that connected three seemingly unrelated events across the country. A federal prosecutor in Seattle had received death threats that referenced specific details about his family's daily routines. A judge in Miami had discovered surveillance equipment in his home that had been professionally installed. A Treasury Department analyst in Chicago had been approached by strangers who offered her money for "consulting work" involving financial investigations."They're not just eliminating witnesses," Adrian said into the secure communication system that connected him to federal headquarters from his Denver hotel room. "They're systematically targeting everyone involved in building cases against syndicate operations."Martinez's voice came through the encrypted channel with updates that confirmed the scope of what they were facing. "Sixteen federal personnel have reported suspicious contact or surveillance in

The underground pursuit began twenty minutes after they'd reached the Civil Defense bunker, announced by tactical lights cutting through tunnel darkness and the distinctive sound of military boots on concrete. Adrian counted at least six pursuit teams based on the light patterns, all moving with coordinated precision that suggested extensive training in urban underground operations."They found us fast," Mara whispered, gathering her forensic kit while Adrian checked his weapon. Her crime lab background had included tactical training, but nothing that prepared analysts for being hunted through abandoned government facilities by professionals with military equipment.Morrison studied tunnel schematics on a device that looked more sophisticated than standard federal issue. "Service maintenance routes lead to the old Metro construction tunnels. We can reach Georgetown through the water department's emergency network."Adrian noted Morrison's familiarity with underground infrastructure th

The federal extraction team found them forty minutes later, but by then Adrian was bleeding from shrapnel that had caught him when the final assault team detonated explosives near the facility's water main. Cold underground water mixed with concrete dust created a slurry that turned the abandoned CIA bunker into something resembling a war zone from a foreign battlefield rather than a government facility beneath Washington D.C. "Jesus Christ, Cross," said Agent Rodriguez as he helped Adrian to his feet, the older federal agent's face showing genuine concern beneath tactical gear that had seen recent combat. "You look like you've been through a meat grinder." Adrian tested his left shoulder, wincing at the movement. Nothing broken, but the shrapnel had left gouges that would need medical attention. "Nothing that won't heal. Mara?" "I'm fine," she called from across the facility, where she was gathering evidence files with the methodical precision that marked someone who understood th

The attack on Alex came at 11:47 PM, just as Adrian was finally drifting off to sleep on Mara's couch. His phone exploded with the ringtone he'd assigned specifically to his brother—a loud, urgent sound that cut through exhaustion like a blade."Adrian!" Alex's voice was tight with panic, background noise suggesting he was moving fast. "They're here. Three men, professional gear, they knew exactly where I live.""Where are you now?""Fire escape outside my building. I saw them coming and went out the window." Alex was breathing hard, probably climbing down metal stairs in the dark while trying to stay quiet. "Adrian, they had photos of you and me together. They knew everything about my schedule, my work, my apartment layout."Adrian was already reaching for his clothes, adrenaline washing away fatigue as he processed the tactical situation. "Alex, listen carefully. Get to street level, stay in shadows, move toward the Metro station on Connecticut Avenue. Don't use your car, don't go t