Langley,

Rache

e dim hum of vending machines and a single flickering b

le coffee and staring at the file spread out b

remained

Al-Kh

ical pawn. And now-Rachel

margin, circling the only sen

ed contact i

as watching her too closely, and

once-then again

smission. Scr

hed. Collapse Pro

file r

t in any training manual. Not even in Langle

Vult

hunting cartel names for the highest bidder. Now, he was whispering about a pr

room-empty. Still, h

slipping the encrypted flash drive i

a, a janitor rolled a mop

he reflection of a gun tucked behind

steady. She passed the security hub, nodding at a

level: Ar

y's old tunnels had one thing the re

s Later –

lled of milde

ete w

lights. N

led the panel open. Her fingers moved fast, byp

ned with a b

ata. Static. Vo

: Collaps

: Frag

, Bolt, Al-Kh

lliances via infiltration and force

d by: [R

ed by: [

gents: [AC

d wash spread through her limbs. Her

she was being forced

e hell

t, a proximity sensor flared

eed. Darkness swallowed the hall. She didn't wait-just bolted down the eme

choed be

-go dark, n

was comp

le, Bas

Nura A

haze as her convoy rolled th

n in suits too clean for th

ler-sat beside her in silence, fingers

measure danger

oday, my dove,"

ices," she replied, eyes f

ife who thinks of power

beneath her cloak. Beneath her sleeve, a tiny trans

d Rachel

was dange

angley-Su

ss tunnel into the old libra

hoodie stashed in a vent, and slipped ou

V was alre

oached t

was her father-Samuel

aid, as if it were

ze. "You'r

in Collapse Protocol is. Get in-we're

without a

eled into

y server farm, a term

ed Phase One. Activate sl

Camera feed: Laz Kito's

se has

ey, V

46

amuel Bolt-former field commander, presumed dead in the Balkans, 1998-was very much alive. Older, sur

be buried in a Saraj

e crater was real.

road flanked by pine trees and concr

classified files, ghost ops, and blackliste

se Pro

" she asked,

arked U.S. State Dept./OP-Blackwire. Inside were satellite photos

tanding bes

z is in on th

ow. He's the firewall and the back door. He's

ddle," she fin

be surveillance. Control. Covert stability through inf

to fall in love with hi

ed to get close to Kito and map the chain.

her, eyes dark. "Then it's

to's Penthou

: La

12

ers. Below, the city sparkled like a million lights. He'd always lov

ja, entered the room, heels

l's father was dea

out turning. "Apparently d

On the screen: footage of Rachel ente

" she said. "And sh

s expression unreadable. The

u're running out of time.

l it," La

ow

olished obsidian. "By killing

ra,

Nura A

22

nd corruption. Nura stepped out, cloak trailing like oil on sand. Mahdi al-Nari b

iled f

her sleeve buzzed agai

on. Rachel

mething worse. Co

ressure and fire kissed the air. Her contact waited by the turbine-a Rus

ial of synthetic blood, and a

ck for you, Prince

get your

d about payment. I'm worrie

blink. "It

D.C.-Undis

The

41

d barefoot, a cup of mint tea in one hand and a custom 9mm in the other

e," he murmured.

ed across the

. Protocol reactivate

he tea, eye

re the real

another screen-show

in and wild curls slept soun

e nameplate above

ne," he whispered. "Let's see what you

nsit-Rachel

58

road leading to an old farmhouse. Satellite blind zo

ut and scanned t

he trunk and ha

urner laptop, untraceabl

ft Langley will ever

eyes steeled. "We

ll Collapse before it

deep beneath an embassy in Brussels. A

otocol-PHAS

r: [U

[Laz.Kito

will you sacr

Manhattan, Ava Ki

hears... footsteps but co