Shadow Operative by Sam Cogley

Author:Sam Cogley [Cogley, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

27

Knight likened the scene to one from his days in the service. Even on such a small scale, Doctor Ada Bremen’s estate resembled a war zone, the wreckage bearing the signs of a conflict far too brutal for such a serene setting.

Hovering in the helicopter above what used to be an illustrious residence, he could not help but be unsettled. The lush grasslands surrounding the house were charred beyond recognition. The water from the fire crew’s hoses met the smoldering earth, creating spectral tendrils of steam.

At the epicenter, the skeletal silhouette of what was once the three-story mansion remained. The lone chimney stood defiantly amidst the devastation, a monument to the conflagration that had reduced the once-grand abode to ruins. As the helicopter swooped closer to the ground, Knight took in the flurry of activity beneath an impromptu tent, encircled by an array of black vans and SUVs.

The chopper banked over the site before descending into a nearby clearing about three hundred feet distant from the hub of commotion. Once the blades ceased their relentless spinning, the pilot flashed Knight a thumbs-up. With a grunt, he heaved the door aside, swinging his legs over the threshold and leaping onto the charred turf below.

The aroma of burnt earth filled his nostrils while he made his way toward the tent. Behind him, the churn of the helicopter blades picked up once again, and the craft ascended, vanishing into the green veil of the distant tree line.

Black-clad guards, armed with M4 rifles, met him at the entrance, parting to allow him access. Inside, the tent was humming with an undercurrent of urgency. Different teams of personnel crisscrossed the space, their faces fixated to the job at hand. A semi-circle of tables formed rudimentary workstations, each one cluttered with high-tech equipment, their screens flickering with strings of data. Scrolling the information, analysts studied it with a laser-focused attention.

On one of the many screens, Naidu’s image was taking center stage, the woman talking with a redhead at the end of the table. She stopped mid conversation, noticing Knight’s arrival. “Knight, welcome to Austria.”

He stepped through the bustling command center and stopped next to the redhead. “Quite the welcoming committee.”

“As you can see, we’ve had some problems,” Naidu said.

“No kidding.”

Without missing a beat, Naidu’s attention veered toward the striking redheaded woman. She bore the visual imprints of a harrowing ordeal. The mere sight of her spoke of a baptism by fire and then some.

“Feeney, meet Knight. Knight, meet Feeney. She was our point person here in Leogang.”

“We’ve met,” Feeney said before Knight had a chance to speak.

“Of course, the Cairo job.” Naidu paused. “If you don’t mind, would you bring Knight up to speed?”

Feeney nodded. “Early last night, we located Jordan Cain in Doctor Bremen’s house. When we—”

“Hold on.” Knight checked a screen displaying the digital layout of the original security perimeter. “You’re saying he breached this?”

Feeney’s features contorted into a blend of mortification and indignation. “Our analysis suggests that he infiltrated from the south, taking out our people before they could raise the alarm.

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