Page 139 of Scarlet Angel

“I’ve studied the intel,” Leo says. “And communications we’ve captured between syndicate members.”

“You hacked them?” I ask. “You Americans listening to everyone?” I grit my teeth, but once again, Scarlet’s hand on mine calms me right down.

“Like you, we have sources,” Jack says as calmly as if we’re sitting at a fine-dining establishment.

“All right. Let’s hear it. I concur. Something’s off. What’ve you got?”

“Attacks against the electrical facilities in the United States have increased.”

“Terrorgram. Been going on for years.” That really hasn’t been on my radar.

“Right,” Leo says. “By white supremacists and alt-right groups fostered mostly through Terrorgram messaging. The alliance member leading those fringe groups is Halston Moore.”

“Correction. He has influence because he donates to their causes. He’s not sharing a pint with them.” Yes, I believe he’s the one wanting to kill me, but he’s been a two-sideser for decades.

“Agree. But the nature of the attacks has changed in the last month. They more resemble exploratory scouting, and there’s the occasional hit to a transponder, as if capability and impact are being measured.”

I roll my eyes because there are at least a dozen parties interested in taking out the US electrical grid. “Is that all you’ve got?”

“The gas line cutting exploratory,” Leo adds.

“That is Russia.” We’re all clear on that point.

“The Russian fishing boats made us think that,” Leo says, “but we dug deeper, and the boats are owned by a shell company.”

“Likely Russian,” I say.

The Russians would theoretically love to damage the connection to the West.

“And there’s the theft of the gas from North Korea.”

“You determined who did it?”

“Private entity. And we’ve located a lab that’s producing more of it, following the same formula.”

“Why haven’t you shut them down?”

“Can’t get to them. They’re in China.”

“And they’ve got Jiang isolated, so the alliance is blind at the moment.”

“There’s buzz that an EMP attack is imminent, too,” Kairi adds.

“You think it’s all going to happen at the same time? An electrical grid attack, an EMP attack, and chemical warfare?” I shake my head and cross my arms. I don’t trust Halston, but Bedrock Advisory, his pride and joy, controls funds worth trillions. Halston protects his self-interests. “That would destroy the financial markets. No one in the syndicate would take part. It goes against our mandate.”

“My theory,” Leo says, “is that the syndicate has fractured, and the mandate and vision have changed.”

“The syndicate has fractured, I’ll grant you, but you’re talking about a massive ideology change.” I’m fighting Leo just like I fought Jiang Tu.

Of course, even as I say it, Dorian quoting Stalin comes back to me...and then another quote from Stalin which would appeal to Halston: “The only real power comes out of a long rifle.”

CHAPTER36

SCARLET

I didn’t leave one organized crime family to join another. Nikolai Ivanov might bend some laws, but he’s not inherently evil.

When my hold on his wrists tightens, he turns. Confusion reigns in his gray eyes, but there’s lightning on the horizon. He’s feeling attacked, and he’s ready to fight.Semper paratus. Always ready.

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