Page 65 of Code Name: Grit

“How long?” I asked.

“Ten minutes for the initial images,” he replied.

“This level of sophistication isn’t typical mob work. They had ‘tech support,’” Alice commented, her fingers pounding on her keyboard. “Tex analyzed the network connections and programming style, then traced the hackers to Eastern Europe,” Alice noted.

“How long until we’re secure again?” Admiral asked.

“Ten seconds.” She lifted her hands, still studying the monitor. “There, done,” she announced.

Dante walked into the command center. “What’s the emergency alert about?” As he scanned the room, I knew the instant he realized what was going on. His eyes landed on me, narrowing to slits.“Where is she? Where’s Chiara?”

The raw panic in his voice silenced everyone. Lark appeared behind him, her face drawn.

“Dante—” Admiral began.

“Where the fuck’s my sister?”His voice cracked as he charged farther into the command center, looking from face to face with increasing desperation. When no one spoke, he went ghostly white and his eyes locked on me.

“You sonuvabitch!”Dante’s fist connected with my jaw, sending me staggering backward. Tank grabbed him from behind while Atticus stepped between us. Dante fought against Tank’s restraint with blind rage, tears forming in his eyes. “I will fucking kill you,” he seethed, enunciating each word.

“Dante!”Admiral’s voice cut through the chaos with sharp authority. “That’s enough!”

“No, it’s not enough!” Dante spat, still struggling. “The Patriarcas have my sister!”

“And tearing each other apart won’t get her back!” Admiral moved forward, placing himself directly in Dante’s line of sight. “Every minute we waste fighting is another minute they have her. Is that what you want?Is it?”

Dante’s struggles slowed, his breathing ragged.

“Alessandro,” Lark said softly, approaching cautiously. “This won’t help Lumi.”

The fight drained from him all at once, leaving him sagging in Tank’s grip. When Tank released him, Dante swiped angrily at his eyes, then accepted Lark’s embrace, putting his arm around her.

“What happened?” he demanded.

I tasted blood from my split lip but focused on explaining. “They spoofed a message from your mother at zero two thirty-six. Lumi must have gotten up to take the call in the living room so she wouldn’t wake me.”

“And you didn’t hearanything?”

“No,” I admitted, the guilt like acid in my throat. “I didn’t.”

“The phone was on the floor,” Admiral added. “She was likely ambushed in the living room before she could call for help.”

Dante’s hands trembled as he ran them through his hair. “Oh God. Oh God,” he repeated, the enormity of the situation hitting him anew. “The Patriarcas. Do they know…?” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

“We’re tracking her now,” Admiral said firmly, bringing the attention back to what was happening presently. “Tank requested the overheads.”

Dante nodded, visibly struggling to pull himself together. “What else?” he asked, his voice still unsteady but focused.

“NRO imagery coming through now,” Tank reported.

The satellite feed appeared on the main screen, showing thermal signatures crossing the lake at zero three fifteen. A small watercraft with three heat signatures moved from our shoreline toward the northeastern shore.

“There,” I said, pointing to the movement. “That’s them.”

Tank manipulated the imagery, enhancing and tracking the boat’s path. “They landed at zero three twenty-two, then transferred to ground transportation.”

The satellite feed showed two black SUVs waiting at a private access road.

“They’re splitting routes to confuse our pursuit,” I said.

---