Silence followed—heavy, deliberate.Not disagreement.Calculation.
“Roles,” Elias said.
Mateo straightened, fingers already moving.“I’ll ghost external feeds and kill outbound alerts.I can get us a ten-minute window before anyone realizes they’re blind.”
“Kol.”
Kol didn’t look up from his screen.“Eyes and overwatch.I’ll track deviations the second they happen.”
“Dominic.”
“Entry pressure,” Dominic said.“Quiet at first, so as not to risk the hostages.And we go loud only if needed.”
“Rafael.”
“I’ll cover our six,” Rafael said.“Anything that moves in behind us will meet their maker.”
Elias turned his attention to Luca.“You’re on point.You know the building style.”
Luca nodded once.
Elias turned to Mara.“I have arranged a few people to come here tonight and protect you, if that’s okay, Mara.We do not want to put you at risk, and, unfortunately, we cannot rely on any internal sources because of the traitor.”
“And, Mara?”Mateo added lightly, glancing her way.“You will come back to mine after this.”
Luca’s head snapped up.“That’s not—”
Mateo lifted a hand, a faint grin tugging at his mouth.“I’m kidding.”
Luca didn’t return it.“Not about her.”
The air shifted—subtle, but unmistakable.
Mara arched a brow, looking between them.“I can handle banter, Luca.”
“I know,” he said, eyes still on Mateo.“I just won’t handle anyone deciding where you belong.”
Mateo’s expression softened.“Fair.”
Elias watched the exchange without comment, then nodded once.“We move in forty minutes.Gear up.”
Chairs scraped.Screens shifted.The Covenant flowed into motion with practiced efficiency.
As the room broke apart, Luca finally turned to Mara.“You okay?”
She met his gaze, steady and unflinching.“I am.Go get those women and bring them out safe.I will stay here as asked and wait for you to return.”
He nodded.
And for the first time since Elias’s message had come through, Luca felt aligned—on purpose, on timing, on what mattered most.
The sound hit a second later.
Low.Heavy.Rolling.
Engines.
Not cars.Not trucks.
