Page 6 of Gargoyle Defender

“They’re typically clustered together. Safety in numbers and all that.” Victor shook his head. “But this massive government installation barely has any rogues occupying it. There’s a large staff operating out of that location, so there should be more of a demonic presence—masquerade or not.”

Ronen’s jaw tightened. He still wasn’t convinced they should trust the information, despite Michael’s apparent willingness to take the shadows seriously. “And if it’s a trap?”

Victor glanced up. “That’s why we’re sending our best. You, me, Cassiel, and Samir.”

“Samir?” Ronen could barely suppress the edge in his voice. “You’re kidding, right?”

The former rogue had only been back at the Boston lair for a month. It seemed much too soon for a recent traitor to be trusted.

Cassiel grunted. “I gotta agree with Ronen on this one. Rogue intel? Rogue co-fighter? The unnecessary risks are stacking up.”

Victor nodded. “I understand your reticence. But Samir was only compromised for a short time, lured to the darkness through his then-lover. His brief stint on the inside will offer us an advantage we can’t get anywhere else, even from our current prisoners.”

Ronen scrubbed his face with one hand, reminding himself that he was the one who’d forfeited the opportunity to lead the mission. However, that didn’t mean Victor was in charge.

“Cassiel is leading the mission. She should be the one to decide.”

Victor straightened with a sigh. “The actual attack strategy, not assembling the team. That’s my task.”

“It’s cool, Ronen,” said Cassiel. “I can make anything work.”

Her words projected agreement, but her eyes were cold as ice.

“Can we move on?” Victor directed his question at Ronen, his gaze steely.

It was a good thing he’d insisted to Michael that Cassiel should take the lead. If he were in charge, the battle would’ve begun before they ever left the lair.

Ronen glared back at Victor. “As long as Cassiel is fine with everything, then so am I.”

“Great.” Victor straightened. “To continue, the low number of demons could be misleading. It’s possible that the rogues have perfected a masking technique we’re unaware of that protects them from being identified. Samir’s lover shared that he overheard two demon guards complaining about being reassigned to oversee the human containment facility. Samir is confident they were referring to a prison where they hold problematic humans.”

Ronen’s eyebrows shot up. “Humans who know too much?”

“Possibly.” Victor shrugged. “Or those with abilities that could threaten their operation. Samir wasn’t sure.”

Cassiel rubbed her chin. “So, we’re looking at a potential infiltration of the Miami Beach location, followed by a rescue mission if we confirm the intelligence?”

“Exactly,” Victor said. “So, at this point, we’re not going in wings blazing, but doing reconnaissance.” He locked eyes with Cassiel. “After that, it’ll be up to you to decide how we proceed.”

Ronen tensed at Samir’s sudden appearance. The former shadow gargoyle had a way of moving silently that put Ronen on edge. Though Samir’s skin had returned to its natural brown tone after his redemption, Ronen still searched his features for any lingering traces of obsidian corruption.

“Sorry I'm late,” Samir said, nodding to Victor before acknowledging the others with a cautious glance. “I was reviewing the latest imagery of the Miami facility. Oz circled the skies of that area last night to see if anything’s changed.”

Victor gestured for him to join them at the table. “What did you find?”

“The building layout matches what I remember from my time with the rogues.” Samir spread out a rough sketch on the table. “But there’s something different about the energy patterns. The demons were concentrated in this southern wing, rather than spread throughout.”

Ronen studied the diagram, his distrust of Samir warring with his curiosity. The former shadow gargoyle drew precise lines, using different colors to mark areas indicating a demonic presence.

“What’s in that wing?” Cassiel asked, leaning forward.

“Conference rooms, primarily. And the offices of several high-ranking officials.” Samir traced his finger along the corridor. “Including this one—Marianne Walker, Deputy Secretary of War. She’s been making frequent visits despite having no official business in Miami.”

Victor’s features clouded. “That's troubling. Someone that high up the chain potentially compromised?”

“She would have to be possessed,” said Ronen. “How does that work? I doubt she’s strolling around the Pentagon growling and frothing at the mouth.”

Cassiel snorted. “You never know.”