The rain hammered Seattle's skyline like bullets against bulletproof glass, each drop exploding into silver fragments forty stories above the city. Viktor Kane stood motionless at the floor-to-ceiling windows of his temporary command center, his pale reflection ghostlike against the storm. Below, thousands of people scurried through the streets like ants fleeing a disturbed nest, umbrellas blooming black against the gray pavement.
None of them knew their world was about to be painted in blood.
"Sir?" Agent Martinez approached with the careful steps of a man walking through a minefield, clutching a tablet against his chest like armor. The leather of his shoes whispered against marble flooring that cost more per square foot than most people's monthly salary. "The full analysis from the Cascade operation is complete."
