Two days later.
Inside the base control centre.
The Nightshade device sat finished on the table—a device so small it looked harmless. Cole Shaw studied it, scepticism clear in his voice.
"This thing can take down the power grid of an entire military base?"
Dade shook his head. "Not just a base. Nightshade can collapse the entire grid of a city."
Cole exhaled. "That's insane."
"It's not," Dade replied, folding his arms. "Power grids are fragile. Load shifts, lightning strikes, interference—anything can destabilize voltage or frequency. Push it too far, and the whole system collapses. Voltage drop, frequency crash, rolling failure."
"Which is exactly what this thing triggers," Cole said.
Strictly speaking, it didn't "destroy" power—it destabilized it so severely the grid imploded under its own weight.
Cole rubbed his jaw. "I don't know what kind of lunatic invents something like this."
A city losing its grid was catastrophic. No lights. No hospitals. No comms. No traffic control. It meant chaos—economic, social, and deadly.
"This thing was supposed to be sealed," Dade said. "But someone clearly dug it up. Hard to get the chip components, but not impossible."
"And since it can be mass-produced…" Dade couldn't hide his unease. "One Nightshade collapses a city. Ten? A hundred?"
He shook his head. "I don't even want to imagine that."
"This woman Cipher is a nightmare," Cole muttered. "How twisted do you have to be to want the world on fire?"
"She's an enigma," Dade said. "I was the world's best hacker eleven years ago. And even I know Cipher outranks me. That's why I never went looking—too much trouble."
Before Cole could respond, Owen approached, holding out a phone.
"Cipher wants you."
Cole took it and answered, "Cole Shaw."
Cipher's voice slid through cold and robotic. "Cole Shaw. Your name keeps echoing. Where is my Nightshade device?"
Cole grinned. "Your Nightshade? I got it."
"I paid your brother one hundred million dollars," Cipher said flatly. "You're mercenaries—you work for your employer. Deliver it."
"You paid my brother," Cole corrected, voice light. "Not me. And he failed. I stole the device."
He shifted the narrative with practiced ease.
Cipher didn't react. "You are shameless."
"I think we should meet," she continued.
"I don't feel particularly safe meeting you."
"Stop stalling," Cipher snapped. "Tell me what you want. I want us face-to-face."
Cole knew she'd already profiled him—greedy, unpredictable, unrestrained.
"For one hundred million dollars, I'll meet you. Consider it a greeting gift."
Cipher chuckled. "A big appetite. Asking me for a hundred-million-dollar gift."
"Reciprocity," Cole said lightly. "It's tradition. I give you the courtesy of my presence—you match it."
"You want me to gift you one hundred million dollars, and you gift me Night Shadow?" Cipher mocked.
"I'm worth one hundred million. If I come see you, we're even."
"I'm not sending you an account number. You can find it. Transfer the money, and we'll finalize a location."
Without waiting for a response, Cole ended the call and tossed the phone back to Owen.
"I work my ass off to get a hundred million, and it's not even enough for your 'meeting gift,'" Owen said, half-exasperated.
Cole smirked. "Cipher wants to meet me? I'd be stupid not to bleed her dry. My guys haven't even been paid yet. This covers wages."
He wasn't lying—he'd expected Cipher to come knocking. Nightshade was exactly the kind of weapon she wanted.
"Cole, funds are in," Dade reported.
"Good," Cole said. "Transfer five million each to Ross and the team. They earned it—even if it wasn't an official mission. Make sure Toll Road's family gets his cut."
Toll Road had fallen in combat. Cole would make sure his family never wanted for anything. Ross being family meant the pension was guaranteed.
Ding.
Owen's phone lit up. He checked it, then looked at Cole.
"Cipher wants you at the Continental."
Cole nodded. That suited him perfectly. Cipher wasn't stupid—she wouldn't invite him onto her ghost plane. And he sure as hell wouldn't invite her here.
Neutral ground meant the Continental.
"What time?" Cole asked.
"Tomorrow evening. Six p.m. Restaurant floor."
"Going alone?" Cole asked.
"No," Owen said. "If Cipher's coming, Vegh is coming. And I don't trust her around you."
Even though bloodshed was forbidden on Continental grounds, Cipher was unpredictable enough to try something.
"Fine," Cole said. "We'll go with Simon and the others."
It was Jacob Croft's turf. Croft wouldn't allow anything to happen to Cole.
⸻⸻
The next afternoon.
Cole and his team arrived in Morocco and headed straight for the Continental.
They checked in, then walked into the restaurant at exactly six o'clock. After Cole gave Cipher's name, a waiter guided them into a private, luxury box.
Cole stepped inside.
Cipher stood there—calm, composed, flanked by two women.
Vegh.
And… Jane?
Cole stopped just inside the doorway, eyes narrowing slightly.
Jane Carter. IMF.
And she was standing with Cipher.
What the hell is this?