Ramon frowned. “You know that?”
“It’s close enough with Vinterdal; they don’t intermarry much with outsiders, so their genetics are much purer than the average person in the US—at least that’s what they claim.The information you downloaded from that computer network in the office building yielded some encrypted communications between someone we believe is a Grand Master withDominatusand the accountant.”
Bear lifted the mug from the tiny airplane table beside his chair and took a sip. “The communication originated in this town. The IP address leads us to a guy called Lief Holmberg. Fifty-four years old. Excellent health. Several degrees in advanced math and accounting. He fought in the Norwegian army for a decade right out of school. This is a guy who can take care of himself, and he’s incredibly smart.”
“So we parachute in at night and hope we catch him off guard.”
Bear tipped his head to the side. “Pretty much.”
“He’s who you’ve been looking for, this Lief Holmberg guy?” Ramon wanted to believe one man could make or break the fight againstDominatus,but given who those people were, it was highly unlikely this would succeed.
“He’s their weakest link.”
“Doesn’t seem weak to me.”
Bear said, “That’s the point. If this guy is the weakest link inDominatus,then we’ve got our work cut out for us. He won’t go down without a fight. But it’s the only thing that connects the entire organization. It’s like a spider web, but each time we find a thread, it seems like it isn’t connected to anything. Holmberg is the one weaving the threads together.” Bear pushed out of the chair. “We’re thirty minutes out. Everyone, gear up.”
They’d given Ramon a pair of black cargo pants and a fitted black shirt, under which he had base layers to keep the warmth close to his body. Each team member donned a protective vest and strapped on weapons and extra ammo. He was carrying his pistol and nothing else except a knife Hollace handed over.
Ramon pulled on a beanie and gloves. Hollace handed him wraparound safety glasses, and Ramon made a face.
“For the jump.”
Right. “Thanks.”
“Been a while.”
“Since I went on an op?”
Hollace shook his head. “Since you parachuted.”
Ramon said, “I’ve never parachuted.”
“Bear!”
Ramon kept himself from flinching.
Hollace yelled over his shoulder, “Our man needs a tandem jump! It’s his first time.”
“Explain it,” Ramon argued. “Give me the instructions, and I’ll be fine.”
Hollace looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “We train for stuff like this for years. You don’t learn it in three minutes.”
“Good thing we have ten.”
“We don’t.” Bear eased between his guys. “The headwind picked up, and we caught a current.”
“So talk fast.”
Bear stopped in front of him. “This is a terrible idea.”
“At least I’m not on your insurance plan.”
“That just means you’re a liability.” Bear shook his head. “I’m gonna regret this.”
“Just think.” One of the other guys clapped Bear on the shoulder. “If he bites it, he can’t report back to Kenna what we’re doing.”
Bear winced.
