Melena and Bella offered hasty but tender good-byes to their mates, while Sia stood by awkwardly, watching Trygg head out to the waiting vehicle with grim, solitary purpose.
In moments, the team had departed, leaving the women to monitor the mission back at the command center. Sia probably should have taken that as her cue to leave, but nothing could have persuaded her to go when she knew Trygg and his comrades were heading into a potentially lethal confrontation.
She hurried into the war room with the two Breedmates and settled in for what she feared was going to be a long, worrisome night.
* * * *
Just under two hours later, Trygg and his teammates arrived in the crowded, ancient city of Naples. The port was busy with tugboats and container ships loading and unloading in the dark. Impossible to determine which of the half dozen holds might contain Santino’s goods.
Trygg and Savage split up to cover more ground on foot, each of them keeping to the shadows as they sniffed around the crates and cartons of incoming and outgoing supplies. Lazaro had set out on his own to see if he might spot Santino or any of his lieutenants lurking around the wharf or in town. If the kingpin’s messages were anything to go by, tonight’s shipment was a high-value, top-priority one for his organization.
Which almost certainly meant a shitload of Red Dragon.
“Got a lot of movement on the south dock,” Savage reported over the receiver in Trygg’s ear. “I’m going in for a closer look.”
“Copy that,” Trygg murmured.
He had his eye on another cargo ship—a smaller one that was calling little attention to itself as its lines were cast off and it moved quietly away from the far end of the moonlit wharf. Whatever this unremarkable ship carried, it was apparently already secured inside.
Trygg’s Hunter instincts prickled to attention.
This was Santino’s ship, he had no doubt.
Although his orders were to surveil the docks and report to his teammates with any unusual activity, there was no time to waste. If he wanted a look at what that ship carried, he was going to have to get on board.
“I think I found something,” he whispered into his comm device. “I’m going in.”
Without waiting for a reply, he sped to the end of the dock and leapt off. His Breed agility carried him straight up to the rear deck. He landed soundlessly, dropping into a tight roll that took him behind a large wooden crate.
A group of five crew members in gray coveralls manned the deck. They didn’t notice him as he crept along in the dark, making his way to the stairwell that led to the holds below as the ship pushed farther out to sea. He waited a few minutes until the coast was clear, then he ducked inside and headed down the metal steps.
In his ear, Lazaro’s deep voice crackled in a broken string of impatient words. “Trygg. DC. Intel. Abort.”
Shit. Even garbled and full of static, that didn’t sound good.
But Trygg was already in the cargo hold, and he could smell the sickly sweet odor of Red Dragon coming from the cartons stacked row upon row in front of him. He freed the lock on one of the containers and threw off the cables that secured it. Prying open the lid of the large carton, he peered inside. It wasn’t what he expected.
Instead of a carton packed to the gills with the Breed-killing narcotic, there were only a few sealed bags inside. Just enough to leave a scent for anyone searching for them. Anyone Breed, that is.
Specifically, someone from the Order.
Jesus Christ.
Trygg reached in and moved some of the bags aside.
The real cargo lay beneath them. Trygg’s nostrils filled with the acrid metallic odor of explosives. Enough to take down half a city block.
Or a small cargo ship.
* * * *
“Oh, my God.” Melena’s face went slack as she ended her call with Lazaro. “It’s all been a trap.”
Bella gaped. “A trap? What do you mean?”
“They were set up. The intel Trygg’s email worm provided was false. Santino only wanted the Order to think he had a shipment of Red Dragon leaving Naples. He was hoping to lure them out to intercept the shipment for some reason.”
Bella’s gaze was grave. “There’s only one reason for him to do that.”
