Nadia's smile was sharp. "About time. I was getting bored running perimeter security."
"Quinn, you're running tech support. I want you monitoring everything from the moment we cross into Iraq until we're wheels-up out of Erbil."
"I'll have G.I.D.E.O.N. running real-time analysis," Quinn said. "Anything changes, you'll know about it."
Mara looked around the table. "This is different from what we usually do. We're not hitting a trafficking ring with local law enforcement backup. We're not extracting from a domestic situation with a clear legal framework. We're going into another country. Breaching a private compound. Taking two people who technically belong to a man with enough resources to cause us real problems."
"Technically belong," Kira repeated, her voice hard.
"That's how the local authorities will see it. Amira is Rashid's wife. Karim is his son. We're committing kidnapping under Iraqi law."
"So we don't get caught," Nadia said simply.
"Exactly. Which means planning. Precision. No mistakes. We get in. We get them out. We vanish before anyone knows we were there."
Winter looked up from her tablet. "And if we can't vanish? If Rashid mobilizes faster than we expect?"
Mara met her gaze. "Then we adapt. But we don't leave them behind. No matter what."
The words hung in the air. A promise. A commitment. They all knew what it meant. Had all made the same promise to each other nine years ago when Shadow Veil was nothing but an idea scribbled in a notebook. Nobody gets left behind. Not ever.
"We have ninety-six hours," Mara said. "Quinn, I want hourly updates on the compound. Any changes in security patterns. Any deviations from routine. If Rashid sneezes, I want to know about it."
"Done."
"Sloane, full intelligence workup by 1400 hours. I want to know everything about these guards. Their strengths. Their weaknesses. Where they trained. How they think."
"I'll have it ready."
"Winter, logistics plan by 1600. Transport. Equipment. Staging areas. Routes. Contingencies."
Winter nodded, already making notes.
"Kira, medical assessment and prep by 1800. Assume worst case scenarios. Plan for compound injuries on our end too."
"Understood."
Mara stood. "We roll in seventy-two hours. That gives us twenty-four hours for planning. Twenty-four hours for preparation. Twenty-four hours for final checks. No shortcuts. No assumptions. We do this right or we don't do it at all."
They filed out slowly. Sloane first, already pulling up intelligence databases on her phone. Winter with her tablet, calculating weights and measures and transport capacities. Kira heading for the medical bay to inventory supplies.
Nadia paused at the door. "You good?"
"I will be."
"You haven't run field ops in two years."
"I know."
"Just making sure you remember how to shoot."
Mara smiled despite herself. "I remember."
Nadia studied her for a moment. Then nodded and disappeared into the darkness.
Quinn remained at her station, fingers already flying across keyboards. G.I.D.E.O.N.'s interface glowed in the semi-darkness, running analysis algorithms and predictive models.
"You think we can do this?" Quinn asked without looking up.
