Page 8 of Code Name: Atticus
I’d requested Atticus because I trusted him to keep me safe. The question now was, who was going to keep me safe from him?
Who was going to keep me safe from myself?
ATTICUS
The videoconference with K19 Sentinel Cyber was scheduled for ten hundred, which gave me exactly seventeen minutes to figure out how to act normal around Brenna after waking up with her in my arms.
I’d handled undercover ops in hostile territory, maintained cover identities for months, and once, spent six weeks pretending to be a corrupt defense contractor while foreign agents tried to talk me over to the dark side. None of that had prepared me for sitting across a conference table from the woman I was now sharing sheets with.
At least the Air Force had taught me to keep my game face on under pressure. Military training was useful for a lot of things, but apparently not for maintaining your composure around federal prosecutors who could dismantle a person’s defenses with a single look.
I’d gone upstairs to give myself a few minutes to breathe. When I returned to the main level, Brenna was already settled at the dining table with her laptop open.
I sat down just as the screen flickered to life, revealing Kodiak alone in the conference room at Kane Mountain Great Camp, wearing his usual knowing grin.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the newlyweds,” he said. “How’d the first night go?”
“Fine.”
“Uh-huh. Bet you gave her the full security briefing before bed.” Kodiak’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “How many times did you check the perimeter?”
“Knock it off,” I muttered.
Kodiak chuckled. “The team will be joining us in under a minute. Try to look less like you’re facing a firing squad.”
Seconds later, the screen split as additional connections joined the conference. Admiral appeared at the head of the virtual table, looking every inch the former FBI agent despite the casual flannel shirt. Alice was beside him, with her red hair pulled into a ponytail and green eyes sharp. Tank and Dragon flanked them, both studying their screens with the focus of people already several cups into their morning caffeine ritual.
“Good morning, everyone,” Brenna began, taking charge immediately. “Thank you for joining. I want to start by reviewing what my investigation has uncovered so far, then discuss how K19’s capabilities can support our objectives.”
“Of course,” Admiral responded. “We’re ready to assist however needed.”
“Alice, I understand you’ve been analyzing the digital forensics I sent over?” Brenna continued.
“Yes, based on your initial investigation, we’ve identified significant new activity in the past week. All three primary suspects—Castellano, Liu, and Morrison—have increased their social calendar substantially. They’ll all be at the AI Summit,” Alice confirmed, displaying surveillance photos and financial records.
“Any idea what’s driving the urgency?” Brenna pressed.
Dragon shifted in her chair. “We intercepted communications suggesting they’ve received new orders fromtheir foreign buyers. There’s pressure to deliver specific military algorithms within the next sixty days. The kind of pressure that makes people take bigger risks.”
“Which creates opportunities for us,” Tank interjected. “Cornered operatives make mistakes. They’ll be more aggressive, which means they’ll be more likely to approach promising targets quickly.”
Brenna nodded. “That aligns with my timeline. So, where do we start?”
“Tomorrow night, you’re at the Rosewood mixer,” Alice said, pulling up her files. “Then Sunday evening, at the Redwood City Marina for an event being hosted on a megayacht. Both are critical recruitment venues.”
She switched to the floor plans. “Starting with tomorrow’s event—the Rosewood’s layout is designed to facilitate discreet conversations. Multiple private alcoves and a separate VIP area for premium investors allow them to isolate potential partners without drawing attention. And this isn’t just a social gathering. As you suggested in your brief, our intel confirms it’s specifically for screening. They’ll be evaluating multiple couples, looking for the ones with the right combination of access, economic motivation, and exploitable vulnerabilities.”
“How many couples are they looking at?” I wondered aloud.
“At least a dozen,” Dragon replied. “But they typically only approach two or three for follow-up. The rest are dismissed as unsuitable or potentially compromising.”
“Security concerns?” I prompted.
“Minimal physical threat,” answered Kodiak. “But maximum in terms of monitoring. As you already know, these people are paranoid. They’ll have countermeasures in place, background checks running on every attendee, and monitoring of all communications within the venue.”
“We’ve identified the most likely areas where they’ll approach.” Alice highlighted particular spots on the floor plan. “The VIP bar, the private terrace, and what they’re calling investment consultation suites—essentially soundproof rooms, where they can conduct interviews without being overheard.”
“The objective is clear,” Brenna stated. “Get noticed by Morrison—I’ve already established contact with him as Bronwyn Nolan. We need to demonstrate we matched their criteria enough to warrant a follow-up approach. But not so much that we trigger suspicion.”
