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“Fury, you’re going to wear a hole in my carpet,” Gavin said, his tone light but his eyes serious.
I stopped and ran a hand through my hair. “Sorry. I just can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing something.”
Sienna, perched on the edge of Gavin’s desk, nodded. “I know what you mean. It feels like we’re so close, but...”
“But we need more,” I finished for her.
Just then, a knock at the door interrupted us. Jules poked her head in, a tentative smile on her face. “Sorry to interrupt, but Gianni’s here.”
I felt a surge of hope. Jules’ hacker friend had already proven invaluable in uncovering Dodd’s connection to Arthur. Maybe he could be the key to cracking this case wide open.
“Send him in,” Gavin said, straightening in his chair.
Gianni entered, his lanky frame hunched slightly as if trying to make himself smaller. His eyes darted around the room, taking in each of us before settling on me. “You must be Fury,” he said, extending a hand. “Jules has told me a lot about you.”
I shook his hand, noting the strength in his grip despite his nervous demeanor. “All good things, I hope.”
He cracked a smile. “Mostly.”
After quick introductions, we gathered around Gavin’s desk. Gianni pulled out a laptop and began typing furiously. “I’ve been digging into Arthur Dalton’s activities since our last conversation,” he said, his eyes never leaving the screen. “And I think I’ve found something interesting.”
We all leaned in closer as he turned the laptop to face us. On the screen was a satellite image of a sprawling mansion nestled in the woods.
“This is a property in upstate New York,” Gianni explained. “It’s registered to a shell company, but I’ve traced it back to Dalton. There’s been a lot of activity there recently—unusual shipments, increased security measures, that sort of thing.”
My heart raced. This could be it. “You think this is where he’s running his operation from?”
Gianni nodded. “It’s the most likely candidate. And...” he hesitated, glancing at Sienna. “Based on the patterns I’ve observed, I think there’s a good chance this is where they’re keeping Venus.”
Sienna’s sharp intake of breath was audible in the sudden silence of the room. I reached out and squeezed her hand, offering what comfort I could.
“How sure are you?” Gavin asked, his voice tight with barely contained emotion.
“As sure as I can be without physically being there,” Gianni replied. “The data patterns match what you’d expect from a... from that kind of operation.”
I felt a surge of anger, quickly followed by determination. We had a target now. All we needed was a plan. We couldn't run to the cops just yet, given how we came across this info.
“So, how do we get in there?” I asked, my mind already racing with possibilities.
Sienna straightened, a fierce look in her eyes. “I have an idea, but you’re not gonna like it.”
I turned to her, dread pooling in my stomach. I had a feeling I knew where this was going, and she was right—I didn’t like it one bit.
“We use me as bait,” she said, her voice steady despite the gravity of her words.
“Absolutely not,” I said immediately. At the same time, Gavin said, “That’s too dangerous.”
Sienna held up a hand. “Hear me out. Arthur wants me, right? We know that. So we give him what he wants—or at least, we make him think we are.”
I shook my head, my chest tight with fear. “Sienna, no. It’s too risky.”
“It’s our best shot,” she insisted. “Look, I know the risks. But I also know that place, that world. I can handle myself.”
“She has a point,” Gianni interjected softly. When we all turned to look at him, he shrugged. “From a tactical standpoint, it makes sense. They’ll be less suspicious if they think they’re getting what they want.”
I wanted to argue, to find another way, but I could see the determination in Sienna’s eyes. And as much as I hated to admit it, they were right. This could work.
“Okay,” I said finally, my voice rough. “But we do this smart. We need a solid plan, backup, everything.”
