29. Maxim
29
MAXIM
I sit at the head of the massive oak table, my lieutenants gathered around me, all of us listening to Nikolai report. He stands near the window, his silhouette sharp against the fading light outside.
“The stash on 49th is secure for now,” he says, his voice even. “But Federico’s men are getting bolder. They’ve been seen circling the area twice in the past twenty-four hours.”
“I don’t care about forays,” I reply. “I care about my money. What progress has Dimitri made?”
Nikolai hesitates, and I don’t miss the flicker of unease that crosses his face. “He’s flagged something,” he admits, carefully choosing his words. “Anomalies in the encryption patterns. He thinks perhaps Sophie is tampering with it as she works.”
I glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “Sophie? A mole?”
He shrugs, leaning against the windowsill. “Could be.”
I ignore the comment, focusing instead on the larger problem at hand. “Have Dimitri trace the anomalies. Quietly. He reports directly to me from now on.”
“And Sophie?” Nikolai asks.
“I watch her. Closely.”