Chapter 25 - THE SHADOW OPERATIVE
Late the following night, fog rolled off the Hudson River, blanketing the dark streets of Manhattan in a thick, mysterious haze. Maya walked out of Vance Tower, accompanied by Officer Wright and two personal security guards.
As they stepped toward her armored sedan, a dark figure stepped out from the shadowy alleyway across the street. The figure was tall, wearing a long grey wool coat, moving with a silent, lethal grace that instantly put Wright on high alert.
"Miss Vance, get inside the vehicle now!" Wright ordered, stepping in front of Maya with his sidearm drawn.
The stranger did not draw a weapon; instead, he raised his hand, holding up a small gold signet ring that caught the amber glow of the streetlamp. The ring bore the exact two-headed eagle crest featured on the wax seal.
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"I am not here to harm you, Maya," the stranger said in a deep, refined European accent. "I am here to deliver a warning about your chief of security."
Maya froze, her eyes shifting from the stranger to Officer Wright, whose hand was suddenly trembling violently over his weapon.
