Three days after the Castellano job, I was sitting in the common area of the safehouse, eating breakfast and listening to Tommy complain about some hacker who'd tried to breach his systems, when Elena walked in.
Elena – the witch with the magical tattoos who Tommy had warned me about on day one. We'd barely interacted beyond nods in passing, but I'd learned she was the Jackals' resident magical expert and generally avoided social interaction.
"Cain," she said without preamble. "Marco wants you. Planning room. Now."
"Good morning to you too."
She didn't respond, just turned and left. Sarah, sitting across from me, snorted.
"Don't take it personally. Elena's like that with everyone."
"Noted."
I found Marco in the planning room with three others – Elena, Viktor the berserker, and a woman I didn't recognize. Late twenties, athletic build, with the kind of stillness that suggested either military training or predator instincts. Probably both.
