CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE – THE COST OF WAR

The heist unfolded like a meticulously choreographed ballet, each beat and measure slipping into place with practiced precision. Joan's meticulous planning and foresight paid dividends as the assault elements flowed into their predesignated roles, establishing overwhelming fields of fire while Marco's breach team punched into the compound's interior. For long, agonizing minutes, the comms crackled with terse sitreps amidst the cacophony of thundering ordnance. Joan monitored it all with a state of icy detachment, her mind running parallels upon parallels as she gamed out contingencies and countermeasures. So far, so good. They were inside the cobra's lair, its defenses overwhelmed before the defenders could fully marshal a cohesive response. But she knew better than to allow even a flicker of premature satisfaction. The night was still young, and there were a million ways this operation could be derailed into utter catastrophe. The first indications that something was awry came in t