Chapter 215: You Are Actually Doing This?

"The Covenant is actively recruiting," Marco said. "But not for business partners. They already have funding infrastructure through shell corporations and international backers. What they need is specialized personnel."

"Scientists," Dimitri said.

"Virologists specifically," Marco confirmed. "They’ve been posting on dark web recruitment forums, academic channels, gray-market scientific networks. They’re looking for people with expertise in infectious

"They’re looking for people with expertise in infectious disease," Marco continued. "Specifically virologists with experience in pharmaceutical development and bioweapon containment protocols."

Dimitri leaned back in his chair. "That’s a very specific skill set."

"Which is exactly why it’s the perfect cover," Marco said. "A businessman trying to recruit scientists looks suspicious. But a virologist trying to join The Covenant’s research division? That’s believable. That’s exactly what they’re hunting for."

"I’m not a virologist," Dimitri said.

"No," Marco agreed. "But we have forty-eight hours to make you one on paper. And that’s all we need."

Marco pulled up another set of files, academic credentials, published research papers, pharmaceutical industry background.

"We’ve got a foundation to work with," Marco said. "Phote Enterprises has legitimate pharmaceutical holdings. You have documented relationships with gray-market pharmaceutical suppliers. We build on that. We create a virologist persona with a background in bioweapon development, someone disillusioned with government restrictions, someone looking for freedom to conduct research without ethical limitations."

"What kind of virologist?" Dimitri asked.

"Someone recruited from a private research facility that’s closing down," Marco said. "Someone with expertise in viral transmission vectors and incubation period manipulation. Someone who understands what The Covenant is trying to accomplish and wants to be part of it."

Dimitri processed the information. "How do we make that convincing?"

"Publications," Marco said. "Academic papers published under a pseudonym in gray-market scientific journals. Years of documented research into viral transmission. A complete professional history that shows progression toward exactly the kind of work The Covenant is doing."

"Forty-eight hours isn’t enough time to build that kind of history," Dimitri said.

"Not real history," Marco agreed. "But digital history? Fake publications in obscure journals? A fabricated career that exists only in databases and on dark web forums? We can do that. Claude’s team can craft it so convincingly that even if The Covenant does deep background checks, they’ll find exactly what we want them to find."

The office door opened without knocking.

Mike walked in, still in yesterday’s clothes, hair disheveled, looking like someone who’d spent the night preparing for war.

"I heard voices," Mike said, closing the door. "You’re actually doing this."

"It was always going to happen," Dimitri said quietly.

"Yeah, I know," Mike said. He moved to the bar cart and poured himself a drink, breaking his own usual rules about alcohol during operations. "I’ve been thinking about the cover story. And Marco’s right. You can’t go in as a businessman. The Covenant recruits talent, not investors."

"Virologist," Marco said.

"Exactly," Mike confirmed. He settled into the chair beside Marco’s. "Someone with expertise they need. Someone who can move through their facilities without raising suspicion. Someone who belongs."

"How do we authenticate the credentials fast enough?" Dimitri asked.

"We don’t authenticate them," Mike said. "We pre-authenticate them. We plant the credentials in the systems The Covenant uses for recruitment vetting before they even know who you are."

Marco nodded. "The dark web recruitment forums post job openings. Then potential candidates submit applications with background verification. We get ahead of it. We create your profile, submit it before The Covenant even opens their recruitment window, and by the time they’re looking for virologists, your file is already in their system with full verification."

"That requires access to their recruitment infrastructure," Dimitri said.

"Which we almost have," Marco said. He pulled up another file....technical specifications, network architecture, security protocols. "Thomas has been mapping The Covenant’s digital footprint for months. We’re close to full penetration of their recruitment systems. Give us twenty-four hours, and we’ll have backdoor access."

"And if they discover the backdoor?" Dimitri asked.

"They won’t," Marco said with absolute certainty. "Because we’re not leaving signatures. We’re not installing malware or creating exploits. We’re just slipping credentials into their existing database in a way that looks completely legitimate."

Dimitri stood and walked to the window of his home office. The city was beginning to wake, early morning light spreading across the skyline, people starting their day with no idea what was coming.

"What’s the contact protocol?" Dimitri asked.

"We wait for The Covenant to post their recruitment announcement," Mike said. "Which should be within forty-eight hours based on their operational timeline. Your credentials are already in their system, waiting. When they start reviewing applications, your file surfaces. It looks perfect, exactly what they’re looking for. They’ll reach out through encrypted channels. We respond. We negotiate terms. We establish when you report for your first day."

"Which gives us how long?" Dimitri asked.

"A week maybe," Marco said. "A week between first contact and infiltration. That puts you inside the facility with three days before James’s final transmission. Three days to gather intelligence, identify deployment location, and position yourself for evacuation."

"That’s tight," Dimitri said.

"Everything about this is tight," Mike said. "But it’s the only timeline that works."

Dimitri turned back from the window. "What about my exit strategy? You said I need a way out of the facility."

"You’ll be positioned as a consultant," Marco said. "Someone The Covenant is interested in recruiting long-term but wants to evaluate first. That means you have legitimate reasons to move through the facility, to ask questions, to observe their operations. And it means your presence isn’t permanent....you’re there temporarily, which gives us justification for you to leave."

"And when I need to actually leave?" Dimitri asked. "When it’s time to burn the facility?"

"You create an emergency," Marco said. "Something that forces evacuation. We coordinate from outside. We trigger a system failure...fire suppression malfunction, structural compromise, chemical spill, something that requires immediate evacuation. In the chaos, you walk out with the rest of them."

"What about the virus samples?" Dimitri asked. "The research data? We can’t let that disappear into the wind."