Chapter 225: Lorenzo Knows

SEEKING SPECIALIZED TALENT:

Position: Senior Virologist - Infectious Disease Research

Requirements: Ph.D. in Virology or related field. Experience with viral transmission vectors. Understanding of pharmaceutical development protocols. Willingness to work in secure research environment with restricted communication.

Compensation: Negotiable. Relocation provided. Benefits package substantial.

Application Process: Submit CV and research interests through encrypted channels. Initial screening process takes 48-72 hours. Selected candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Discretion assured. Work environment is completely confidential.

Thomas’s fingers were already moving.

The PharmTech Staffing Solutions application submitted itself into The Covenant’s inbox at 9:01 AM, less than sixty seconds after the recruitment post went live.

Dr. Aleksandr Volkov’s credentials were perfect. His research history was impeccable. His motivation was clear.

And now The Covenant would see him.

***

POV: MARCO

Marco was on his phone the moment Thomas sent the application.

"It’s live," Marco said into the encrypted line. "Volkov’s in their system."

On the other end, one of his operational teams confirmed receipt of the message.

They had contingencies for every scenario. If The Covenant’s vetting process was fast, extraction teams would need to be mobilized within forty-eight hours. If the hiring process took longer, they had time to refine the operational plan.

But the clock was ticking. James was on day eleven. They had maybe three days before the final transmission window opened.

Which meant insertion needed to happen within a week.

Which meant everything had to be absolutely perfect.

Marco looked at Dimitri across the room, the man already reviewing extraction protocols with meticulous attention, the man preparing to walk into hell with nothing but a false identity.

***

POV: DIMITRI

The hours passed.

The Covenant’s vetting process began almost immediately.

Thomas monitored the dark web forums, watching as The Covenant’s security team began background checks on all submitted applications. Watching as they narrowed the field from thirty-seven candidates to twelve to five to three.

Aleksandr Volkov’s credentials held. More than held. They impressed.

By 2 PM, The Covenant had contacted PharmTech Staffing Solutions with interview requests.

By 3 PM, Thomas had confirmed that Dimitri would be contacted that evening for an encrypted video call with Dr. Chen.

By 4 PM, everything was ready.

Dimitri stood in the center of the office, looking at the team that had made this possible. Marco with his network of operatives. Thomas with his technical mastery. Claude with his database manipulation skills. Mike with his strategic thinking.

They’d built a false identity so convincing that The Covenant was about to invite that identity into their most secure facility.

"It’s time," Dimitri said quietly.

No one argued. Everyone understood that the preparation phase was complete. Now came the actual operation.

"The interview is at 8 PM your time," Thomas said. "You’ll take it here in the secure room. Full technical setup. Everything needs to look legitimate."

"I’ll be ready," Dimitri said.

He looked at each of them, understanding that this might be the last time he stood in a room with these men before infiltrating The Covenant facility.

Understanding that when he walked out, he was walking toward a seventy-two-hour window that would either end in triumph or death.

"Get some rest," Dimitri said. "All of you. We reconvene at 7 PM for final preparation before the interview."

Marco nodded. Thomas closed his laptop. Claude disconnected from his workstations.

But Mike stayed, watching Dimitri with an expression that was hard to read.

"You’re going home," Mike said. It wasn’t a question.

"Eve," Dimitri said simply. "I promised her I’d come home every day before I leave."

"She’s going to know something changed," Mike said. "The fact that we got contact so fast, that everything worked. She’s going to feel the acceleration."

"I know," Dimitri said. "But I owe her tonight. I owe her the next few hours before the interview, before the operation accelerates, before this becomes real in ways she won’t be able to control."

Mike stood and extended his hand.

Dimitri shook it, a gesture between brothers, between men who’d stood side by side through impossible situations.

"Come back," Mike said quietly.

"I will," Dimitri said.

They both knew it was a promise that might not be keepable. But they said it anyway, because that’s what brothers did.

***

The hallway was quiet.

Dimitri walked toward the private elevator that would take him down to the parking garage, already thinking about Eve, already mentally preparing himself to be someone other than a man preparing for a covert operation.

His phone rang.

The caller ID showed an encrypted number, but Dimitri recognized the pattern immediately.

Enzo.

"Enzo," Dimitri answered, continuing to walk.

"We have a problem," Enzo said without preamble. "My contacts in Rome are reporting that Dante Romano is still visiting Isabella Russo. Still spending nights at her apartment."

Dimitri pressed the button for the elevator.

"How recent?" Dimitri asked.

"Yesterday," Enzo said. "Which means he hasn’t stopped. Which means he’s still using her as an intelligence asset. I think it’s time we tell Lorenzo what’s happening with his daughter."

The elevator doors opened.

Dimitri stepped inside but didn’t press any buttons yet. Just held the phone to his ear, understanding what Enzo was really asking.

"Lorenzo already knows," Dimitri said quietly.

"What?" Enzo’s surprise was audible.

"Lorenzo Russo is the second most powerful mafia family in Rome," Dimitri said. "You think he doesn’t have intelligence on what his only daughter is doing? You think he hasn’t documented every man who’s visited her apartment in the last three months?"

Silence on the other end.

"So Lorenzo knows she’s been fucking random men for months?," Enzo said slowly.

"Lorenzo knows," Dimitri confirmed.

"Then why isn’t he doing anything about Dante?"

That was the question that mattered.

Dimitri pressed the button for the ground floor and leaned back against the elevator wall.

"Because either Lorenzo doesn’t know that the man visiting Isabella is Dante Romano specifically," Dimitri said carefully, "or he knows exactly who Dante is and has chosen to keep quiet about it for now."