Chapter 323: Getting Eve Out Is Your Priority

"Show me the storage room," Giancarlo commanded.

Marco pulled up the detailed layout.

Giancarlo studied it carefully, his eyes tracing the path from the storage room entrance to the basement door to Eve’s location.

"This route," Giancarlo said, pointing. "The reinforced door...what’s the security?"

"Electronic lock with a manual override," Marco said. "We have the override codes from a facility manager we’ve acquired. The door is reinforced steel, but it’s not blast-proof. We can breach it in approximately thirty seconds with the right equipment."

"Once we’re through?" Paolo asked.

"We have approximately forty seconds before the alarm triggers," Marco said. "Basement level two is a secure corridor with individual rooms. Eve is in the third room on the left. We extract her and immediately move back through the door and out the storage room entrance."

Giancarlo was quiet for a long moment, visualizing the entire operation in his mind.

"Option two," Giancarlo said finally. "We take the direct route. Less exposure. Faster extraction. Less chance of prolonged firefight. That’s the play."

"Agreed," Dimitri said. "That’s what I was planning. You execute that route."

"What about perimeter security during extraction?" Nate asked.

"Marco will monitor external cameras," Dimitri said. "He’ll alert us to any security response. Mike will position defensive teams outside the warehouse to intercept any secondary forces Dante tries to mobilize."

"And Luca?" Giancarlo asked, his tone suggesting he understood the implications. "Dante’s second-in-command. Where is he during this operation?"

"Likely in the warehouse," Dimitri said. "Possibly on basement level two with Eve. Possibly on level one coordinating security. Either way, he’s a secondary target. Our primary objective is extracting Eve. Engaging Luca is secondary to that objective."

"But if he’s in the extraction path?" Paolo asked.

"Then we neutralize him," Dimitri said coldly. "We use minimum necessary force to get past him. Nothing more."

Giancarlo nodded, understanding the constraints.

"Equipment?" Henry asked.

"We have everything you need at the warehouse," Marco said. "Entry tools, breaching charges, communication equipment, extraction gear, weapons. Everything is staged and ready."

"How much time do we have to rehearse?" Nate asked.

"None," Dimitri said. "You have the schematics. You have the thermal imaging. You have the intelligence. You execute based on that information. Rehearsal isn’t an option."

The Italian team exchanged looks, but there was no hesitation. They understood the operational constraints.

"What’s the extraction timeline?" Giancarlo asked. "From breach to getting the target to safety."

"Seven minutes from breach to extraction point," Marco said. "From extraction point to secure location: twelve minutes. Total operation time: approximately nineteen minutes from first breach to confirmed extraction complete."

"And then?" Paolo asked.

"And then we disappear," Dimitri said. "Eve gets medical clearance. We move her to a secure location."

"What about Luca?" Giancarlo asked again. "After the extraction."

"Luca is high priority," Dimitri said. "Once we have Eve secured, we hunt him. We find him. We kill him. And we use him to get to Dante."

"That’s a secondary operation," Giancarlo said.

"Yes," Dimitri confirmed. "But it’s the one that determines how successful we are in the larger war. Remove Luca, and Dante becomes manageable. Luca survives, and Dante remains a threat."

Giancarlo understood immediately. This wasn’t just about extraction. It was about fundamentally destabilizing Dante’s operation by removing his most capable asset.

"Communication protocol?" Giancarlo asked.

"Encrypted frequency," Marco said, pulling up the communication schematic. "Real-time updates from external surveillance. I’ll be monitoring guard positions, alarm status, and security response. You’ll have full situational awareness."

"What if their communications get compromised?" Henry asked.

"Then we go dark," Dimitri said. "You’re trained for radio silence operations. You execute the plan as briefed and get out. No improvisation beyond the core objective."

"What about medical support?" Paolo asked. "If Eve is injured during extraction."

"She won’t be," Dimitri said. "Because you’re going to move with precision and control. You’re going to get to her, you’re going to extract her, and you’re going to get out without incident."

"And if something goes wrong?" Nate asked.

"Then you adapt," Dimitri said. "You’ve been trained to operate in hostile environments. You use that training. But Eve’s safety is always the priority. Always. Even if it means aborting the entire operation."

Giancarlo nodded slowly, understanding the absolute constraints.

"When do we move?" Giancarlo asked.

"Fourteen hundred hours," Dimitri said. "2 PM. That gives you five hours to review the schematics, memorize the layout, prepare equipment, and run through the operation in your minds. Dante won’t be expecting movement during daylight hours in an urban environment. That’s our advantage."

"That’s tight," Paolo said. "But doable."

"It’s tight because we can’t afford to give Dante time to move Eve," Dimitri said. "Every hour we wait, he becomes more entrenched. Every hour we wait, he has more time to set additional security measures.

Mike spoke up for the first time.

"What’s my role during the extraction?" Mike asked.

"Defensive perimeter," Dimitri said. "You position your team outside the warehouse. You monitor all exits. You intercept any security response from Dante’s other operations. And you make absolutely certain that no reinforcements reach the warehouse during the extraction window."

"Understood," Mike said. "How many personnel can I use?"

"As many as you need," Dimitri said. "This is your sister. You’re going to use whatever resources are necessary to ensure this operation succeeds."

Mike nodded.

Giancarlo looked at his team.

"Alright," Giancarlo said. "We need to review the schematics in detail. We need to practice the extraction route in our minds until we can do it blindfolded. And we need to prepare for contingencies."

"Use this room," Marco said. "Everything you need is here. Detailed schematics, satellite imagery, thermal data, communication protocols. You’ll have my direct support for any technical questions."

"One more thing," Giancarlo said, looking directly at Dimitri. "When we get her out, what happens to Dante?"

"Dante dies," Dimitri said absolutely. "But not today. Today, we focus on extraction. The rest comes after."

"Understood," Giancarlo said.

He turned to his team.

"Let’s get to work. We have five hours to become experts on this warehouse.