The rain drummed against the windows of the nondescript government building in Langley, Virginia, creating rivulets that distorted the view of the parking lot below. Agent Sarah Chen sat across from Director Marcus Webb, her hands folded calmly in her lap despite the gravity of what she was hearing. The manila folder between them contained photographs, documents, and intelligence reports that would determine the course of her next six months—if she survived them.
"The target is Dr. Viktor Petrov," Webb said, sliding a photograph across the mahogany desk. "Former Soviet nuclear physicist, current arms dealer, and according to our sources, the architect of a new weapon system that could shift the balance of power in Eastern Europe."