Page 3 of The Dante

He rubbed a hand over his face. He’d just crossed the point of no return.

“Fine. You want the big stuff? Iknow how to get it. But I want protection.”

The younger agent curled his lip in amusement. “Now we’re gettingsomewhere.”

Then Sam’s phone vibrated.

Just once. Asingle buzz against the steel table.

His stomach twisted.

He shouldn’t check it.

But he did.

UNKNOWN NUMBER. One new message.

He unlocked it.

A single image.

Jazz.

Standing outside a coffeeshop.

Today.

His breath caught.

His fingers tightened around the phone.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Reed noticed. “Problem, Sam?”

Sam swallowed hard. Locked the screen. “No. We’re good.”

Reed narrowed his eyes. “You better hope so. Because if The Dante finds out you’re talking to us? You’re a dead man.”

Sam laughed, but it was hollow.

He was a dead man anyway.

Reed stood again, collecting thefile.

As the agents turned for the door, Sam’s phone buzzed a secondtime.

He didn’t want tolook.

Didn’t need to look.

But he did.

Still talking, Sammy?

A cold sweat broke out down hisback.

Reed threw him one last glance over his shoulder.