Page 35 of Code Name: Atticus

I initiated the videoconference, and the screen filled with familiar faces.

“We have a situation,” I began. “As I’m sure Admiral passed on to you, my brother, Luke, is attending the AI Summit.”

“I couldn’t figure out how I missed his name previously when I reviewed the registration list,” said Alice.

“His business partner got them a last-minute invite,” Atticus said.

“Right. Found that a few minutes ago.”

“Which means we need to avoid all public summit events,” I said. “We can’t risk him seeing us together and blowing our cover. Thus, we’ll be unable to attend the party.”

“What about any private events?” Dragon asked.

“Those should be safe. However, we should do our best to gain access to guest lists just to be certain Luke and his partner aren’t on them.”

“About tonight, aren’t we missing a crucial opportunity for intel gathering?” Kodiak asked.

“You make a good point. We need someone else there.”

“I can attend,” Kodiak offered.

“You should have a date. Let’s bring Emma in for fieldwork. She’s already working the money trail remotely, but it would be beneficial for her to be here,” I suggested.

“Does she have undercover experience?” Dragon asked.

“Affirmative. She was with the FBI prior to moving over to Treasury—ran undercover ops targeting money laundering and corporate fraud. Same type of criminals we’re after now. We should dial her in and see if she’s available. If not, we’ll need a plan B.”

I sent her a quick message, telling her I was in the midst of a briefing with K19 and wanted her to join in if she could.

She answered right away that she was, and I sent her the conference link.

“Brenna,” she said when her face appeared on the screen. “Please tell me you need me to do something more exciting than reviewing wire transfer regulations.”

“I do.”

She grinned. “Great. And hello, everyone. So, what’s up?”

“How quickly can you get to California?” I asked.

“For?”

“We need to add another couple to go undercover for this summit. As it turns out, my brother and his business partner are attending.”

“Ouch. That would complicate things. It’s been a long time, but I’m in. I’ll need a few hours to hand off a project, but then I’m yours.”

“Can you tighten that timeline? I need you here for an event tonight.”

“Sure. Send me the cover details. I’ll make it work.”

After Emma disconnected, Alice leaned forward. “I’ve already created cover identities for Kodiak and Emma. They’ll be Jordan and Sarah Mitchell, venture capitalists from Boston with Mitchell Partners—a mid-sized firm focusing on biotech and defense applications. Jordan specialized in security infrastructure before moving into venture capital, and Sarah came from investment banking. They’ve been married for two years and met at a conference in Dubai three years ago.”

“Good backstory,” Kodiak nodded. “Explains why we’d be interested in defense tech.”

“Exactly,” Alice confirmed. “Your covers will hold up to any scrutiny. I’ve already backstopped social media, professional histories, financial records, and marriage certificate.”

“I think that covers it for now,” I said, scanning the faces on screen. “Thank you all for adapting so quickly to this complication.”

After everyone signed off and the screen went dark, Atticus turned to me. “Should we alert Morrison about not being able to attend tonight?”