Shadows in the Dust

Villa on Crest's Outskirts—Three Hours After Departure

Dante descended from the black SUV with quick yet controlled movements, his sharp eyes immediately scanning the surroundings. The villa stood in the middle of a remote area—a two-story building with peeling paint, surrounded by a rusted iron fence and a yard filled with knee-high wild grass.

Too quiet. Too abandoned.

"Cobra, circle the peri