[Ethan's POV]
"We can't just cut someone's hand off, Ethan," Claire said, staring at me across the small wooden table of our Zurich safehouse.
"I wasn't going to suggest amputation," I said, sliding the loaded magazine into my Glock. "But the private elevators at Sterling & Cross use sub-dermal optical scanners. They don't just read the fingerprint; they read the blood flow beneath the skin. A piece of tape with a lifted print won't work. We need a live biometric signature."
"Which means we need a hostage," Claire realized, her brow furrowing. "Someone with Level-5 executive clearance who can walk us right past the lobby guards and into the elevator."
"Exactly," I said, pulling up the dossiers on Claire's tablet. "Isabella's inner circle is in chaos after the Hofburg Palace attack. But the debt transfer is happening at noon today. She has to send a proxy to sign the paperwork and defend her assets."
