The briefing room was colder than usual. The air conditioning hummed overhead, a sharp, mechanical sound that cut through the silence. Isaac stood at the head of the table wearing his glasses, which reflected the light from the projector. The screen behind him was black, with white text scrolling down fast.
The crew sat around the table with Dante at the center and Sophie to his right. Kisuke leaned back in his chair, his hand in his pocket touching the drive. The black plastic was cold against his fingers, but he did not take it out.
"Three days of analysis," Isaac said. His voice was calm, but there was a tension in his shoulders. "We traced the financials. We traced the communications. We traced the command structure." He clicked a remote, and the screen changed. A logo appeared: a simple black circle with a white crescent inside. "Edward is not acting alone," Isaac said. "He is not even the primary authority."
Dante looked at the logo. He did not recognize it.
