Chapter 139

• I stood in the courtyard behind the safe house, watching my men go through their drills. The moonlight made their movements ghostlike. Muzzle flashes blinked orange as they practiced tactical sweeps and short controlled bursts. The air stank of oil, sweat, and gunpowder.
• I forced myself to watch every detail. Every foot placement, every sloppy reload. If they fucked up in training, they’d die in Rome.
• Raphael called out corrections in Italian, voice sharp. I watched his men tighten up. Good.