Roman Gambit

Rome was ancient, eternal. It was a city built on the ruins of empires, where power had always been traded in whispers. It was the perfect place for a war no one knew was being fought.

Jessica stepped off the plane into the cool Mediterranean air, her hands shoved into the pockets of her leather jacket. The weight of the pawn pendant around her neck was an anchor. A reminder that she wasn’t running anymore. She was hunting.

Leanna and Olivia flanked her as they moved through Fiumicino Airport. No one spoke, but there was a current of tension between them, electric and raw. Too many unknowns. Too many moving pieces.

A new game. A new board. And no way to tell who was playing.

* * *

The team moved fast, slipping into the city like ghosts. Their cover identities were solid. They were a journalist, an ex-intelligence analyst, and a security consultant.

Olivia had already arranged their accommodations with help of her network of underground contacts. It was a small apartment in Trastevere, overlooking the Tiber. Close enough to the summit, but far enough that they wouldn’t be in immediate danger.

The apartment was tucked in a narrow, cobblestone street, windows thrown open to catch the faint scent of espresso and woodsmoke drifting from cafés below. Ancient plaster walls, once bright, now faded from generations of Mediterranean sun, whispered quiet histories they’d never know.

Jessica barely spoke as they settled in. She was already thinking ahead. Thinking about the diplomat, about the list, about the video of the President forgetting his own past.

Leanna tossed her bag onto the couch. “I know that look.”

Jessica barely glanced at her. “What look?”

“The one where you start thinking too hard about things you can’t control.”

Jessica exhaled, rolling the tension from her shoulders. “We don’t have time for mistakes.”

Olivia sat down at the table, flipping open her laptop. “Then let’s not make any.”

* * *

Olivia worked fast. Within an hour, she had access to the World Security Summit’s schedule, press credentials, and security details.

“The diplomat we’re looking for, Ambassador Daniel Mercer, arrived in Rome three days ago.” Olivia’s fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard. “His itinerary is tight, but there’s an opening at a gala event tomorrow night.”

Jessica frowned. “A security nightmare.”

Leanna leaned against the counter. “So we go in quiet. Get close, see if he’s really compromised.”

Jessica nodded slowly. “We need to be sure before we make a move.”

Olivia glanced at them. “And if he is?”

Jessica exhaled. “Then we find out what they did to him.”

* * *

The night stretched on. Olivia stayed glued to her laptop, combing through files. Leanna cleaned her sidearm with the ease of ritual.

Jessica sat by the window, staring at the city lights. She knew what they were about to step into. This wasn’t just Vanguard anymore. This was something older. Deeper. A system of control that had been perfected over decades.

Jessica traced the pawn pendant thoughtfully, fingers feeling its cool metal weight. She’d once been just a piece on someone else’s board. Erased, forgotten. But not anymore. Now, they were playing her game, and they had no idea of the rules.