Chapter 13: San Francisco Fog
The hunt led her back to the belly of the beast: San Francisco. The city where she had bled, where she had won, and where she was now hunted. She moved like a wraith through the fog-drenched streets, avoiding surveillance cameras.
She needed leverage. Vanguard operated through legitimate fronts, and their primary shell company was a logistics firm based in the financial district. Elena spent three days doing reconnaissance, living out of subway stations and cheap hostels. She watched the executives come and go, identifying the weak link: a mid-level manager named Marcus Vance, who had a gambling problem and a taste for expensive whiskey.
