Operation: Zodiac

Chapter 3

Taurus Pov:

The night was quiet, the kind of quiet that set my nerves on edge. My workstation hummed faintly, the screens surrounding me casting a cool blue glow on the walls of my flat in Austin. On the screen in front of me, a series of network activity logs scrolled endlessly, each entry bringing me closer to a lead.

I leaned back in my chair, rolling my shoulders. Something wasn't adding up. A week ago, I'd intercepted fragments of a data transmission—anomalies buried deep in a supposedly secure network. The encryption was sophisticated, almost artful, but messy enough to suggest whoever sent it had done so in a hurry.

"Taurus, you need to eat something," I muttered to myself, glancing at the clock. Midnight.

My stomach grumbled in protest, but I pushed the thought aside. I was too close to cracking this to stop now.

The secure line on my desk beeped, breaking my concentration. Groaning, I reached over and tapped the flashing icon, bringing up the face of my handler, Agent McCall.

"You look like hell, Maxwell," McCall said, his gruff tone tinged with amusement.

"Thanks for the pep talk," I replied, leaning closer to the screen. "What's up?"

"We've got something," McCall said, his expression shifting to something more serious. "Intercepted chatter between two rogue agents operating out of Europe. Intel suggests they've been targeting key infrastructure sites—cyber and otherwise—and their next target is here in the U.S."

"That's a long way from home for them," I said, my curiosity piqued.

McCall nodded. "Exactly. The higher-ups think they're testing the waters, seeing how far they can push without being caught. That's where you come in."

"Do we know who they are?"

"We've got names and profiles. Sending them over now."

A soft ping signaled the arrival of the files. I opened them quickly, my eyes scanning the profiles.

Names: Gemini Sofia Romano and Libra Marco Bianchi.
Nationalities: Italians
Specialties: Close combat, Reconnaissance, Social engineering and Code-breaking

"Well, they're not amateurs," I muttered, scrolling through the details.

"No, they're not," McCall said. "Which is why this mission isn't a solo gig. You'll have a partner."

I blinked. "A partner?"

"Yep. She's already en route. Should be knocking on your door in about—"

A sharp knock echoed through the room, cutting him off.

"Now," McCall finished with a smirk.

When I opened the door, Pisces stood there, a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She was smaller than I'd expected, her calm demeanor almost masking the sharpness in her eyes.

"You must be Taurus," she said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

"And you must be Pisces," I replied, closing the door behind her.

She dropped her bag on the couch and turned to face me. "I've been briefed. Two rogue agents, highly skilled, currently heading toward D.C. What's our plan?"

"Straight to the point," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"There's no time to waste," she replied, her tone firm.

Fair enough.

Over the next few hours, we pieced together a strategy. Gemini and Libra weren't exactly subtle—they left just enough of a trail to suggest they wanted to be found. The challenge wasn't locating them; it was figuring out their endgame.