Dante called Franz the next morning.

"Tell me everything," he said without preamble. "Who are they? What do they want? What moves have they made?"

"The Syndicate. That's what they're calling themselves. Led by a man named Viktor Kozlov. Russian. Former arms dealer. Lost everything when Lorenzo's empire collapsed and the old Council fell apart."

"Kozlov. I've heard the name. He had dealings with my father. Bad blood. Something about a territory dispute."

"That's him. He's been rebuilding. Quietly. For years. Gathering the old families who didn't make the cut for the New Order. People who felt excluded. Resentful. Angry."

"How many?"

"At least thirty families. Maybe more. Spread across...