Silas sat in his dimly lit office, the glow of his monitors casting sharp shadows across his angular features. His sharp gray eyes scanned the data streaming across multiple screens while his fingers tapped against his laptop. Smoke curled from the cigarette resting on the edge of his ashtray.

The knock came once, then again.

“Enter,” he growled, eyes never leaving the screen.

A young agent stepped in hesitantly. “Sir, the preliminary report—”

Silas snapped the laptop shut, the sound sharp in the tense air. His piercing gaze cut through the agent. “I assume this couldn’t wait. Or did you simply not think to filter out irrelevance before wasting my time?”

The agent swallowed. “It’s... it’s urgent, sir.”

“Then spit it out,” Silas said coldly, leaning back, exhaling smoke.

“We’ve confirmed a mole in our ranks.”

For a brief moment, Silas’s lips curved into a chilling smile. “Finally. Something worth my attention. Proceed.”