Alex strode into the briefing room. The space held a professional chill, clean lines and brushed metal, with the blue glow from the central screen washing over the dark walls. The lingering scent of coffee from an earlier meeting mingled with the sharp tang of electronics and air conditioning.

  Dim lighting pooled in the spaces between chairs, casting shadowed accents over the data displays. No decoration cluttered the walls, nothing to distract from purpose. The room embodied pure efficiency. Exactly how he preferred to work.

  He settled into his usual seat, the chair's firm support matching his rigid posture. The screen flared to life, bathing Alex's face in harsh light as satellite images of a London dockside building appeared. Photos cycled through, empty display cases, bypassed security systems, each detail meticulously documented.

  A catalogue of losses followed: a 17th-century cup valued at ￡500,000, an old book listed at ￡1.5 million, and most intriguing, a small crimson pendant, its worth recorded only as undetermined.

  Alex scanned the images, noting the surgical precision of the break-in. Multiple layers of sophisticated security should have rendered the vault impenetrable. Yet, someone had bypassed them without triggering a single alarm.

  Beside him, Riley sat unnaturally still, his eyes glued to his tablet. The technical expert had already downloaded the images and flipped through them individually. His usual restless energy was absent, replaced by a razor-sharp focus as he scrutinized the security footage meticulously.

  "Hmm, they left no digital footprint," Riley murmured, meeting Alex's gaze. "The cameras remained on the whole time but nothing was seen or recorded. I can't even see any breaks or loops." Their shared look confirmed what they both suspected. No simple thief carried out this heist. Even Riley's usual casual enthusiasm had sharpened, a keen interest taking hold in the face of the operation's precision.

  Alex mentally logged the oddities. A breach this clean, in a secure facility, he'd encountered nothing like it before.

  At the front of the room, Javier Morales commanded the space, hands clasped behind his back, his quiet authority filling the room. His dark eyes swept over the assembled agents, pausing briefly on Alex and Riley.

  Years of profiler training had taught Alex to read the clues of his body language: the taut jaw, the calculated scan of the room. These subtle signs meant this was far from a standard briefing. Javi's presence alone suggested an interest from someone much higher than anyone within the force.

  Alex settled back, the room's clinical atmosphere aligning with his methodical need to process each detail. Every aspect of this case, from the breach to the targeted artefacts, hinted at something far beyond routine theft.

  Javi's tone carried the weight Alex recognized from sensitive cases as he began, "At 0300 hours yesterday, an unknown party breached an 'impenetrable' vault near London's docks."

  The screen displayed images of the facility—unremarkable from the outside but bristling with sophisticated security. Alex's gaze lingered on the retinal scanners, reinforced doors, and military-grade surveillance systems.

  "Four artefacts were stolen." Javi clicked through the detailed photographs. "A medallion, a ceremonial dagger, a tome of a saint and this pendant. All told, over ￡3 million worth of rare items." Alex's eyes narrowed at the pendant's markings. He wasn't exactly an expert in archaeology but he'd never seen anything like this before. To his eye, they almost looked cult-like.

  "What concerns us most," Javi continued, "is that the security systems—considered unbreakable—were bypassed without a single alarm."

  Javi's gaze lingered on the pendant, his posture subtly shifting as he glossed over the medallion and dagger. He gestured to the pendant, "This artefact dates to pre-Viking Norway. The markings are unprecedented for that period." He paused, his gaze intent on the object. "Apparently, it had only just been received by the collection. It was in safe keeping, despite substantial offers, the owners have refused to sell on."

  Alex leaned forward, scrutinizing the photograph. The heist's surgical precision and the artefacts' uniqueness hinted at motives beyond money. A common thief would have taken more. No alarms had been tripped, meaning the thief could have emptied the vault. The pictures showed a lot more display cases around the room. Each with expensive-looking pieces locked inside. They must have had the time, so why didn't they?

  For some reason, the markings disturbed him. Javi had said it was from Norway but they didn't match any Norse patterns he knew, yet they held an unsettling, deliberate quality. He listened intently as Javi outlined the breach, describing the thief's uncanny navigation through camera blind spots. Alex glanced at Riley. A subtle shake of his head told Alex that Riley disagreed with Javi's assessment.

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  "The thief must be two feet tall to hide in that blind spot. There's no way,' Riley whispered, leaning closer to Alex. 'No way.'

  Alex's jaw tightened as he scrutinized the timestamps. Javi was good at his job, but Riley operated in a league of his own. If Riley was right, this wasn't a run-of-the-mill artefact theft. The operation's precision suggested intimate knowledge of the vault and a familiarity that all but screamed insider involvement. It was just too clean.

  "Either way, they've got to be a proper tech expert," Riley murmured for Alex's ears only. "No alarms, no digital footprint. Bloody impressive…. and worrying."

  Riley's assessment deepened Alex's unease. Thieves capable of such flawless infiltration were rare and rarely driven by profit alone. This level of expertise, bypassing layers of security without a trace, pointed to someone or someones deeply versed in high-stakes operations.

  "This isn't your typical black-market artefact grab," Javi said, his dark eyes sweeping across the room. "Whoever planned this knew exactly what they wanted. The question is, why?"

  The assessment gnawed at Alex's instincts. His gaze lingered on the pendant on the screen. Something about that piece set his teeth on edge just looking at it.

  "'What do we know about the vault's owners? Any issues we should be aware of? Debts, maybe?' Alex asked, his tone measured. 'A place like this can't be cheap to run—especially these days.'

  He stilled as Javi's tone shifted, the weight behind his response impossible to ignore.

  'The vault's owner specifically requested Interpol's involvement,' Javi said, adjusting his tie with deliberate care. 'So I'd tread lightly this time, Alex. Some significant people from around the world have stakes in this place. Piss them off, and we'll all regret it.'

  Javi's gaze sharpened, his voice dipping lower. 'They were very insistent on having our expertise in handling sensitive international matters. As were… others. There's a lot of pressure riding on this one.'

  The phrasing snagged Alex's attention. Most vault owners approached local authorities first, especially in London. A direct appeal to Interpol showed powerful connections. Influential collectors rarely risked official involvement, particularly in cases this sensitive.

  The implications were clear: someone with enough influence to bypass protocol had taken a risk by involving Interpol—this was definitely more than just a theft. Alex's thoughts returned to the artefacts, wondering what made them worth such extraordinary measures.

  Javi turned, meeting Alex's gaze directly. "You'll lead this on the ground. The locals aren't thrilled about it, as it's their turf but this is too important. Hopefully, one of their own won't ruffle them too much. You'll meet your liaison at the vault. Take Riley with you as support."

  Alex nodded sharply, a familiar blend of anticipation and duty settling over him. Leading sensitive investigations required finesse, especially with local police. Javi turned to Riley, whose intense focus had faded into a now professional respect. However, his eyes still held their familiar spark of excitement.

  "Whatever you need is yours on this one."

  "I'll keep the wires humming," Riley said with a slight smirk. "And I'll let you know the moment our thief makes a digital mistake."

  Alex welcomed the arrangement. Riley's knack for tracking digital trails had proven invaluable; their partnership had worked out countless times before. If there was a digital footprint, Riley would find it.

  "This case has a lot of eyes on it, so keep it discreet and fast," Javi said, adjusting his tie. "London's waiting, and they're not thrilled with Interpol stepping in. The rest of you already have your assignments, so I suggest we get to them."

  Javi closed his folder and left without another word. As the other agents started to file out of the room, Alex sat with Riley, staring at the photo of the old dock building still on the screen. A morsel of apprehension crept into his chest at the thought of returning to London. He wondered how they would greet him. He took a deep breath and stood, deciding not to dwell on it.

  As Alex strode from the briefing room, case file in hand, Riley fell into step beside him. The theft's precision troubled him. Typical artefact thieves would have cleared out everything valuable; this one had shown restraint, taking only four items.

  The pendant especially intrigued him, but he wasn't sure why. Yes, its markings hinted at a significance beyond mere monetary value but there was something else about it. Had the thief known what they were taking? If it had only just been added to the collection, had this been the reason for the break-in, or was it just pure coincidence?

  The meticulous planning spoke volumes to his profiler's mind. Such intimate knowledge of the vault's security measures, paired with a selective theft, suggested personal stakes rather than simple profit.

  As Riley's footsteps echoed beside him, Alex pieced together a profile, each detail of the break-in providing a new layer.

  "They knew exactly what they were doing," Riley murmured, breaking the silence. "Either they know the system, or they've done their homework."

  Alex nodded, valuing his colleague's assessment. "Agreed. This feels targeted, not random."

  He caught the familiar gleam in Riley's eyes, the look he wore when unravelling an elegant hack. If their burglar left any trace in the digital world, Riley would find it.

  "Our thief is methodical, they went after items with precision," he murmured, tapping the pendant's photo in the file. "Take this. It doesn't scream that high value, not like the others. If it was me, there were far more valuable-looking items in that vault that weren't even touched. Suggests they know its significance. Could mean expertise in restoration or collections."

  A profile sharpened in his mind: a professional with technical skills, insider knowledge, and a focused interest in these pieces. Not a common thief, but someone with a personal connection must have been involved. That pointed to two different individuals, at least, Alex mused.

  Alex settled at his desk, compartmentalizing his thoughts as Riley's chair squeaked behind him.

  "we'll start with recent activity on artefact forums and private dealer sites. I doubt anyone this careful will be that obvious but let's rule it out. If they are looking to sell, we might see chatter," Alex said, his tone steady.

  "Consider it done. They can try to stay invisible, but everyone slips up sooner or later."

  The familiar rhythm of investigation settled over them. Riley's digital expertise paired seamlessly with Alex's analytical mind, a partnership that had cracked tough cases before. This one would be no different.

  "We'll need to be on our best behaviour," Riley said, shutting his bag.

  Alex smirked. "Just don't overdo Interpol's 'charm' with the locals. We're there to solve this, not win friends."