The dull, pulsing ping grew louder as I regained consciousness. Disoriented, I focused my eyes before attempting to figure out my whereabouts. The last thing I remembered was Marcus’ long, saggy jowls hovering over me, a disturbing grin on his face.

I had been hunting the head of Lobo Gris for a year. The organization hid behind Lulu Wolf’s Ice Cream, a front for a much seedier business. In every shipment of their frozen desserts was a crate of cocaine delivered surreptitiously to a foreign dealer. Millions of dollars exchanged hands in one of the biggest global drug trades, all behind the innocuous label featuring a tiny wolf licking ice cream on a waffle cone.

Interpol had been chasing a ghost for a decade. Any tips they received pointed to Lobo Gris, but that’s it. No individual names, no locations, no modes of transportation—it was as if the drugs appeared magically at their destinations. That’s why they called me.

“You’re the best, Vic,” Henriksen, my biggest cheerleader in Interpol, said as he handed me the confidential file. “We’ve been trying for 10 years. We come up empty every time. Do your magic.”

It didn’t take long to figure out that the drugs were hiding behind the popular ice cream giant. It was brilliant, actually. Lulu Wolf’s Ice Cream was rated number one internationally for its delectable frozen treats, boasting new flavors that no other company had ever tried. A quick call to one of my computer geniuses, and I had the company’s financials and soon uncovered holes in their spreadsheets as well as shipment details.

The hard part was finding the mastermind. Whoever he was, he had some serious connections. One name kept showing up and that’s when I knew I had him.

Marcus.

Every shipment that appeared offshore, every oddly timed delivery, was approved by Marcus. No last name. No details on his place in the company. Just Marcus.

A loud noise behind the door of my room snapped me out of my stupor. Leaning on my elbows, I could see I was alone. The cot I lay on had a thin cushion between me and the metal frame. Two empty beds hovered over me and three more bunks were to my left. The dull pinging continued and I realized where I was. The crew quarters of a submarine. That’s how they got around. Very clever.

I rose carefully from the bunk, ensuring that no sound would signal I was awake. With no weapons on me, I’d have to use other skills to get myself past whoever was guarding the door and to Marcus.

I tiptoed to the heavy water-tight door and listened. Nothing. Slowly I pulled on the handle, knowing that there was no way to keep my movements a secret for too long. The hallway was empty. Not a sound could be heard except for the sonar beeping calmly like a metronome… background music as the submarine made its way under the water. I didn’t even know which waters we were in, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was taking down Marcus and Lobo Gris.