They had arrived in Morocco the night before, slipping into the country under cover of darkness, and wasted no time pushing deep into the desert beyond Marrakech. By the time they reached the remote camp, the sun was sinking behind the dunes, ushering in the bone-chilling grip of the desert night. So far, the plan had unfolded with a rare and welcome predictability, something Judd never took for granted.

Cindy had spent months setting up the meeting with the Amazigh. Outsiders called them Berbers, but they preferred their true name—one that spoke of resilience, of a people who had outlasted empires in the unforgiving sands. Tracking them down had been no easy feat. They were elusive by nature, distrustful of strangers, and certainly not eager to be found. Cindy had worked every angle, pulled every thread, until she finally secured an audience with Oukesson, the enigmatic leader of the Scarabao Clan.

Named after the deep iridescent blue beetle with its near-indestructible shell, the Scarabao Clan was small but held an almost mystical influence over the desert. Influence Judd and his team would need if they were going to keep their promise to General Perl—and more importantly, keep their team alive. The three operatives from Squid Team Six—Cindy, Ava, and Mary—were some of the best in the business, but out here, skill alone wouldn’t be enough. They needed an edge.

Their guide arrived just before dawn—a weathered camel herder whose face bore the deep lines of a man who had seen too much and survived it all. Without a word, he helped them don their disguises: just another group of tourists venturing into the Agafay Desert for a night beneath the stars.