[Ethan's POV]
Bucharest didn't welcome us; it swallowed us.
The Gulfstream touched down at a private airstrip on the outskirts of the city just as the sun was beginning to set, casting long, bruised shadows across the cracked tarmac. The air outside the cabin was thick with the smell of diesel exhaust and impending rain.
I stepped off the airstairs first, my hand resting casually near the small of my back where the Glock was holstered. Claire followed close behind, carrying a sleek, reinforced briefcase that held her laptop and a stack of untraceable euros.
A rusted black Mercedes sedan was waiting for us near the edge of the runway. The driver, a thick-necked man smoking a cheap cigarette, didn't get out to open the doors. He just stared at us through the rearview mirror.
"Aegis Solutions local contact?" Claire asked quietly, her eyes scanning the perimeter.
