The SUV glided through the winding road like a predator moving into territory it didn’t belong in. The sleek black vehicle was a sharp contrast against the cracked concrete, rusted tin roofs, and litter-strewn streets that marked the Belmare slums.

Rhea adjusted her sunglasses, her manicured nails drumming impatiently against the leather armrest. The stench of dampness and rot seeped through the sealed air conditioning vents, and she wrinkled her nose.

God, ...