With a deep breath and a sense of purpose, Liam crouched between the small wet bar and the wall, pulled out the electronic gadget that would hack directly into the chip in the safe that held the code, and started his first robbery.
Passports first.Molly and the rest of the captives next.
Exfil after that.
Saving Josh’s ass if he hadn’t done it himself before Liam got there?He’d get there.It would happen.
Liam had to have faith.
“REMEMBER,” JOSHmurmured, “Don’t talk.”
“I am not stupid!”Grace proclaimed loudly, and Josh, jouncing in the trunk of the car and trying hard not to vomit, wanted to smack him.
From the front of the car—and in the commlink—Josh heard the confusion of the guard and the driver and of the very dangerous man in the back of the car with Grace.
“I know you’re not stupid,” Kadjic was saying.“You are an astounding thief.”
“Prove it,” Grace said, so much adolescent hostility in his voice that Josh winced.
“Did you or did you not switch the paintings in Chicago?”
“Which ones?”Grace asked—legitimately, but Kadjic could hardly know that.
“The Abercrombie!”Kadjic exclaimed, and Josh halfway expected him to choke on his own tongue with rage.“You know damned well that?”
“I didn’t steal that painting,” Grace said.
“Isawyou there catering the event!”
“But I didn’t steal the painting,” Grace said virtuously.“Celeste’s twenty-karat diamond—thatI stole, but she hasn’t noticed it yet.”
Josh snorted.“I knew it,” he murmured.
“I was very smooth,” Grace said to both of them.“What else do you think I’ve done?Come on—I want to hear!”
“The Lightfingers forgery in the Louvre,” Kadjic accused, his voice high and ringing with triumph.
“What are you talking about, stupid mobster man?I don’t paint!”
“But Iknowyou were there—I saw footage.There were six of you with black clothes and… and hats and masks and….”
“If there were hats and masks, how would you know me from a hat and a mask?Geeze, Mister, if you’re going to kill me, kill me for that diamond.It’s worth afortune.”
“I don’t want the bloody diamond!I want Lightfingers and the bloody Klimt you stole!”
“That’snasty!”Grace retorted, sounding as wounded as a startled racoon.“I didn’t finger anybody’s bloody Kl—”
“I will beat you!”Kadjic screamed, and for a moment, Josh’s heart stopped, he was so afraid for his friend.
“If you beat me,” Grace said, “you’ll never find the Rothschild Egg I slipped into a maintenance closet tonight.I mean, it’s not fingering a bloody Kli—”
“You stole aRothschild Egg?”Kadjic gasped, sounding as though slapped.“How did I not know about that?”
“Because you’re all excited about lady parts?I don’t know, you tell me!”
“Did you really?”Josh asked, forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to be talking to his friendright now.
“I don’t believe you,” Kadjic said at the same time.
