“Back to Spain,” he said.
Liesel shook her head. “You got to be kidding me.”
They slipped out of the safe house ten minutes later, blending into Istanbul’s early morning beat just as the first light of dawn streaked the horizon. The scent of warm, freshly baked sesame bread drifted from a nearby bakery, which made Caspian’s stomach growl, making him wish he had eaten something more substantial than a bowl of beans for breakfast.
The steep streets of Cihangir were slowly coming to life. All around them, vendors rolled their carts into place and shop owners got ready for the day ahead. To Caspian’s right, a boy zipped past on a scooter.
Caspian had visited Istanbul before, but he’d never set foot in that particular neighborhood. To him, with its cute little streets, squares, and alleys, Cihangir felt like the most European sector of the city, though he couldn’t believe how many stray cats there were. In front of him, the Bosphorus was visible in the distance, like a ribbon of steel cutting the city in two.
The Grand Hyatt Istanbul, and its underground parking garage, was just beyond the Gezi Park and the bustle of Taksim Square. But instead of heading directly there, Caspian and Liesel weaved a meandering course through secondary streets and pedestrian alleys, doing their best to stay away from the CCTV cameras Ranger had identified. They hugged the corners and paused before each intersection, and Caspian kept his eyes scanning for anything that felt off.
As they made their next turn, Caspian slowed. A bit farther on, two police officers stood near a tram stop. They weren’t talking, they were looking down the street. One held a tablet angled up toward the foot traffic. He grabbed Liesel’s arm and pulled her close to him and into the recessed doorway of a closed antiques shop.
“Two cops. They’re scanning for faces,” he said.
She peered past him, then nodded. “I bet they’re looking for a man and a woman,” she said.
“Right. And there are probably more of them. Some of them in plain clothes,” Caspian said, glancing down the hill toward the Bosphorus.
“We need to split up, Casp. They’re looking for a couple. We’ll have a better shot at reaching the Hyatt if we separate.”
He nodded, knowing she was right. But he didn’t like it. And that was a problem too.
Stop being overprotective. She can handle herself.
Caspian pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Okay. Let’s link up,” he said, sliding a Bluetooth earpiece into his ear.
Liesel did the same.
“I’ll take the Taksim route,” Caspian said. “I’ll head up through the square, past the Cumhuriyet Aniti, then east down Mete Caddesi. I’ll cut through the pedestrian path near the Dolapdere lights and circle around to the Hyatt’s service entrance.”
Liesel looked at her phone, using the map Ranger had sent them. “I’ll loop west and cut through the antique district.”
“This shouldn’t take us more than twenty-five minutes,” Caspian said, dialing her number.
Liesel accepted the call, then she looked at him, holding his gaze for a few seconds. Without a word, she leaned in and kissed him. For a moment, and for the first time since they had fled the airport, everything slowed, and the noise in Caspian’s mind faded.
Liesel broke the kiss, stepped back, and pressed her hand on his heart. “See you in twenty, okay?”
Then, before he could respond, she turned and walked away. As he watched her turn right at the next intersection, one thought stayed with him, an unshakable whisper at the edge of his mind.
Your luck is about to run out.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Istanbul, Turkey
Caspian adjusted the collar of the lightweight jacket he’d borrowed from the safe house and made sure to keep his eyes shaded beneath the brim of the black baseball hat he’d just purchased. Though it was still early and he had only left the safe house less than fifteen minutes ago, morning had now fully arrived in Istanbul, and the closer he got to Taksim Square, the busier it got.
Caspian turned onto Siraselviler Caddesi and slipped into the flow of pedestrian traffic. The air, tinged with diesel fumes, was getting warmer, and Caspian knew he would have to shed his jacket soon. Keeping it on would make him stand out. But he’d have to be careful to leave his shirt fully untucked to conceal the pistol wedged into the waistband at the small of his back.
The earbud in his right ear crackled. “I’m making a quick detour, Casp,” Liesel said. “I might have a tail. Not sure yet. I’m heading south toward Tomtom Kaptan.”
Caspian pursed his lips, but he didn’t slow his pace. In his mind’s eye, he visualized the map of the area. “I can be there in six minutes,” he said.
“No,” Liesel said. “I’m not new at this. I’ll see you at the Hyatt.”
Caspian didn’t like it, but he had to let go. Liesel knew what she was doing. She didn’t need him to babysit her.
