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The K19 team had reassembled in the main room of Doc and Merrigan’s house. All eyes were on Gunner and Shiv when they came inside.
“The meeting with UR has been accelerated,” Doc told them.
“Meaning what?” asked Gunner.
“It’s going down in about thirty minutes.”
“How?”
“They’re coming here,” Doc answered.
“Have you lost your mind?” Gunner was incredulous that Doc would allow UR anywhere near his compound, let alone his wife and baby.
“They aren’t coming to the house. You, Shiv, and McTiernan are meeting them at San Ysidro Ranch. We’ve made arrangements for a cottage. You’ll have plenty of cover.”
“Why the change?” asked Shiv.
“There’s new intel on Petrov’s twenty.”
Gunner’s head was about to explode. “Where is he, Doc?”
“On the move. It appears he’s heading south.”
“Where’d the intel come from?”
“Ambassador Bedrossian,” answered Pimm.
Gunner nodded and then looked at Raketa. She had no visible reaction to anything that had been said, and that was her training kicking in. It occurred to Gunner that the only times she had a visceral reaction, was when they were alone.
“Are you ready?” Gunner asked McT
iernan.
“Yes.”
The answer was simple, and Gunner didn’t need more than that.
“Who’s staying, who’s going?” he asked Doc, who rattled off each of the teams. Half of the K19 team would stay put with Raketa, Doc, Merrigan, and Quinn along with Ava, her sister, and mother. The rest were going with Gunner and Shiv.
“When this deal is done, we’re leaving Doc and Merrigan alone for a long while,” Gunner told the group.
“Roger that,” said Razor.
For the most part, Razor kept his facial reactions to a minimum, but he had two tells. One, when he was lying. That one his wife had recognized early on. The second was when he was stressed. Tonight his anxiety level was through the roof, and Gunner understood why. In fact, he’d guess Doc and Shiv were equally stressed. To them, this was personal; to the rest, it was a mission.
—:—
There was a mental routine Raketa implemented when the stress of whatever situation she was in threatened to undermine her focus.
Regardless of whether she stayed here or went with the team meeting with United Russia, she was in grave danger. Until the deal was made—if it was made—UR could mount a full-bore attack and kill not just her, but anyone around her. She knew this from experience.
Gunner was at an equal level of risk. There was no question that United Russia knew exactly how important he was to her, and would use that as a means to punish her for what she’d done when she left their employ.
“Come with me,” Merrigan said, leading her upstairs. “I think I have a good idea of your mental state presently, and I’d like to offer some perspective.”
Raketa nodded while she waited for Merrigan to close the door to the room they were in.
“If anyone from K19, MI6, or the agency weren’t completely confident that this deal was viable, this meeting wouldn’t be taking place.”
