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“We can’t call in the cops.” The way Lake said it revealed he was expecting an argument.
He didn’t get one. Dimitri nodded, once. He knew how Durand worked. Any hint of a police presence and he’d put a bullet in Katrina’s brain. Then he’d dedicate himself to finding another way to get his hands on Megan.
Lake opened a bottle of water and handed it to Dimitri. He took it and gulped the ice cold liquid down fast. It helped. A small thing to focus on while he fought to think clearly.
“What did Durand specify?”
“He told Megan to wait outside Norwood Junction train station. She’s to be there in half an hour. Once there she’ll be told where the final meeting place will be.”
“This guy has watched way too many spy movies,” Joe said.
Grunt grunted in agreement.
“Smart though,” Lake said. “It means Callum can’t scope out the location ahead of him.”
“Will they make it to the location on time?” Dimitri hated that he even asked that question. The thought of this happening in any way, shape or form repulsed him on a cellular level.
“Yeah, they’ll make it. Ryan knows London as well as I do, he’ll get them there.”
Joe leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “It’s early. The roads won’t be clogged with rush hour traffic yet. It also means Durand will have a quick getaway.”
Dimitri clenched his fists, fighting back the urge to lash out. “What’s the earliest we can get to Norwood Junction?”
Lake stared at him. “From London City airport it’s a forty minute drive. We arrive just after six, earlier if we’re lucky.”
Forty minutes was too long. Durand would be long gone by the time they got there, Megan along with him.
Lake tapped his phone’s screen. “There’s an airport that’s closer. Biggin Hill. It’s south of the Norwood meeting point. It would cut twenty minutes off our arrival time.” He nodded to Joe who was already on his feet, heading for the pilot.
“Twenty minutes.” Still too late. Dimitri stared at Lake as the man dia
lled and arranged for a car to be at the field waiting for them, engine running.
“It’s doable.” Grunt surprised him by speaking.
“Callum will text us the final meeting point when he gets it,” Lake said. “At least we’ll be in the area and not that far behind them.”
“Yeah,” was all Dimitri could say.
Once the car was sorted, Lake called Callum back to tell him about the change of plans and ask him to stall until they got there.
Joe returned and perched on the edge of his seat. “It’s done. Arriving at Biggin Hill will take a few minutes off our flight time. We should touch down a couple of minutes before six.”
“Good,” Lake said. “Now all we need is that final location, the meeting point for the exchange, and we’re good to go.”
There was nothing they could do but wait. They were helpless. Stuck high above continental Europe while Megan walked into danger. For Katrina. No. For him. She was doing it for him. On the outside, Dimitri knew all his teammates would see was a trained soldier who was calm and ready for action. Inside, his mind was stuck on repeat. A continual desperate prayer. One sentence over and over. One fear consuming him. One action he hoped never to make. His prayer was simple.
“Don’t make me choose.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
They had to leave in seven minutes, otherwise they wouldn’t make it to the meeting point Durand had chosen. Seven minutes. There was time enough to change her mind. Time enough to call the whole thing off. She could run back to Scotland. She could hide until someone else found Reynard Durand and dealt with him.
She could leave Katrina Raast to die.
Megan leaned her forehead on the cool glass of the mirror. Her hands clasped tightly on the porcelain sink. One breath. Two. A glance at her wristwatch. Six minutes to change her mind. Only a fool would run into a situation she probably wouldn’t come out of. What made Katrina’s life worth more than hers?
She rolled her forehead on the glass, letting the solidity of it press against the bone. It was a stupid question. One that only made her feel ill with the implications of it. The truth was that there was no choice here. She couldn’t let Durand take Katrina’s life when it was really hers he wanted. There was no running away. No hiding. No hoping someone else would step in in her stead. This was her mess and she was going to sort it out.
