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Whether this was Z offering an olive branch was yet to be seen. I was still prepared for a standoff between us. Nemesis was likely to be a part of it too.
“I have one more suggestion.”
“Go ahead,” said Z.
“Let’s take everyone to shore in the patrol boat.”
“Agreed. And then?”
I motioned to the bridge. “Let’s take a look.” He followed me up the steps. “As I’d anticipated, thePerniciousis equipped with remote start.”
The look I saw in Z’s eyes mirrored my own. The outcome of this op could’ve been vastly different, literally a tragedy of epic proportions. It was the closest I’d come to death, and that weighed heavily on me.
We were halfa kilometer from Oleander’s yacht when I turned to her and nodded. We held our breath when she hit the remote start.
As expected, the boat exploded, sending flames high into the sky. I suspected a device may have been rigged to the yacht’s engine. However, it was more important to me to get everyone off it than it was to check with the MDX-940. Disarming such a device would’ve been far more dangerous than the six smaller ones we’d found on the boat’s perimeter.
“I should’ve sold it when I had the chance,” said O, tossing the remote into the strait.
21
CAYMAN
The plane ride from Sharm el-Sheikh was somber and, for the most part, silent. All those who’d been on board thePerniciouswere exhausted and slept, with the exception of Magnet. Once I realized he and Puck were still awake, I forced myself to do the same. I wouldn’t push, but if either man needed to talk, I wanted to be available to them.
When Ares approached and said Z and Nem wanted to meet in the stateroom, I almost balked, saying I thought we were holding off on the hot wash. Instead, I stood and followed him.
“There are a few things we need to touch base on,” said Z when we walked in and shut the door behind us. “In our haste to execute this op—and thank God we did—we’ve neglected to debrief on certain things.”
I agreed. There were several things I planned to request be updated.
“Cayman?” Z prompted.
“Right.” I pulled out my mobile and checked some of the notes I’d made. “First, Ares, were you able to find anything out about why the US embassy granted Xavier and Francesca Vella and Charlene Vella-Borg immunity?”
“While there are still many unanswered questions, what I’ve learned was, not long before Bexli’s escape, Vella-Borg allegedly approached her nephew, Xavier, about what was happening at the villa. Her reason for doing so was because she believed, after the auction took place, she, along with the others working for Mithras, would be killed.”
“Xavier went to his superiors at the embassy, is that it?” I asked.
“Affirmative.”
“According to Xavier, Vella-Borg wanted out. While we don’t yet know who—again, allegedly—someone at the embassy wanted more information and sent her back in to get it. The other thing we don’t know is, if she intentionally dropped the syringe in that room, why Bexli? Unless it was as random as her ending up in the alley behind the restaurant.”
I turned to Z. “We need to question her. What’s happening with the extradition?”
“As you know, these things sometimes take months. It’s only been a matter of days. However, I do have Wilder and Mayhem, who remained in Shere, working it on behalf of SIS. Wilder managed to get the prime minister involved, which will help move it along more quickly.”
“The question also remains as to why or how Xavier came to know Bexli’s name.”
“It could be easily explained. Either Francesca Vella told him or her daughter did,” Nem suggested.
I nodded. “Agreed. Now, we have some understanding as to why an assistant special emissary to the US Ambassador to Malta would be involved in an investigation into Mithras, even if the bulk of it is alleged.”
I took another look at my notes. “I’m not certain if we’ll need Poseidon, Zep, or Mag for this; however, I’d like to request a roll call, if you will.”
“Let’s see what we can do on our own and follow up with them later if necessary,” said Z.
“As far as the US task force is concerned, we’re all here—Tank, Blackjack, Atticus, Kodiak, and myself,” said Ares.
