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“That sounds ostentatious enough for me,” Gabe said. “What about Sloane’s staff?”
“I’m getting there,” Ethan said. “Geez. A little praise every now and then wouldn’t kill you.”
“Ethan,” Gabe growled.
“Yeah, yeah. Screen two.” He flicked his fingers across the keyboard again and a picture of a man in formal attire came on the screen.
“This is Nigel Peters,” Ethan said. “His background includes the Royal Air Force as well as extensive training in London’s premier school for butlers. He’s an expert marksman, and the royal family used him for his bodyguard and butler skills for several years before Sloane lured him away. Peters landed in Morocco ten days ago, according to his passport. Several of Sloane’s household staff followed Peters.”
“The auction begins in three days’ time,” Gabe said, pacing back and forth in front of the wall screens, his mind racing with possibilities. “How long did it take Sloane to die after his initial collapse onstage?”
He heard Ethan tapping and turned to face him. Ethan chewed at his lip and pushed his glasses repeatedly up his nose as he searched for the answer. “It looks like it took a little over forty-seven minutes from start to finish.”
“We need to find out who Kimball would use for his demonstration,” Gabe said. “It’ll need to be someone of importance, or it won’t have meaning.”
“It’ll be one of his guests,” Grace said. “Kimball will want to let them know that he has power. He’s not auctioning off one weapon. He’s auctioning off a formula that can be re-created at any time as long as they have the proper components. He’ll make sure everyone at that meeting knows he will have the ability to control their actions and their own use of the weapon. He’s just put himself in the position of being the world’s number one enemy.”
“Okay, so you have to assume that none of the guests will arrive more than twenty-four hours before the auction,” Jack said. “They’re not a trustworthy group of people, and they’ll want to arrive in time to see the weapon work, and then they’ll all plan to leave immediately following. It’s how auctions like this normally go.”
“All the guests will have to arrive by ferry,” Ethan said. “Remember the house is surrounded by water.”
“Over the open water is the perfect place to release the formula into the air. They’ll all be on deck, and Kimball’s done business with all of them before, so he’s had plenty of opportunity to get DNA samples. Hell, he probably has a whole arsenal of DNA samples.”
Gabe thought of the painting and the bag he’d handed off to Kimball and knew without a doubt that Kimball had his own DNA. Grace’s too.
“We can’t fail,” Gabe said. “We can’t let the weapon go live, even if the target is a terrorist. We still don’t know enough about the Passover Project to be sure it won’t have residual effects on others in the area. Our mission is to stop the launch and take out Kimball before the formula changes hands.”
“So Kimball isn’t to be spared?” Grace asked.
“We take him out. And we take out Kimball’s scientist. He’ll have him close by. All traces of the Passover Project must be destroyed. Logan will help us with that.”
Gabe recognized the look on Grace’s face. It was the look she got when she’d run every possible scenario in her head and come up with the best solution. He knew what she was going to say before she opened her mouth because it was exactly the conclusion he’d come to.
“How big is the island, Ethan?” she asked.
“A little over two miles in all directions,” he answered.
“I can take the long shot and get Kimball. Whoever launches the weapon will have to be taken out up close and personal to make sure the Passover Project is properly neutralized. But Kimball is too dangerous to engage with one-on-one. I can take him out.”
Silence filled the room, and Gabe stood ready to interfere if things got out of hand. He still had the safety of the mission to consider first and foremost, but he also had Grace to consider. He’d asked her to join the team because she was the best at what she did, even though Ethan and Logan had never seen her skill. He was more than prepared to remind them.
“I disagree,” Jack said.
Gabe tightened his fists at his sides out of pure reflex but decided to let his friend have his say before he beat him to a pulp.
“I think Kimball will expect you to be there,” Jack continued. “He’ll know what your strengths are. There’s no way he’s going to make himself an easy target for you. He’ll have someone like Peters launch the aerosol, but he’ll stay indoors and force us to come to him if we want him. You can be cleanup if we run into trouble.”
Gabe relaxed completely and nodded in agreement at the logic behind Jack’s argument. A position like that would take the pressure off Grace in case she worried about having another breakdown, but being given a job had also saved her pride. Jack was probably the most insightful of all of them when it came to other people’s feelings, and he was grateful to him for recognizing that Grace needed to be a part of the team right now.
“Do you have an aerial shot of the island?” Logan asked.
“Hang on a sec,” Ethan said. “Screen three.”
“He’s got a helipad and the ferry,” Logan said. “I can make sure there’s not a way for him to get off the island.”
“And I suppose I’m going to be stuck here with my thumb up my bum,” Ethan said sourly. “I never get to have any of the fun.”
“Your thumb up your bum?” Gabe asked. “England is rubbing off on you. But no need to sit on your thumbs. You’re coming with us. You’ll run security from the boat.”
