“What happened at the embassy?” London asked him.
“I told you,” said Simon.
“How were you the only one to make it out?”
“How did I make it out?” Simon shrugged. “Dumb luck.”
“I don’t think so.”
“He just shot the other people first. It could have just as well been me.”
“Do you feel guilty?”
“Shouldn’t I?”
“Of course not.”
“At least now I’ll have something to discuss with my therapist.”
“You don’t strike me as the type.”
“Really? You probably know him. Dr. Jack Daniel’s of Lynchburg, Tennessee.”
“Who…oh, very funny. That’s no way to solve anything.”
“Well, then I have you to talk to.”
They walked past an indoor waterfall, four stories high, some kind of engineering wonder, a little rainforest surrounding it, a fine mist cooling the air.
“You know,” London said as they approached the security barrier, “I haven’t thanked you properly.”
“Really you don’t have to. I was only—”
“Without the flash drive, we’d have a much more difficult time proving the case against Lester, HW, and all his co-conspirators. Rafael de Bourbon only gave me enough to get started. What I’d dug up was more supposition than anything else.”
“It wasn’t me. It was my friend in London, the kid who was able to break the code. He’s the person to thank.”
“I’m not used to people who don’t like talking about themselves.”
“There are a few of us left.”
“When this is over, I want it all. Every last detail.”
“Or else?”
“I’ll do to you what you did to Hadrian Lester.”
Simon stopped walking. “Promise?”
London, looking at him a second too long, was standing a little too close. He could feel her body touching his. She nodded, her eyes saying,Oh, I promise. I’ll do worse, even.
London’s phone buzzed. She broke away, yanking it from her pocket. “Text,” she said. She read it, her face clouding.
“What?” asked Simon.
London read it aloud: “‘Solomon “Shaka” Kruger has been released from the Singapore detention center. On orders from Luca Borgia, he is to find and kill you and Simon Riske. Take appropriate precautions. Signed, Gabriel.’”
“Do you know a Gabriel?”
