By the time we finished, I knew the warehouse layout better than I knew the floor plan of our flat back in Paris. I could close my eyes and see it all—the loading bay, the fence, the water tower to the north, the blind spot on the west side. I knew where the guards would be and when they would move, except for the wildcard of the random intervals. I knew where to hide if things went wrong.
None of it guaranteed we’d succeed, but it gave us a chance.
The sun was setting when the Baroness called an end to the session. “Enough,” she said. “We have done what we can. The rest is tomorrow.”
Tomorrow was the 14th.
The night everything would happen—or wouldn’t.
The group dispersed slowly. Marcus and Danny retreated to the living room to check their equipment one last time. Eddie disappeared somewhere—probably back outside to watch the approaches, unable to fully switch off. The womanstood at the window, staring at nothing, her face unreadable.
Will caught my arm as I passed.
“Hey,” he said quietly. “Walk with me?”
We slipped out the back door into the fading light. The snow had stopped falling, but the air was bitterly cold. Our breath fogged as we walked.
“You didn’t have to volunteer,” Will said.
“Yes, I did.”
“Thomas—”
“Someone had to take the ground position. Marcus is too bulky. He’d be spotted in ten seconds. Danny’s good, but he doesn’t have my experience with close surveillance. Eddie’s already done his part. Besides, he’s better on the water tower with a long lens. That leaves me.”
“That’s . . . very logical.”
“What can I say? I’m a logical person.”
Will laughed—a short, tired sound. “You’re theleastlogical person I know. You operate on instinct and spite.”
“Instinct, spite, and a deep personal commitment to not dying.” I stopped walking and turned to face him. “I’ll be careful, babe. I promise.”
“You’re always careful, and you still get shot.”
“Only sometimes and never where it counts.”
He reached out and touched my face, a gentle gesture so achingly tender in the frigidevening air.
“I can’t lose you,” he said quietly. “Not now, not after everything.”
“You won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No,” I admitted. “I don’t, but I know that we’ve been doing this for years, and we’re both still here. Few spies live as long as we have. I know that we’ve walked into worse situations and walked out again. And . . . I know I have a very good reason to come back.”
“What’s that?”
I smiled. “I made you a promise, something about screwing your brains out.”
Will’s laugh was more genuine this time. “You did say that.”
“I’m a man of my word.” I leaned in and kissed him slow and deep. When I pulled back, his eyes were bright.
“Tomorrow night,” he said.
“Tomorrow night.” I took his hand. “Come on. Let’s go back inside before we freeze to death. That would be a stupid way to die.”
