John tapped through his emails between sorting the files from Branson's desk. As he tried to place a final file on a teetering pile, it rocked and started to slide. Sliding forward in his chair, John caught the majority of the pile and flailed to catch the rest of it. They skidded across the floor and he grumbled as he erected the tower again before going for the scattered files.

Just as he reached for the last one, slimer fingers than his caught the edge and handed it over to him. "Need any help?"

"Mostly with just filing them away now." John smiled at Anna, "How'd the conference go?"

"About as poorly as you'd think." Anna rested back on her heels as John tapped the files to even out. "People aren't happy with us."

"I'm not happy with us." John rolled his eyes and tucked the files under his arm before offering a hand to Anna so they both stood. "But how are you doing?"

"About as poorly as you'd think." Anna repeated, her smile faltering as quickly as it came to her lips. "You?"

"About as poorly as you'd think." John sat back in his chair, thumbing through the files. "Is this it?"

"I don't know." Anna took another chair, pulling it close to him. "But Mary's had me thinking about something."

"Something beyond the press conference that's probably blowing up social media and old-fashioned media?"

"Yeah." Anna nodded, losing her focus a moment until John's toe nudged her chair. "What?"

"You were saying something about Mary getting you thinking." John tapped the folders in his lap as he studied Anna. "What could've distracted you from the absolute shit show that was that press conference?"

"Thank you very much."

"It wasn't against you. The deck was stacked against you from the beginning so what else could it be?" John moved the folders from his lap to his deck. "I think you managed it as well as a captain can when the ship's inevitably going down."

"Again, thank you very much." Anna took a breath, "But it did… It did force me to think about what Mary was saying about Marigold."

"What'd she say?"

"She was asking about the timeline Green gave." Anna leaned onto her hand, her elbow resting on the arm of her chair, and let her fingers tap along her cheekbone. "The three days he mentioned when he told us he'd captured Marigold last night."

"The two-and-a-half days now, you mean."

"Yes, but that's the point." Anna pursed her lips. "Why give us a timeline if he just wanted us to flagellate ourselves in front of the press and the people? Why then, the moment we decided I'd give the press conference, give us the coordinates for Marigold? Why not press us for the three days?"

"Do you have an idea?"

"No."

"Did Mary?"

"Not really. She was just curious what catch there could be if Green doesn't mean to give Marigold back." Anna's fingers paused on her cheekbone, her teeth clacking slightly as she considered it. "What if this is another warehouse on the dock? Or another Vera?"

"Do you feel it's one of those?"

Anna shook her head. "I think Marigold's a smoke screen. Always has been. Like the warehouses and Vera."

"Or Jane Moorsum." John used the toe of his shoe to rotate his chair slightly for a moment before pausing. "Which makes me wonder if the three days was even necessary as a timeline."

"We don't know if Matthew's team found Marigold yet." Anna shrugged, "And I've not got a text from Green since I gave the press conference."

"Do you think he liked it?"

"I don't think I knocked my head against the floor enough times but I prostrated myself as much as I could without getting onto the actual floor and presenting myself for flagellation." Anna pointed at the files. "Those all from Branson's desk?"

"Most of them are." John pointed at the files. "A few of these are from cases we worked together and others are ones he was working on his own. They need to be sorted and finished before I can file them all."

"Here." Anna opened her hands to him. "I'll take a few if they've got to do with this case. Help ease the load."

"Thanks." John thumbed through a few a handed them over to Anna. "I think these are the only ones you'd have any idea about."

"Yeah." Anna opened the files, skimming the content for a moment before pausing. "You said three days was important."

"What?"

Anna lifted her head, "You said the important part of the deadline was three days. What's happening three days from now?"

"A lot, why?"

"But since he lost access to his father's private jet," Anna leaned forward, showing John the contents of the file in her hand. "What other options does he have to get out of this country?"

"You mean since we blocked the planes?" John took the file and his eyebrows rose. "The drug shipments. You think he'll be getting on a boat."

"What if Marigold's not at that site, like Chief Crawley thinks, and she's the decoy?" Anna nodded over her shoulder at a camera. "What if it's a scavenger hunt, like he thinks?"

"Then she's his shield until he can dump her overboard in international waters." John clicked his teeth together. "We'd have to meet with Mrs. Bartlett to even confirm this shipment's coming through."

"Or we talk to our Russian friend." Anna risked a smile, "I'm sure Mr. Mason wouldn't begrudge us another favor either."

John paused, "How much of this do you think he's listening to?"

"Through our phones?" Anna went for hers but a hand caught her wrist.

"None, now." Mary took the seat from Branson's desk. "I took a risk and blacked out our entire office."

"You got around his hack?"

"With a little help." Mary pointed over her shoulder and John started, almost scowling at the sight of a bandaged Talbot standing in the corner. "He knew a thing or two about the kind of hack Green used on our system."

"He's still got the cameras but I put a veritable Faraday cage over this place so he can't hear anything, only see it… Sort of."

"It's a shame the local constabulary doesn't have the budge it used to for high-definition cameras." Mary winked at them before turning to Anna. "Matthew's on site now, with Papa, and they've only found another set of coordinates."

"Bloody scavenger hunt then." Anna almost spit but John handed the file to Talbot. "It's a smokescreen. Make us look like fools and we'll lose the girl just like-"

"I don't think we will." Talbot nodded at John, "This is a good idea."

"One we should've thought about before."

"We might've if we hadn't been distracted by bullets and explosions." Talbot handed back the file. "I think we might have a chance of catching him before he slips the net and vanishes into the ether."

"Or finds a new hunting ground." Anna sighed before looking at Talbot. "Is your hand totally wrecked or could you still shoot with it?"

"First of all, I'm ambidextrous, which I'm a little offended our forgot about. Second," Talbot held up his bandaged hand. "This is not the worst injury I've ever had and I've been trained to get myself out of far worse scrapes in far worse condition. So, yes I can still shoot with it."

"Trust him not to miss out on that chance." John rolled his eyes before catching Anna's stare. "What?"

"I think you two should go and see Mrs. Bartlett. Mr. Mason too, if you can, and maybe get Blake to yank the pole from his ass that would stop him from helping us end this here and now."

"Why not you and I?"

"Because I should be here."

"Are you sure?" John eyed Anna, noticing the slight twitch to her posture. "Because you and I've taken this case together from the start and-"

"I'm sure." Anna nodded to the camera again, "In case he gets any ideas about what I might be doing, I want him to see me and know I'm here."

"What about him seeing us leave?" John pointed between he and Talbot. "And he's definitely noticing this little conclave we've got going."

"He's not stupid but he's also not all-knowing." Anna turned to Mary. "Are the tracking hacks he put in the phones blocked or completely skunked?"

"We've cleaned all the phones we think he was following and Talbot here was never tagged so…" Mary gave Talbot a side-eye. "It's like he didn't care you were following him."

"I'm just a nuisance to someone like him." Talbot stood, "Are you ready?"

John sighed, looking at Anna for a moment before nodding. "I'll warn you, Mrs. Bartlett doesn't like me. Tried to scalp me with some bullets the last time we met… Along with a few other injuries."

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Talbot gave a mock salute to both Anna and Mary. "See both you ladies on the flip side."

"Take care out there Henry." Anna held his hand moment.

"You know me." Talbot raised his bandaged hand for a moment. "Always careful and minding my surroundings."

"Sure you are."

Talbot only smiled before turning to Mary. "And I'll give you a few tricks too, if you want to build a better firewall on your system."

"Can't say how I feel about that but yes, I think you'd better." Mary shook his uninjured hand. "Take care of Bates. His last partner didn't meet the kind end of this particular psycho and I don't want him suffering the same fate."

"I'll return him in exact or better condition than I found him." Talbot pivoted to John. "You'll have to drive."

"You don't want to?"

"What me, drive, being injured and all?" Talbot pulled a hurt face. "It's like you want me to suffer."

John rolled his eyes and gathered his things before taking them to his car. "I can't promise anything grand. I don't even know where to start, really."

"Let's start with your Russian friend then." Talbot folded himself into the front seat of John's car and pulled out his phone, waving it over the surfaces of the car before nodding. "You're clear, no bugs."

"That's refreshing." John turned onto the road, setting his course for the pub that smelled of vodka and pickled food. "But Blake was very specific that we weren't to use him again."

"A little girl's gone missing so the stakes have changed." Talbot straightened, his face drawing tight. "And if he doesn't think the stakes have changed then I'll make sure this conversation is well worth his while."

Finding a parking spot was nothing but the simmering judgment in the eyes of the pub's occupants when they entered stopped John dead in the door. He flicked his eyes to Talbot, who only offered a shrug in response, before risking a step forward. That step met the hard end of someone's knuckles and both John and Talbot stumbled sideways into a wall, with Talbot catching most of John's weight on the fall.

Struggling to his feet, and putting a hand down to help the wheezing Talbot, John faced Blake with a raised fist. "What are you on about?"

"Bugger off." Blake swung again but Talbot ducked under John's attempt at a block to drive his shoulder into Blake's abdomen. The literal whoosh of air escaping the other man's lungs carried until his back hit the bar. Talbot only released his hold when Blake brought an elbow into his back.

They squared off but John dodged between them, risking a fist to his side as Blake swung side. "If you hit me again you'll be in lock up!"

"Like you all should be for letting those cases go cold." Blake's panting breath reminded John of a bull readying for another charge. "You're letting that bastard walk free and clear after what he's done?"

"We're-" John caught the scowls from everyone in the pub and ducked another wild swing by Blake before grabbing him by his collar to haul him outside. They reached the alley before John threw the other man away from him. "We're not finished yet but we had to play his game on the chance he'd give the little girl's location so we could find her."

"And how'd that work out for you?"

"About as well as when you drove a knife between my shoulder blades so I guess it's a little poetic that you seem all fussed about this." That comment cooled Blake for a moment and John took a breath. "We're trying to find some people and we'd hoped you could get them into one place so we're not wasting time scouring the city for them."

"You think I'm going to help you?" Blake snorted, his harsh laugh almost as biting as the whip of wind that snapped through the alley. "You've got a lot of nerve thinking I'm going to tell you anything except 'get stuffed and sod off'."

"Then you'll bear a portion of the blame if that little girl goes back to her parents in a box." Talbot's voice cut through the conversation and Blake visibly flinched. "I'm sure my reputation proceeds me, Mr. Blake."

"The Scythe's a bit of a class act." Blake shivered. "So yeah, I've heard of you. And if you're both here any longer you'll ruin my reputation and blow my cover."

"I don't give a flying feck about your cover." Talbot backed Blake into a wall. "There's a man out there that's missing a bullet hole I plan to put in him. You're going to tell us where your boss or Mr. Mason or Mrs. Bartlett are and then we'll be gone. It's a very simple arrangement."

"What do I get out of it?"

"I don't give you a bullet hole." Talbot held Blake in an almost cobra-like gaze. "Tick tock, Mr. Blake. My hand's a little itchy."

"They're having a conclave." Blake shoved away from Talbot as John frowned in confusion. "After Vera's death and the killings they're making some changes to whatever weird agreement they have in the running of this city's criminal underworld. They're meeting in Mason's office."

"He's got an office?"

"Yeah, near where the first woman was killed." Blake shrugged. "I only know because I wasn't invited and my handler wasn't too happy with that."

"But you know where it's going down?" John shook his head, "That doesn't track, Blake."

"It does when you literally track them." Blake held up his phone, after fiddling with the screen for a few seconds. "I can't get sound or picture but I know where he is and he's due to be there for about another hour."

"Perfect." Talbot tapped his phone against Blake's and showed it to him. "Sorry, you'll need a new phone now."

"What?" Blake held his phone, slapping it against his hand a second as the screen fritzed and went black. "Son of a bitch! What'd you just do?"

"Nothing I can tell you about." Talbot tucked his phone away. "Go back to your vodka and pickled herring now. Wouldn't want you very important investigation getting threatened by our being here."

"Bastard."

"I'm sure the same applies to you." Talbot walked out of the alley and John followed him with only a momentary look back at Blake with his broken phone.

"What'd you do to his phone?"

"Cloned and wiped it." Talbot focused on his phone, "There's a pretty powerful magnet in here and I happen to like using it on unsuspecting assholes."

"Blake's not-"

"He is." Talbot gave John a look, "Don't tell me you haven't thought that."

"I don't like him but…" John stopped, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter what I think about him. We've got a conclave to crash so we can get the shipping times on those deliveries."

"Then you think he'll really take a ship out of here?"

"There are only three ways… Five ways, off this island." John ticked them off on his fingers. "Planes, private and public; boats, private and public; or to swim. He doesn't strike me as the type that'll throw himself into the sea and swim for it… Especially since he's also wanted in the nearest landmass. Planes are out since his only private plane left with his father's body and the public ones are blocked by our BOLOs. That leaves boats. Most of the private boats are fishing or charter and he's not got the money or credentials to get on one of those. That leaves public boats but the same problem exists."

"Your handy-dandy BOLOs?"

"Which leaves the drug shipment that Vera was expecting in two days." John shrugged, "That ship has to dock somewhere and get unloaded before going back where it came from. If he stows away then he'll be in the clear the minute he can get to another landmass."

"Meaning your drug boat's the best option for him?"

"It's the only option for him."

"Not quite," Talbot leaned over the top of the car. "I think you're forgetting that there's another way off this island."

"How? He learns to walk on water?"

"No." Talbot grew serious. "A body bag."

"He's not going to give himself up willingly so he can take up space in one of those you know."

"I never said he was." Talbot took a breath, "While Anna may not trust her assessment of Green now that he's blown everything to hell, I do."

"What's that mean?"

"It means that his final game isn't going anywhere else. This is where he ends," Talbot opened the door, "He's not leaving this island alive and he's got a plan to make sure he takes as many people with him as he can."

"Or just one person." John got into the car and dialed Anna's number. It rang and rang until Anna's message answered. "Damn it."

"What?"

"Anna didn't answer." John tucked his phone away, biting at his lip for a second before turning the key. "We need to get to that conclave and back to the precinct as soon as possible."

"Why?"

"A gut feeling that Anna might've done something very stupid." John steered the car away from the spot, "Where do I go?"

"Straight, for now."

Talbot managed the directions, getting them around the city to Mason's office as quickly as John had ever navigated the streets. Parking proved stressful but John managed a spot, holding up his credentials when someone tried to argue with his decision, and hurried into the building with Talbot right behind him. But the silence in the building only preluded the grisly site they found when they reached Mason's actual office.

Blake's temporary boss, Mrs. Bartlett, and Mason all sat in their seats but crimson smiles decorated their necks. The smell and color of the blood had John bringing out his phone and dialing as Talbot carefully wove his way through the room looking for clues and signs. "It's definitely his work."

"He's making sure no one can say one way or the other about the ship." John sighed before responding to the voice on the other end of the phone. "Yes, this is Bates. I need a team to my location. Three murders and the scene's fresh. Less than an hour old."

"He's left nothing for us." Talbot came back to John's side as the call ended. "And he's cleaning up his mess alright. This is endgame."

"Self-destruct?"

"More like making sure no one can track you." Talbot bit at the inside of his cheek. "What stupid thing do you think Anna did?"

"She said three days was a significant time period. That there was something to the time he chose that…" John paused, "Do you know the date he attacked Anna?"

"Excuse me?"

"The first kill he made, when he got to Dublin, was on the anniversary of his first real kill." John flexed his jaw. "And this all got personal when he realized that Anna and I were… More than partners, in that sense."

"You think the three days is another of his anniversaries?"

"Yes and if Anna realized that too then…" John stopped, "He's taking her with him. It's his version of a twisted romance. They'll die together on the anniversary of the day he made sure they were as bound as someone can ever be to someone like him and she knows that."

"We're the wild goose chase?"

"I don't think she thought these people would end up dead but…" John motioned towards the deceased trio before them. "But yes, she sent us away on purpose. She didn't want us stopping her."

"Then it's our job to support her." Talbot turned to John. "Where would she go now?"

"What?"

"Anna. Where would she go now? Because we know she's not just twiddling her thumbs waiting for him to text her at the precinct so…" Talbot waved his hand in the air. "Where would she go to confront him?"

"Someplace that would mean something." John stopped, "That flat, the one where you knocked me over the head."

"The flat near the first kill?"

"You'd let the music keep playing and it was his so…" John chewed the inside of his cheek. "Who owned that flat?"

"I don't remember. I just broke into it, remember?"

John scowled and dialed up his phone as Talbot addressed the team entering the door to confront the scene behind them. A voice answered and John covered his other ear to hear better. "Mary?"

"What do you need John?"

"Do you have a track on Anna's phone?"

"No, why?"

"That flat, the one were she and I were knocked unconscious, who owns it?"

"Why?"

"Because it's important." John waited a moment, "Please Mary, there are lives on the line."

John barely made out the sound of clicking keys in the background before Mary responded again. "It says the flat's registered to an A. Smith. No other details."

"Thank you." John hung up and motioned Talbot over to him. "He set the stage with that flat."

"How'd you mean?"

"It's registered to an 'A. Smith'." John dug in his pocket for his keys. "Let's get going, before we've only got a funeral pyre to investigate."

If John's parking job was mad then his driving was even worse. The only think stopping him wrecking into other cars was the barest of primal instincts at survival. With the level of adrenaline rushing through his blood and the heightened senses that temporarily imbued him with, John could barely grip the wheel past the shaking in his fingers or hear Talbot over the rush of blood in his ears.

But they managed to get the car into the alley and together they mounted the fire escape to scale the outside of the building. Talbot put a hand on John's shoulder as they reached the roof and pointed to the opposite building. "There's a clear line of sight from that building"

"What's your point?"

"If I get over there, I can take him out." Talbot took a breath, "If you're willing to risk it, I can end it here."

John nodded, "Get over there and I'll get to the room. Whatever shot you get, you take. Don't hesitate and don't miss."

"I never miss."

John waited as Talbot managed to get to the other rooftop and into the other building before he descended the floors himself. The quiet in the corridors made the hair on his arms rise until John's was sure he could feel the difference of air pressures as he went between the doors. Steady rush of blood in his ears slowed to a dull roar as John put his hand on the doorknob. In a single breath he turned it and entered the flat.

"And here I thought we'd have this place all to ourselves." John stumbled as something heavy caught the side of his head. He barely caught the edge of the table before knocking into it and scrambled on his knees. A glint of a knife on the table caught his eye before another strike drove him into the counter. "You're ruining a very significant anniversary for us."

John turned, dodging another blow, and put his back to the wall. He noted Anna in the corner, a gag in her mouth muffling all her sounds as she fought against the ropes tying her to the chair, and spoke at his attacker. "What did you do to her?"

"Just keeping her occupied until we're through here."

"Through with what, exactly?" John finally got a look at the man as he tapped a metal pole against his hand. "What are you hoping to do?"

"End it all." Green extended the rod toward John as he attached a final wire into a block of plastic explosive on the wall. "This is where it ends."

"For you, maybe." John nodded toward Anna. "But for her? For Marigold?"

"She's on board that ship you're all convinced I was going to take to get away from this place." Green shook his head, "No, that was never for me."

"Then Marigold's safe?"

"She's as safe as anyone onboard a ship can be." Green shrugged as he used the metal pole to block the door and grabbed a detonator from the table. "And they'll find her on the… third? No, fourth step of the scavenger hunt I sent them all on."

"To waste their time?"

"You called it a smokescreen." Green tested the detonator. "And, yes, it was to waste all their time. To get them off my scent."

"Do you think it worked?"

"Well enough to get Anna here." Green pointed toward her before motioning in the direction of the window. "As for your friend with half a hand waiting for me to step in front of a window, I think it's fair to warn you this is a dead man's switch."

John swallowed and looked at Anna. She blinked once at him and John dived forward. His hand closed on a knife on the table as Anna tossed herself sideways to avoid the line-of-sight from the window before landing with a thud that temporarily distracted Green. A tinkling of glass sounded in time with John's weight tackling the other man to the floor and they rolled a second before John settled on top of him.

Sliding backward, his heart thudding hard against his chest, John stared at the knife sparking in the center of now useless detonator. Green raised his hand for only a moment, staring at it, before he looked down at the blooming blood on the front of his shirt. The thud of his head hitting the floor in time with the door opening allowed John to cross the room to where Anna while the others handled Green and his line of wired surprises covering the room.

"That was stupid." John removed the gag from Anna's mouth and set to loosening the ropes on one wrist before going for her ankles. "He could've killed you before Talbot set up."

"Only if he wasn't still obsessed with dates." Anna stood on shaky legs and John helped her to the window. "It was one thing I still had right about him."

"That's what you bet your life on?"

"Better mine than Marigold's."

"Not to me." John took a breath, "It may not mean much to you, but it means a lot to me. And if it means anything, I'd ask you don't do that again."

"I'll try to not make a habit of it." Anna gave him a smile before letting out a breath shakier than her legs. "What now?"

"We hope Talbot didn't actually kill Green and then we… End it." John nudged Anna. "If you're still up for it."

"It'll be nice to put an end to it all. Finally." Anna bit at her lip. "And us?"

"Well…" John shrugged, "I'd like to take you out for a drink, we'll talk about the work we do and how it drives people from our lives, and then I might take you back to mine for some Irish coffee. Then… Then I don't know. We'll see where it all goes from there."

He paused, "If you're interested."

"Very much so." Anna gave him a genuine smile. "I think I'll enjoy that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Anna gave a slight jerk of her head. "I've got this co-worker to tell you about. And a case that… Damn, I think it's taken a decade of my life. And these weird friends who would blow your mind."

"Really?" John stifled a snort as Chief Crawley entered and gave a relieved nod to both of them. "Well, how about we get some real sleep and then we talk about all that."

"And other things?"

"Depends on what the 'other things' are."

"Where we go from here." Anna stood, her hand finding John's. "Because I think I'd like that, for now, to be where you are."

"However, whatever, whenever." John tightened his hand over hers, squeezing just a moment before releasing. "But maybe not right now or in this room… If that's alright with you."

"Anywhere but here."

They left, skirting the scene as paramedics stabilized Green, and greeted Chief Crawley at the door. He almost reached out to them but only nodded again. "Glad to see you two alive."

"Glad to be alive, sir." John swallowed, "Marigold?"

"Safe, now." Chief Crawley cleared his throat. "And once we get him all stabilized we'll… We'll finally see the end to this."

"Thank goodness." Anna sighed and jumped slightly as Chief Crawley extended his hand to her. "Sir?"

"I wasn't wrong to hire you."

She shook his hand. "I'm sorry we didn't catch him sooner."

"We caught him now." Chief Crawley shook John's hand. "You'll get something for this you know."

"Maybe another partner." John turned to Anna. "If she's willing."

"We'll see." Chief Crawley waved them off. "Get some sleep. I've a feeling you'll both need it."

"Already need it, sir." John walked them away, keeping his voice low as he spoke to Anna. "What about your friend?"

"He's probably already far away and reporting in on his work." Anna leaned into John. "About that sleeping idea."

"What about it?"

Anna grinned, "Mind if we did it together?"

"I thought you'd never ask."