After Skye had knocked out the Prime Minister's wife, she and Luther had eased her through the window of the ladies' room. Once she was safely in the van – wrapped in a dressing gown and a blanket, since Skye had to appropriate her dress – Luther had driven several streets away.
It wasn't far, but Agents Holt and Brandt still opted to take the car there since they were shot of time already. He pulled up behind the van just minutes after they had left the PM with Hunley. Skye pushed the sliding door open and saw Luther staring at his laptop. She reached for the ominous flashdrive.
"Skye, wait," Luther stopped her and closed the laptop, pushing it out of her reach.
Holt tried to get past him, but he stood in her way. "Luther, I have exactly fifteen minutes left to get there with Benji in one piece. Please move."
"The mission is to bring down the Syndicate," Luther reminded her. "If Lane gets his hands on that money, you're unleashing a terrorist superpower."
"I won't let him leave, I can promise you that," Skye said fiercely.
Brandt took Luther's vacated seat at the computer. His glance grazed the dark-haired woman, apparently asleep under the soft blanket. They would have to bring her back as soon as possible, or this would end in even more trouble. "If you go there, he could just kill both of you. And if you give him that disc..."
"I'll catch him," Skye interrupted the analyst. She couldn't believe that they were starting a discussion now of all times. They had the disc, they were so close.
"And how are you gonna do that, kid, you wanna trap him in a glass box?"
"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Luther," Skye growled. She took her coat from the back seat and put it on over the black-and-white dress. "I'm going to get Benji out of there and then we will see about the rest."
Luther sighed, distress clear on his face. He knew it was pointless arguing with her now. And to an extent she was right.
Skye checked her watch, tried to sound reasonable. "Once he's safe I'm gonna go after Lane. But one thing at a time."
"You didn't see what I just saw." He motioned at the computer. "That is a hell lot of money, you don't wanna imagine the things he could do with that."
"So you're saying we should let Benji die," Skye accused him.
"I'm saying we should consider this."
She looked at Luther. Long and hard. Then her face softened. "All right," she seemed to give in.
Luther put a hand on her shoulder, trying to articulate gratefulness, but the next second he had a knee in his stomach. While he slumped forwards, out of the van and onto tarmac, Holt shoved Brandt into the door of the van, dodging his reflexive response and instead landing a punch in his face. She yanked the drive out of the computer and ran back to the car. Tires screeched.
The two men looked after her as she sped around a corner. Brandt rubbed his jaw where she had hit him.
"Shit," he said without allowing much emotion into his voice.
Luther still looked after her. "Good luck, kid," he murmured quietly.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"You have some nerve showing up here."
Faust knew the man who opened the door for her. He was one of Lane's favourite bouncers. She knew he could fight. She also knew his weak spots.
"I have something he lost," she replied coldly, and side-stepped so that the man could see what was behind her.
Ethan Hunt lay curled up on the ground, breathing heavily, apparently thoroughly out of it. His eyes widened before he composed himself. "Well, ain't this something..."
"Help me to get him inside, I had to drag him along half of Embankment already. But be careful, he bites."
The man grinned, left his position at the door and bent down to get a grip on Hunt. It was the last thing he ever did, because the agent's arm shot forward and punched him in the throat. The man sagged to his knees and felt a pair of legs go around him. Then everything went dark for him and stayed that way.
Ethan hauled him inside and dumped him in a corner while Ilsa closed the door.
"There are at least two more security guards stationed between us and Lane. He should be upstairs. You can't miss it."
"This trick is bound to work again, that gives us an advantage."
Ilsa shook her head. "I'm not coming with you. From here on, you're on your own."
Ethan understood. She didn't want to go back. She wouldn't go back. She wanted to be free and she deserved it. He nodded, and wanted to say something, but she was faster.
Without warning she moved closer and hugged him briefly. "Good luck," she whispered into his ear. "You have everything you need to find me."
The next moment Ilsa Faust was gone.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
The weight of the gun against her heart felt reassuring. This was gonna work. It had to. Skye approached the café carefully. Tower Bridge loomed behind her, illuminated against the dark of the night. She felt for the flashdrive in her jacket pocket when she saw Benji. He was at a table near her along with Vinter, two glasses of red wine untouched between them. The agent saw four additional men posted around her, doing their least to stay inconspicuous. She recognised one of them from Vienna. Skye walked over and stopped next to Benji, who stared stiffly straight ahead.
"Benji..." Her voice was quieter than intended.
He looked up at her. "This is the end, Miss Holt."
A cold shiver went over Skye's back. Benji's voice sounded so strange, slightly trembling and at the same time utterly cold and emotionless. She saw the plug in his ear, and when she stepped closer and narrowed her eyes, she recognised the camera contact lens. It was obscuring the small spot in Benji's right eye. Skye understood. For now, this wasn't Benji she was looking at. It was Lane.
Benji swallowed, and she reached out to him.
"Careful there," Vinter sneered, cleaning his fingernails with a huge knife, apparently not caring about whether anyone would see this.
Skye lifted the coat Benji was wearing over his own clothes and understood. The countdown had already started, just hitting the three minute mark.
Don't touch him, an old familiar voice rung through her mind unexpectedly. Pressure can activate it prematurely and then you're both screwed.
For a fleeting second Skye wished Connor were actually here. He could defuse this thing within a minute, she had seen him do it, but she was on her own. She could still do this. She had to. There was too much at stake. Lane had messed with the wrong people.
"Two pounds of semtex," Benji now said, his voice still trembling. "Five hundred thirty calibre ball bearings. Your friend is sitting on a highly sensitive pressure trigger, so no sudden m-moves."
Told you.
Vinter cleared his throat obnoxiously. "Once the boss got what he wants, I kill both of you." The light caught on the blade and blinded Skye. "If not..." He motioned at the bomb, then around them at the lively café.
"No time to think, Skye." Her name suddenly sounded strange despite coming from Benji. "Have a seat, please."
Never losing her pokerface, she sat down opposite him, trying to ignore the fear in his eyes as well as the bomb around his chest.
"Where is Ethan Hunt?"
"I told you there would be nothing left of him if I find him first. It's not my problem if you can't keep up," Skye said coldly.
Benji's eyes widened in horror at her words, but she forced herself to ignore it.
"Let's be honest," she continued and leaned forward. "It's not Hunt you're after. You're too cold for personal vendettas. This is about the money, and I have it."
There was a pause before Benji passed on Lane's words. "Where is the disc?"
"This disc?" Skye asked, holding up the silvery flashdrive. Vinter reached for it, but she pulled it back. "Let him go and it's yours."
"Give him the disc," Lane demanded via Benji.
"First you let Benji go," Holt decided. "Then I give you the disc. This is between you and me now, Lane. He has nothing to do with it."
"How do I know it's the actual disc?"
"You'll have to trust me," Skye replied. She leaned forward, forcing herself not to be distracted by Benji's face. "Or you let us blow up. The disc is destroyed. You get nothing and you lose your leverage as well as the only person left to bargain with. Is that a risk you're willing to take?"
Holt stood her ground as she waited for an answer, but for what seemed like an eternity nothing happened. The countdown continued mercilessly. Skye felt sweat on her temples despite the cold. She had to provoke him further into taking action.
"No time to think, Lane."
This had to work. She couldn't afford to lose. She wouldn't lose anyone ever again, she had promised herself she wouldn't let it come to that. She wouldn't fail again.
The countdown hit three seconds.
Benji looked at her. Really looked at her. She saw tears. Her heart was beating so fast that it hurt.
The countdown hit two.
A change went over Benji's features. Like he heard something. Lane wouldn't be so cruel to sneer at their last seconds together, would he? Who was she kidding. Of course he would.
The countdown hit one.
