Chapter 27

"I don't understand," Gawain said again. "How'd they put a get a warship into Lake Geneva?"

"For the last time, it's not a warship," Estok said. "It's a patrol vessel, and from what pictures Dirk got of it, an Independence-class patrol craft."

"You still haven't told me how they got it into a fucking lake that's only accessible by a river - and you said that would draw too much attention."

"Aerial crane. You know those helicopters that took like something took a bite out of them? They probably used two to lift the ship."

"You said you had good news as well."

"Yes, but it might sound a bit far-fetched."

"Far-fetched is pretty normal nowadays. Spill it."

Estok tapped a key and the picture of a patrol boat, similar to the one that had blown them out of the water, appeared on the laptop screen. "The only country that uses this boat is Singapore. It's not operated anywhere else in the world."

"So they airlifted it all the way here?"

"Most likely. The company that built it was absorbed into a British group, so they're not really around anymore."

Gawain sat up in her bunk. "Why Singapore? Why not just buy or steal a boat from...from France or something?"

"I don't know the answer to that. What are you gonna do?"

"I'll have to check with our guys in Singapore, see if they can dig anything up. But for now we'll need to focus on Antoine."

"Oh yeah, I talked to the scientists. They said they got orders from the Director to produce antimatter in container months ago. They've practically been stockpiling it."

"So the Director knows Garth?"

"Seem like it. And now they've got a massive stockpile of antimatter bombs they can use anywhere."

"And they've reduced our number by one again." She looked down at the floor. "Somehow, they knew Charlemagne was there and sent Antoine to get rid of him. And he did. We need to plug this leak ASAP ."

"I heard Dirk was working on that."

"And he said none of the agents seemed like it. So We narrowed the list down."

"Is that why I'm not allowed to leave the room?"

"Precisely. You can use the internet if you want, but we'll be watching every second. One squeak and we shoot you."

"Bit extreme, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry, but we can't take any chances. They gain access to the rest of our servers and everyone is doomed. If they can get a warship airlifted from Singapore, who knows what else they can do."

"It's not a-"

"Save it, doc. I know you're trying to help, but please, stay in your room and don't try anything stupid." She opened the door.

"What about meals?"

"You can order over email. Don't worry, doctor, nobody can harm you in here but yourself." She shut the door behind her.

Caradoc was leaning against the wall opposite her in the corridor. "Pellinore's still not back. Tracker says she's at the cafe a few blocks over, though."

"Video feed?"

"She's alone. Ordered a frappe and just sat down and did nothing. Though she did check out the guys a few tables away."

"Guys? Any of them ex-Legionnaires?"

"Nah, one dude was a writer, the other one was in some obscure band I've never heard of. She's fine."

"Are you really sure Urien and Kay both aren't moles? I mean, sure, Kay got shot by Marcel's guys and Urien helped me a lot in Geneva, but it could just be deep cover or something."

"You're saying Garth would let one of his own guys get shot just to preserve cover?"

"We don't know what you're capable of."

"Or maybe you're just tired. I know, it's three in the afternoon, but nobody's going to blame you for taking a nap."

She opened her mouth, then closed it. "You're right. I'll be in our room."

"Take all the time you need. Oh, and tell Holly the chef is gonna make minestrone for dinner."

"Noted. Anything else?"

"How about a kiss?"

"Nah. Maybe if you save my life again or something."

"Dammit. So close."

She rolled her eyes and pushed past him down the corridor, whistling to herself.

"Holy shit, is this Wagyu?" Antoine asked as he chewed the bit of steak in his mouth.

"It is," Tahal said. "I had in flown in this morning."

"You're a very resourceful man," Garth said, sipping the dark red wine the Arab had produced from his fridge. "So, when are you going to tell us about phase three?"

"There is no phase three. Or at least I hope there won't be. If the two of you complete phase two - and I'm confident you're going to - phase three won't be required."

"That's a pretty bold thing to say."

"Like I said, I believe both of you are capable of getting the job done. If you fail, I have a backup plan."

"And are you going to tell us?"

"Not yet. All I can say at this stage is that it involves a very important someone. Just trust me on this."

"Oh, I trust you alright." Garth placed his wineglass back on the antique oak dining table, picking up his steak knife once more. "How the heck are you keeping Diana away from us? She's a fucking hawk."

"I gave her something else to worry about. Namely, your friend Marcel." Tahal transferred a slice of his own steak into his mouth. "At lunch I heard from a contact that he's currently serving a life sentence at La Santé."

"They didn't kill him?"

"They probably pulled some strings to keep him alive. They think he's an asset to their operations. Would you like me to get you in there with a knife or a gun? I've some friends in the Justice Department."

"No, it's fine. Let him rot." Garth wiped his mouth with the handkerchief. "If I killed him, it'd be a blessing for him."

"Fair enough."

They ate in silence for the rest of the hour.

Gawain opened her eyes just as her alarm clock rang, signifying the start of a new day. She grabbed her phone and pressed the snooze button, before sliding it back under her pillow. The room was still dark, but the internal clock told her it was time to go.

She unbuttoned her shirt, dropped it on the floor and stumbled around until she felt the bathroom door knob, which she turned. Her hand hit the switches on the right wall, flicking the fluorescent bulbs overhead on and illuminating the small square room stuffed with a toilet and a small shower stall in one corner, next to the sink.

She turned the tap on and splashed some water in her face, blinking and looking into the mirror above the sink.

Wow, I look like shit, she thought, before taking off her undergarments and stepping into the shower.

The warm water lasted forever, courtesy of the geothermal deposit she had heard Esclados talk about. She got out of the shower stall and onto the mat, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself. She flicked on the main lights as she exited the bathroom.

The closet next to the bunk beds contained several new suits of sizes that fit her and Caradoc, sent directly from the tailor's on the other side of town. She grabbed one of hers and slipped into it piece by piece, and grabbed her phone from under the pillow..

Caradoc groaned from the top bunk just as she was putting on her tie. "What fucking time is it?"

"Five-thirty. What time did you go to bed?"

"One. Can you turn off the lights?"

"One moment." She straightened her tie, buttoned up her coat and opened the door. "Just don't stay in too late." She flicked the switch, plunging the room back into darkness, and opened the door out into the corridor.

Something clattered to the ground.

Gawain turned and picked up Caradoc's mobile phone from the floor. "You didn't charge it last night?"

"No...give it here." He reached out blindly with one hand.

Curious, Gawain turned on the lockscreen, which had a picture of Caradoc's pet corgi wearing his glasses. She wiped and was faced with a keypad. "What's your password?"

"What? Oh, it's one-three-seven-nine."

She tapped in the numbers one by one. "You're not worried about this thing being stol- what the heck?"

She heard a rustling as Caradoc sat straight up and reached for the phone. Gawain took a step back, out of his reach. "Give that back!"

"Why on Earth do you have-"

"I said give it back!"

"Not until you explain this," she turned the phone screen towards him. "You're ten years older than her. Literally ten years."

"Is there a problem?"

"...yes?"

"Well, I don't see any, so hand. It. Over!"

"What do you think's going to happen when Galahad finds out you've got pictures of his girl on your phone? And what did….what did you do last night?"

"Nothing! Val, I swear, if you don't give me that…"

"Empty threat." She swiped to a different image. "Where'd you even get this one? Actually, don't answer, I don't want to know."

Caradoc tumbled off the bunk and snatched the mobile phone out of her hand, turning the screen off and stuffing it in his own pocket. "Would you like it if I stole your phone and searched it as well?"

"If you're not guilty, you've got nothing to hide."

"Then gimme."

"I'll trade it for yours."

"You've seen enough."

"Clearly not. You're not getting it unless you give me yours as well. Deal or no deal?"

"I'll get in there eventually." She stepped out of the room, pushing the door shut.

"What was all that about?" Escaldos asked from down the hallway.

"Nothing," she said. "Did you sleep last night?"

"No."

"That can't be healthy."

"I told you I'm used to it. Got some time? I've some results from the satellite scan I requested from the NRO yesterday?"

She walked up to him. "NRO?"

"National Reconnaissance Office, in America. Like a little brother to the NSA. They control most of the spy satellites."

"And what'd you get?"

Esclados raised his clipboard tablet, which showed a satellite image of Lake Geneva. He tapped on a magnifying glass, and the camera zoomed in on two orange specks over something grey. "Those are your aerial cranes lifting the boat out of the water."

"Can we get any closer?"

"A bit." He tapped the magnifier again, and the orange dots became distinct helicopter profiles. A smaller, blue dot was now also visible "But they won't let me have anything beyond this point."

"So what?"

"Here." He tapped an arrow at the bottom of the screen, and the clip changed, the helicopters moving slightly eastwards and the . "From this…" He pressed on the arrow several times in succession, each tap moving the orange shapes further east and the blue west. "...I tracked the blue one to a port here." Esclados pressed and held the arrow, until the slider was nearly at the end and the aircraft had disappeared off screen. He put a finger on the screen and swiped, causing the camera to pan to left.

The blue shape were on the west coast of France, hovering over a blurry grey area.

"You think that's Antoine?"

"Either him or Garth. Or both. We should check this port out."

"I'll do it. Don't wake up Dirk, okay? He's done enough, and this could just be nothing."

"It's never nothing."

"Does the train get there?"

"Not exactly, but pretty close. You'll have to call a cab or steal a car or something when you get there."

"Good enough. While I'm gone, tell me if anyone is acting suspicious, alright?"

"You mean the mole. How do you know that's not me?"

"Because you just proved it to me." She gave him a winked and turned down the corridor, towards the stairs leading to the train station platform.