13
'Damn it, of all the times to catch the morning traffic! There's got to be a faster way over there than this!'
Although David usually wished Robert would just shut the hell up, this time he couldn't help agreeing with the wiry Welshman. Even with the congestion-charge plan introduced in central London a few years ago, the morning traffic was still as thick as the city's legendary fog, with the bumper-to-bumper crawl trapping them on Gray's Inn Road, still a half mile away from their destination.
'Isn't there a quicker way than this?' David asked.
'Yup.' Cody swiveled in his seat. 'Kanelo, you're with David as Team One. Tara and Robert, Team Two. Get out and get up there. I'll stay in touch via cell. If all goes well, by the time I get up there, one of the teams will have spotted her and made contact. Try not to cause a scene — just get her out of the station quietly. I'll meet you by the front entrance. If anything strange goes down, report it immediately.'
'What if the other shooters are there?' David asked.
'If any fireworks start, defend yourselves or the target only — do not intervene if other civilians get in the line of fire. Also, we know that MI-6 is on the hunt, as well — so be careful and do not engage them if at all possible. Team One, get out at the next intersection, cut up one, then move over to the station. Team Two, you'll go at the next light, head down one block, then come up the back way. Stay alert and watch for trouble. Team One, you're up.'
Robert's eyebrows waggled up and down. 'Looks like it's you and me, girlie. Hey, Kan, bet you a tenner we get to her first.'
David caught Tara's eyeroll in the side mirror. The tall black man loosened his sport coat and put his hand on the door, ready to move.
The SUV lurched forward, then just as quickly came to a halt. 'Team One, move out.'
David pushed his door open and stepped out into the street, barely closing the door and flattening himself against the SUV as a cyclist whizzed past, tossing an incensed 'Stupid yob!' over his shoulder as he wove through traffic, the only wheeled vehicle moving for blocks. With Kanelo beside him, David stepped quickly through the packed traffic and onto the far curb as the cars crawled forward again.
'Let's go,' David said.
As they ran, David slipped on a pair of sunglasses that also connected him with Primary, Room 59 headquarters. 'Map to St. Pancras Station,' he said under his breath. The combination earpiece and mike picked up his words and projected a small map in the lower right-hand corner of his left eyepiece, giving him distance, estimated time of arrival, a map and turn-by-turn instructions to the front entrance. 'Argyle Street doglegs north across Euston to Pancras Road to the entrance on the left.' David repeated the instructions, committing them to memory as he and Kanelo trotted down the street, the SUV disappearing from view.
The two men settled into a comfortable pace, neither one saying anything. For his part, David was glad for the silence, which allowed him to concentrate on the job ahead. Their long legs ate up the distance quickly, and soon the large brick facade of the rail station came into view. Traffic on Euston Road was moving fast, and the two men had to wait until the striped pedestrian pole signaled that it was safe to cross, slipping through the increasingly thick crowd as the pair got closer to the building.
At the door, David radioed it. 'M-One, Team Two, this is Team One. We are in position.'
'Team Two in position,' Robert replied.
'M-One affirmative. Sweep the building for your target, and keep your eyes open for anyone else looking.'
'Affirmative.' David caught Kanelo's eye, and the two men headed into the station, caught up among hundreds of other people coming and going. David kept his hand near the waist of his trousers and the HK pistol snugged into a clamshell holster at the small of his back. He kept a wary eye out for security — he figured the measures taken near the Chunnel train would be strict, and didn't wish to bring down any attention on himself or his partner.
Threading their way through the crowd, David and Kanelo scanned the dozens of faces around them, dividing up the huge room by unspoken agreement. They appeared casual, sweeping forward from the main doors and moving toward the various platforms, intent on checking every face they saw. David's gaze alighted on different faces just long enough to realize it wasn't the person he was looking for, then moving on.
Over the clamor of the train shed, David heard the piercing, high-pitched blast of a whistle. He locked eyes with Kanelo. 'Police whistle.'
'Team Two, this is Team One. Whistle and commotion near the Chunnel train — we're moving to investigate.'
Kanelo nodded, and they both headed toward the noise, skirting the outside mass of commuters heading into London from the outskirts of the city. David had to use all of his dexterity to move against the throng, bobbing and weaving as he tried to get closer to the commotion on the platform near the HS1 — the high-speed Chunnel train.
A crowd had gathered, and as David forced his way to the front, he was elbowed aside by another man who was very intent on where he was going.
'Sorry,' the man grunted as he disappeared into the crowd. David immediately checked his wallet and his gun, aware that the man could have been either a pick-pocket or the accomplice who distracted a mark while another thief lifted the goods. Both were still in place, however.
'M-Two, I have possible target sighting,' Kanelo said as he nudged David and surreptitiously pointed, not at the high-speed train, but at another one on the other side of the platform.
David stood on his tiptoes in time to see a flash of short, blond hair and deep blue eyes, the exact shade that had held his gaze in the grainy video frame. She disappeared into a train car, followed by the dark-haired man who had bumped into him a moment ago.
'Shit, that's her, and she's already got a tail. Come on!' David pushed his way through the crowd toward the train, part of his mind catching that the high-speed train was making its final boarding call. What's she up to? he wondered.
14
Anthony nudged Carl with his elbow and walked a little faster. 'Don't lose her.' Even though he'd be more comfortable with Liam at his side, the first thing Anthony always did was evaluate new men assigned to his team, and the best way to do that was to see how they did in the field.
'Don't worry, I got her. Looks like the drapes don't match the carpet anymore.' Carl's head didn't move, but his eyes scanned to his right and left. 'Sure is crowded around here.'
The team leader knew the newbie wasn't talking about the general crush of passengers. They had spotted the woman right away, and had been moving in to apprehend her when she had been accosted by another man. Anthony had held them up, hoping the guy might get away with it — it would be much easier to move on him later in a less conspicuous place — but she had gotten away with her distraction, running for the other train and leaving the furious man behind to be hauled away by two Metro police officers. Anthony was pretty sure there were more agents around the station, although whether they were from MI-6 or that mystery shooter team, he had no idea. We'll just nick her first, and fuck over anyone who gets in our way this time.
The two men trotted through the crowd toward where they had seen Marlene board the train. More clever than I thought, Anthony mused. Now she had options, stay on board or exit from either side.
'Stay outside and follow the cars down — she'll come out either here or there. I'm going in,' Anthony directed.
Carl nodded and slipped through the crowd, paralleling the train cars, always watching the windows for a glimpse of their target. Anthony stepped inside and, after a glance behind him to make sure she hadn't pulled the old 'sit down and blend in with the crowd' trick, walked unhurriedly down the center aisle, past old people struggling to put away their bags, young people slouching in their seats, bored and disinterested, already staring out the windows or falling asleep, and professionals in their suits and ties, clicking away on their laptops or talking too loudly on their cell phones. He gave all of them no more than a cursory glance, his eyes roving for the one face that
