Hawk glanced at Petrov, who shot him a satisfied grin before she started running again.
Turning his back on the officers, Hawk started running back along the main street. He immediately cut down an adjacent street that led back toward Petrov’s direction. Ducking into one store, Hawk hastily overpaid for a shawl and wrapped himself in it before returning to his pursuit.
He’d managed to avoid several officers, who still appeared to be intent on finding him, but he lost Petrov.
Where could she be?
Hawk had been to Istanbul several times, though he’d never been thrust into a situation that required extensive knowledge of the city. Taxi cab drivers and public transportation handled getting him where he needed to go. Knowing Petrov like he did, Hawk figured she would try to cut off any potential public relations nightmare and would need to get out in front of a workplace shooting at The Chamber’s main offices.
“Alex,” Hawk said over the coms, “can you still hear me?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m still tracking you.”
“Great. I need your help.”
“Tell me what you need this time.”
“If you were needing to get out of the bazaar and find the nearest television station, where would you go and what’s the fastest way to get there?”
“Give me a second.”
Hawk continued moving along the outside of the bazaar, scanning the streets for any sign of Petrov. But she was gone.
“Come on, Alex. I can’t lose her.”
“I wouldn’t do it on foot. I’d use a ferry. There’s a terminal a few blocks from you that would be ideal. You could get to a couple of TV stations easily—and the international airport is on the west side of the Bosphorus.”
“You’re a genius, Alex. Now, tell me how to get there.”
Alex gave him directions and Hawk didn’t hesitate. He raced toward the Sirceki ferry terminal five blocks away. However, when he was within two blocks of the location, he spotted Petrov walking hurriedly in a throng of people moving along the sidewalk. Periodically, she glanced over her shoulder as if she were still looking for Hawk.
“Found her,” he said to Alex.
“Be careful, Hawk. You know how dangerous she is.”
“This is going to end today.”
Hawk increased his pace and followed her onto the ferry headed across the Bosphorus for the Harem terminal.
Less than five minutes after Hawk bought a ticket and got on board, the ship’s crew began to initiate the departure process. They removed the ropes tying them to the dock and drew in the pedestrian and auto ramps. The engines chugged to life and the ferry wasted no time in putting distance between itself and the terminal.
Hawk hunkered down on the automobile deck and considered his next move. He needed to coerce her somehow into a private place. Hawk kept his head down but his eyes focused on the ferry passengers. After several minutes, he located Petrov and started following her. She sat down several times but wouldn’t remain in any seat for very long, getting up and pacing around the deck. She constantly scanned the room and glanced over her shoulder.
Hawk followed her for 10 minutes before she got up and decided to go below the passenger deck. Continuing her nervous behavior, she wove her way through the cars lined up and ready to depart. Most of the cars’ owners had joined the other foot passengers above. Hawk raced around the outside of the deck and positioned himself near the set of stairs she was likely to use. There was a janitorial closet around the corner from the stairs, which Hawk discovered was unlocked.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, waiting for Petrov. She eased her way through the cars, keeping her head on a swivel. But Hawk remained invisible right up until the moment he grabbed her by the arm.
Petrov gasped and her eyes widened. Hawk shoved his free hand over her mouth and shoved her into the janitorial closet.
“It’s over,” he said.
“It’s not over until I say it’s over,” she said, reaching for her gun.
Hawk reacted quickly, hitting her arm with such force that she dropped her weapon.
“No, it’s over, Katarina.”
“I will scream. People will come running. I will tell them that you tried to rape me.”
“You will be dead before anyone arrives,” he said. “Everyone will see a woman who tragically took her own life.”
She glared at him for a few seconds before relaxing her shoulders, a sign that she had admitted defeat.
“Killing me won’t stop what’s already been set into motion,” she said. “The one world currency will become reality. Your children and your grandchildren—if you live that long to see them—will all speak Russian. You will see.”
“Your persistence and dedication to your cause is to be admired, but you have failed. You intended to trap me but didn’t account for everything.”
“Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”
“I think it’s safe to say I’ve been right more than that,” Hawk said. “But it doesn’t matter because I was right today and your plans stop right here with you.”
“You won’t get away with this,” she said. “I’m too famous to just go missing. People will search for me. Governments will want to know what happened to me.”
“Oh, they will search for you, but not in an effort to rescue you. They will be looking for the woman who stole all their money and vanished into thin air. Trust me. We’ve thought of everything.”
“You bastard. I swear on my mother’s grave—”
“I’d advise you against making any promises you can’t keep,” Hawk said. “However, I will keep one promise I made to your daughter a long time ago. I told her that I wouldn’t kill you without letting you speak to her one final time.”
Hawk took an extra earpiece out of his pocket and handed it to Petrov.
“Go on,” he said. “Put it in your ear. Alex wants to speak with you.”
“So this is goodbye?” Alex said.
“Unless you can
