Mai glared, then gave Drake a quick shake of the head. The Yorkshire man clapped Yorgi on the shoulders. Hayden waved toward the two-way window.
Lauren entered the room without comment, then took the room’s third and last chair. She smiled at Sabrina, and Drake concentrated on what she had to say.
“There is a way out of this, Sabrina. A way you could help and make a difference.”
Balboni’s face remained neutral, which must have taken a huge effort. “A deal? I should have known.”
“There’s always a deal,” Hayden said. “For those who know how to listen.”
“We want Tyler Webb,” Lauren said. “And right now, you’re our best way of getting close to him. Real close. You’re gonna be our inside man.”
“Man?” Sabrina arched an eyebrow. “And Webb will know that I have been caught. He will meet me again only to kill me.”
“Well, that’s a possibility,” Lauren told her. “But we believe we can coach you to pass his tests,” she paused. “I’ve done it before.”
Now Sabrina narrowed her eyes. “Really? In what way?”
“Doesn’t matter. But I know I can do it.”
“If I wanted to I could do it myself.”
Lauren made a face. “Girl, I don’t think so. We know all about you. Isolation from society is not a platform from which to engage Webb. He’s a businessman, used to dealing face to face, and you don’t have the interpersonal weaponry to fool him.” Lauren spread her hands in response to Sabrina’s stare. “You just don’t.”
“And you say you can show me?”
“Yup. Exactly that.”
“And if I do this? What’s the deal?”
Hayden sat forward. “At the moment, you’re in a good position. All you did was meet up with Webb, swop stories, and slap my team around a little. That’s okay.”
Drake frowned over at Dahl. “Do you think she means it?”
The Swede nodded somewhat glumly. “Of course she does.”
“We will give you immunity from prosecution,” Hayden said. “And a free pass. For twenty four hours.”
Sabrina pouted. “Is that all?”
“You’re a mega thief, finally identified. What did you think was gonna happen?”
“Hey,” Lauren added by way of compensation. “It’s not like you don’t have the skills to disappear again. Continue as a loner. Unhealthy though that could be.”
“More unhealthy than staying on the radar?” Sabrina questioned with a defeated stare.
“We’re getting off track,” Hayden stepped in. “Our offer’s good. And it’s the only way you’ll sniff free air again before you’re past fifty. Listen, Sabrina, you’re halfway credible already because Webb will totally believe you’re capable of escaping.” She spread her hands. “Because you are.”
“Of course. So why don’t I just do that?”
“Because you don’t want to go to prison. I don’t know what they call a supermax over here but that’s where you’ll be taken. And grand master or not, you don’t escape one of those. Ever.”
Sabrina flicked her chin over at Lauren. “So, what skills do you have?”
The New Yorker took that as a victory. “First,” she said. “Take off all your clothes.”
Drake couldn’t help but lean forward, but then so did everyone else watching behind the two-way. Nine bodies were suddenly highly attentive, surprised by Lauren’s words.
Then laughter. “Just joking. Like we said, Webb knows you have the expertise to escape. I can coach you into a believable scenario, the right words to use, and how to gain his trust. How to make him think you like him, respect him, and care about his quest. His beliefs. I can even coach you to make him believe you worship him.”
“Are you serious? What kind of a cop are you?”
Lauren shrugged. “The best kind.”
Drake relaxed his muscles. “Well, she sure knows what she’s doing.”
“Yeah,” Smyth growled. “She has a way with prisoners.”
“Oh, mate,” Drake said. “Give her a chance. She’s working for the good guys.”
“Something is not right with Nicholas Bell,” Smyth said. “And nobody except me seems to see it.”
“What can he do? The guy’s in a bloody supermax. Says he became tangled up with the Pythians and couldn’t get out. He shows remorse. Good psyche results. He’s never once mentioned release. And every lead he’s given us has panned out.”
Smyth stared fixedly at Lauren through the window. “And considering where he is, a Louisianan prison, the guy has everything he needs.”
“You’re not doing so badly yourself,” Kinimaka put in.
“One day,” Smyth grunted. “One day. You will see.”
Drake watched Lauren talk to Sabrina. Time passed. More coffees came, this time with hard Biscotti. He trusted Smyth’s instincts down to the bone and worried that they might all be missing something. But Louisiana was a long way from Barcelona and he saw Hayden fetching a phone in so that Sabrina could make a call.
Another hour went by as Lauren coached the Italian thief. Finally though, she allowed her to make the quick call.
Through the speakers Sabrina and Webb had a brief exchange and, immediately, they all knew the risk using Sabrina Balboni had already paid off.
“I am in Zurich,” Webb told her after a few minutes. “Meet me there.” The man actually sounded relieved.
“Well done, Lauren,” Mai said. “Well done.”
Beau also looked impressed. “She is good, yes?”
“Face to face will be harder,” Smyth said.
“But she has given herself lots more hours,” Kinimaka said. “To work on that. This is the best outcome, guys.”
“Zurich then?” Drake studied the group.
The team inside the small room split up and left a relieved looking Sabrina Balboni alone for a few minutes. Hayden gave a sigh of relief when she returned to the group.
“What do you guys think?”
“I think we should go nail Tyler Webb,” Alicia snarled. “Once and for all. To a fucking tree. Who’s with me?”
Grim nods were made all around.
“Hold your horses, guys,” Drake said. “There’s another issue first. A big one.”
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Drake finished his coffee before elaborating. “Forget Sabrina. Forget Webb. We have a crew of fanatics shooting up the Barcelona Motor Show. They’re gonna need to be neutralized.”
Hayden paused and then sighed. “Crap, I guess you’re right. The cultists will be following Webb wherever he goes, but the head of the snake? I don’t think so.”
“Nah, that’ll be sunning itself in Dubai,” Drake lamented. “Of all places.”
“So we split the team. One half to Zurich; one to Dubai.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Drake stared around, not voicing the disquieting thought that the team was pretty much split already. Professionalism stood foremost in their minds though.
“Drake, Mai, Alicia, Beau,” Hayden said, “should head off to Dubai. The others to Zurich. And Drake, we need to keep Dubai under the radar. All of it.”
Drake nodded. “Understood.”
Mai watched Hayden. “You said ‘we’. Are you joining us?”
Hayden quickly checked her emails. “It will be a good change, I think.”
“And me?” Kenzie asked. “I mean, Dahl and I usually stick together but…”
The Swede winced. “Not by bloody choice, believe me.”
Kenzie looked hurt. “I’m not sure I wanna be stuck with the B team. Even if Beach Runner is a part of it.”
An already beleaguered group took stock of her words. A month ago they’d have been laughed off, but now Kinimaka gave Hayden woeful eyes and Smyth glared at Beau. “Maybe we should change places, bro.”
Hayden rubbed her temples. “I need Lauren with Sabrina and you watching them both, Smyth. Mano, man up. And Kenzie, if you want to be part of this team you have to stop causing contention.”