Matthew Dunn - Spycatcher

“Laith, a vehicle’s just passed me and our lady.” Roger spoke quickly. “It’s a Dodge Durango SUV and is moving toward your position.”

“Seen.” Laith picked up the commentary. “One man in the vehicle. His vehicle slows. It stops by the hotel. The other man moves up to it and waits.”

The driver had to be the seventh man of the surveillance team.

Roger spoke. “You should have sight of our lady.”

Laith replied, “I do. Hold.” The radio went silent for a few moments. “My man on foot is walking away from the vehicle. The driver remains inside the vehicle. The engine is on.”

“Yeah, I’ve got him.” Roger’s voice sounded tense. “He’s coming straight toward us. My five are moving closer to her. So is the man. He stops before her. Everyone stops. I can see him talking to her. He places a hand on her elbow. He walks with her toward the vehicle.” There was a split-second sound of nothing before Roger said loudly, “They’re going to put her in the car. Ben, pick Will up now.”

Will felt his heart start to race. He reached for his pressel switch and was about to tell Roger to stop the Iranians. He thought, he cursed, he knew it was probable that Lana was simply being taken to another predetermined location in Boston, and he knew that if he did anything now to stop her, he would not only destroy the mission but also endanger Lana. He withdrew his hand from the radio mike. He looked up and down his street, and as he did so, he heard Laith again.

“She gets into the vehicle. So does the man, and so do two of the five walkers.”

Will saw Ben’s Range Rover Sport driving toward him at speed and in the wrong direction on the one-way street. The car skidded a little as it came to a stop, and he jumped into the vehicle. Ben said nothing and drove on.

Will depressed his pressel switch to speak to Roger. “We’re mobile.”

“You’re in luck. They’re moving toward you along Pearl Street.”

Ben braked, and their four-wheel-drive vehicle shuddered to a halt. Will looked at Ben and saw that the man was staring ahead grimly. He also saw Ben’s hand reach down next to him toward the vehicle’s handbrake and a sawed-off Remington 870 shotgun.

Roger sounded nearly breathless. “You should be able to see them at the Pearl Street and Franklin Street intersection any moment. .”

Ben looked in his rearview mirror.

“. . now.”

Ben forced their vehicle backward at speed and swung it around to face the intersection. He moved the car quickly forward, and they reached the intersection in seconds. They turned right onto Pearl Street, driving in the wrong direction on the one-way street for about one hundred meters before Will could see the large Dodge Durango. Ben had the windshield wipers at maximum power to try to aid his vision through the snowfall, but the weather was becoming so bad that the car ahead of them appeared and disappeared with each movement of the wipers.

Ben muttered, “We’ve got to get closer to them.”

They watched the vehicle turn right onto Milk Street, and for a moment they didn’t see it at all. Ben made the turn so that they were on the same street. Will frowned. The Dodge was stationary and had its hazard lights flashing.

“Fuck. I’ve got to keep driving.” Ben kept the vehicle moving forward, and Will knew that he was doing so because to stop would look suspicious.

They drove steadily toward the Dodge, and Will didn’t dare look at it as they cruised past the target vehicle. As they reached the next intersection, Ben turned right onto Oliver Street and stopped their car. “Get out and get close to their vehicle on foot. Something’s wrong.”

Will walked steadily back up Oliver Street until he was at its junction with Milk. There were sufficient pedestrians and other vehicles on the route for him not to seem out of place, and he scanned left and right before crossing. That brief look had allowed him to see inside the target vehicle. His heart began pounding as he reached the other side of the road, but he kept his pace normal, and instead of walking toward the Dodge he continued up Oliver Street until he felt sure that he couldn’t be seen by anyone in the vehicle. He spoke to Roger. “There’re only two people in the target vehicle, and our lady’s not one of them.”

“Damn. Laith, move up Pearl Street. Ben, get onto Federal Street and wait there. Julian, move up the Harbor Walk until you’re parallel with Oliver Street. Will, you’re the only man to the north, so cover what ground you can there in case she’s gone in that direction.”

Will thrust his hands into his pockets, where he could feel his handgun. He walked quickly but could not run now for fear of tripping over Lana and her two Iranian custodians. He moved west along Kilby Street, Hawes Street, then Congress Street before turning east along Exchange, then Water Street, then turning south on Broad Street and then west again, so that he was back where he’d started. On this route he had seen two buses, eighteen moving cars, sixty-three pedestrians, and one Boston PD vehicle, but he had not seen what he was looking for. Snow fell around him, and he cursed the weather and everything else. He spoke to Roger. “Nothing.”

“Understood. Ben, anything?”

“Nothing.”

“Then we must assume she’s traveling back toward the harbor. Laith, stay still on Pearl Street. Julian, don’t move. I’m going to Batterymarch Street. Will, I need you in Christopher Columbus Park to the northeast, and get there fast.”

Will moved now with no care for accidentally betraying his presence to the Iranian team. He ran back up Kilby Street and along State Street and Atlantic Street until he was at the small harbor-adjacent park. He bent forward and placed his hands on his knees while inhaling rapidly. Then he stood upright and looked around. Children were throwing snowballs. Adults stood nearby watching them. But there was nothing else. He kicked at snow.

“Possible sighting.” The voice belonged to Laith.

Will froze and quickly pressed a hand against his hood and the earpiece beneath it. He waited and counted in his head. He ignored the freezing air that came from the harbor waters to hit his face. He ignored all things that were not relevant. He listened and waited for Laith to speak again.

“One woman and two men. They’re walking toward my position, but on the other side of the street.” Laith’s voice was quiet, and Will strained to hear him over the wind and the city noises. “I can’t yet confirm it’s them.”

Will took two involuntary and pointless steps forward while continuing to hold his hand against his head. Nobody else spoke. They would all be waiting for Laith to speak again.

“Getting closer. Give me ten seconds.” Laith’s voice was even quieter.

Will counted the seconds. He imagined that his whole team would be doing the same.

“It’s them. It’s definitely our lady.”

Will inhaled deeply.

Roger’s voice was instant and urgent. “Laith, let them pass and then follow. Julian, get alongside Seaport Boulevard. Ben, get your vehicle onto Atlantic Avenue and hold wherever you can. They might go mobile again.”

“Where do you want me?” Will pictured the layout of the area they were in.

“Stay where you are.”

“I should be closer to her.” Will could feel the tension in his own voice.

“Stay where you are.”

Will was about to speak again when he heard Laith’s voice. “They’re going straight toward the harbor.”

Will felt useless. He looked along the Harbor Walk before him, but he knew that Lana and her escorts would be at least nine hundred meters away from him.

Julian spoke. “I see them. They’re coming right at me.”

“Okay, Julian. Laith, hold back and let Julian pick up the slack.” Roger’s voice sounded calm again. “I’m holding position to their northwest in case they double back.”