Kaelen Vance felt the world shift under her feet the moment she stepped out of Claridge’s in her black dress. Her burner phone, usually a silent tool, buzzed violently in the small clutch purse she carried.
It was Alistair Finch, her London contact. His voice, usually the height of calm British aristocracy, was strained.
"Kael, listen closely. We have a problem. A big one."
"What's up, Alistair? Is the Aerospace deal off?" she asked, stepping into the waiting car.
"Worse. Langley is calling off the meeting. The chatter is thick as fog here. They’re saying I'm burned, compromised by the South Africans. Total fabrication, of course, but it’s sticking. My assets are freezing up."
Kael felt a cold knot tighten in her stomach. That wasn't a coincidence. It was too fast, too specific. This was Volkov. The Iceberg didn't just sit and wait; he worked the system.
"You believe it’s him?" she asked, keeping her voice low as the driver started the car.
"Who else? The man works fast and dirty. He’s closing my network before I even knew he was here. He’s not going for the Professor; he’s coming for us, Kael. For you."
"Stay safe, Alistair. Go dark. I'll call you from a secure line later." She hung up, her pulse racing.
She changed the destination of her driver. "Waterloo Station. Make it fast."
The elegant dinner plan was scuttled. She was now off the grid, running on instinct. Volkov’s move was brilliant in its simplicity. He wasn't meeting her force with force; he was removing the ground she stood on. He was trying to isolate the firework so it would burn out alone.
Kael smiled, a fierce, determined expression. He had underestimated her. She didn't need a network. She was the network. Her strength was her independence, her ability to adapt and move outside the rigid structures of the CIA and MI6.
She used a payphone at Waterloo to make a series of calls, using coded language to set up alternative lines of communication. She would move to Amsterdam tonight. She would make herself a moving target.
Volkov wanted a methodical, quiet war of attrition. Kael Vance was going to give him chaos. The hunter was now the hunted, but the thrill of the chase was mutual. The board was set, and the first major piece had just moved.
No comments:
Post a Comment