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Declan exhaled loudly. “Richmond Park, the telescope at King Henry’s Mound. I called Adams to alert him. He said they’ll be prepared and waiting for us. I’ll pick you up at eleven o’clock, then we need thirty minutes of travel time.”
To her relief, Declan’s voice held steady, despite the dire risks of the upcoming confrontation. “We’ll be outside. Drive safe.” Remembering the Raven had asked to monitor the electronic handoff from afar, Tess texted him the time and place before pocketing her phone.
Mark pulled a couple of water bottles from the minibar and rushed to gather their coats and shoes before tossing a jacket and a scarf in her direction.
After leaving the room, she followed Mark outside and sat in the hotel’s garden to wait for Declan. Shivering in the chilly air, she paused a moment to admire the serene haven of autumn flowers. The garden’s surreal beauty offered a fleeting but welcome respite from the evening’s grim undertaking. The growing connection she felt with Mark made tonight’s mission even more dismal in comparison.
Ten minutes later, Declan motored up to the hotel driveway’s entrance in a large, black British jeep and screeched to a stop. He popped out of the jeep wearing jeans and a black leather jacket. “Hi, mates. Ready for our demise?” Grimacing, he walked around to open the rear passenger door.
“Excellent. No shortage of optimism, I see. How’re you holding up?” She hoped his anxiety hadn’t transformed into reckless self-defeat.
“Let’s just say I’m not buying any green bananas this week. I’ll expire before they do.”
“See, you’ve still got a sense of humor.” Tess gave him a friendly swat on the back. “That’s the spirit.”
“Looks like a great night to thwart terrorists.” Mark closed Tess’s door and took the front passenger seat.
A loud snicker escaped Declan, and he whacked the steering wheel. “Mate, get real. I’m an engineer nerd with a desk job, not an effing warrior.”
“Hey, I’m no soldier either, but I’m a medical geek who lived in a war zone for three years. Your brain needs oxygen to function, and slow, deep breathing will help—trust me. Use your adrenaline to sharpen your focus,” Mark spoke in a soothing voice and patted Declan on the shoulder.
“Dear God, let this nightmare end. I’ve got money riding on Manchester United for Saturday’s playoff with Chelsea.” Declan groaned and clutched his steering wheel with white knuckles as he merged into traffic.
“You’ll be alive to collect, though I would’ve bet on Chelsea.” Mark adjusted his seat belt.
“No way. They’re a bunch of pansies, and you’d be better off betting on a plate of crumpets.” Declan guffawed as he changed lanes.
After sharing a laugh, the men chatted about soccer for a few minutes, a welcome distraction for them all.
Sitting alone in the back seat, Tess avoided imagining terrible outcomes, but gory images flooded her thoughts anyhow. The idea David was suffering violence right now disturbed her, and she clenched the armrest as a nauseous wave rolled through her. Bouncing her knee to offload her agitation, she focused on holding herself together. “I’m worried for David.” The second she spoke out loud, she regretted it. No one needed reminding about how vanishingly slight his chance of survival was.
Everyone remained silent for the rest of the trip. After leaving London and heading southwest on the A3 motorway, Declan exited north on Queen’s Road to search for Richmond Park. A signpost directed drivers to use an alternate parking lot.
“Shite, the main entrance closed at 1630. I can park here but will need to cross through these goddamned woods and find the bloody meetup inside the park.” Declan groaned and cursed a long string of expletives.
In the front seat, Mark glanced at his watch. “Strange. It’s 2330 already. Shouldn’t we see police cars everywhere? This park is empty.”
“Agreed. You sure this is the right place, Declan?” The situation didn’t make sense, and she couldn’t shake her doubts.
“The instructions were clear, but I’ll call the police again.” He whipped out his mobile and dialed. “Voice mail. Shite. Yes, this is Declan O’Leary. I’m in Richmond Park, and the damn place is empty. Where’s your team, Adams? Call me ASAP.”
Each second took too long to pass, and Tess grew restless. After unfastening her seat belt, she rotated in all directions to survey the surrounding park area. Nothing but trees and empty parking spaces. “What if the police arrived but hid to avoid tipping off the kidnappers? Or what if they scared Crimson Hammer away already?”
“But why the hell doesn’t Adams answer? Let’s give him a few more minutes before I go into the woods.” Declan drummed noisily on the bottom of the steering wheel.
The panic in Declan’s voice had escalated by several magnitudes, and she hoped his worry wasn’t contagious. To untangle her thoughts, Tess forced herself to count backward from twenty in four different languages—anything to prevent anxiety from chipping away at her strength. Ten more minutes passed.
2340. Like a nervous tic, Declan patted the USB memory stick in his shirt pocket, but no signs of life appeared in the park.
“Should we abandon this, Declan? You can’t just charge in there without police protection. Too dangerous.” Mark shifted in his seat to face Declan.
“Time’s ticking, mate. Five more minutes. Can’t let David down.” Declan raised a hand to his mouth and chewed a fingernail.
Tess studied Declan’s reflection in the rearview mirror. Sweat had erupted on his forehead, and his gaze darted back and forth. Three hundred more seconds drifted by at the pace of a glacial iceberg, and still nothing. The jeep’s digital clock flipped to 2345.
Declan slammed his hands against the steering wheel. “Screw it. I’m not going to be a feckin’ coward and let David die because the police aren’t here to hold my hand. I’m going.”
His sudden movement startled her, and she poked her head into the front seat. “Stop. You don’t have to do this. We can turn back.”
