Aidan and Simone were just finishing up room service and reviewing the day’s events when Aidan’s cell phone rang. He grabbed it on the first ring.
“Yes.”
“It’s me,” Marc replied.
“Where are you?”
“Hotel Osijek. I’ve got to be on the move again soon.”
“Then talk to me.”
Marc didn’t waste time. He swiftly filled Aidan in on the rapidly escalating activity at the Croatian end of the investigation.
“This guy Jozef is homed in,” he concluded. “When he heard what I had to say, he zeroed right in on Ðakovo. I think he knows exactly where he’s sending us and who can take us there.”
“Not a surprise. These three OC groups probably keep a watchful eye on each other’s activities and locations. That’s how they survive.”
“Yeah, well, my gut is telling me we’re coiled to strike.”
“So does mine.”
Aidan slid back his chair and walked over to grab a duffel bag, tossing articles of clothing into it as he spoke. “I’m hanging up and alerting my pilot. It’ll take me thirteen flying hours to get to Osijek, not to mention the bullshit at either end. So I’m outta here ASAP. Do you have all the gear we need?”
“Yes,” Marc confirmed. “Philip took care of that in Germany. We’re armed and ready to move as soon as Philip locates the right place, completes his recon, and you and I come up with our tactical plan.”
“Okay. I’ve got a shitload to tell you at this end, but I’ll call you when I’m airborne—right after I talk to Abby and let her and Emma know I’ll be away for a day or two.”
“Where are you now?”
“Palo Alto with Simone.”
“How are you going to handle Vance’s morning call with Lauren?”
“I’m not. Simone is. She’s going to have to be my stand-in babysitter. Susan and Vance are coming apart at the seams. I can’t count on them to be rational.”
“Go call your pilot and get your ass here. I’m about to head back to the farmers market with Danijel. After that, Philip and Ellie will go with Jozef to Ðakovo, and Danijel will return to Zagreb. I’ll be here at the hotel, waiting for Philip’s updates. I’ll pass all his recon on to you during your flight so we can formulate our tactical plan. I’ll meet the Gulfstream when it lands in Osijek, and we’ll drive straight to Ðakovo.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Aidan hung up and turned to Simone, who was just disconnecting her own phone call.
“I spoke with Stanley,” she said, referring to Stan Trumble, the Zermatt pilot. “He’s taking care of the flight plan and assorted details as we speak. You should be ready for takeoff by the time you finish briefing me and arrive at the airport.”
A corner of Aidan’s mouth lifted. “You’ve developed quite the rapport with Stan. He used to take his orders directly from me. That’s twice now you’ve broken that chain of command.”
“And I always make sure he knows I’m calling on your behalf,” Simone said with a smile. “Since you’re the one traveling, he can verify his information when you get there. But since time is of the essence, I took the liberty of overstepping. Is an apology in order?”
“Nope.” Aidan tossed a few toiletries into the duffel bag. “A thank you is. And as for briefing, we need to talk—fast.” He repeated all the information that Marc had passed along. Then, he glanced at his watch. “There aren’t any commercial flights from here to Reno-Tahoe until morning. You can’t wait that long.”
“I’ll call right now and arrange for car service. It’s a four-hour drive. I’ll leave when you do. I’ll be there well ahead of Vance’s scheduled videoconference.” She paused. “What else do you need?”
“For you to be with the Penningtons as much as possible.”
“That’s not a problem. I’ll dress in business attire and bring my briefcase. I can fly to and from Nano with Vance today. It will look like we’re wrapping up a hectic week of work for McKinsey.” She rose and walked over to the wardrobe closet, selecting her clothes as she spoke. “And don’t worry about explanations. Once I tell Vance that you’re flying to Croatia because Lauren’s rescue is imminent, he’ll behave. He and his wife will be understandably frantic, but I can handle that. You just take care of business at your end. And Aidan?”
“Hmm?”
“Be safe.”