It was clear from the way Christine had worked so hard to protect Aquil from my questioning that she still wasn’t convinced of my motives. I would have thought the bruising and swelling on my face, not to mention my eagerness to bring Warick to justice, would have been enough for her to trust me, but I was obviously going to have to work harder to prove myself worthy. Part of me didn’t blame her; I had brought Warick to the table; I had told her that he was my best contact; I had even told her all about our close friendship. Not only had he turned out not to be the man I’d thought he was, but he was apparently the man we had all been looking for the whole time.

Henri said he would drive us to the diamond district; on the way, he was in constant contact with the rest of his team, translating their messages for us, well, for me, anyway, as we traveled.

It was now less than two hours until the attacks were scheduled. We had to assume that Warick and his gang were already watching their targets, so we couldn’t simply walk in the front door—or have the staff evacuate that way, either.

Henri had the bright idea of asking the two targeted businesses to “close for lunch” and then for the staff to make a big show of leaving together, as if they had plans. It would be an unexpected development for Warick and his team, and it might stop them from carrying out the assault, but hopefully he had his heart set on that last big pay-off. Hopefully, he would go ahead, regardless.

It took a few minutes to arrange for the removal of the staff; I’ve never seen any group of people look less like they were heading out for a fun lunch break. Their faces were ashen white—hardly surprising, when you thought that armed police had just been on the phone telling them their place of work was about to be attacked and blown up by a gang of ruthless robbers.

Christine and I entered the building from an entrance in the back alley, which ran parallel to the main street. I had to admit to checking more conscientiously than usual when I exited the car—being attacked by a sniper three times in two days will do that to you—but there was no sign of Warick or his gang. In fact, everything was suspiciously quiet.

Once inside, Henri gave us a very brief tour of the layout of the building. The ground floor was taken up by the two diamond merchants’ shops and offices; above were four more stories containing more offices, with residential flats on the top floor. These had also been evacuated. The building was entirely empty apart from me, Christine, Henri and millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds.

They covered every surface in the shop, and the offices were no better. There were trays of gems everywhere, under secured glass, glittering, twinkling, and catching the eye no matter where you stood or where you looked. They were captivating, and I could begin to see how someone like Warick had become so fixated on having more and more of them.

I realized with a start that Christine had been watching me this whole time. I don’t think I could have looked more suspicious if I’d tried, gazing open-mouthed at all the diamonds on display. I tried to focus, look more business-like, but I was worried that the damage had been done.

While I could understand Christine’s suspicions, I was worried she was letting them get in the way of the operation. If she really thought I was part of Warick’s gang, then she should have locked me up and made sure I was nowhere near the scene. I was no use at all at the moment. I couldn’t move without Christine watching me like a hawk; which meant that she wasn’t doing her own job properly, which in turn meant that I found myself watching the scene for both of us. I had less than an hour to convince her that she could safely turn her back on me for a moment—otherwise, we could all end up paying the price.

Henri and his colleagues left to take up their positions in the back alley. They had snipers on nearby rooftops and undercover officers in the street outside watching for Warick’s approach or escape. Christine and I had agreed that we would take a position inside the diamond stores themselves. We needed to catch Warick in the act; plus, the last the thing we wanted was for him to catch sight of one of us and be in the wind before we knew anything about it.

There was less than an hour to go by the time Henri left us alone. Christine spent a few minutes checking all the doors in the two diamond stores, again, making sure no emergency exit had been left unlocked and unsecured. I went over to the window to take a peek out into the street; I could spot the plainclothes police right off. I guess we had to hope that Warick’s arrogance meant he genuinely wasn’t expecting us to have figured out the details of his plan. He certainly seemed to have underestimated Aquil’s abilities.

As I stepped back from the window, I caught Christine watching me again. This was getting crazy. What, did she think I was sending signals to Warick and his men by moving the blinds now? I’m fairly sure that, in these days of modern technology, if I’d wanted to warn him, I could have done it in a far more effective fashion.

“What?” I snapped, finally losing my patience. I was unsure what would prove to this girl that I was on her side. Despite the fact that I had done nothing but tell her the truth, she didn’t believe a word I said. I had been fooled just as much as anyone by Warick—even more. I already felt like a total fool for believing in him, and worse for defending him to the hilt to colleagues who had seen right through him in just a few hours. I had admitted my mistake, apologized countless times, and yet she was still stubbornly refusing to give me the benefit of the doubt. It was beginning to seem that what had happened between us on the plane meant very little to Christine Simmons, despite what it had meant to me.

“I was actually just wondering if you’re OK,” she responded quietly to my outburst. “This can’t be easy for you, I mean, given the circumstances. If you think it might be too difficult to face him…”

Ah, so that was her game. She was going to try and get me out of the way by trying to make out she was only concerned about my mental health. That was low.

“Christine,” I began, “I have never been readier in my life for an assignment. I know this is personal, but that is why I am the right man for the job. I will do anything—anything—to bring this guy in.” I paused, adding a muttered: “Just don’t get in my way.”

Was that a smile? This girl was the very definition of an enigma—I simply couldn’t figure her out. Sometimes she would seem to be softening toward me, then suddenly she would switch moods and once again be as cold as ice. It didn’t cross my mind that she might be wrestling with her own dilemmas about trust.

The time was starting to drag. Every now and then, we would hear Henri and the others checking in on the radio, or reporting something of interest for colleagues to check out. Christine translated everything for me; I don’t know if she was genuinely trying to be helpful or if she was just looking for something to do to keep her mind off what was coming up in the next few minutes.

Fifteen minutes to go. Henri made one last round of calls over the radio and then announced that there would be no more messages until contact had been made. Couldn’t risk Warick tuning in and hearing the local cops discussing the location of his next attack! Christine was nervously pacing the floor. I just wanted to get on with it. I always found operations exhilarating, but this one had taken on a special meaning way beyond the usual importance of bringing bad guys to justice.

A few minutes before 3pm, I whispered Christine’s name and beckoned her toward me. I had calculated that we were best placed to wait in an alcove in the middle of the shop which gave us a line of sight to the front door but still gave us at least some shelter from any gunfire or even explosions that might accompany Warick’s grand entrance. She nodded and joined me in position. At least she trusts my judgement so far, I thought to myself grimly.

* * *

The seconds were ticking down, but all I could hear was Christine’s breathing. It took me right back to that night in the safe house when she had crept into my bed and fallen asleep in my arms; her soft breath, those gentle snores. It had melted my heart that night and it was doing the same again now. I wanted more than anything to catch Warick; not just because he deserved it, and because he deserved to pay for what he had done, but because that was the best way I could think of to prove to this girl that I had been telling the truth all along.

Christine and I were both clock-watching, waiting for the assault to begin; waiting for anything that looked or sounded out of the ordinary. As the minute hand on my watch moved past the hour, I waved it at Christine, who held out her hands in a “who knows” gesture. The problem was, I realized, she thought she actually did know why Warick wasn't here. She thought I'd tipped him off somehow, helped him clear out of town. And the fact that Warick was late for his own heist didn't look good for me.

“Maybe he recognized the undercover officers?” I whispered. “I spotted them a mile off.” Christine was just raising a finger to her lips when we both heard the unmistakable sound of the door opening.

From my vantage point, I had a clear view of the four masked men who now entered. I watched them carefully, desperately trying to figure out which of them was Warick. They all had his height and his military bearing; I couldn't yet risk making a grab for the wrong one.

“Told you it was empty,” said the first guy through the door. Not Warick. I was terrible with UK accents, but he maybe sounded Scottish. “Everyone left for lunch a couple of hours ago.”

“That's not their normal routine,” the second man said with concern. Also, not Warick. Christine watched me from across the alcove waiting for my signal. I shook my head. Not yet. Not until I knew Warick was in the room, and that I was going to have the pleasure of snapping his cuffs on myself.

“You know these foreigners,” said the first man again. “Lazy bastards. Any excuse for a long lunch, I'll bet you.”

“I don't like it,” the second replied. “This isn't what we planned. How do we make it look like terrorism without any victims?”

“I think, in the circumstances, we can probably drop the terrorist ruse, old boy.” I froze. That was him. I caught Christine’s eye and signaled three fingers—third man through the door. She nodded.

“Let's just make this one a good old-fashioned heist, eh?”

The first two men were making their way toward our alcove, which led into the back room where most of the diamonds were to be found.

“We’ll take this one,” the first man said. “You guys take next door now. If time is of the essence.”

“You're the boss,” Warick replied with an ironic chuckle. No! I couldn't let him go into the shop next door—I’d lose sight of him for sure. I lifted my weapon, determined to make my move while all four men were in the same place. I just hoped Christine would give me the back-up I needed.

“Police!” I yelled, poking my weapon around the corner and waiting for the inevitable volley of bullets. The plaster of the alcove splintered as someone turned an automatic weapon in our direction. I heard Christine screaming, and thought for one awful moment that she was injured, before I realized she was shouting instructions over the radio.

Finally, the shooting stopped and I risked a peek around the corner. Empty.

“Come on,” I told Christine. “Henri and the others will have picked them up outside by now. We don't want to miss the fun.”

“You were supposed to wait until they separated!” she scolded. “That was the plan.”

“Plans change,” I told her, the blood pumping in my brain, my fury still as strong as the moment I had first heard Warick’s voice when he entered the store.

We stepped out of the alcove more or less at the same time, and felt a sudden wall of heat rise up to meet us. I think I had a split second to think “bomb” before the blast came, throwing me against the nearest wall, and Christine back through the alcove.

I was only out for a few seconds, but the transformation in the room was so complete, I might as well have been asleep for a thousand years. The stylish, minimalist interior had been torn to pieces, ceiling tiles and light fixtures swayed in the air above me, and there was a terrible, stomach-churning smell of burning flesh.

Christine!

I struggled to my feet, my left knee crying out in pain when I put any weight on it.

“Christine!” I called out. Nothing. “Christine!!”

I heard a someone coughing in the back room and fought my way past the debris. She was sitting on the floor, looking dazed and confused, but essentially in one piece. I ran to her, despite the pain in my knee.

“Are you OK?” I asked. She blinked at me uncomprehendingly. “Christine, can you hear me?”

“Yes, I..” she paused. “I think I'm OK.” Slowly, she seemed to be returning to me.

“Jason,” she said quizzically. “Was that a bomb?” I almost laughed, despite the situation.

“Yes, Christine. That was a bomb.”

She struggled to her feet. “In that case, shouldn't we get out of here? Don't they set fire to it next?”

Jesus, she was right. I helped her to feet, holding my breath, waiting for the second, deadlier explosion. We headed toward the windows overlooking the street, which had all been blown out. As we approached, I could hear a chaotic mix of screams, car alarms, and, finally, Henri’s calming voice, directing his officers to their roles.

“Henri!” I called out, and his head snapped in our direction. He waved over his colleagues who helped first Christine and then me out of the window.

“Did you get them?” I asked breathlessly. Henri nodded, but I noticed a slight hesitation. I rephrased my question. “Henri, did you get them all?”

“We have three of them in custody, one seriously injured by their own bomb. Looks like they set off the explosive before their whole team had made it to safety. No honor among thieves, yes? That is your saying?”

Three of them in custody. I knew even without asking that it was Warick who had gotten away. Hell, I was 99% sure it was Warick who had set off the bomb early, sacrificing his own guys in an effort to save his own skin.

“Which way did he go, Henri?” I asked, checking that my weapon still worked. I was damned if I was going to let Warick get away.

“Back alley,” Henri replied. “One of my men chased him west until he was shot.”

I looked up briefly. “He OK?”

“He’ll make it,” Henri confirmed. “I’ll hold down the fort here. You go and get your guy.”

“You’re not going alone,” Christine told me. She had recovered her composure almost completely since the explosion and was busy checking her own weapon.

“Dammit, Christine, you still don’t trust me to go after Warick alone?” I was angry and we were wasting time. “What, you think I’m going to run off to South America with him?”

Christine was staring at me. “Of course, I don’t think that, you idiot. I mean I’m coming to help you.”