Sunday. London, United Kingdom.

“Tanya? Isaac?”

Those two words sliced through the comforting, warm haze. Tanya sat up, rubbing her face, and peered at Abigail leaning in through the door.

“What?” Tanya asked.

“My contact came through. Downstairs in five. We’ll be leaving soon.”

“Huh?” Isaac hardly moved. His hand grasped her thigh under the blankets, a tight, possessive hold.

“Okay, coming.” Tanya pushed his hand away and slid out of bed, glad she’d at least put her shirt and underwear on.

“We’re leaving?” Isaac propped himself up.

“You were really out of it.”

“Yeah. I’m up. Look at me. I’m up.” He didn’t sound awake.

She flipped on the lamp and got dressed in a rush.

If Abigail’s contact had come through, did that mean they’d confirmed her story? Were they going home?

God, Tanya hoped so.

In a matter of minutes, both she and Isaac were ready to go. They filed out of the room and down stairs. Most of the team had assembled in the living room. Two lamps provided a little illumination.

“Where’s Felix?” Kyle asked.

“Bathroom,” Shane responded.

“Everyone else ready to go?”

The men nodded. Tanya couldn’t bring herself to do that, not until Tanya told her what she’d learned.

“Sorry, I’m here.” Felix took the stairs two at a time.

“My Mossad contact gave me an option, and I made a unilateral decision.” Abigail glanced at her. “I had to weigh the loss of life against what was best for Tanya.”

“Whatever I need comes second,” she said. There was no doubt in Tanya’s mind that Abigail would make any other call. It was what they were trained to do.

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” Abigail’s tense expression didn’t ease.

“Were they able to identify the customers?” Tanya swallowed, not sure what she should hope for.

“We think so, yes.” Abigail glanced at the others. “My contact confirmed that a woman who looks like Tanya went through an abbreviated program, similar to what I was put through. Proving that will take time we don’t have. In addition to the three people we know were killed yesterday, there are two more intelligence agents dead. All from different countries. All of whom were headed to Washington D.C. through Heathrow airport.”

“What’s happening in D.C.?” Tanya crossed her arms over her chest.

“There is an intelligence summit. What they’re covering, my contact wouldn’t say, but I believe based on what he said that the assassin took something from each of the agents. Some sort of credentials to access the facility in D.C. Badges or RFID chips.”

“Those would be the people who chose to use Orlando’s services and not help him.” Tanya glanced at Isaac, then back to Abigail. “Exactly the people he’d want to target.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Abigail sighed. “The US agencies are...not handling the assassination well. My Mossad contacts fear that jumping through the hoops to verify ourselves and stop the threat will eat up too much time. They’ve made us an offer, which I’d like to point out before I say anymore—they are using us. Let no one doubt that. They fear this threat will prove real and there will be catastrophic casualties if this weapon is released into the area where the summit is happening. A strike of this magnitude in the U.S. will have far-reaching consequences, which is why it is in Mossad’s best interest to stop it.”

“What do they want us to do?” Kyle asked.

“Wait. This target is pretty specific to Orlando. Is he not using his client list?” Tanya couldn’t wrap her head around Orlando actually getting his hands dirty.

“That’s probably the icing on his cake. Your homegrown, hillbilly group of dissenters? This is their plan.” Abigail turned her phone toward Tanya. “They have a version of it posted on a dark net site looking for financial backers. They’re on several watch lists, and looking at the traffic, they likely got capital from some out-of-country players who just want to stir shit up.”

“Fuck, this happens?” Shane shook his head.

“Some people just want to light a fire and watch the world burn,” Tanya said.

“Which is why Mossad wants to supply us with support, some equipment, and send us into the summit to neutralize the threat. Once that’s done, American law enforcement will no doubt arrest us. Mossad promises to step in at that point with evidence to exonerate us and prove that we were working undercover. It’s a big promise, maybe too big.”

“You’ve already made up your mind you’re doing this.” Tanya stared at Abigail’s face, the tense lines, the careful expression.

“This is the sort of thing I was trained for.” She shrugged.

Tanya swallowed. She wanted out, away from this life, but she couldn’t leave yet. She could walk away, but she wasn’t. Not until the job she’d been hired to do was over and done with.

“I’m going with you.” She stared at Abigail, who nodded in return, as if she knew Tanya would be going.

“Hold on, ladies. No disrespect, but you aren’t doing this by yourselves.” Kyle glanced at the others. “I assume if Abigail is going, Luke is, too. The rest of you—”

“Dude, do you really think we’re going to skip out now?” Felix shook his head.

“Yeah, what pretty boy said.” Isaac hid a yawn. “Can we get on with it? When are we headed out? Where we going?”

“NSA has flagged Tanya. She can’t fly into the country without raising an alarm, and we don’t have time to get her new ID here. We’re booked on a cargo plane headed to Ottawa. A contact there will meet us with new documents for her, allowing us to make a connecting flight to D.C., where we will meet our handler and supply up. Any questions?”

“Will we at least have drink service on the plane?” Isaac asked.

“Doubtful.” Abigail arched her brows. “Any other questions?”

The room grew silent.

“Okay, then let’s be ready to leave in five,” Kyle said.

Tanya turned and grabbed Isaac’s hand. She pulled him into the dining room, while the others prepared their backpacks.

“What?” Isaac’s hair stuck up on one side and his stubble was longer, almost beard-like now.

“You shouldn’t come,” she said.

“Why the hell not?” His brow wrinkled.

“Because...you have people counting on you to come back. I don’t want your mom or Ruth hurting because of me and my job.”

“Cupcake, that’s not how this works.”

“You saved me. You did your job. This? What we’re going to do? It’s not your job. It’s mine.”

“We’re a God damn team, and we’re doing this together. I don’t give a damn what your reasoning is, this is more than us now.”

“Isaac—”

“No. You can argue with me until you’re blue in the face, I’m going with you.” He glanced down. “Where’s your vest and coat?”

“Please?” She clung to his hand.

Isaac cupped her cheek and bent his head. Their faces were so close their noses almost touched.

“No.”

He pulled out of her grasp and strode quickly into the kitchen where the bags had been collected earlier.

Tanya wrapped her arms around herself.

If Isaac died because of her, because Rob had turned on them, she’d never forgive herself.

“Hey.” Luke stepped into her line of sight holding her vest and coat. “You okay?”

“Yes.”

“It’s okay not to be.”

“Abigail’s good at this.” Tanya took the Kevlar vest and slid it on, strapping it on tight.

“She had to be. She didn’t get a choice.” Luke glanced over his shoulder. “Not that you need, or maybe even want my advice...”

She flipped her hair out from under the coat, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

“Isaac’s a good guy. Stubborn, but good.”

Tanya smiled briefly.

That seemed to satisfy Luke, and he turned away from her.

Isaac was a great guy, and she cared about him. From the very beginning, he’d surprised her, caught her, supported her, believed in her. Without him, she’d still be a mumbling, crying mess of a person. Which was why she wished he would go home. Leave her behind. She couldn’t take his death on her hands.

“All doors secured, lights off,” Shane called out from the front of the house.

“Our vehicle is three blocks away.” Kyle stood by the back door leading out to the garden “This time of night it’s likely our best bet for transportation. Everyone buddy up, go in groups of two and three, stay thirty yards or so apart, stay sharp.”

“You’re with us.” Abigail tugged on Tanya’s sleeve.

Tanya glanced at Isaac, at the head of the group with Kyle. He didn’t even look at her.

“One thing at a time,” Abigail whispered.

Kyle and Isaac slipped out the back first.

“I’d like to lock up the house,” Tanya said.

The home might never be hers, but she wanted to leave it in as pristine condition as possible. The group left filed out into the garden while Tanya locked the house and armed the key box.

“You guys should go,” Shane said, gesturing at the gate.

“Come on.” Abigail hooked her arm in Tanya’s. “We’re just two girlfriends and a guy headed home after a long night.”

“Right.” Tanya blew out a breath.

“Hey, anyone give you a gun yet?” Luke asked.

“No,” Tanya replied.

“Shoot. Here, before we’re on the street.” He unclipped a holster from his belt and handed it to her.

Tanya secured the weapon under her coat on her jeans. She could fire, well even, but the weight of a gun had never become a natural feeling for her.

“We need to hurry up.”

Abigail increased their pace. They paused at the point where the alley let out onto the sidewalk, but the street was quiet.

Isaac and Kyle were two dark figures farther down the road than Tanya would have liked.

“Come on, ladies.”

Luke ushered them forward.

“At least it stopped raining,” Tanya said.

“Don’t say that. It’ll start again.” Abigail chuckled.

“Right? Every time I blink, I feel like it’s raining again. As a kid, the wet seasons used to be the hardest. Trapped inside.” All those people. The sermons her dad would spout nonstop.

A boom ripped through the near silence of the night, muted, but unmistakable. A silencer could only dampen so much of the noise, and there was no hiding the bright flash of light.

One of the two figures crossing the road went down.

Tanya pitched forward, but Luke caught her around the waist, dragging her down behind the parked cars.

“Guys,” Luke bellowed.

“We see him,” Shane said, so close Tanya didn’t need the headset to hear them.

Another shot rang out.

Tanya flattened herself to the sidewalk, barely able to make out the form of Kyle and Isaac’s boots as he dragged the team lead across the street.

“Oh my God. Oh, God.” Tanya’s stomach clenched.

It wasn’t Isaac.

She immediately felt guilt for the relief. Kyle was as much a part of the team and just as important as Isaac, but he wasn’t the man who’d burrowed into her heart. The one she cared about.

Shane and Adam rose as one, their guns raised. Each fired off a shot while Felix darted first, no weapon in hand, and helped Isaac move Kyle into cover.

“Come on, now.” Abigail grabbed Tanya’s hand.

Luke hauled both of them to their feet, his arms spread over their heads and they ran forward, crossing the street.

“Masks on,” Tanya yelled over the noise of gunfire.

The London closed-circuit television system would identify them and have their whole team at the top of the most wanted list if they got a positive ID. A gun fight in the middle of the city next to the palace of the prince and princess was the best way to become of interest to the police.

“Tanya’s, right. Masks on, cover your faces. Kyle? Is he hurt?” Abigail hugged the side of the building and went to a knee next to the team leader.

“He’s fine. Hit the vest. His head bounced off the ground. He’s just dazed.” Isaac’s voice was nonplused.

“Shouldn’t we keep going?” Tanya tugged her hood lower and peered at the roof top. If there was one sniper, couldn’t there be more?

Shane and Adam jogged toward them, single file, as close to the houses bordering the side street as possible.

“Single sniper. Bailed,” Shane said.

“I’m good.”Kyle levered himself off the ground. Isaac gave him a hand up.

“We can’t go to the SUV,” Tanya said.

“We have to,” Abigail replied.

“Abby’s right,” Luke said. “Eight people like us on the metro is going to bring the cops down on us fast at this time of night. A cab isn’t going to stop for us, and we don’t want to split up. We either go for our vehicle, or we steal another.”

“Fuck, two of us can’t fit in these cars. Have you seen how tiny they are?” Felix gestured at the compact cars.

“We need to keep moving.” Shane kept glancing back the way they’d come. “Whoever that was, they weren’t a good shot. It’s not our assassin. They could have just been a lookout.”

“We split into fours,” Isaac said. “Luke, Abby, Kyle, and Shane, you guys go this way, cut across and come at the SUV from the west. The rest of us will take this alley and come at the SUV from the east. Comms on, we make a go for the vehicle in five minutes, okay?”

“Sounds good to me,” Kyle replied.

“Let’s go.” Isaac finally glanced at her, but the man behind the eyes was the soldier and protector, not the man she’d grown to care about. “Come on.”

Tanya stuck close to Isaac’s side. She understood about needing to compartmentalize. Now wasn’t the time to get her feelings in a twist. They needed to survive this encounter.

Their four-person team crossed the one way street and between the houses, sticking to the darker shadows. In the distance, sirens wailed. She glanced over her shoulder and the others were gone.

She stayed right on Isaac’s heels. They kept a brisk pace, single file. There was no hesitation, no second guessing, the team did what they had to.

Isaac turned left and slowed their pace. Adam stepped past her and Isaac to peer out onto the street, Isaac looking the other way. Felix remained behind her.

“Copy, I see the van and driver,” Isaac said, voice low.

Tanya turned to Felix and whispered, “What’s going on?”

He waved her closer and pulled his ear piece out. She leaned her head toward him and listened to the conversation between the others.

“That means we see four lookouts. There’s likely another four we don’t see,” Isaac said.

“Shit, they must have tagged the truck or something,” Kyle said.

“Isaac, your team hits two, we take the other two. Adam will go for the vehicle and we will make for the airport as best we can,” Abigail said.

“That’s about the only option we have,” Kyle said.

Felix shoved his ear piece back in and tapped it.

“Stay with me and Isaac. Vest on?” he asked.

“Yes.” Tanya pulled the gun out from under her coat. Everyone else had theirs out. If they were going to treat this as a hostile situation, then she wasn’t going in empty handed.

“Where’d you get that?” Isaac strode toward her, frowning at the gun.

“Luke,” Tanya replied.

Isaac glanced at the brick wall. Judging by the scowl on his face, he didn’t like what he was hearing through the comms.

“Come on, we’re moving in.” Isaac pointed his finger at her. “You get to the SUV with Adam.”

Tanya bit back her comment about that and simply nodded.

“Felix, you’re with me.” Isaac turned toward the street. Both men stood poised, ready to sprint.

Adam stood at her side.

Sirens wailed streets over.

All it would take was a single shot to bring the police here, and then what?

If they got caught, that would be the end of it. Abigail’s Mossad contacts were only willing to do so much for them. Tanya doubted they’d get their team off the hook here.

Isaac and Felix darted forward, their footsteps silent, blending into the night.

Tanya took a step forward. Adam grasped her arm, holding her back. He shook his head once, his gaze straight ahead. She doubted he was seeing the actual car parked at the corner.

He jerked his head once and stepped in front of her, blocking the walkway with his bulk. She swallowed her irritation and followed.

She glanced left and caught sight of Isaac holding a man on the ground, his arm wrapped around his throat. She swallowed, remembering all too well the times she’d been choked out in training.

Farther down the street another cluster of people had a second figure down.

“Come on,” Adam jogged between the cars parked along the street.

She followed him across the narrow lane. A third person was down, Luke securing the guy.

“Where’s the fourth?” she asked.

“In.” Adam clicked the key fob and unlocked the gargantuan SUV.

Tanya paused, glancing back the way they’d come.

She’d heard four targets. They’d said there were eyes on four people.

An arm wrapped around her from behind. She sucked in a breath and rammed her elbow back against the fleshy middle of a man several inches taller than herself. He grunted and grasped her right wrist.

The gun.

Tanya whirled, swinging with her elbow up. She nailed the guy in the side of the face, but didn’t break free of his hold. Facing him, she kicked out, aiming for his legs, knees, anything. He wrapped his other hand around the gun.

“Tanya!” Isaac’s voice reverberated off all the brick and asphalt.

This guy didn’t want to kill her, but he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot Isaac if he got this hand on the gun.

Tanya squeezed the trigger.

The single shot blasted through the night.

The man’s face went slack in shock and his grip slipped.

“Oh, shit,” Felix said.

“Everyone—in. Now,” Kyle ordered.

The man pitched backward on the pavement.

“Get Tanya in,” Isaac said.

He and Luke grabbed the downed man and dragged him out of sight. Abigail bustled Tanya into the SUV. She sat in the middle, Luke on one side, Abigail on the other.

Adam cranked the wheel, reversing out of the spot. Isaac and Felix jumped in at the last second before Adam stomped on the accelerator.

“He’s gone,” Isaac said.

Tanya swallowed.

She’d made that decision. She’d heard Isaac’s voice and known that the greatest risk that gun posed was to the man she’d come to care about.

“Give it to me.” Luke gently took the gun from Tanya’s hold. “We’ll dispose of this before we take off.”

“Anyone following us?” Kyle called from the front of the vehicle.

“Not yet,” Abigail replied. She squeezed Tanya’s knee and whispered, “You did the right thing.”

“I know. Shouldn’t I feel...guilty or something?”

“You might later. It was self-defense. If you hadn’t been armed, he’d have done everything in his power to take you. If he’d gotten the gun, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill us.” Abigail shrugged.

Tanya nodded. Right now she didn’t feel much of anything, just shock. She hadn’t yet killed someone. She wasn’t sure what she should think or feel.

Isaac didn’t turn around to look at her once.

Was it because she’d asked him to go home? Was that really it?

Abigail squeezed Tanya’s hand and glanced at Isaac with raise brows. Tanya shrugged. It wasn’t like she could carry on a conversation about him right now.

“We’ve got a tail. It’s not the police,” Luke said.

Tanya twisted to peer at the headlights a block away and closing.

“You don’t need me,” she said.

“What?” Abigail frowned.

“You know how to track the containers. You know as much as I do about the weapon. You don’t need me.” If it came down to her safety or the lives of thousands, she wouldn’t hesitate.