“Not my business?”

“Mr. Lindgren, sir . . .”

“This is absolutely my business.”

Thomas reached into his jacket and pulled a Glock 19. That added a new element.

“Get into the car,” he said to Kane, gun on the security. The officers hesitated. Kane contemplated his fates. Arrest by US special forces was a cul-de-sac: game over. He climbed into Thomas’s SUV.

“What’s happening?” Carina said from the back seat.

“Good question, Carina. I don’t know, but I’m sure everything’s going to be okay.”

Thomas got in the driver’s seat and started the engine, still holding the gun. He accelerated away and Kane turned to see the two guards standing there, both on their radios.

“What did they want with you?” Thomas asked.

“I think they were just being cautious. I appreciate the intervention.”

“They’re not arresting you on my watch. Not after everything you’ve done.”

Thomas sped toward the front gates.

“Did you get to the tracking station?” Kane asked.

“Someone’s set it on fire. I got there but it was too late.”

“Do the police know?”

“I think so.”

“Where are you going now?”

“Georgetown.”

“What’s in Georgetown?”

“You’ll see.”

30

The ship that had drawn Ian Latham’s attention was the Yantar. It was what the Russians referred to as a research vessel and every other nation called an intelligence collection ship. It had been seen making erratic maneuvers off the coast of Brazil the previous night. According to CNN, it wasn’t using running lights or responding to communication from other vessels. The maneuvers had taken it rapidly into the South Atlantic, in the direction of Ascension Island. It looked like it was armed.

Taylor left Latham a few streets from his home and drove away fast, searching for updates, but the story had suddenly been removed from the news, which made her very worried indeed.

She tried Kudus’s line. She needed to find Gemstone. They were on Ascension, had been low-lying for years, maybe decades, with privileged access to state secrets. A situation like that was as high risk as can be and could explain the events that had happened—and suggested a lot more trouble to come.

Eventually Kudus answered.

“Did you find Ian Latham?”

“Yes. What’s the situation your end?”

“We’ve got some developments.”

“The ship.”

“Yes.”

“Know anything about it?”

“No. Just that every department’s been chased for relevant insight. And there’s some kind of communications blackout on Ascension. The technical team are in. It seems serious.”

“What kind of communications blackout?”

“I don’t know. Maybe electronic jamming of some kind. Started around the time the boat began to approach.”

“That was around the time Lauren Carter went missing. What’s she got to do with a Russian ship?”

“I’ve asked to be kept in the loop. Where are you? I heard there are police at your place.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m driving. Any update on Elliot?”