Katharina looked worried. “Everyone else there will be in couples. A man, on his own, trying to get close to Luka…that’s exactly what his bodyguards will be looking out for. Especially because you’re all…” She hunched her shoulders and grunted and everyone laughed. But she was right: Danny, like all the men, had that hulking former military look. They even walked like soldiers. “You won’t even get close,” said Katharina.

An idea flickered into life in my head. The fear hit me an instant later, turning my blood to ice water. This was me, I couldn’t do something like that!

But if I didn’t, we wouldn’t get to talk to Luka. We’d be at a dead end. The team needed me.

I blurted it out before I could change my mind. “I could go with him.” I looked at Katharina. “You said everyone would be in couples.”

“No,” said JD and Danny simultaneously.

Katharina stared at me, amazed. Then she nodded reluctantly. “That would help,” she allowed.

“No way,” said Danny. “This guy’s Russian Mafia.”

JD nodded. “You’re not going anywhere near him.” He looked at Katharina. “You’re trained. You could go with Danny.”

Katharina shook her head. “We pulled Luka in for questioning last year. He knows I’m BND, I wouldn’t get within twenty meters.”

I reached across the table and took JD’s hands in mine. As a kid, I’d watched him go off to war so many times, risking himself for his country. It was my turn to put my neck on the line. “Let me do this.”

JD scowled. “You shouldn’t even be here!”

“But I am here,” I said. I looked around at the team. Just a few days ago, I’d been so intimidated by them all. But after all that time traveling together, we’d bonded. “And this guy, Becker…he’s going to find us, or the police will. We need to throw everything we have at this…including me.”

The team slowly turned to look at JD.

JD glowered and huffed and finally sighed in defeat. He looked at Danny. “Can you keep her safe?”

Danny looked at me and I could see the battle going on in his eyes. He wanted to say no, he didn’t like this plan any more than JD did. But he knew I was right, too. This was our only chance. “‘Course,” he said at last. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“I need to get to work,” said Katharina. “I’ll bring you both back something to wear. Erin, I’ll need your dress size. She looked at Danny. “I still remember your measurements.” Then she smirked. “You may have put on an inch or two on the waist.”

“Oi!” said Danny.

* * *