The boat anchored off the coast appeared to be a small, expensive pleasure yacht. Several times during the day, a dark-haired woman had appeared on deck, to sun, to read. From time to time, she’d been joined by a man, bare chested, young, bronzed. They’d sipped wine, cuddled, slept. The watch on the Invincible had kept it under surveillance, and had taken bets as to whether the two lovers would have sex under the sun. They’d been disappointed.

Below deck, the ISS had everything from television monitors to grenade launchers. Eight men and three women crowded into the hulled-out cabin and waited.

Bennett had been confined to the cabin since an hour after dawn. For the past three hours, he’d swallowed nothing but coffee and impatience. He’d watched the monitor until his eyes had blurred. Not once had Deboque appeared in the focus of the long-range camera. He wanted to see him. By God, he wanted to look into his eyes as the trap snapped shut. But more, so much more, he wanted to hear over the transmitter that it was done, and Hannah was safe.

“MacGee’s boarding.” The man with the headphones spoke, and continued to smoke. Seconds later, Reeve slipped into the already crowded cabin. He was dressed in black from head to foot. Even his face and hands were smeared with it. He took off his sailor’s cap and tossed it aside.

“First stage is finished.” He nodded toward Bennett. “From beyond the gates, it looks as though the east wing is devastated. The ISS is theatrical.”

“The family?” Bennett asked as he looked back to the monitor.

“Safe.”

He reached for the bitter, cooling coffee beside him. “Hannah?”

“Word should be coming in within minutes. Some of our best men are on the docks as backup.”

Bennett shot him a look that held for a long moment. He’d wanted to be at the docks, as close by as possible. He’d run into the stone wall of his father, Reeve and Malori on that, and eventually had had to concede. If he’d been spotted, the entire operation would have been put in jeopardy.

Now it was only Hannah, he thought, only Hannah who risked it all.

“Deboque hasn’t been seen all day.”

“He’s there.” Reeve lit a cigarette and prepared to wait. “He wouldn’t want to be too far away tonight.”

“Contact.” An agent on the port side of the cabin lifted a hand to his headphones. “She’s made contact.”

*   *   *

The breeze off the water was cool and the night was clear. Hannah recognized the man who approached her as the one who had come into the smoky little bar. He came alone and empty-handed.

“Mademoiselle.”

“My part of the bargain is met, monsieur. You have the compensation?”

“It’s a nice night for a ride on the water.”