“She knows enough.”

Unlike Bogart. Or Bram. Or any replacement they might send to pursue Arie—if they haven’t already.

Reminded of what’s personally at stake, I wonder which of his peculiar actions, without context, ultimately ruled him unworthy of a gamble. “London has been trying to track you down,” I tell him at last. “We need to get in touch so they understand what you’re doing.”

He seems unsurprised. “No dice,” he says. “There’s a good chance communication’s been compromised.”

“What makes you think that?”

“From being set up, right after landing.”

Oh gracious. In that light, it’s very likely how the Germans were waiting on the night of my own drop as well. Yet another reason for us to make it back soon, to prevent them from sending more agents straight into a trap.

I’m about to voice as much when Arie maneuvers his legs off the bed as if they’re weighted. “Now,” he says, “you know enough too. And you’ll shove off from this mess of a country however you planned. It’s far too dangerous for you to be here.”

“Just…hold on,” I insist. “What about your niece? I presume you have another plot in the works to get her back.”

Arie rises to his feet, not answering.

“Maybe I can help.”

“Yeah. You can.” He spares me but a glimpse. “By getting the hell home. I’ve got plenty on my shoulders without worrying about you too.” Stepping away, he sways a tad as he picks up his overcoat from the bureau. “You keep the bed. I’ll take the floor.”

“Arie, the whole reason I came here—”

“You know”—he slows in rolling his coat into a pillow-like ball—“why did they send you, Fen?” As if contemplating a sudden riddle, he rotates, shadows dragging over his face. “You’ve all but said HQ thinks I’ve been turned. It doesn’t add up, them recruiting you for this.”

“Because they didn’t. I volunteered,” I correct, the pride in my voice inadvertent.

He tilts his head, waiting for me to go on.

“I said I’d come as bait.”

He narrows his eyes. “Bait.”

“To help find you, I mean. To straighten things out.”

“You didn’t come alone…did you.” Not a question, yet I hasten to answer.

“An agent was assigned as my guide, but he was captured upon landing, right after our night drop—”

Arie huffs a humorless laugh, as if I’ve validated his point about the dangers. But then he returns to the topic. “And you think this guy wanted to sit down with me, just chat it out over coffee?”