Rawlings and Winters collapsed the gurney, lifted it, and shoved it inside the ambulance. That’s when the trouble started. The head bodyguard tried to shove past Winters to follow Rawlings inside.
Winters blocked him. “You can’t ride with him. You’ll have to meet us at the Barts A&E.”
The bodyguard shifted his jacket, exposing his weapon. “I’m required to stay with him. It’s in my contract.”
Winters shook his head, his face hardening. “Not gonna happen. Ride-a-longs are against regulations.” When thebodyguard didn’t back up, Winters pushed forward, forcing him to retreat. “If I have to call a Bobby to keep you in line, your client will get to the A&E even later.”
The sense of time running out brought O’Neill’s gaze back to the street. Still no flashing lights. But fuck—they were going on twelve minutes now; the real paramedics could show up any minute. They needed to get Nantz on the road.
Winters reached for the radio mic clipped to the fabric above his uniform’s shoulder. “Dispatch, be advised we have an individual holding up transport.” His voice was hard as he spoke into the mic, his gaze even harder as he stared the lead bodyguard down.
O’Neill scanned the street again. He needed to break Rawling and Winters free.
He stepped up to the bodyguard. “You called for a car, right?” He didn’t wait for the dude’s nod. “You can follow behind them. You’ll still have eyes on your client, and he’ll get the help he needs.” He paused when the guy didn’t look convinced. “You’re not doing your paycheck any favors by holding up his treatment.”
A frown planted itself on the bodyguard’s face. He glanced toward the street as a Cadillac Escalade pulled up to the curb.
“Fine.” He scowled at Winters, then nodded at the Escalade idling at the curb. “We’ll be on your tail.”
O’Neill expected the dude to add something threatening, likeI’ll bewatching you, but he just waited for Winters to shut and latch the ambulance doors before pivoting and heading for the Escalade. The second bodyguard followed. Soon as Winters pulled onto the street, the SUV completed a quick U-turn and fell in behind him.
Winters is away, but Nantz’s bodyguards are on his tail.O’Neill sent the update through theNeealaho,even as he pretended to text Wolf.
How many?
Three
O’Neill watched the ambulance, and its tail, vanish from sight. Fuck...they’d actually done it. They had Nantz.
Now they just had to keep him.
Chapter forty-seven
Day 43
London, England
Wolf’s rental car was idling against the curb when Tomas Beck’s warning hit theNeealaho.
Go in five blocks.
Wolf glanced at the stoplight ahead of him along the right side of the road. It was red. It needed to stay that color until he’d cut in line behind the fake ambulance.
Shutter the Abbey Road traffic light, at the intersection of Abbey and Albany,Wolf ordered through theNeealahoas he glanced in the rearview mirror. A white Ford Fiesta barreled down the street toward him. He twisted the Corsa’s steeringwheel to the left, gunned the engine, and cut in front of the Fiesta. Tires screeched behind him, followed by the blare of a horn. Wolf shot up to the intersection and stomped on the brakes.
On it.Capland’s calm mind touched Wolf’s thoughts through the neural net.
Wolf relaxed. Thank the goddess. Their computer genius was back in play.
While Capland had hacked into London’s traffic system before the Citation landed and showed one of his subordinates which traffic lights to manipulate and how to shutter or activate them, Wolf hadn’t been certain Cap would finish his role in Nantz’s office before phase two of theaggressbegan.
The traffic lights were essential to the success of thisaggress. Their refusal to cooperate would mess everything up. Having Capland on hand to sweet talk them was an enormous relief.
Two blocks to go, Joeseph Birch announced through theNeealaho.
Wolf leaned forward and looked to the right. A steady stream of traffic flowed past. Not quite bumper to bumper, but close. A dozen vehicles back was a yellow ambulance. Its flashers were on, but the siren was silent. He waited until the ambulance was almost upon him.
Hit the Albany streetlight now,Wolf ordered when the ambulance was two cars down.
