brainpower to figure out McElroy’s plan. “This is a women’s prison, isn’t? You want me to go in. That’s why you need me.”
Before McElroy could reply, Deuce dropped his plate to the table, spilling one of the sandwiches off the side. “Whoa. Absolutely not,” he said. “This is not even close to a good idea. Alex, we’re done. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“You’ve already signed contracts,” McElroy said.
“So sue us,” Deuce told him, crossing for the door, not looking back until he got there. But Alex remained in her seat. “Alex? Come on.”
She didn’t move. She knew Deuce was right, that they should leave, but she kept thinking about that photograph of her father and El-Hashim. Kept visualizing it, thinking about all the years that had passed since she and Danny had last seen him.
“Alex,” Deuce said. “Hello? Let’s go.”
She still didn’t move.
Deuce frowned deeply now, then crossed to her chair and leaned in close. “You cannot possibly be considering this.”
“It won’t hurt to listen to what he has to say.”
Deuce gaped. “It’s a prison , Alex. A prison in a former Soviet country. Are you—” He paused and glanced at the others. “Can I speak to my partner alone for a moment?”
McElroy exhaled an exasperated breath. “Please make it quick.” He, Cooper, and the technician left the room.
The moment Alex and her partner were alone, Deuce said, “What are you thinking?”
“You know why I’m here. This woman, she spoke to my father.”
“Good for her,” Deuce said. “But right now she’s locked up in a goddamn Ukrainian prison out in the middle of nowhere. You think you’re just gonna slip in there and walk her out? I don’t know exactly how these dickheads think they’re gonna pull this off, but whatever their plan is, you and I both know it could go south about a thousand different ways.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry, Deuce. I shouldn’t have involved you in this.”
“What the hell are you talking about? It’s a woman’s prison. I’m not the one who’ll be walking into the line of fire. That’ll be all you. If something happens while you’re inside, I’m not going to be there to help. Father or no father, I’m not gonna let that happen.”
Alex knew he was only speaking out of concern for her—out of love, when it came down to it—but Deuce could never fully understand the sense of loss she’d felt concerning her parents. If there was a chance to ease her pain—and Danny’s, too—she had to consider it.
“I’m staying, Deuce. I want to at least hear what McElroy has to say.”
Deuce studied her for a long moment, then sank into the seat next to her. “Jesus Christ,” he said, staring at the ceiling for several more seconds. “Okay, here’s the deal. We listen to their plan. But if it’s as batshit crazy as we both know it’s bound to be, we blow this place.”
Alex could only answer him with a smile. This was a promise she couldn’t make and Deuce knew it.
He sighed heavily. “Fine.” Reluctantly, he rose again, hesitating like he wanted to say more, but whatever it was, he kept it to himself. He went to the door, opened it, and headed back to his seat without another word.
McElroy stuck his head in. “Are we a go?”
Alex nodded. “Let’s continue.”
Once everyone was back in place, McElroy pointed at the satellite image of Slavne Prison.
“As you so astutely pointed out,” he said, “the facility houses only female prisoners. What I was going to tell you before the interruption was that it’s a low-security facility that’s used both for women convicted of nonviolent crime and women awaiting trial.”
Deuce gestured to the image. “You call that low security?”
“I know it looks intimidating, but it’s been there since well before World War Two. At that time, yes, it was intended for higher-risk inmates, but over the years they’ve built better, more modern facilities for those
Before McElroy could reply, Deuce dropped his plate to the table, spilling one of the sandwiches off the side. “Whoa. Absolutely not,” he said. “This is not even close to a good idea. Alex, we’re done. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“You’ve already signed contracts,” McElroy said.
“So sue us,” Deuce told him, crossing for the door, not looking back until he got there. But Alex remained in her seat. “Alex? Come on.”
She didn’t move. She knew Deuce was right, that they should leave, but she kept thinking about that photograph of her father and El-Hashim. Kept visualizing it, thinking about all the years that had passed since she and Danny had last seen him.
“Alex,” Deuce said. “Hello? Let’s go.”
She still didn’t move.
Deuce frowned deeply now, then crossed to her chair and leaned in close. “You cannot possibly be considering this.”
“It won’t hurt to listen to what he has to say.”
Deuce gaped. “It’s a prison , Alex. A prison in a former Soviet country. Are you—” He paused and glanced at the others. “Can I speak to my partner alone for a moment?”
McElroy exhaled an exasperated breath. “Please make it quick.” He, Cooper, and the technician left the room.
The moment Alex and her partner were alone, Deuce said, “What are you thinking?”
“You know why I’m here. This woman, she spoke to my father.”
“Good for her,” Deuce said. “But right now she’s locked up in a goddamn Ukrainian prison out in the middle of nowhere. You think you’re just gonna slip in there and walk her out? I don’t know exactly how these dickheads think they’re gonna pull this off, but whatever their plan is, you and I both know it could go south about a thousand different ways.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry, Deuce. I shouldn’t have involved you in this.”
“What the hell are you talking about? It’s a woman’s prison. I’m not the one who’ll be walking into the line of fire. That’ll be all you. If something happens while you’re inside, I’m not going to be there to help. Father or no father, I’m not gonna let that happen.”
Alex knew he was only speaking out of concern for her—out of love, when it came down to it—but Deuce could never fully understand the sense of loss she’d felt concerning her parents. If there was a chance to ease her pain—and Danny’s, too—she had to consider it.
“I’m staying, Deuce. I want to at least hear what McElroy has to say.”
Deuce studied her for a long moment, then sank into the seat next to her. “Jesus Christ,” he said, staring at the ceiling for several more seconds. “Okay, here’s the deal. We listen to their plan. But if it’s as batshit crazy as we both know it’s bound to be, we blow this place.”
Alex could only answer him with a smile. This was a promise she couldn’t make and Deuce knew it.
He sighed heavily. “Fine.” Reluctantly, he rose again, hesitating like he wanted to say more, but whatever it was, he kept it to himself. He went to the door, opened it, and headed back to his seat without another word.
McElroy stuck his head in. “Are we a go?”
Alex nodded. “Let’s continue.”
Once everyone was back in place, McElroy pointed at the satellite image of Slavne Prison.
“As you so astutely pointed out,” he said, “the facility houses only female prisoners. What I was going to tell you before the interruption was that it’s a low-security facility that’s used both for women convicted of nonviolent crime and women awaiting trial.”
Deuce gestured to the image. “You call that low security?”
“I know it looks intimidating, but it’s been there since well before World War Two. At that time, yes, it was intended for higher-risk inmates, but over the years they’ve built better, more modern facilities for those
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