“Austria,” Kat said, as if Hale’s answer should have been good enough.
“You know how to do it, don’t you, Kitty?” Hamish was practically out of breath from his run down the stairs when he bolted onto the deck before her.
“So what is it?” Angus asked, appearing at his brother’s side and rubbing his hands together. In the dim light, his eyes seemed to glow. “Is it Hansel and Gretel?”
“Can’t be,” Hamish told him. “We only have the one grenade launcher.”
“Right.” Angus nodded as if Hamish had a most excellent point.
“That’s not it, guys,” Hale said with a quick shake of his head.
But Nick was stepping closer to Kat. The words, she could tell, were meant only for her. “What was in Austria?”
Kat no longer felt the rock and sway of the ship, but she was far from steady on her feet as she told him, “Our exit strategy.” She pushed past them. “He said no.”
She’d hoped that would be the end of it, but then she saw the way the deck was lined with cord and cable, a feather boa, two ball gowns, three tuxes, a box with a French label citing that the contents were extremely explosive, and at least six dozen long-stemmed roses (which Kat had yet to decide whether or not they should even try to use).
“Kat,” Simon spoke softly, “what happened?”
Kat looked across the faces that stared back at her, open and tired and confused, and she knew it was too late. For everything.
“I thought I had a way, guys. I really did. But Uncle Eddie was right—no one steals the Cleopatra Emerald. I’m sorry I conned you all into thinking that we could do it twice.”
Every decent con man knows that the simplest truth is more powerful than even the most elaborate lie. Kat saw it then. It broke against them all like the waves.
“So we get another plan,” Gabrielle said.
“What about the bank?” Simon asked. “We’ve got the Bagshaws.…”
“While we appreciate the vote of confidence, my boy,” Hamish said with a slap on Simon’s back, “it’s a vault thirty feet beneath the priciest real estate in the world.”
“So no?” Simon said.
Hamish shook his head. “No.”
“Does she know the Wind in the Willows?” Gabrielle asked.
Angus looked at his brother. “I’m pretty sure she was the original Willow.”
“Transit?” Hale asked.
“Yeah…um…no.” Simon shook his head as if even the thought scared him. “LaFont was on his cell most of the day arranging for transportation.”
“Armored car?” Hale guessed.
“For starters,” Simon said. “It seems the Palace Guards are also going to escort the truck. And there was talk of maybe a parade.”
Hale spun back to Kat. “How do you feel about parades?” he asked.
“Hate them.”
“You could ride on the back of a convertible,” he teased.
“No, thank you.”
“What if I throw in a sash? Gabrielle could teach you to wave, couldn’t you, Gabs?” But Gabrielle was too busy changing the ice pack that was now a permanent feature on some part of her body to notice.
“Anne Boleyn?” Hamish suggested.