"We need to leave now if we're going to set up properly before noon."
Viktor was already gathering equipment while Marcus finished his coffee, and the sleepless night showed on everyone's faces.
"I still think this is a terrible idea," Aria said, "Walking into a meeting with Vera is suicide."
"We've established that," Marcus replied. She wants something, and I need to know what it is. I want her to make a mistake. "
"She wants to manipulate you," Aria said. "That's what Vera does, she gets inside your head and makes you think you have choices when really you're just doing exactly what she planned all along."
"Then we'll be careful," Marcus said. "We'll listen, and learn what we can, and we'll get out."
Dmitri finished checking his weapons. "I'll position myself on a boat offshore with a rifle. If Vera tries anything, I'll have a clear shot."
"She'll expect that," Aria warned. "She'll have countersurveillance watching for exactly that kind of setup."
