Love Bird.

Well, that changes things.

"Okay, so here's the plan," I murmured, avoiding the gaze of my father who stood in the shadows, sipping a glass of tea behind Finn as we sat around his coffee table. For some reason Finn had said we'd need him. 

"Our decoys will blaze a trail in from the south, through the interstate here," I said, trailing my finger along a straight and narrow highway leading to the place where Victor was being kept. "You'll come in as quietly as you can from the east. I've studied the address they gave me. It's nothing special. A two story building, possible basement and easy entry from above or below. Can't go directly in," I murmured before Logan could ask, as I saw him opening his mouth, "Ike's dumb but he's not stupid. He's got protection, and a hell of a lot of it."

Finn nodded in agreement, munching on popcorn that he'd made a few minutes before, the smell permeating the house. I couldn't help but roll my eyes when he came in with it. He treated everything like a good movie.

"Finn and Logan, I'll need you two to be my distractions. Get their attention on you. I'll go in from the west side. Judging from past experience Victor will be in plain sight. Like bait."

"He is bait," Logan cut in, eyes on me. "I still don't like the idea of you going in alone."

"Well, that's where it gets complicated. If Victor is bait - Ike will be waiting," I said, not meeting Logan's eyes. "I'm not going in blind on this. I know exactly why I'm being led there, and I know exactly what will happen to Victor once Ike gets me pinned."

"So that's why we aren't going with my plan?" Finn asked through a mouthful of snack food.

I reached forward to grab a handful of his popcorn as I spoke. "Too risky. Ike knows me too well to keep Victor alive for too long after he has me in his grasp. A bait-and-switch won't work."

Finn looked down at his bowl as I munched on some of his popcorn, eyebrows furrowed as if he wanted to say something, but he shrugged and kept eating. "Dirk? What are your thoughts?"

I didn't look up from marking on my map with my blue highlighter as my father spoke.

"She's got it right. Ike knows how she operates about as well as she does, now. He won't let her get away with a stunt like when he took me or Kent. This is for real."

Part of me felt a little pride that my father was praising me. But I squashed the feeling down. I didn't care what he thought. 

"The best plan I have is to go in as stealthily as I can. It's not my style. He won't see it coming."

Everyone could hear the insecurity in my voice, but no on pointed it out. This plan was going on the assumption that Ike was dumb. That he wouldn't think I'd change my tactics. That he wouldn't see the obvious trap. I'd always said Ike was dumb but not stupid. I was counting on that. It was too late to change tactics - Finn had made the call hours ago to the head of communication for our decoys. They'd soon be blazing their trail towards their destination.

And no one knew I had a plan B. It was a plan I refused to share with anyone. Because they'd do anything in their power to stop me. If plan A didn't work out, I'd get Victor as far as I could, and then I would give myself up.

Ideal would be both of us, but I wasn't a believer in the ideal. I believed in real life. If one of us was going to live, it was going to be Victor.

I took a deep breath, as Finn and Logan muttered to each other about the plan of distraction. When I looked up from the map I'd been staring a hole into, I caught Dad's gaze. His eyes bored into mine and for a moment I feared he knew my plan, but I brushed the worry away and averted my gaze. It didn't matter.