The second they were out of the building, Ethan made the call.
"You're cutting it very close, Ethan." Lane commented dryly, and Brandt's jaw clenched from where he could hear Lane's voice from Ethan's phone.
"I have what you want." Ethan replied shortly, not bothering, or wanting, to engage any further. "Where do I go?"
********
Luther looked up from where he was drilling as he heard tires screeching. He moved to meet his friends as Ethan pulled up right in front of where Luther had set up the laptop, ready for Ethan. He and Brandt climbed out of the car quickly, walking swiftly over, Ethan heading for the computer and Brandt heading for the back of the warehouse facility, shrugging out of his suit jacket as he went.
"Ethan, wait." Luther called as he moved to shut the laptop and forcing Ethan to pause momentarily.
"If I'm not there in 15 minutes, he'll kill Kat and Benji." Ethan hissed, and Luther pointed out seriously: "Your mission is to bring down the Syndicate. If Lane gets his hands on that money, we're unleashing a terrorist superpower."
"He'll never take me alive." Ethan replied just as seriously. "I'll make sure of it."
"What happens, Ethan," Brandt asked in concern, "if you can't make it back?"
His eyes held worry, worry for Ethan, worry for Kat, for Benji, and for the whole world as they knew it, as he stared Ethan in the eye.
Ethan met his eyes determinedly as he answered: "I'll make it back." Brandt bowed his head. "Just be ready."
Brandt nodded, getting to work as Luther let Ethan access the laptop. He moved to help Brandt as Ethan activated the message contained in the red box.
"Greetings, Prime Minister." The recording of Atlee began. "If you are viewing this message, it means that you have chosen to activate the Syndicate."
Ethan activated the accounts, reading through them quickly as Atlee continued: "This drive gives you access to 2.4 billion pound sterling in untraceable currency, that will allow the Syndicate to operate undetected for decades. Instructions to access these funds are as follows."
With less than ten minutes until meeting time left, Ethan finished reading the contents of the flash drive and he pulled it out quickly, drilling it and destroying it. Permanently.
********
Ethan arrived at the designated meeting spot, a small open restaurant near the Tower of London. He spotted Ilsa sitting at one of the tables so that she had a clear view of him. She caught his eye, and he noted she was looking very anxious as she glanced at the two figures sitting across from her. Benji was turned completely away from his line of sight, but Ethan could just make out the side of Kat's face and he could see how deathly pale she was.
Ethan swore internally. If Lane had hurt her, he was going to kill him, and then he would have to probably take Ilsa up on her offer to run, because Brandt would kill him.
Ethan turned slightly to see Vinter on the far side of the street, and looking back he saw Vinter's right-hand man standing down the street. He picked up on a few others, noting the way they were blocking him off at both ends of the street. He turned back to Ilsa, who was watching him with a grim expression, and Ethan walked over with a similar expression.
He entered the restaurant slowly, coming closer to see the earpiece hanging in Benji and Kat's ears respectively and he frowned as he noted the coats they were wearing. While it was true the night was rather chilly, he doubted it was Lane's generosity. Kat glanced over as he slowly came to a stop beside them, and Benji also slowly looked up.
"This is the end, Mr. Hunt." Benji told him in a controlled, emotionless voice, but his eyes betrayed him. Figuratively and literally. They were wide and filled with fear, but Ethan could also see the camera lens in his left eye. He glanced over at Kat as she looked up at him, and he saw the same lens in her right eye.
Ethan frowned and slowly reached for Kat's jacket.
"Careful." Ilsa warned in an undertone, and Ethan paused glancing at her, before he reached under Kat's jacket, parting it just slightly to reveal the bomb wiring all over her torso, locked in by a combination. She was watching him with a faint panicky expression as Ethan looked back at her.
He turned to Benji, slowly opening his jacket to reveal a similar setup on the man's torso, except his was complete with a timer, which was currently showing 3 minutes 50 seconds, and counting down.
"2 pounds of Semtex," Benji listed as Kat closed her eyes briefly, "500, 30 caliber ball bearings. Each." He repeated Lane's words. "Your friends are sitting on highly sensitive - pressure triggers. So, no sudden moves."
Benji swallowed at the end, his voice breaking just slightly and betraying his fear. Ethan glanced at Ilsa, and she showed him the gun she was holding covertly in her lap.
"Your final test." Ethan murmured, and Ilsa explained flatly: "When Lane has what he wants, I kill you, Kat, and Benji." Ethan's hands curled in fists. "If not, everyone dies."
Ethan glanced around at the crowds of people, enjoying the restaurant food, the night view from the Tower, walking along the river...
"No time to think, Ethan." Kat said, and he was a little surprised by how controlled her voice was. "Have a seat, please."
Ethan stared at Kat as she bit her lip, and he could see the fear in her eyes despite her best efforts not to show it. He nodded at her, trying to tell her it would be okay, and she gave the slightest nod back. Ethan moved to sit in the one free seat at the table, between the two women and across from Benji.
"Human nature," Benji said flatly, "my weapon of choice."
"From the moment I killed the young lady in the record shop," Kat's voice shook just slightly at that part before she reined herself in and spoke more calmly, "and kidnapped Katelyn Taylor, I knew you would stop at nothing to catch me."
"I also knew Ilsa wouldn't have a choice." Benji took over and Ethan's fist was curled so tight his knuckles went white at the way Lane was manipulating his friends. "Whether she broke you that night you met or let you go. Whether you let her run in Morocco. Whether she went to Atlee or not."
"You were certain we would end up where we are... right now." Ethan finished quietly.
Kat swallowed, trying not to shake as she watched the countdown on Benji's timer hit 2 minutes 10 seconds.
"Then again," Ethan continued suddenly, "so was I."
Kat stared at him, especially as he continued, staring right at her as he addressed both her and Lane: "I knew from the moment you didn't kill Kat that you were letting her live to use against me. And that's what you did."
She swallowed, not really knowing what he was doing. Was he purposefully goading Lane? She wasn't sure she appreciated it as she glanced over to see the countdown hitting 2 minutes.
"I know you, Lane." Ethan hissed. "Somewhere along the line you had a crisis of faith. Human life didn't matter anymore, or maybe it never really did. Either way, you killed too many innocent people without ever asking who is giving the orders. Or why."
Benji was also shaking slightly as they all wondered if Ethan had lost his marbles as he continued: "You blame the system for what you are. Instead of yourself. You wanted revenge. But Rome wasn't destroyed in a day. You needed help, you needed the money. A lot of it. And you'll stop at nothing to get it."
Ethan leaned forward, staring at Kat's eye as he stated: "That's how I know I'm going to put you in a box."
Kat was chewing her lip so much Ethan was worried she was going to bite it off, before she let go of her bottom lip, swallowing before she asked, repeating Lane's words: "Where is the disk?"
"You like to play games." Ethan retorted as he reached for a napkin and a pen. "I have a game for you."
He started writing on it, as they all stared at him like he was insane. Ilsa and Kat glanced at the timer as it hit 1 minute 20 seconds.
"I'll give you 50 million dollars," Ethan said, "to let Kat and Benji go. Each."
He held up what he'd been writing, and they stared at the bank account details. There was a pause of maybe ten seconds, but it was ten seconds too long. Kat was starting to fight the panic building inside as she glanced at the timer. 54 seconds.
"Where is the disk?" Benji demanded, and both he and Kat could hear the impatience in Lane's voice. "Where is the disk?"
"You're looking at it." Ethan retorted as he stared into Benji's eyes this time. "I am the disk. I memorized it, all 2.4 billion in numbered accounts. If those vests goes off, you get nothing."
Benji glanced at his chest, his face grimacing with horror while Kat's eyes widened and she closed her eyes in terror, before forcing them open as she stared at Ethan pleadingly. He was not risking the lives of thousands on this gamble. How the hell had Brandt agreed to this? 'Because it's Ethan.' She thought wryly.
"Without this money, you are nothing." Ethan hissed. "Without me, you are nothing."
The timer hit 27 seconds, and Kat took a deep, calming breath as Ethan continued, taunting Lane: "Right now, you're thinking it's bluff. I'd never let my friends die. I couldn't possibly memorize the entire disk. There's only one way to be sure. Let Kat and Benji go."
Kat was biting her lip again, chewing enough to draw blood as the timer hit 10 seconds and down. Benji's face was scrunching with terror as he prepared himself for the blast, his eyes welling up with tears. Ilsa's entire body had tensed, preparing for the same thing as Kat closed her eyes, fighting sobs as her hands curling into tight balls and she waited to be blown to smithereens along with her friends and countless innocents.
At less than 1 second, the time stopped. Benji let out the breath he'd been holding while Ilsa exhaled deeply and Kat almost collapsed. Ethan glanced around, noting Vinter and his men starting to move, and he ordered Ilsa: "They come one step closer, shoot me."
She moved immediately, sliding her chair across to sit right beside Ethan, placing her gun at his side, and Vinter's men stopped walking swiftly at Lane's orders.
Kat was shaking now, while Benji let out another breath before saying to Ethan frantically: "You remember I told you, one day you were going to take things too far?"
He nodded at Ethan pointedly, adding: "This is me speaking, by the way, it's not him."
Ethan ignored the jibe, addressing Lane as he said, staring at Benji's left eye: "The only way this ends is you and me, Lane, face to face. Only this time I won't be locked in a glass box while you hold Kat hostage before me."
Kat glanced at him, her eyes filled with tears, but Ethan didn't look at her as he snarled: "You want your money. The Bone Doctor is gonna have to beat it out of me."
He smashed his fist down on the table as he snarled harshly: "Now let Kat and Benji go."
Kat stared at him, swallowing hard as she struggled not to completely freak. She paused as Lane recited in her ear: "One...Three... Nine..."
She blinked before slowly typing it into the combination on her chest. He was clearly doing the same for Benji as Benji copied her actions, and Ethan watched as they disarmed the bombs and unlocked their vests. Benji removed his eye cam as Kat took a deep breath before doing the same.
Benji carefully shrugged the jacket and the vest off as Kat followed his lead, though she was shaking so much she was taking a lot longer. Her bravery had clearly reached its limit, and while she'd handled the actual danger calmer than Benji had, she was certainly not dealing with the aftermath nearly as well as the agent.
As Benji stood, Ethan quickly handed him a cellphone, murmuring: "Take Kat, and go."
She shot him a look as Benji did the same, both unhappy about leaving him.
"Ethan-" Kat began, but Ethan cut across her as he looked her in the eye: "Brandt and Luther are waiting, go."
She stared at him for a beat longer before she nodded.
"Be careful." She warned before she let Benji help her up and the two quickly hurried away from the restaurant. Benji covered Kat protectively just in case as they passed Vinter, who watched them go before asking Lane: "What do I do?"
Benji and Kat broke into a run, getting far away before they could be caught and used as bait for Ethan once again.
"Kill the woman." Lane replied to Vinter. "I need Hunt alive."
Ethan and Ilsa watched Vinter's men moving, and they knew what was going to happen, what Vinter would try to do. Ethan slowly turned to Ilsa, raising a brow questioningly and she nodded just slightly as she met his gaze determinedly, her blue eyes icy.
The second Vinter's men pulled their guns, the pair leapt to their feet, Ethan moving to shield Ilsa completely with his body as she lifted her gun over his shoulder and fired at Vinter's men. The civilians around them began to scream, ducking and moving away from the fight, as Ethan kept his body completely in front of Ilsa so that Vinter's men couldn't shoot.
He saw one of Vinter's men from trying to come up from behind, and spun them, grabbing Ilsa's gun himself and firing at the man. They moved as quickly as they could to get out of the restaurant, when Ilsa tapped his shoulder. He glanced back to see Vinter coming up behind them, and as the man tried to fire, Ethan spun to face him, shooting at Vinter while Vinter couldn't shoot them.
They ran out of bullets as they reached the edge of the restaurant, and the pair ran out into the night, using the darkness to help their escape as Vinter snarled and began to chase them.
********
Warehouse
Brandt and Luther were sweating as they worked, drilling and trying to move as quickly as possible, when Brandt's phone rang. He quickly answered it, yelling over the sound of drilling: "Go!"
"It's Benji, where am I going?" Benji asked quickly, and Brandt demanded: "And Kat?"
"Really?" Benji asked in exasperation. "She's fine- you know what, here, you take it."
There was a slight shuffling noise, and then Kat's voice called over the phone: "Will?"
"Kat." Brandt sighed in relief, a grin tugging at his lips when Kat replied impatiently: "Not the time. Where are we going?"
He quickly recited instructions for her before ending the call and calling over to Luther: "They're coming."
"We're not ready." Luther protested, and Brandt replied shortly: "Then get ready."