Lvii. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

"Coffee please," Ace says. He was wearing sunglasses and a cactus baseball hat courtesy of yours truly to hide his face. The waitress nods and turns to me.

"Could I please have two blueberry waffles with whip cream, scrambled eggs, and bacon? Oh and a coffee," I smile thinly. The waitress furiously scribbles everything down.

Banana Bread deadpans me; I roll my eyes. "I eat when I'm stressed."

We sit in the booth, waiting for Thirteen and his men to come. Skye sat in the booth three down, while Special Agent Russo sits five booths down. Agent Russo was wearing a blonde wig and had blue eyes like Emma Watts. Hopefully, her presence and Skye's fake outburst would trigger Thirteen enough to act irrationally.

I was painfully aware of my own physiological movements. From the corner of my eye, I could see through the large window the high rise that Xavier was waiting with a gun. Hopefully he could take Thirteen out immediately.

"They're coming in three," Daniel's voice reaches my earpiece. "I see them half a block away. There's about three vans likely full of backup trailing behind them."

"Is there really a need for the Interpol fuck-up to be here?" Ace asks. "I'm sure there's a kiddie-pool somewhere wondering where their life guard went."

"I hope you get shot, Flappy Bird," Daniel seethes back.

"Shut up, mustard stain."

"I swear to you the entire agency is as pretentious as a vegan on their way to SoulCycle."

"You two are both actual minimum-wage party clowns," I sigh. "Now let's focus, Dumb and Dumber."

My fingers shake unwittingly in preparation. Ace takes my hand in his. "We'll be okay."

"When you say the words 'it's a deal,' I'll take Agent Russo hostage up to the roof," Skye says through the earpiece. "Chase—get to the roof when you hear those words."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Xavier says. "I have a clear shot right now."

Suddenly, the entrance bell rings. The innocent sound rings throughout the soft chatter of the diner. Thirteen, Katrina, and three other men enter. The three men take seats close to our booth by the bar. Thirteen and Katrina slide into the other side of our booth. Ace's jaw slightly tightens.

Thirteen's grass-green eyes land on me. "I'm glad you chose to accept my deal. Let my Queen leave with me, and you have my word that there will be no more violence."

Katrina visibly bristles at the mention of his Queen. To make up for it, she moves her dark hair to be on one side of her neck. Thirteen's eyes are concentrated on us. Katrina's gaze, however, is fixated on him. Her grip tightens around her brown leather jacket. What was it with criminals and leather jackets? It's like they're all gonna walk the runway after beating people up.

My fingertips press into my palms. Could I use Katrina like an angry racoon to provoke Thirteen?

"What makes you think we can trust you?" Ace spits.

"Blackwell. As hostile as always," Thirteen smirks. He leans against the table. "You're right, you have no reason to trust me. But what is the alternative? We both know that it puzzles you how I've always been one step ahead. It's either my word, and you can leave here knowing you saved hundreds of lives, or I take my Queen willingly."

My throat is dry. The waitress interrupts our conversation with my blueberry waffles and other food. She notices our discomfort and quickly leaves when Thirteen gives her a dismissive smile. We probably had about five minutes since she would likely call the police.

"Wrap it up," Daniel says over the earpiece. "The waitress called the police. I intercepted the call, but she'll call again."

I flinch. During the entirety of when Thirteen was threatening Ace, his eyes were fixated on me in a cold and unmoving manner.

"Get Thirteen to move closer to the window," Xavier's static says. "I can only shoot Katrina right now, not Thirteen."

"That won't be possible without raising suspicion," Daniel says, "We have to move to plan B. When you say the words, Octavia, we move."

I turn my attention back to my food. "Do you know why I'm confident you won't kill us?" I ask.

Katrina's gaze flickers to me. "Because you're an idiot?"

"Shut up you retarded fire-hydrant," I spit.

My attention turns to Thirteen. "It's because if you didn't need us, you wouldn't be here. You would have taken her at our penthouse. As of right now," I lean in, a smirk playing at my lips, "You don't know the identity of whom you love."

Thirteen's gaze narrows. "You're going to pay for taunting me."

"Octavia's right," Ace clears his throat. "Allow me to clarify that this is not simply a deal but a negotiation. We want more than just your word that no harm would be caused."

Katrina's hands are balled up into fists. I could tell that she was conflicted on whether she should serve Thirteen. After all, helping Thirteen find his Queen would have destroyed any chance at a reciprocated, love-filled relationship. I need to take this opportunity.

"Katrina," I smile. "I know thinking is hard for you, but try hard for me. What are your thoughts?"

Ace's eyebrows raise. Momentary confusion passes over Katrina's face. Thirteen, though I couldn't tell, it almost seemed as if he smirked.

Katrina quickly regains composure. "I'll do whatever it takes to help Thirteen."

"I see that you're willing to remain loyal to him as he becomes reunited with the one he truly and deeply loves." I tilt my head in innocence at her furrowed brows.

"What proof do you want that I'll comply?" Thirteen asks.

"We want to place a microchip into you," I state. "It will allow us to track your every movement to ensure you are not causing any wrongdoing. You wouldn't be able to remove it without causing paralysis."

A hush falls over our booth by the corner as Thirteen considers this option. I couldn't believe that he was actually considering it. Does this mean that he actually cared enough about a girl he didn't know that he would destroy his empire?

"It's a small price to pay for love," Ace adds.

"I've been waiting for her for so long," Thirteen says in a wistful tone. "I'll do it. If you send my Queen to my people right now I will turn myself over. Use some sort of mind-numbing solution if you believe it's necessary. But then you hand her over."

Katrina's eyes go wide. "Ian—are you sure? Please, you don't know her—"

"—Enough, Katrina. I do know her," Thirteen states.

"Alright then. It's a deal," I smile.

Three things simultaneously happen at once.

A bullet whizzes through the windows we're sitting by, shattering glass and hitting Katrina in the left arm. Katrina lets out a scream, then reaches over the table to grab Ace. He responds by twisting her arms.

Skye quickly jumps to grab Agent Russo and holds her by gunpoint. "Are you fucking serious Snow? You took a deal with the devil himself," Skye shouts.

Thirteen's gaze flickers to the decoy Queen Skye is holding at gunpoint. He leaps after her, and Skye forces her and Agent Russo up to the roof. Thirteen's men too, begin to run after Skye. Ace tackles Thirteen to the floor after I pie Katrina with my blueberry waffle and whip cream.

Third, all the patrons in the room run out in a panic.

"We're ready for you Antar," Chase pants over the earpiece.

Ace and Thirteen are locked in hand to hand combat at the bar. Ace takes a pot, slamming Thirteen with it, but the latter blocks the hit then hooks Ace's foot. Thirteen then throws Ace across the counter. The spy jumps from the floor, dodging, as Thirteen throws plates at him.

Katrina wipes the whip cream from her face. I take the closest object I can find, a coffee pot, then hit her with it. She takes me by my arm and twists it against my back.

"Go to the roof!" Thirteen instructs Katrina. "These people are useless—make sure my Queen is safe."

Katrina nods and runs after Skye. I can't help but stand helplessly as Ace and Thirteen are equally matched. The latter is definitely stronger—showing animal-like strength, he rips a barstool built into the diner floor and swings it at Ace. Ace stops the swing and pushes against his aggressor.

"You piece of shit—" Ace spits. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"What changed?" Thirteen grimaces through a snarl, "The fact that I threatened your little plaything? Even back during training, you were always too weak to kill people. You know me."

"Trust me, that's changed."

"You're fucking weak, Blackwell, and I've just benefited off of that."

Ace lets out a primitive shout and kicks Thirteen in the chest. Instead of fighting back, Thirteen hurdles over the bar to run up the stairs after what he believes is his Queen.

I step in front of Ace. "Banana Bread, it's okay," I console. "He's on the roof. Our plan is working; we'll catch them soon. Don't let your emotions distract you. Thirteen is playing you."

He takes me into his arms, squeezing me tightly. My head fits perfectly in his chest. It's heaving heavily, and his pulse beating even faster.

We run out to the roof, where a rift has grown between Chase, Skye, a dozen CIA agents, and Thirteen, Katrina, and a dozen Thorned Kings agents. Skye's gun is still pointed at Agent Russo. She's doing a good job playing the role of the distressed bystander.

"You guys ready?" Chase shouts.

"There are two more vans coming," Daniel states over the earpiece. "I'm sending over backup now. Keep an eye on him."

"Are you ready, Darling?" Thirteen smiles over a high wind. 

Thirteen: "Vote Darlings, and I won't kill you."

Octavia and Ace: "Vote and I'll shoot him."