"Think we'll come back here when it's done?" Stuart was asking as I disassembled a gun, something which made him anxious.

I glanced to him and smiled faintly. "We could even go back to England if all goes well," I told him which made his shoulders ease.

Ira and Thierry were playing poker, trying to relax. Stuart had long lost all of his chips and Thierry refused to play cards with me. I didn't cheat, but he thought I was basically a computer with my memory. He didn't care that I couldn't run algorithms, but I could memorize what cards had a corner folded down, what had been discarded, everyone's face as they lied. Needless to say, Thierry didn't appreciate it. Ira found it hilarious.

Stuart had a beer in his hand which he played with, yet to take a sip of it. "So, um, what's the plan again?" he asked hesitantly as he glanced up at me from the bar stool.

From behind the bar, I smiled at him, placing the pieces done. We had gone over this a hundred times now, argued about it for two days, at this point we knew the plan in our sleep. His nerves were getting the best of him. "We're flying to Mexico with a stop in Florida out of Italy."

"To make sure no one is following," Stuart said and I nodded.

"Exactly, it's a precaution so they aren't warned about our arrival," I told him. I wondered if this was what it felt like to be him all the time. It was an odd sense of power explaining everything to someone and knowing you have their undivided attention. His eyes never left mine, even as I glanced down to under the bar and poured myself a drink. "Once in Mexico, we're meeting up with Miguel. He'll let us rest there as Thierry makes preparations for the boat." And guns. "Then just before dawn, we will leave and make sure we are arriving at the island before dawn. I will disable all the boats then we go into the lab."

Stuart opened his mouth and closed it again. I sighed and raised a brow, bringing the Sambuka to my lips to give him an opportunity to speak. "No one is going to get hurt, right?"

We all knew that some of these people were Stuart's coworkers, but none of them were like him. "As long as they cooperate, no. We will use force as a last resort. Once everyone is secured within the labs, I'm going to log into the computers and, well, that doesn't matter to you." He had his own tasks to worry about, he didn't need to know my part as well. "Then you—"

"Destroy all tests, results, and any samples as Ira and Thierry go to the surface and help everyone up there," he finished with a nod, letting out a breath. "How do you make it sound so easy?"

I shrugged as I set my glass back down and started to put the gun back together, my eyes never leaving the counter. "Because it is that easy," I pointed out to him simply. If all went well, there would be no blood spilled, no one hurt, not even a single shot fired. We were fooling ourselves if we believed that. Guards would fight back, some scientists might as well. Everyone, including myself, needed to be prepared to fire a gun or do what they had to do, to make sure we would still be able to leave the island once we arrived there. "Why are you complicating it?"

Once the gun was assembled, he seemed more restless, standing up as I walked out from behind the bar. "There are so many things that could go wrong."

"There are so many things that could go right," I corrected him, examining the gun before raising it. Though we were on the opposite side of the room and at a poor angle, I didn't hesitate as I fired five shots without warning.

"Linkin!" It was Ira yelling.

Thierry turned and glanced at me, his brow raised. "Yes dear, you trying to get our attention?"

I glanced to Stuart and smirked before taking the clip out of the gun and putting the safety back on. "Stuart, go get that target, then tell me what's going to go wrong," I stated simply to the man who was as white as a ghost.

Ira stood up and went to Stuart who slowly did what I said. It was a bit of a surprise that he actually listened. He seemed to be still trying to regain his own thought. Ira caught up with him just as he arrived at the target. Thierry looked amused as I shrugged and leaned against the table beside him. "There are better ways of making a point."

"Is there really though?"

It was Ira who took the paper down and held it up. "You missed?"

Thierry scoffed and laughed. "Linkin doesn't miss. Look closer, Eagle. Look at the hole." I knew well enough by now that even though there was one hole, it was much larger than the 9mm hollow point I was using. Small ripples around the edge was the only evidence that the five bullets had hit the target.

I brought the drink in my hand back to my lips just as Thierry pulled me into his lap. I let out a surprised squeal followed by a laugh.

"Wait..." Ira was saying slowly.

"Why do you think Linkin was the only one who could leave the house without my protection? You can't deny that shot." He gently nipped at my neck and I grinned. "Stay with Tina, Doc, and you'll be fine on that island."