Page 25 of Shadowfox

“Three days,” I replied. “Possibly four, depending on scheduling.”

“And where are you staying?”

“The Gellért Hotel and the Astoria.” I motioned between Will and me, then Egret and Sparrow. “Two and two. For convenience.”

He nodded, then turned back to the Hungarian officer beside him. The two exchanged a few rapid words in Hungarian. The guard grunted and moved out of the compartment, his boots thudding down the corridor.

The Soviet lingered another moment, then handed back the folder.

“Enjoy your stay,” he said, expression unreadable but clearly not wishing us the pleasant journey his words encouraged.

He turned, then paused in the doorway.

“We will be watching.”

Then he was gone.

The door slid shut behind him with a final, metallic snap.

For a long moment, none of us moved, then I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

“That could have gone worse,” Will murmured, handing me back his passport.

“It could have gone to hell,” I said, sitting heavily. “Sparrow, you all right?”

She nodded. “I don’t like how long he looked at me.”

“He’s a predator. Theyallare,” Egret said, relaxing back into his seat again like we hadn’t just stared down death. “They look for weak points, not just in the team—in our covers. If they don’t find any, they’ll manufacture one.”

I shot Will a sharp look. “That joke back there was a risk. If he’d pushed harder—”

“He didn’t,” Egret said, coming to Will’s defense while cocking a brow. “And besides, would you rather we act like corpses? That would raise a lot more eyebrows than my brilliant sense of humor."

I didn’t like it, but he wasn’t wrong.

Will leaned over, resting a hand on my knee, grounding me. His fingers were warm and steady.

“They bought it, Thomas. Let it go.”

I nodded.

But I couldn’t let it go, not until the train lurched and the Hungarian border faded into distant night.

9

Will

Thetrainpulledintothe station under a gunmetal sky. Pregnant clouds hung low and sour. The city beyond the windows looked like a still photograph—gray stone, stiff coats, and unsmiling faces, all pressed under the boot heel of Soviet order.

As the wheels screeched to a halt, Thomas stood from his seat with a quiet, practiced motion and adjusted his tie. I took a breath and followed suit, dusting off the sleeves of my American-bureaucrat-gray overcoat. Sparrow and Egret remained seated for a second longer. Sparrow’s jaw was tight, her face pale but composed. Egret looked like he was going to ask if the train had an in-car espresso bar, as if we hadn’t just survived a brush with a Soviet inspection unit.

Thomas gave them a look as he slung his briefcase strap over his shoulder. “We separate at the platform. Remember who you are. Hotel rooms are likely bugged, so speak accordingly, even when alone. No slips, even in the bathrooms.”

“Not even in the shower?” Egret asked, too lightly.

Thomas gave him a withering stare.

“Especiallynot in the shower,” I added. “Just assume the tap water reports to Moscow.”

---