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He motioned with his head that they should continue walking. She stopped him. "I can make it myself," she said boldly. "You don't need to bother walking me."

"It's no bother," he said.

"Colonel, if I may be so blunt. Am I your hostage, or am I free to take William for a walk down by the river?"

He laughed. "Point taken. No, you're not my hostage. Of course, you're free to go for a walk. Just be careful. Dinner will be at seven in the mansion's dining room." He gave her a slight nod before turning and heading back to the Tower house.

She made her way back to the apartment, her heart pounding. Now all she needed was to find out where Cumbernauld was located.

Sin had told her earlier the mansion housed a library. She walked aimlessly around the endless hallways with William on her heels, sticking her head into various rooms until she came across it. It was magnificent to say the least. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Several chairs and small couches were set up in corners and by windows for reading. She wasn't sure where to start looking and ran her hand over several books.

"Can I help you find something?"

She looked up, startled. "Kian," she said. "I was just looking for something to read to pass the time."

"Anything in particular?" he asked with an arched brow. "You could spend hours just browsing. I know."

"I was curious about the giant sculptures all over Scotland. They seem to be popular," she said."I thought I might read up on them."

He led her over to a section against the back wall. "If there is one, it will be over here. Is there a specific one you're interested in?"

"I've seen the Kelpies firsthand," she said. "I was wondering about the mermaid."

"You mean Arria?" He pulled a book off the shelf.

"Is that her name?"

"Yes, or at least what the locals call her." He handed her a book called Modern Met. "You might find her in here."

"Do you know where she's located?" she asked.

"Cumbernauld. It's outside Glasgow off the M80."

"Oh, is that far?"

"A few hours." He continued to peruse the shelf. "I'm sure Sin will take you if you ask."

Sin's car was still parked outside the mansion, she saw it on the way to the Tower house, so they must have taken Gabriel's. If she could find his keys, she could get herself there. "I'm sure he will." She held the book up. "Thank you. I think I'll take it back to my room." She turned and started to leave.

"Will you be at dinner tonight?" he asked. "I can stop by your door and pick you up."

She shook her head. "I didn't sleep very well last night. I think I'll just stay in the room. But thanks anyway."

Back in Sin's room, Charlie looked for the car keys. She found them in a drawer by the bed. She thought her best bet was to wait for dinner when everyone was gathered in the dining room. Now she just needed to wait.

* * *

Few things bothered Sin in life, but careless mistakes were one of the things that did. He stood next to the kitchen table in his flat in Edinburgh going over the details of the mission with his team. For that's what it was now, a mission, and their target was Sokolov. They needed to put a stop to the man's reign of torment once and for all.

Dougie had found them an access for entry at the back of the abbey where they could easily climb over the security wall. Sin would go in first, unarmed, with Carmichael and Wraith following behind. Gabriel would stay in the van. They rarely used such a large team, but it was a rescue operation also, and they needed to bring back Imogen alive. There was no room for error.

He thought about calling Charlotte to make sure she was all right, but he couldn't afford the distraction. Alex had called earlier, warning them she thought it was possibly a trap. He knew she was scared, but he had to trust Alex would keep her safe.

Gabriel came up behind him and put a hand on his back. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm just hoping we haven't missed something," he said.

"It will be fine. It's a well thought out plan," the angel said. "You're thinking about her?"

"No." He shook his head. "I mean, yes. I just hope she stays put."

"She will. She's in the safest spot she can be."

"I don't think she trusts me," Sin said.

"She trusts you. It's just now you have someone else to think about. It will be fine."

"Yeah," Sin said. "Let's keep telling ourselves that."

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