The aircraft descended toward Vnukovo Airport while Ral studied his captors with the analytical detachment prison had taught him. Elena's team consisted of six operatives—two pilots, four field agents trained to perfection. But perfection bred patterns, and patterns created vulnerabilities for anyone patient enough to observe them.
"You are thinking about escape," Elena observed from the seat across from him. "I can see calculations happening behind your eyes. Let me save you time. You are forty thousand feet above Russia, surrounded by trained operatives, heading toward SVR headquarters where hundreds of intelligence officers will be very interested in what you know. There is no escape from this situation."
"There is always escape," Ral replied. "You just have to be willing to pay the p
