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“Mr So He should be doing a repeat performance in another forty The others are inside There’s been no outdoor activity and no visible indoor activity since my earlier report to Marc”

“So we progress to our attack position now,” Aidan said, referring to the barn, where they’d be launching their assault of the house “We’ll move from point to point based on Philip’s recon—first the stone wall, then the drainage ditch, then the trees, then the barn We wait for Mr So”

Both Marc and Philip nodded The tactical plan had been finalized as Aidan’s plane was nearing Osijek All three men were ready to act

On Aidan’s signal, they moved

Silently, using only hand and arnals to communicate with one another, they nated point and squatting do for concealment and assessment Once assured that they were undetected, they continued to advance, sidestepping all icy patches so their athletic boots didn’t round

They didn’t stop until they were secure in the shelter of the barn

Anchoring their helles, and radio microphones in place, they hunkered down and waited

Crescent Woods Garden Apartments

Palo Alto, California

1 March

Thursday, 5:32 pm local time

Simone had parked on the tree-lined street directly across from Jia li’s apart the curb, so it blended in nicely, inconspicuously

She was hopeful that this second part of the plan would go as smoothly as the first The only potential obstacle she’d coainst at the Business School was a tired custodian whose cart was propping open the outside door The cart itself was a blessing

in disguise, as it had allowed Si The custodian was the sticky part Using her best daed to convince him that she’d left her iPad in a particular room and prevailed upon him to let her in to find it He he which tis twice and her breasts three times All part of her plan; he let her in

The custodian waited outside the roo Simone plenty of opportunity to plant the device, slide her iPad out of her tote bag, and pretend to find it again Exiting quickly, she’d thanked hi her iPad like a priceless treasure, and scooted out the door