[MAX]
"Isn't he some kind of prince, or something?" Winston's brow furrowed.
"He's a British lord," Moreau corrected before I could. Her head was canted as she watched me. "He's quite popular around the world, actually. I think he's been named one of the 'most wanted bachelor's.'"
I shrugged. "I hadn't heard of him until recently."
"Max doesn't keep up on the news unless she's in it," Danny said. I could hear the slight smirk in his voice even though I didn't turn to look at him.
I chose to ignore his comment. "I know he's popular with the media around the world for all the wrong reasons. Looks, status ..." I waved a hand. "It's all a cover. He's actually got his hands in a number of different criminal organizations. I told you about de Loughrey because Sebastian is connected to her. Using her would be a more appropriate phrase, but," I shrugged. "I'm only coming to you about this, Winston, because Sebastian made a mistake."
Winston leaned back in his chair. "How so?"
"He decided to make an enemy of me."
Winston frowned. I was familiar enough with him at this point in our lives that I could tell he was considering the information I'd given him. So I pressed on.
"It started in China. He was targeting a gang leader, and trying to draw me out simultaneously. That was arguably his poorest attempt. Then came Romania — he went after Danny's old team, because he had the same suspicions you and yours had about my connection to Danny. That didn't go his way, either." I chose to forgo the part where it also didn't fully go my way.
"Then," I continued, "came the fun part where, after I was arrested, he manipulated one of yours to try and get me thrown into solitary."
Winston and Moreau were visibly surprised by that.
"I don't know who he used," I admitted. "But I do know it was an attempt to get me out of the way."
"Assistant Director Tyler ..." Moreau said quietly.
Winston nodded, though his gaze didn't leave me. "If what you're saying is true, then we have a mole in the FBI."
"What, you thought you guys were an impenetrable force?" Dylan asked with an unimpressed look. "You don't think people you work with can be bought?"
"We're supposed to be better than that," Winston said.
"A lot of people are supposed to do a lot of things," I said. "But you'll find it's rare for the world to actually work that way."
Winston shook his head and sighed. "I don't have time for a philosophical conversation with you, Destin. Can you prove that the Berkshire guy is after you?"
"Aside from the mole in the FBI that I just handed you on a silver platter?" The laugh that escaped me was sardonic. "It's not like we've been corresponding, Winston. That's not really how this works."
"So you have no concrete, physical evidence."
"Really, dude?" Danny said. "She gave you the Empress, and this assistant director guy who's a mole, and that's not enough for you?"
"Helpful though that information may be," Winston said dryly, "it's hardly enough to prove that Berkshire is the threat that Destin is claiming."
"What would his endgame be?" Moreau asked me. "His motive?"
"Is world domination too cliché of an answer? I asked. "Because aside from that, and probably my eventual demise, I don't have an answer yet." I glanced over at Dylan. "Would fixing his own boredom be a reasonable answer?"
"Don't think so," Dylan said. His expression revealed that he was not amused by anything about this situation, and he may have been a little too close to losing his temper.
I shrugged and looked back to Winston and Moreau. "That's all the proof and motivation I've got right now."
Winston shook his head. "It's not enough."
"It's going to have to be," I said. "I didn't come here to give you all of the answers, Winston. I came here to warn you." I paused. "And because I'm going to need you to arrest him."
Winston's eyebrows shot up. "I would need far more evidence than you've currently—"
"I know, I know," I interrupted, holding up a hand to silence him. "And when the time comes, I guarantee you, you'll have plenty of evidence. But that time is not now. Now, I need to go to Doha, Qatar, so I can do one of the many jobs that the law enforcement seems to continuously fail at."
Winston barked a laugh that actually almost sounded amused. "What in the world makes you think I'm letting you leave?"
I arched a brow. "Aside from the fact that letting me go will inevitably lead to Sebastian and allow you to arrest him?"
"I never said that that was how I was going to play this," Winston said. "Not to even mention I'd have to believe you before I would even consider letting you go anywhere right now — aside from prison."
I smirked. "That's the thing." I feigned a sigh, and pulled out the phone that the Interpol agents had failed to remove from my person. I was unmoved when Winston jumped to his feet as he realized what I held. "You don't get to call all of the shots."
MAX: NOW.
REZNOR: YOU GOT IT.
The door to the glass box whirred open.
Winston's hand went for his gun as I stepped out of the glass box, but what he had evidently forgotten was that he had disarmed himself before he entered the interrogation room. As was protocol for most organizations.
Danny and Dylan followed close behind me. Each of them moved to one side of me as I faced Winston and Moreau.
"This can go one of two ways," I said as I dropped my phone back into my jacket pocket. "Either you can let me walk out of here, and then follow me to Qatar and get your evidence—" Winston looked like smoke might start to pour of his ears; his face was red with fury. Moreau's eyes were wide and her lips were parted slightly. "—or, we can go with option two, where you try to stop us and we let ourselves out, then deal with the fallout of you setting the alarm.
"And while I know the second option may seem the most appealing to you, I should warn you: we're still going to get away, and you're still going to have to follow me to Qatar. So." I flashed a smile. "It's your choice."
Moreau put a hand on Winston's arm and tugged him toward her. I couldn't hear what she said, but while it did nothing to improve Winston's disposition, when he turned to face us he growled: "Get out. Now. Before I change my mind."
I grinned and headed toward the door, the twins close behind me. "I'll see you both in Qatar," I called over my shoulder.
