"He'll most likely sweep her and find the sub-dermal we're injecting today. When the others are gone, and the sweep is done, she'll activate the fourth."
I hold up my left middle finger. "Just above the knuckle. Press it, activated. Press it again, deactivated in case they do a second sweep. Had it sent from R&D. Dobbs injected it the night after Brendan's funeral in case Cain kidnapped me at some point." I press the spot. "Got it?"
Jem taps a few keys, then checks the watch Shannon snuck into his desk the day of the dedication. "Affirmative."
I press it again to shut it off. Only has a ten hour battery. "If I switch it on and off five times in quick succession, then nothing, that's the S.O.S. Everything and everyone advances in. Three, just Nightingale. This guy's a bomber. Wherever we go, I expect booby traps. The fewer people in, the better for everyone involved."
"I can't believe I agreed to this," Harry says. "This is insanity. You are going to get yourself killed. He could just shoot you walking out of this bank."
"If he wanted me dead, it would have happened by now. Remember, he thinks he's smarter than us. He'll want to prove it. And I'm not the real objective, Jem is. This will work. It has so far. It's simple. I lead Nightingale to Cain, he arrests him, the city's safe. We're heroes. And if I die, you can say, 'I told you so' in the eulogy."
"That's not funny," Harry says.
"Look, I'm well aware of the risks, but they're mine to take." I glance over at Jem. "And I'm all in. So no more discussion. We're doing this."
"Okay," Cam says.
"Fine," Harry says.
"Thank you."
Jem clears his throat. "Um, gentlemen, I need a minute alone to inject her with the dummy tracer. Could we please have the room?"
"Um, sure," Cam says. "We'll meet you in the men's room."
"Thank you."
Harry and Cam take one last weary look at me before walking out. And then there were two. Jem and I gaze at one another for a second. "They really care about you."
I move around the table to his side. "And I really care about them. I just pray this doesn't backfire on them. On all of us." I plop down in the chair beside him, roll up my sleeve, and hold out my forearm. "Tag me, your lordship. I have an appointment to keep."
He picks up the box and opens it. "I won't put it in too deep in case they--"
"Cut it out of me," I finish. "Yeah, I'm really looking forward to that." He doesn't give the smile I wanted. Instead he extracts the thickest needle I've ever seen, easily a millimeter across. Another toy from R&D department I had sent to the station months ago. Thought they could use it. Never considered it'd be on me though. "Can you promise me one thing?"
"What?" Jem asks as he adds the bug to the saline solution.
"Never grow a beard. You look ridiculous."
"That's a promise I can keep. I only put it on to imitate Dr. Barnes."
"That how you sneaked out of the hospital?"
"I hacked the hospital signal days ago then filmed myself working in the office for two hours. Good thing I'm incredibly boring and only wear a few different outfits, huh? This will be cold." He wipes my arm with an alcohol swab.
"Jem, you are many things, but boring is not one of them. Sexy, brave, bonkers in bed, ow!" He injects me with the tracker, and it hurts like a mother. "Fuck!"
"Sorry. Here." We wipes the blood away and seals the hole with superglue so it's not completely obvious. "It needs a minute to dry. Don't move." He tosses everything back into the box. "Are you alright?"
"Well, my arm hurts."
"You know what I mean. It's not too late to back out."
"He threatened my family. He even threatened to blow up Pendergast. All in, remember? You didn't flinch with the possibility of your life ending, neither will I. This ends today. One way or another."
Jem nods. "I just…I can't believe he actually stopped you."
"Well, he loves you." I slide my hand into his. "Miracles happen. I mean hell, you even unfrosted my cold, dead heart."
"Did I now? I wasn't sure."
"Yeah, sorry about that," I say with a grimace. "Mind if we erase it from our memories and try again? I promise no nervous breakdown this time."
"Suppose we can give it a shot," he says with a smile. He pauses and that brilliant grin grows. "I love you, Joanna Fallon."
"I love you too, Jem Ambrose. With all my heart. I love you."
He grins, then leans across to kiss me again. The moment we touch, the tears rise. This could be the last time we do this. He knows it too because his desperation and ardor matches my own. Oh, I do love this man. I love him so much I'm afraid I might burst from it. Thank you God for this man. He breaks away first, resting his forehead on mine. "I don't want you to do this, I don't want you to do this, I don't want you to do this," he whispers as desperately as his kiss.