Rogue Nation: Meet the IMF

Chapter 13: Counterattack

The second they were out of the building, Ethan made the call.

"You're cutting it very close, Ethan." Lane commented dryly, and Brandt's jaw clenched from where he could hear Lane's voice from Ethan's phone.

"I have what you want." Ethan replied shortly, not bothering, or wanting, to engage any further. "Where do I go?"

********

Luther looked up from where he was drilling as he heard tires screeching. He moved to meet his friends as Ethan pulled up right in front of where Luther had set up the laptop, ready for Ethan. He and Brandt climbed out of the car quickly, walking swiftly over, Ethan heading for the computer and Brandt heading for the back of the warehouse facility, shrugging out of his suit jacket as he went.

"Ethan, wait." Luther called as he moved to shut the laptop and forcing Ethan to pause momentarily.

"If I'm not there in 15 minutes, he'll kill Kat and Benji." Ethan hissed, and Luther pointed out seriously: "Your mission is to bring down the Syndicate. If Lane gets his hands on that money, we're unleashing a terrorist superpower."

"He'll never take me alive." Ethan replied just as seriously. "I'll make sure of it."

"What happens, Ethan," Brandt asked in concern, "if you can't make it back?"

His eyes held worry, worry for Ethan, worry for Kat, for Benji, and for the whole world as they knew it, as he stared Ethan in the eye.

Ethan met his eyes determinedly as he answered: "I'll make it back." Brandt bowed his head. "Just be ready."

Brandt nodded, getting to work as Luther let Ethan access the laptop. He moved to help Brandt as Ethan activated the message contained in the red box.

"Greetings, Prime Minister." The recording of Atlee began. "If you are viewing this message, it means that you have chosen to activate the Syndicate."

Ethan activated the accounts, reading through them quickly as Atlee continued: "This drive gives you access to 2.4 billion pound sterling in untraceable currency, that will allow the Syndicate to operate undetected for decades. Instructions to access these funds are as follows."

With less than ten minutes until meeting time left, Ethan finished reading the contents of the flash drive and he pulled it out quickly, drilling it and destroying it. Permanently.

********

Ethan arrived at the designated meeting spot, a small open restaurant near the Tower of London. He spotted Ilsa sitting at one of the tables so that she had a clear view of him. She caught his eye, and he noted she was looking very anxious as she glanced at the two figures sitting across from her. Benji was turned completely away from his line of sight, but Ethan could just make out the side of Kat's face and he could see how deathly pale she was.

Ethan swore internally. If Lane had hurt her, he was going to kill him, and then he would have to probably take Ilsa up on her offer to run, because Brandt would kill him.

Ethan turned slightly to see Vinter on the far side of the street, and looking back he saw Vinter's right-hand man standing down the street. He picked up on a few others, noting the way they were blocking him off at both ends of the street. He turned back to Ilsa, who was watching him with a grim expression, and Ethan walked over with a similar expression.

He entered the restaurant slowly, coming closer to see the earpiece hanging in Benji and Kat's ears respectively and he frowned as he noted the coats they were wearing. While it was true the night was rather chilly, he doubted it was Lane's generosity. Kat glanced over as he slowly came to a stop beside them, and Benji also slowly looked up.