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"I THINK SHE MAY BE as much a threat as he is."
Standing in her quarters aboard the Vimy Ridge, el Bahari wished she had a window. She'd always liked looking at the stars—it helped her think. She glanced down at her desk, where her tablet sat, a highly encrypted audio-only link to Thor's Hammer active.
"I have no doubt about that," she said. "But most of her power is largely tied up in her connection to him."
"So he needs to be... removed," said Ironhorse.
"I don't see any other option. Do you?"
"No," he said after a lengthy silence. "I'm not in a position-"
"No, of course not," she said, shaking her head despite the lack of visuals. "And even if you were, we can't act yet. There are too many assets tied up in this mission now to jeopardise it."
"I thought you were against Radko's mission?"
Sighing, el Bahari rubbed a hand over her face.
"We need to be very careful here, Max. Whatever we end up doing, there will be fallout."
"Amira, I can handle fallout. But if we're going to act, we can't wait forever," he said, and she heard him sigh. "He's going to destroy the Commonwealth."
"He thinks he's going to be the one to save it."
"He's not. He's not strong enough."
There was a long silence before Ironhorse spoke again.
"Khaifa recorded everything today."
El Bahari frowned.
"She told you this?"
"She didn't. When I worked intel ops, we outfitted agents with the same kind of device—I could tell what it was as soon as she activated it."
"Keep an even closer eye on her. She still hasn't asked who assigned you to her?"
"No. I assume she thinks it's Radko's doing."
"Let her keep thinking that."