There wasn't a tram station at the top of Castle Hill, so Lilith, Niles, and Jonathan took an Uber. Niles was forced to switch his electric wheelchair for the foldable one that could fit in the back of the SUV they selected for their pickup. Jonathan lifted his elder charge into the backseat with practiced ease and a gentleness that might bely his larger frame. What a former SAS soldier was doing playacting as a home health aide was a question for another time—one she would answer with a few phone calls once she returned to DC. And what was the story with Niles? MI6, Frank had said as if that was all the explanation needed. The old man with his gigantic spectacles looked more Austin Powers than George Smiley. But maybe that was part of his cover; a part played so long that the actor became the role. It happened.
Like with Frank's fake mustache.
He thought he was clever—and he was to a point. But if he was fooling anyone with that gimmick, it certainly wasn't her. The real shock was seeing him at the apartment door, hovering over Cal's shoulder like a hesitant child, his face clean shaven except for a few days' silver stubble. What did they call handsome men once they'd reached a certain age—the George Clooney's of the world? Ah, yes—somewhere in the five years since their divorce—Frank had turned into a silver fox. Not that she would ever—
Focus, Lil'.
Yes, first things first—get these Brits into position. She had a plan, but Frank had better be right about their skills and character. His and Cal's lives might depend on it.
It was only fifteen minutes by car from the apartment building to the top of Castle Hill, half of that time spent winding up the hillside on the switchback roads, the driver taking the turns too fast on Lilith's urging. She poured out of the SUV as soon as the driver screeched to a halt in the parking lot of the public park atop the hill. Even fifteen minutes was a lifetime when Frank was in the wild and Lilith was playing catch-up.
Frank had just texted her an update: he and Cal were at the port and approaching the Kosatka. Cal was charging ahead, according to the text update, and Frank was trying to keep up and keep Cal out of trouble.
She replied with a thumbs up and then typed that she had overwatch but no shooters, as if he needed that reminder. She paused for a moment and then added: be careful.
The Uber driver left them in a parking lot at the top of Castle Hill and Lilith rated him five stars for speed. Niles was back in his wheelchair, and Jonathan held the long black case containing the EWD.
"We can see the port from here," Jonathan said and started down a paved footpath towards a viewing platform at the edge of the hill.
If it wasn't clear from the winding drive up the hill, it was clear now that they were high above the city. She hoped it was high enough.