We don’t know what the pilot really knew. It doesn’t matter. Like any other magician, Haywood knows his weakest link is the people he trusts with his secrets. Right now he’s watching his most devout disciple call him a fake.

It’s a trick, of course. Eventually he’ll realize it was his own trick. It’s Gerald on the tape using his computer program to mimic the pilot. We pulled enough audio and video from the camera on the plane to make it work.

The whole thing was done on the sly without official approval. Ailes ran it by Chisholm over drinks in a Georgetown bar. Both understand the game is deeper than just arresting people. This is psy-ops. Going after cults is sticky business. The only effective way is to destroy them from within.

We don’t know who else he has out there. But I’m sure when they see this they’ll have some soul-searching to do. If they’re smart, they’ll come to us before Damian finds them.

I stand. Haywood stares up at me and tries to say something. He wants to sound confident. Words fail him.

“You don’t know the whole plan!” he shouts as I head toward the door.

“I don’t care. Nobody cares. All you are is a liar now. A liar and a murderer.” I let the door slam behind me, leaving him alone in the cell. Without an audience.

68

To: Alan Parkworth, Assistant Director, FBI Cyber Division

From: Dr. Trey Goode, Director, NSA Intra-Agency Cryptographic Working Group

Alan,

As per your request we ran all the linked files from the “Warlock” defacement of the FBI home page through the GlyphR system. Sorry it took so long to get to it. I think you guys need to take a look at the raw data for the .PNG image of the defaced FBI logo. The image is 120K but actual image data it only about 20k. There appears to be another file encoded in there.

Assuming best-of-breed encryption, it’d take our system a long time to get through this. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest your crypto machine using the Kunaki-Stein Elliptical might be able to do it in approximately six years, six months, six days . . . Yeah, I know how ominous that sounds.

We tasked our cypher for thirty hours on the first sequence as a test. We found one possible word: Eternicon.

Does this mean anything to you guys?

I wish we had the resources to commit on this. But since it looks like you guys caught the guy, it might be a waste of time.

Sincerely,

Trey

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to my father, a federal agent, whose cases and incredible experiences inspired me and whose unwavering support encouraged me. Thanks to my brother, an FBI agent, for providing me with helpful information and forgiveness for the dramatic license I took. Justin Robert Young for his essential help at every stage of this book. My literary agents, Erica Spellman Silverman and Robert Gottlieb. My editor, Hannah Wood, for her dedication to this book. James Randi, a great mentor who taught me how we’re deceived, and more importantly, why we need to believe. Ken Montgomery, Mary Jaras, Gerry Ohrstrom, Matt Ridley, Dr. Paul Zak, Joke & Biagio, Brian Brushwood, the Weird Things podcast listeners, Diamond Club <> and the Mayniacs.