‘I need you in Texas, Ms Monroe,’ he went on. ‘In the belly of the beast. You are not going to find Bilal Baumer there. Frankly, I don’t think you’re ever going to find him. In my admittedly amateurish opinion, Mr Baumer was pulverised into pink rat giblets by the US Air Force when they knocked flat about ten blocks of New York around the old Rock last April. But the reason Baumer was there, the reason he nearly bled us out – and, incidentally, the reason your husband and daughter were nearly killed too – that I believe you will find in Texas. That’s why Director Larrison has agreed to assign you a special clearance to operate within CONUS. That’s why I’m willing to go against the wishes of my boss, and risk a good thirty years in the pen if it all goes wrong. That’s why I want you down in Tusk Musso’s office asap, by way of KC, where you can start doing some primary research on Governor Blackstone’s policies. Kansas City is our main forward base and my people there know more about the dark corners of Blackstone’s evil empire than most would care to. A day spent with them will help you adjust your perceptions.’

Both Monroe and Larrison were silent and still now as Jed spoke with more passion and genuine fear than he had for a long time.

‘When you’ve done your homework there,’ Culver said in conclusion, ‘you get down to General Musso’s and find out how and why Blackstone entered an arrangement with a company owned by Ahmet Ozal, one week before Ozal took ship for the new world, there to make an enormous and fatal pain in the ass of himself.’

‘It sounds like I’m going to have to get right up next to Blackstone,’ she said. ‘Why would he let me do that?’

Jed dismissed the question with a snort.

‘Mad Jack’s jumping around with a red-hot poker up his ass at the moment,’ he said. ‘Has been for months. The poker got jammed up there thanks to Roberto Morales.’

He could see he’d surprised her for the first time.

‘Yeah, I know. I don’t really understand it either, but Blackstone is convinced Roberto looks towards his little patch of heaven down Texas way with covetous eyes. He’s been trying to convince the President to pull forces out of the Pacific and put them in the Caribbean. That’s your way in. You’re going down as my personal envoy to give the governor a chance to make his case. Off the record. We keep everything informal. That’s how I do my best work and Blackstone knows it. He’ll give you an audience. Access. You use that as you see fit.’

‘What about Musso?’ asked Monroe. ‘He was the guy at Guantanamo, wasn’t he? Is he in the loop on this?’