‘I’m going to have to revise your final report,’ he said. ‘Colonel Murdoch’s, that is. I don’t think Blackstone is right about Morales being an immediate threat. But I think maybe we do have to take him a little more seriously. That Federation special forces team in Florida wasn’t an invading horde, but it’s a factor we need to plug in. I’m afraid the President needs to know about that, and that Governor Blackstone has his own SF teams wandering around the countryside too.’

‘If you tell him now, you blow my cover,’ she said, suddenly worried that Musso’s boy scout gene was going to bring them all undone.

‘No, not necessarily. After all, it’s my job to act as liaison to Fort Hood. This is exactly the sort of information I’m supposed to pass back. It would draw more attention if I didn’t and Mad Jack decided to get on the phone and yell at the President for ignoring him again.’

‘So you’re going to lie?’

‘I’m going to tell the truth, but not the whole truth. In my experience the President cares little for briefings by military officers. He can hardly keep their ranks in his head, let alone their names. He just wants the job done. I’m sure I can shade Colonel Murdoch into insignificance for now. But I can’t make this Florida thing go away. Not with it sending the Governor bugshit.’

Musso shook his head and looked as though he was disgusted with himself.

The great game, Caitlin. It never ends, does it? We have our own people sniffing around the Federation all the time, I’m sure.’

She maintained a studied neutrality at that.

‘Who knows,’ he continued, ‘even if it’s paranoid bullshit, it might be enough for Mad Jack and Kipper to put aside their differences. The enemy of my enemy might just make us friends. Something like that. I’ve already sent a preliminary briefing note through to Jed Culver and he’s on my case for more detail. And your report.’

A headache began to form behind Caitlin’s eyes.

‘That could be tricky. Seeing as how I’m not really a USAF colonel.’

‘The tangled webs we weave, Agent Monroe.’

She breathed out heavily. Once this mission was done with, she planned to cut her entanglements, but it would be interesting to see what happened to Culver if she couldn’t give him Blackstone’s head on a plate. The Colonel Murdoch jacket wasn’t meant to be worn in earnest. It was thin cover for a quick and dirty job. And there was always Wales too, of course. Her former controller would go down with Jed Culver and that she did care about.

Musso was still talking, however, and she had to set aside these thoughts.