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Chapters (88)
  1. Titles by Mark Greaney
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. CONTENTS
  7. Epigraph
  8. CHARACTERS
  9. PROLOGUE
  10. 1
  11. 2
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 5
  15. 6
  16. 7
  17. 8
  18. 9
  19. 10
  20. 11
  21. 12
  22. 13
  23. 14
  24. 15
  25. 16
  26. 17
  27. 18
  28. 19
  29. 20
  30. 21
  31. 22
  32. 23
  33. 24
  34. 25
  35. 26
  36. 27
  37. 28
  38. 29
  39. 30
  40. 31
  41. 32
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. 49
  59. 50
  60. 51
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. 55
  65. 56
  66. 57
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. 66
  76. 67
  77. 68
  78. 69
  79. 70
  80. 71
  81. 72
  82. 73
  83. 74
  84. 75
  85. 76
  86. 77
  87. 78
  88. EPILOGUE

She recognized his uncertainty, and added, “I thought the Babbitt killing looked like it had been carried out by more than one man, but Carmichael doesn’t buy that. I also spoke with Hightower about this, and he backed Carmichael up. He said Gentry often operates in a manner to obfuscate the fact he is working alone.”

Hanley’s eyes went wide and he took hold of the edge of his desk with both hands. “You spoke with . . . who?”

“Zack Hightower.”

Hanley put his big forearms on his desk now, then he leaned over them, nearly halving the distance between himself and Brewer. “What the hell are you telling me?”

Brewer was confused, and she did not hide it. “I’m sorry. I must have something wrong. I was told Zack Hightower worked for you on the Goon Squad . . . sorry, the Golf Sierra Task Force.”

Hanley continued looming over her. “That is correct.”

“Then . . . what is it you don’t understand?”

“I don’t understand how it is you spoke with him recently.”

“Why not?”

Hanley sat back in his chair now. Gave a huge shrug to his big shoulders. “Because I went to the man’s funeral five years ago.”

Brewer herself sat back in her chair in surprise. “Well, I can assure you he is very much alive. He is no longer with the Agency officially but has come in to help me understand the tactics of our target.”

Matt Hanley took out a handkerchief and wiped his ruddy face. “Okay. Zack’s back from the dead to help you find the guy who killed him. Just another day in the office around here. I’m with you.”

She said, “This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve run security at facilities where I couldn’t know what was going on inside. I’ve protected assets and employees from threats that were unclear to me. But the capabilities of this threat and the importance of the people I’m being asked to protect in this case have me thinking I need to know more about what is going on here. I thought perhaps you might have some other advice for me since you worked with Gentry for several years.”

Hanley said, “Suzanne, we don’t know each other very well, but I hope you will take this recommendation as it’s intended, just a friendly suggestion.”

“Of course.” She picked up the stylus for her iPad and touched it to the screen, ready to take notes.

“Your job is to fortify the gates of this institution. In my opinion, based on twenty-five years of experience around here, the greatest dangers to the institution are already inside the gates.”

She did not reply.