Court said, “I’m not leaving till I clear my name. I’m dead otherwise, and you know it. Forget about BACK BLAST, this has to do with AAP, not some on-the-fly term and rescue I did in Italy.”

Hanley said, “What’s AAP?”

Court said, “It’s the program I was part of before I worked for you.”

Hanley gave Gentry a quizzical look. “I don’t know anything about that.”

“Exactly! No one does but those involved, and they’re all dead. Carmichael wants me dead, too, before others find out.”

Hanley shook his head back and forth. “I think you’re wrong, buddy. I think you digging any deeper is just going to go bad for you.” He hesitated for a moment, then said, “Six, I saved you in Mexico City . . . I can’t save you here.”

“I didn’t come here to get saved.”

“That’s what worries me. You came back to go out with one last big bang.”

Court said nothing.

Hanley put his hand on Court’s shoulder. “Just remember why we got into this work in the first place. To help this country. Not to hurt it.”

“Don’t lecture me about the mission.”

Hanley raised his hands in surrender. “You’re right. You’ve done your part. There should be more guys like you, Court.” He paused, gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Not many. Two. Three, tops. Doubt we could handle more than that.”

Just then there was a loud banging on the open back door downstairs. A male voice called out. “Hanley?”

Hanley’s own pistol appeared in Gentry’s hand in a heartbeat, and he jammed it under the SAD director’s thick chin.

“Who the fuck is that? You hit a panic button?”

Hanley answered back, his eyes shut tight because of the gun jabbed in his throat. “No. It’s just Jenner. He didn’t want me to stay here without security. He’s checking on me.”

Court said, “Say something to him,” but he pressed the barrel of the weapon harder into Hanley’s beefy neck.

Hanley shouted out of his bedroom and up his second-floor hall. “What the hell, Jenner?”

“You didn’t answer your phone, boss. Your back door is propped open down here. You okay?” As the man spoke, it was clear he was moving closer. From the den to the stairs.

Hanley shouted, “I’ll be fine when you get the fuck out of my house!”

“Just let me put eyes on you first. Make me feel better.”

Court stood, began moving to the door, pulling Hanley with him by the collar of his flannel shirt. Court whispered, “I’ll send you downstairs, but I swear if you say a fucking word I’ll kill you both.”

Hanley nodded, then said, “Six. The pistol. It was a gift from my dad.”

Court rolled his eyes. “I’ll toss it in a backyard flowerpot.”