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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

Court said, “If I let you go, you will need to carefully consider your next move. If you run back to Carmichael and say I disarmed and disabled you, then took you someplace for an interrogation, he will know you aren’t good enough to go toe-to-toe with me, and you are not reliable enough to keep in the fold because I might have gotten inside your head. You will be damaged goods to Carmichael, and you know what he does with damaged goods.”

Court saw on Hightower’s face that he understood completely. Gentry could let him walk, but if he did, Zack couldn’t go back and report on anything that had happened tonight.

Zack gave a half nod, unwilling to give Court the satisfaction of knowing he had checkmated his former team leader. “What do you want?”

“I want you to talk to Matt. Tell him about the Middle Eastern assholes working for Denny.”

“Look, Six. Hanley might be in your corner, but Hanley isn’t the boss. Carmichael is.”

“I know that. And I also know you only respect authority, and you only want back in the Agency. That’s all you think matters in your world. But know this: I’m not going to stop until I knock Carmichael off his tower, and I am hoping I can get Hanley to help me. Think about how desperate Denny must be if he’s using foreign assets right here in the U.S. You might want to think twice before hitching your wagon to his.”

“Obviously, Six, you don’t know jack squat about currying favor with the important people at Langley. I have a hard time taking advice from you in that department.”

Court wasn’t going to waste any more time with Hightower. He pulled Zack’s T-shirt out of his pocket and retied it over the big blond-haired man’s eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m giving you time to think about it. I’m going to rest for a while, then I’m taking you back to D.C. You just sit there quietly or I’ll shoot you in the baby maker.”

—

For the return drive into the city Court did not throw Hightower back in the truck bed; he let him sit in the passenger’s seat, but he blindfolded him and bound his arms together all the way behind the seat. It would take a contortionist to get out of the bindings, and even though Zack tried his hardest to work on the knots with his fingertips during the drive, he couldn’t quite reach them, so he remained secured to his seat.

Court drove for ninety minutes on I-95, first to the south, but then he pulled off the interstate and jumped right back on the onramp heading back to the District.