“Cool,” he said awkwardly. The three of them talked a minute more, then Hanley disconnected the video chat and slipped the iPad back in his briefcase.

Standing up, D/NCS said, “I can’t begin to thank you for all you’ve done for the Agency. We didn’t deserve you. We still don’t, but with me and Suzanne on your team, I think you will know you are back in the fold. The family.”

Together the two men walked back out to the hangar. In front of the two aircraft, they shook hands again.

“What about Zack?” Court asked.

Hanley said, “I have a role for Zack. He’s not you, but he’s not half bad.”

“What will he—”

Hanley put up a hand. “Sorry, Court. Can’t tell you. It’s classified.”

“Cute.” Court let it go with a little smile. “You’re going back to Langley?”

“Yeah. Meeting tomorrow with the director. He’s got his head so deep in the sand he probably won’t hear a word I say, which is good, because I’m going to bullshit the hell out of him.”

“What about me? Where am I going?”

Hanley patted Court on the shoulder. “Something’s cooking in Hong Kong. Need you there, stat.”

“I have approval on all my contracts. Did you forget that deal you made with me ten whole minutes ago?”

Hanley chuckled. “You’ll get the intel on the flight over. If you say no, then you just got a free flight around the world.” Hanley winked. “But you won’t say no.”

“Why not?”

“Let’s just say it involves an old friend.”

“I have friends?”

“Not if you don’t get your ass to Hong Kong, you don’t. Don’t dick around with this one, Court. No time to waste.” And with that Matt Hanley turned around, headed up the stairs into his Gulfstream, and disappeared.

Court stood there a moment, then he looked up to the other aircraft. His aircraft. With the faintest of shrugs, he turned for the stairs and began climbing.

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