Carmichael shook his head. “We can’t involve Ground Branch without involving Hanley. I don’t want anyone breathing a word to Hanley about this. We have enough armed assets without going to SAD.”

“You really think Hanley is a threat to the operation?”

“No, but he’s next in line to run NCS.”

“So?” asked Mayes. “When you take the directorship, he’ll move up here. But you’ll be the damn director, so why do you care?”

“I don’t like the guy, and he doesn’t like me. No Hanley. You have guys watching him. That’s it. Gentry will go to him, and that’s where we’ll get him.”

“So . . . we’re using Hanley as bait.”

“It’s the best way that prick can serve the Agency.” Something occurred to Carmichael. “We need to watch Gentry’s family, too.”

“His only close living relative is his dad. He’s sixty-four, lives in a little town in Florida. But they’ve been estranged since Gentry was a teenager.”

“I don’t care. I want him covered.”

“Agency watchers are already in place. Hard assets would, of course, need to fly down there if Violator shows, but we can move them out of Fort Bragg, and that’s no more than ninety minutes’ flying time.”

Carmichael’s secretary spoke over the intercom, telling him Suzanne Brewer was on the line. He asked her to put the call through, and seconds later the voice of the thirty-nine-year-old targeting officer emanated from the speaker.

Carmichael was customarily succinct. “Any word on the location of Zack Hightower?”

“Yes, sir. We’ll have him in hand in a couple of hours. Do you want us to put him in a safe house?”

“No. I want him brought up here. Put the intimidation of the seventh floor in him. Let’s see if he will play ball.”

“Yes, sir.”

After Carmichael hung up, Mayes said, “You want to stay here till he is brought in?”

“No.”

“Okay. I can schedule the movement to a safe house right now. You can get a little sleep before Hightower is brought in.”

Carmichael looked uneasy a moment, an expression Mayes wasn’t used to seeing. “What is it?”

Carmichael said, “I have to leave the building for a few hours. A meeting with an asset off-site. I need to go alone.”

Mayes stared at his boss for several seconds. Then he got up and closed the door. Standing back at the desk he said, “You’re joking, right?”

“I understand your concern, but it has to be like this. No one is to know but you and DeRenzi. I’m only telling you because you’ll have to cover for me, and DeRenzi because he won’t be able to shadow.”

Mayes remained incredulous. “Gentry’s out there somewhere. You do know that, don’t you?”

“You don’t think I can do low pro anymore?”