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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

“No description of the killer other than male, white, thirties. There was one thing that was really weird, though.”

“What’s that?”

“The killer left a bunch of fingerprints.”

Catherine scrunched up her mouth. That didn’t seem weird to her at all.

“In a symbol,” Andy added.

“A symbol?”

“Well, a number. He used his right thumbprint to make a big number six on a nightstand in the room with the dead guys.”

“It sounds like a calling card of some sort. Have you seen that at any other crime? A gang sign or something?”

“I haven’t, and I checked a nationwide database on gang signs. A six by itself doesn’t seem to mean anything.”

“Could be a message.”

Andy said, “You mean, to the CIA?”

Catherine gazed out the window and down onto 15th Street. “I don’t know.”

Andy asked, “Did you find anything out about the spooks who toured the scene?”

“Jordan Mayes I told you about. The woman’s name is Suzanne Brewer. She’s CIA as well, in their Programs and Plans office. Her job is to identify threats against the Agency, terrorists and such, and then task assets to eliminate the threats.”

“What does she have to do with Mayes?”

“No idea,” said Catherine. “According to my contacts she served in Baghdad protecting facilities, and then she served in Kabul and Sana’a, Yemen. She came back to HQ three years ago with a lot of accolades and commendations for her work and a promotion to go with it. She has an excellent reputation in the Agency.”

Catherine sat quietly a moment, just thinking. Andy did not get in the way of the process. She said, “It makes me wonder if Mayes and Brewer had information about the perpetrator last night. That he was somehow related to a threat against CIA. It would have to be something substantial to bring out the AD of NCS and a senior program officer.”

“What do you want to do now?” Andy asked.

“I’d like to know more about the man they are after. I’ll stay away from Carmichael for now.”

Andy said, “If you want I can reach out to Mayes. Just play dumb and ask him what he was doing there.”

King shook her head. “He won’t talk. At this point the best we can hope for is an official CIA press officer comment, which would be worthless.”

Andy sighed. It was clear to Catherine that he wanted a story, and he wanted it now. He said, “In your world, you can’t get people to talk. When I go to a crime scene to get an interview, I usually can’t get people to shut up.”