He was angry at so much right now he couldn't focus on any one thing for long. He was angry at the cavalier way in which a life had been ended. Hood abhorred murder for any reason. When he had first come to Op-Center, he'd read a closed CIA file about a small assassination squad created during the Kennedy administration. Over a dozen foreign generals and diplomats were executed from 1961 to 1963. The justification for the existence of such a team was politically valid. Hood supposed. However, he had trouble accepting it morally-even if lives were saved in the long run.

But that was the tragedy about Martha's death. It wasn't as if a despot had been removed to improve the life of others, or a terrorist had been taken out to prevent a bombing or shooting. Someone had gunned down Martha to make a point. A point.

He was angry at the Spanish government. They had asked for help with satellite surveillance, to watch terrorist activities, and they'd gotten it. But when it came to giving help they were less than forthcoming. If they had any information about the shooting they weren't sharing it. What little information Op-Center possessed had come from Darrell McCaskey, who had gotten it from his sources at Interpol. No one had claimed responsibility for the killing. Herbert's surveys of the airwaves and fax transmissions to government and police offices had confirmed that. The getaway car had not been found either by ground or helicopter surveillance, and the National Reconnaissance Office at the Pentagon had been unable to spot it by satellite. The Spanish police were searching for a cortacarro, the Spanish equivalent of a chop shop. But if the car had been driven to one, no one expected to find the vehicle before it was dismantled. The bullets were undergoing chemical tests to see if their point of origin could be determined. By the time they were traced, and assuming whoever bought them could be identified, the trail would be cold. Finally, McCaskey reported that the mail carrier who had died had no criminal background. He appeared to be an unfortunate bystander.

Hood was also angry at himself. He should have had enough foresight instead of hindsight not to have let Martha and Aideen undertake what amounted to an undercover operation without a shadow or two, someone to watch their backs. Perhaps the gunman couldn't have been stopped but maybe he could have been captured. Just because the job was clean-an office meeting instead of open surveillance or espionage-he'd let them go in alone. He hadn't anticipated trouble. No one had. The congressional security office had a solid reputation and there was no reason to doubt their efficiency.

Martha had paid for his carelessness.