Chapters (96)
- Cover
- Berkley titles by David Ricciardi
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- CHARACTER LIST
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- EIGHTY-FOUR
- EIGHTY-FIVE
- EIGHTY-SIX
- EIGHTY-SEVEN
- Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Clements said nothing. Though he trusted Jake, Peter was still a senior CIA executive. He would bend the rules to help his protégé, but he wouldn’t break them by revealing the exact source of the order.
“It’s a legal order,” said Clements, “and Ted documented it so the ‘how’ and ‘with whom’ has been delegated to the men in the field.”
“Me and Pickens . . .”
“And a special operations team. There’s nothing in the case file about piracy or biological weapons.”
“Our initial orders were to find out who was running the pirate ring.”
“Not to develop an interdiction capability?” asked Clements.
“No.”
“Then I suspect Ted knew who it was all along, and he left you a trail of bread crumbs to find this warlord.”
“So it looks as if I recruited Yaxaas on my own . . .”
“And if a bioweapon is in play—”
“It’s because I recruited a warlord to do the work,” Jake said. “The goal of Black Flag was to covertly neutralize ships acting against U.S. interests.”
“Just like Ted said. He’s a grand master at this game. By careful omission, he’s given you enough rope to hang yourself.”
“And if we go over his head?”
“Then he’ll kick the stool out from under you.”
“Understood. Thanks, Peter.”
Jake was about to sign off, but Clements wasn’t finished.
“I know Ted can be ruthless and self-serving, but a lot of people on the Seventh Floor are afraid that Congress wants to turn back the clock on CIA. They want to refocus the Agency on intel gathering and analysis and give most of our operational authority to the Department of Defense. But no one at the Agency wants that, so the brass are probably willing to give Ted a lot of leeway right now to accomplish his mission. Don’t let your history with him cloud your judgment.”
“Understood,” said Jake.
“Ted was right about one thing,” said Clements. “You should take some time off and think about your future. It’s a tricky time at the Agency.”
SIXTY-SIX
JAKE HESITATED WHEN the CIA pilots contacted him and told him that the aircraft was fueled up and ready to go. Graves might have told him to take some time off to think about his future, but he didn’t expect Ted to authorize further use of the jet. The more Jake thought about it, the more concerned he became. The big Gulfstream’s crew mostly handled renditions. They were experienced at taking unwilling passengers to places they would never know, and never leave.
Jake couldn’t help but wonder if he was next.
A strong breeze blew in from the sea as he walked across the tarmac. Far out over the ocean, a bolt of lightning flashed among the dark clouds that now blanketed the sky.