Jake put his hand on the phone and gently hung it up.

Athena eyes widened in disbelief. She looked as if she might kill him.

“If that ship turns around,” Jake said, “the agent will know we’re on to him. We have to let it play out.”

“I won’t let you use my men as bait.”

“Then more men will die.” He stood from his seat and looked out the window. “Not your men, but men will die, and they’ll keep dying until we identify the pirate leader.”

“You can’t blame me for those deaths . . .”

“No, but the pirates need to be stopped, and right now the agent is our only lead.”

Athena stood from her seat and joined Jake, staring out over the Saronic Gulf of the western Aegean Sea.

“How much time do you need?” she said.

“Give me a week.”

“The ship will be in the Arabian Sea in five days. You have four.”

Jake nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

He left the building and made several calls on his secure mobile phone as he walked in the park next to Athena’s office—using the overhead cover of the palm trees and the noise from the fountains to avoid surveillance. Athena was waiting for him when he returned to the building an hour later.

“You need to visit the agent,” he said as he closed her office door.

“I suggested that an hour ago . . .”

“But you can’t confront him and go to the police. This agent is the only lead we have. If you spook him, our investigation is over and your brother’s killer gets away.”

“So what would you have me do, pay him a social call?”

“Exactly. Tell him you happened to be in the area and stopped by to say hello.”

“You must be joking.”

“Have a look around his office . . . a detailed look. I want to know the type of phone, the make of his computer, any remote controls, the kind of light fixtures, desktop decorations, furniture.”

“What am I searching for?”

“Details,” Jake said. “We won’t know what’s important until you’ve finished. I can get you a concealed camera if you’d like.”

“That won’t be necessary. I don’t forget anything,” she said as she fidgeted with her ring, “unfortunately.”

“Ms. Romanos, I want to make sure you understand the risk here. If we’re right about this agent, and he gets suspicious, you could be in physical danger. These probably aren’t the sort of people you normally associate with.”

“You have no idea what kind of people I associate with.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“My family has a long history with the Greek mafia.”

Jake was shocked that it wasn’t in the Agency dossier—it was the kind of information that CIA generally uncovered—even if it was only speculation. He couldn’t help but show his surprise.