“Makes sense,” said Devin. “He would have represented a major liability after True America imploded. Crane resigned after the vice president was arrested for treason. Walker’s boss, Raymond Burke, on the run—soon to be nabbed by the FBI. Walker was a dead man as soon as the VP went down.”

“They didn’t implode,” said Berg. “They were exploded, but that’s a story for another time. And the FBI didn’t catch Raymond Burke. He was delivered to them bound and gagged in the trunk of a car.”

“Story for another time?”

“Story for another life,” said Berg. “So forget I even mentioned it.”

“Got it,” said Devin. “When will we hear from the crew you’re in touch with?”

“They sounded interested,” said Berg. “But like I said, they’re a cautious bunch when it comes to jobs like this. I had to level with them about the severity of the situation. I forwarded a digital copy of Helen’s executive summary.”

“Jesus, Karl.”

“Don’t Jesus me,” he said. “We need these people, and if they get the sense that we’ve misrepresented the situation at any point moving forward, they’ll walk away.”

“Are any of them between forty-three and fifty years old?” asked Devin. “With parents that stepped off a UFO in Fresno during the seventies?”

“If anyone on this team is a Russian sleeper, we may as well just book the next flight to Moscow, drive straight to Lubyanka, and turn ourselves in. Or fly to Tahiti with the money in your mother’s safe. Tough call.”

“Not that tough,” said Devin. “Tahiti sounds pretty good right about now.”

“You ain’t kidding,” said Berg. “I expect to hear from them by tonight. They work fast.”

“Good. Because I don’t see how we can move forward without their help,” said Devin.

“I have a good feeling about them. This is their kind of cause. So fingers crossed,” said Berg before turning away from the wall. “To expedite the process if they say yes, we’ll need a place for them to set up shop. An Airbnb that can accommodate eight should work. No closer than ten minutes away. Preferably a decent area. Something we can occupy for at least a month. We should get that arranged no later than this afternoon.”

“What if they say no?”

“Then we’ll have a place with furniture, real beds, and showers to study the files and come up with another plan,” said Berg. “Plus, we can’t expect Henrietta and her family to keep clear of the building forever. I don’t know how long this is going to take, or how long we’ll need Helen’s map and library, but at some point, we’re going to have to cut the cord to this place, for their sake. It might not be a bad idea to find a place that will rent to us for six months.”