As Knox rode the elevator down he carefully went over for the hundredth time his next step. He had pretty much every security clearance one could have, but he did not have the necessary authorizations to get to where he believed he needed to go right now. One person who could give him that authority was Macklin Hayes. To get the man to cooperate entailed Knox both tricking the spy chief and outthinking him. The sweat under his armpits continued to spread even as the elevator hurtled him downward to where the temperature was a constant sixty-one degrees.

A few seconds later, Knox was walking steadily toward his destination. Along the way he endured increasing scrutiny as stern-faced men checked him out from every angle before reluctantly passing him along. Apparently, spies didn’t even like fellow spies coming to visit them and going through their stuff. Knox had one advantage. He had a friend who worked here, Marshall Saunders. Knox sat in this man’s office a half hour after going through the identification gauntlet.

“Been awhile, Joe,” Saunders said, rising from his desk and shaking his visitor’s hand. Everyone down here wore sweaters, and indeed Knox felt himself shivering despite his jacket.

“You’ve gussied up the place from the last time I was here, Marsh,” Knox said.

“Budget cuts have yet to come our way. Just lucky. I guess.”

It was far more than a matter of mere luck, both men knew. You couldn’t cut what you never saw.

“I won’t waste your time. I’m doing some under-the-radar work for Macklin Hayes.”

“So I’ve been informed. How is the general by the way?”

“The same.” Knox left his friend to interpret that remark however he wanted. Marshall, whom everyone called Marsh, had served three years directly under Hayes’ command. That meant if he ended up going to hell when he died, he would have a pretty good idea of how it would be.

Knox told him what he wanted to look at and his friend’s features turned uncomfortable. “That’ll take a phone call to the man.”

“I’m aware of that,” said Knox. “I actually just thought of it on the way over, or else I would’ve gotten the okay already. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” He added with as big a smile as he could manage, “On the other hand, if I end up disappearing you’ll know I was wrong about that.”

Marsh didn’t even grin at this crude joke and Knox felt his ass suddenly clinch.

The call was made and the man passed the phone over to Knox.

As though a distant rumble of thunder heralding the approaching storm, he heard Hayes bark, “What’s going on, Knox?”

“Just thought of this new angle, sir, but I need to check out a couple more pieces.”

“Explain this new angle. But tell Marsh to leave first.”