Nash barely heard. He hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours a night since Rapp, Coleman, and his men disappeared. Not only had they been friends and comrades in arms, but many had been his neighbors. Their houses now stood like mausoleums in the remote subdivision. Accusing him every time he passed.

Maggie took his insomnia and creeping depression for grief. But that’s because she didn’t know what he’d allowed himself to be dragged into. And she never would despite the fact that, in many ways, he’d done it for her. For their children. With or without Nicholas Ward, the world was changing. The wealthy and powerful were rising and leaving everyone else behind. When the gate finally slammed shut, it needed to be behind them, not in their faces.

“Mike?” Catherine said. “Where do we stand.”

He looked up at her, not bothering to hide his horror at the situation. It was a little late for that now.

“How did Mitch find out about Bashir Isa?” he asked.

“We don’t know,” Cook said. “The Saudis’ facial recognition system only ID’d Rapp a few hours ago. They’re working on it.”

Again, Nash paused to think. Almost a minute passed in silence before he spoke again. “Best-case scenario, Mitch somehow identified the Saudi’s direct contact with Auma—Muhammad Singh, right? And that led to Isa, who he went after to see if he had information that might help him get Ward back. I assume he came up short, though. Isa would have no need to know. And if that’s the case, he’s at a dead end unless he wants to go after the head of Saudi intelligence or the prince. Possible, but a big ask even for Mitch Rapp.”

“If that’s the best-case scenario, what’s the worst case?” Catherine Cook asked.

Nash rubbed his hands together. “Worst case? That Irene and Mitch know the information on Ward came from the CIA and everything we’re seeing—the video, the ransom negotiations—is theater. Scott has Ward and Chism on ice somewhere and Mitch is on a mole hunt.”

A mole hunt, he reminded himself, that would eventually lead directly to his door.

“How likely do you think that is?” Catherine asked.

“I don’t know. But it could explain why we still haven’t gotten any specific ransom demands from Auma yet.”

“Do you think you could have made a mistake accessing Ward’s files?” Cook said. “That you could have revealed yourself?”

Nash glared at the man. “Maybe you should ask your people at the NSA. I just answered their questions about our system and did what they told me.”