“We’ve continued to honor our deal with him.” Cantrell held up her hands. “Before you say anything, let me explain. We have to look at the bigger picture. The truth is, we have similar deals in place all over the world. We don’t want to undermine our credibility and we don’t know what sleeper measures Montez has in place to release the Nicaraguan info should he disappear. If those exchange students hadn’t seen Kramer’s body go into Lake Powell, we wouldn’t be talking right now.”

“But hasn’t he broken the deal by killing a U.S. citizen on our soil?” Harv asked.

“At the risk of sounding callous, no. Our deal didn’t specify anything other than his silence in exchange for the money and our promise not to pursue him.”

“Are you telling me Nicaragua still means that much?”

“In some circles, yes,” she said.

Nathan made eye contact with Harv. What else has Montez got on the CIA? “So short of spilling the beans about Nicaragua, he has carte blanche to do anything he wants? Is that what you’re telling us?”

She looked at his father and Lansing. No one said anything.

“Well, Director Cantrell, Harv and I have no such agreement and we aren’t operations officers anymore. Your deal is to leave him alone, not be bodyguards for him.”

“It’s not that simple. Montez won’t differentiate the specifics. All he’ll know is that someone’s after him. He’ll assume it’s us.”

“Why? I’m sure he’s got enemies all over the world. It could be anyone.”

“That’s true, of course, but we can’t risk it.”

“So as far as you’re concerned, Montez just walks?”

“The dynamics have changed. We now want him in custody for questioning.”

“You haven’t mentioned Nichole Dalton and her daughters. What’s he doing to them as we speak? How long will they be valuable to him? Why are they valuable to him?” Nathan looked back and forth between Cantrell and Lansing. “There could be dozens, or even hundreds of people at risk because of him. And you can’t tell us anything more about your dealings with Montez?”

“Nathan, I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

Stone took a step forward. “Nathan—”

He held up a hand. “Okay, okay, I get it. So where does this leave us?”

“Here’s what I propose,” she said. “We can’t stop you from pursuing him, so we won’t try. But we’ll neither help nor hinder you. You’re on your own. If he captures you and forces you to talk, you can honestly tell him that you’re not working for us.”

“That’s a lovely thought.”

“I’m not trying to be callous, just realistic.”

“Suppose we find him first?”