"Do you think Dominique would?"

"Like I said," Nancy told him, "I'm not part of his inner circle. I just don't know. I didn't even realize he could be churning out hate games."

"You say that as though it would surprise you," Hood observed.

"It would," Nancy said. "You work with someone and you form certain ideas about them. Dominique is a patriot, but a radical?"

Hood had given Hausen his word that he wouldn't say anything about Dominique's past. He doubted that Nancy would believe him in any case.

"Did you ever do anything with images from Toulouse?" Hood asked.

Nancy said, "Sure. We used our delicious little fortress as the background for some kind of promotional download."

"Did you ever see the finished product?"

Nancy shook her head.

"I think I did," Hood said. "It was in the game in Hausen's computer. Nancy, one more thing. Is it possible that those maps you created could be used in games?"

"Of course," she said.

"With figures superimposed?" Hood asked.

"Yes. You could integrate photographs or computer-generated images. Just like in motion pictures."

Hood was beginning to get a picture he didn't like. He walked slowly toward the phone, sat down on the bed, and picked up the receiver.

"I'm going to call my office," he said. "There's something happening that I'm starting to get real worried about."

Nancy nodded. "Since the world's hanging in the balance, you don't have to reverse the charges."

Hood looked at Nancy. She was smiling. God bless her, he thought. She was as prone to psychotic mood swings as ever.

"Actually," Hood said as he punched in Mike Rodgers's number, "the world, or a good part of it, may very well be hanging in the balance. And you may be the only one who can save it."

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Thursday, 12:02 P.M.,

Washington, D.C.

After noting the information Hood needed, Rodgers farmed it out to Ann, Liz, and Darrell. Ordinarily, information requests went directly to the divisions responsible for surveillance, personal dossiers, code-breaking, and the like. But Hood needed a lot of different information, and asking Rodgers for it was both convenient and an expedient way of bringing his number two up to date.

Rodgers told Hood he'd get back to him as soon as possible.

Moments later, Alberto phoned to tell Mike Rodgers what Bob Herbert was up to. Rodgers thanked him and told him that he didn't want to bother Herbert with a return call. Even if the ringer were off, the vibration might distract him. Besides, the intelligence chief knew that his colleague would be behind him. As the only battle-tested warriors among the Op-Center elite, they enjoyed a very special bond.