The bartender ignored them. A PGM news anchor with that somber, post-tragedy newscaster expression was interviewing someone via video link. The camera cut to the interviewee, and Klay sat up. Tanned face. Perfect teeth. Ollie North haircut. A banner beneath the man’s image read “Terrence Krieger, Perseus Group CEO.”

“We grieve for their families,” Krieger said. “We grieve for the Navy. This situation is all the more painful because this type of accident—one of six major accidents in the past two years—could have been avoided . . .”

A chyron scrolling beneath Krieger’s image screamed, “BREAKING NEWS. The US Navy reports a major accident has occurred aboard the USS Shiloh during US–Japan joint exercises in the South China Sea. Dozens of bodies have been recovered. No survivors have yet been found. Search and rescue continues . . .”

“Avoided how?” the reporter asked.

“Proper technology. We don’t yet know the details, but we do know that this ship was near retirement age and terribly off course. Sadly, its Aegis radar system has been around since Richard Nixon, and its navigation software was not designed for this platform. At Perseus Group we’ve developed AI-based systems to eliminate these kinds of disasters. We’ve offered to assist the Navy to evaluate its entire fleet—free of charge. We want to make sure this type of accident never happens again.”

Stock footage of the USS Shiloh filled the screen.

The news anchor returned. “Unexplained systems failures . . . Explosions . . . Possibly an entire crew lost. When we come back, we’ll have the man responsible for the Navy’s Seventh Fleet, Vice Admiral Everett Tighe . . .”

Klay stared at the screen, processing what he was seeing: Krieger, again. The universe conspiring to show him something. Billy’s grandson was on the Shiloh.

Another terrible Naval accident.

What was the opposite of that? Klay asked himself.

Not an accident.

Krieger offering to help the Navy.

What was the opposite of that?

Klay closed his eyes. He could hear Botha’s voice: Who benefits, counselor?

Answer: Krieger, if he could convince the Navy to hire Perseus Group. But hadn’t Krieger been blackballed by the US government?

What if a US Navy contract wasn’t Krieger’s objective?

The next biggest defense contract opportunity in the world was with China. Taking the Ultimate Silk Road Project into consideration, the opportunities for security contracts and attendant services were the greatest in the world. Barrow himself had said Krieger followed China around like a cattle bird. Barrow had it wrong, Klay realized: The target in Kenya was not Bernard. The target was more likely Simon Lekorere, the politician who stood in the way of China’s Ultimate Silk Road Project. Bernard’s death was collateral. No, he checked himself. Bernard was not collateral. He’d been killed to keep Klay chasing Botha. Both murders were planned.