“So you’re what?” Hayes said. “Bragging?”

Jack filled his expression with incredulity. “Jesus,” he said. “Are you stupid, or do you just think I am? I know I’m not the real assassin, just the decoy. Secretary of state, right? That’s who you’re really trying to hit. Is that why your killing crew is chasing so hard after me, so no one looks where they should be looking?”

Sweat continued its slow drip, but for the first time, Hayes looked truly uncomfortable. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do.”

Holden said, “Eight friends inside. Others blocking exits.”

Jack could see them in his head, bodies moving forward down the aisles. He said, “Take off the coat. Do not stand. Do not look up. Do not speak.”

Hayes tugged out of the coat, bundled it onto his lap.

Jack said, “I’m being forced to do this against my will, so fine, you have my guarantee that absolutely nothing will prevent these killings from taking place. But I’m begging you, Hayes, whatever you decide to do next, at least get ahead of the story. You still have a chance to control the media spin and keep this country from devouring itself in a new civil war. If you don’t at least do that much, then maybe the real traitor here isn’t me. It’s you.”

Hayes’s focus twitched right.

Jack felt the heat of threat at his back. He said, “If it’s your life or mine, there’s no question who dies.”

Hayes stayed motionless, silent.

A shadow passed through Jack’s peripheral vision and continued on. They weren’t looking anymore. They knew where to find him.

They were circling, tightening the noose.

In his ear, Holden said, “Get out now.”

In his head, the clock counted down to show opening.

Jack said, “I’m also offering you an opportunity. Once this deed is done, you’ll have a man Moscow trusts who’s willing to keep the information flowing both ways. Ignore me, continue hunting me and my friends, and I guarantee that you and your family will never be able to stop looking over your shoulders.”

Hayes said, “Twenty-four hours isn’t enough.”

“Yeah, well, you ate all the extra time by forcing me to dodge your killers for the past few days.”

In Jack’s ear, Holden said, “Doors closing. Go. Now.”

Jack tossed a burner in Hayes’s lap and slid sideways off the seat.

Inside his head, the maze froze, and the clock stopped.

Background music piping in through the sound system went silent.

The theater lights went fully dark.

Jack backed into the aisle, and the sound system came alive.

Strobe lights flashed across the stage, and Jack moved with the bursts.

Holden was in his ear again, an audible voice talking over the inner voice he’d relied on since his earliest memories.