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Chapters (83)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY TOM CLANCY
  3. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
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  83. What’s next onyour reading list?

Rhodes saw the concern in Paul’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get ahead of myself. Let me read you in on the rest of it, then we’ll talk specifics.”

Hendley smiled. “Paul, I want to assure you that there’s no pressure here. I know you don’t like to travel much. But if you don’t mind just hearing the senator out.”

Paul nodded, but he already knew he wouldn’t do it. There was too much work for him to finish here. And he hated flying. He tried to remember how far away Singapore was.

“So here’s the thing,” Rhodes said. “Our company has been going through a strategic transition—revisioning the mission, as it were. Going back to square one and asking the big questions like who we are, what we’re doing, how we want to do it—you get the idea. And what that all means is that we’ve had several changes in personnel lately, C-suite-level executives especially, and it just so happens that the woman overseeing this particular venture was recently poached by one of our major competitors. What I prefer to believe is that she apparently forgot about the contract of intent, or at least the important details. She hired someone at the last minute—a firm, frankly, I didn’t approve of, and I canceled their contract, and that means I’ve put my company at some risk.”

“You need an independent, third-party audit, I take it,” Paul said.

Rhodes flashed his million-watt smile. He turned to Hendley. “Didn’t I tell you? Paul’s the best. Just the best.”

“Believe me, I know,” Hendley said. “And when we hired him, you were his strongest reference.”

Rhodes shrugged. “I just call ’em like I see ’em.”

Paul had been grateful for the reference at the time. But even back then, he couldn’t shake the feeling that someday he’d have to pay it back.

In spades.

10

A firm knock on the door caught everyone’s attention. It swung open. Jack stood in the doorway, harried and apologetic.

“Sorry I’m late. There’s a wreck two blocks up.”

“Jack, it’s great to see you,” Rhodes said. He and Hendley stood to greet him. After a brief struggle, Paul managed to stand up, too.

Rhodes examined Jack’s face. “I like the mustache, Jack. There’s something else about you, but I can’t quite make it out.”

Since the hostage-rescue operation Jack had shaved his beard, keeping only a thick but well-groomed mustache, and cut his long hair short and parted it in the opposite direction. He’d even put on a little base makeup to hide the remnants of his black eye. It wasn’t vanity. As the son of President Jack Ryan, Sr., “Junior” liked to change up his looks every once in a while to avoid being recognized when he was out in public.