“There’s one guy I really liked,” Rodgers said. “Sprague West. Fifty-five-year-old former Marine, Vietnam vet. He put in a quarter century with the NYPD, the first ten of those undercover. He infiltrated the Black Panthers, drug rings, broke up prostitution. My kind of guy. And cool, Paul.”

“Silent?”

“Yeah,” Rodgers admitted with a chuckle.

“Where is he based?”

“Here,” Rodgers said. “He moved to D.C. when he left the force to be near his mother.”

“Does he have other family?” Hood asked.

“Two grown daughters and three ex-wives,” Rodgers said. “They weren’t happy with what he did for a living.”

“Great. We can start a support group,” Hood said.

“The nontalker and the man who loves to listen,” Rodgers said. “It could be interesting.”

“Incredibly dull, more likely,” Hood said. “What’s your game plan with Mr. West?”

“I’ve invited West to come to the office on Monday,” Rodgers said. “We’ll talk more about specific assignments. His mom died last year, and he would like to get back in the field.”

“Sounds perfect,” Hood admitted.

“Meanwhile, what’s happening with Lowell?” Rodgers asked.

Hood brought Rodgers up to date. When he was finished, the general was silent for a moment.

“Any thoughts?” Hood asked.

“Only about the Aussies and Singapore,” Rodgers said. “They’re tough nuts. Good partners to have in a big game.”

“How big a game do you think this is?” Hood asked.

“I don’t think there’s a global conspiracy with Darling at the head, if that’s what you mean,” Rodgers assured him.

“Why not?”

“Men like Darling are autocrats, not oligarchs,” Rodgers said. “Defenders band together for mutual protection. Aggression is a solitary activity. Even during World War II, Germany and Japan stayed a world away from each other. And they would have gone toe to toe eventually.”

“So what’s the scenario you envision?”

“Apart from the perverse challenge?” Rodgers said. “I see world capitals being attacked and crippled, economies paralyzed. You want to see where the targets may be? Look at where Darling has the fewest investments.”

“I have,” Hood said. “He’s still invested heavily at home and in South America. But he’s shifted a lot of his assets from Europe and the United States to the Pacific Rim.”

“There you go,” Rodgers said. “He’s looking to rough up a London or Washington, Paris or Bonn. Change the financial and geopolitical dynamic. Does he have any children?”

“A young daughter.”

“The heir to his efforts,” Rodgers said. “What father doesn’t want to give his daughter the world? You were ready to resign from Op-Center for your kids, for your family.”

“True. But I would draw the line at killing millions of people,” Hood said.

“Would you?” Rodgers asked.

“I don’t follow.”

“We’ve gone to war to protect our way of life, to preserve our view of the future for our children,” Rodgers said.