With a shattering roar, the front of Major Denison’s beautiful French Provincial mansion bulged outward and then exploded into a thousand thousand pieces as an orange-yellow ball of flame burst out of its puny confinement. The roof lifted up, then settled down on the billowing blast of flames, flattening them as they swept outward.

Even as she stared, Nicole felt Central Control shudder, and the windows of the conference room rattled softly. She and the others ran to the windows and threw back the drapes. High up, near the base of the mountain that formed Shalev’s western flank, a tiny ball of orange light flickered upward, pushing back the darkness around it.

Behind her, Nicole heard the television speaker. It was Eric’s voice, and he spoke only two words. “Goodnight, Major.”

CHAPTER 30

It was nearly two-thirty in the morning when Travis came down the deserted halls of the fourth floor suite of offices and knocked softly on the Major’s door, then slipped inside when he heard the muffled command to enter.

The Major sat behind his desk, looking as fresh and tireless as if he had just risen from a long night’s sleep. His suit and tie were still immaculate. Sometime since the shattering loss of his home, he had taken time to shave. Travis shook his head wearily as he sat down, rubbing at the stubble on his own jaw. He felt rumpled, strung out, and ready for a shower and bed.

“No sign of them, I presume,” the Major said.

“None.”

“That’s no great surprise.” He leaned back, his reflection clearly mirrored in the polished expanse of the empty desk top, and his hands came up to form a fingertip steeple.

“Major, I haven’t had much chance before now to say this, but I’m sorry about your home.”

The older man shrugged. “Houses can be rebuilt.” Then in a musing tone he continued slowly. “In a way, it has value, for it’s revealed a flaw in Eric Lloyd that could prove very helpful to us. Eric is a man of principle and has a rather highly charged sense of fairness.”

“Your wife, you mean?”

“Yes. He could have taken her hostage or even killed her and done me great harm. But he didn’t. If he won’t go for the jugular when he has the chance, that gives us a decided advantage.”

Travis shook his head dubiously. “Maybe.”

To Travis’s surprise, the Major smiled. “Actually, in addition to Eric’s high principles, we have another strong advantage.”

“What?”

“Joe Jensen.”

“Joe Jensen?”

“Yes.”

“Do you mean—”

“Yes. Joe came to me a couple of days ago. He and Rod Loopes are old friends. Rod had called him and offered him a chance to join Eric. Joe played along with them. Said he wanted time to consider it. Then he came directly to me.”

“Well, well, well,” Travis breathed in admiration as he leaned back in his seat.