“Check with Information Services,” Rhyme said. “Datamine ‘Bruns.’ If it’s a NOC, he’ll still have a presence in the real world.”

Agents operating under non-official covers nonetheless have credit cards and passports that can—possibly—allow their movements to be traced and yield clues to their true identity. Information Services was a new division at the NYPD, a massive datamining operation, one of the best in the country.

As Sachs put the request in, Laurel turned back to the board and tapped a second sheet she’d taped up there. “And here’s the order itself.”

RET - TOP SECRET - TOP SECRET - TOP SE

Special Task Orders
Queue

The other document on the board was headed “A.” This gave the information that Nance Laurel had mentioned earlier, supporting data about the shipments of fertilizer and diesel fuel and chemicals to the Bahamas. The shipments were from Corinto, Nicaragua and Caracas.

Laurel nodded toward the flash drive, still inserted into the computer nearby. “The whistleblower also sent a .wav file, a sound file of a phone call or radio transmission to the sniper, apparently from his commander. This was just before the shooting.” She looked expectantly at Sachs, who paused then sat down at the computer again. She typed. A moment later, a brief exchange came from the tinny speakers:

“There seem to be two, no three people in the room.”

“Can you positively identify Moreno?”

“It’s…there’s some glare. Okay, that’s better. Yes. I can identify the task. I can see him.”

Then the transmission ended. Rhyme was about to ask Sachs to run a voiceprint but she’d already done so. He said, “It doesn’t prove he actually pulled the trigger but it gets him on the scene. Now all we need is a body to go with the voice.”

“‘Specialists,’” Laurel pointed out. “That’s the official job title of assassins, apparently.”

“What’s with the NIOS ID code?” Sellitto asked.

“Presumably to make sure they get the right R. A. Moreno. Embarrassing to make that mistake.” Rhyme read. “Interesting that the whistleblower didn’t give us the name of the shooter.”

“Maybe he doesn’t know,” Sellitto said.

Sachs: “Looks like he knows everything else. His conscience extends up to a certain point. He’ll dime out the head of the organization but he’s sympathetic toward the guy who got the assignment to shoot.”