Randi had been recruited only recently based on the recommendation of Jon Smith, but she still didn’t have a strong sense of what she’d gotten herself into. What she did know, though, was that when Fred Klein showed up unexpectedly in your hotel room, something hadn’t gone to plan. And that brought her own survival into question.

“I needed to talk to you,” Klein responded simply.

“That’s why they invented phones.” She moved subtly away from the windows. The curtains were drawn, but there were other ways for a sniper to line up a shot.

Klein wasn’t particularly impressive to look at. Thinning hair, mediocre suit, slightly jutting brow. But in the short time she’d known him, she’d developed a healthy respect for the man. He had a disconcerting way of thinking ten steps ahead and rarely made mistakes. Great if he was on your team, but in her business team affiliation tended to be hazy and subject to sudden changes.

“This is something I felt we should discuss face-to-face.” He wiped away some imaginary sweat from his upper lip. “We’ve lost contact with Jon.”

“Lost contact?”

“In a fishing village northeast of Toyama, Japan.”

“I know that area,” she said, finally lowering the knife. “I’ll go find him.”

Klein rose suddenly enough that her grip on the blade tightened involuntarily, but he just went to the bar and poured two scotches. After handing one to her, he returned to the chair.

“He was hit in the back with a crossbow bolt and was last seen swimming out to sea with at least three men pursuing. I’ve had people out there for two days looking for him and we’re continuing the effort…” His voice trailed off.

The implication was clear. She made her way a bit unsteadily to a small sofa across from him.

“I wanted to tell you before you heard somewhere else,” he said as she sat. “The story we’re going with is that he was cave diving off the coast of Okinawa. That there was an accident and he’s missing.”

Typically clever, Randi thought numbly. No one would expect to recover a body under those circumstances.

“My understanding is that your mission in Egypt is finished and you’re flying back to DC tomorrow.” He seemed a bit bowed when he stood again and started for the door. “We need to talk when you get back. About what Jon was working on.”

She watched him leave in silence and then just stared at the closed door. For a moment she thought she was going to throw up but then it passed, replaced by an unexpected sense of loneliness that was even worse.

No. Jon had been in tough scrapes before and he always made it out. Klein’s people just hadn’t found him yet. Or for that matter, the man could be lying. What did she really know about him?