And then Gerry Lockhart is gone, and I suppress a shudder. Did I just hear an Auditor tell one of the heavy hitters in External Assets to do whatever is necessary? Then I look at Mhari. She’s wearing a profoundly guilty expression. Is it putting two plus two together if I infer that the senior executive she mentioned over dinner was . . . oh. Well, it’s none of my business, I suppose. Especially now.

“I have called this meeting because it has become apparent that someone is attempting to liquidate our OPERA CAPE employees,” says the Senior Auditor, taking over from his colleague. “This working group therefore has three tasks. The first item on the agenda is to place all personnel with PHANG syndrome who are not members of this committee in protective detention for the duration. The second item is to identify the threat—”

“Oh no,” groans Alex. (The SA chooses to ignore his interruption.)

“—by establishing a decoy protocol whereby two assets will be exposed, albeit with protection—”

“Now wait a minute!” starts Mhari.

“—and the third action item is to neutralize the threat,” the SA adds, ignoring her, too. “Which means identifying, characterizing, and preventing it. Ahem. There is some reason to believe that it may have resulted from an inadvertent contact with our own organization. This cannot be confirmed at present, but you should be aware that this is why I have established a Code Blue working group and bound you all to silence. Colonel Lockhart is, incidentally, already privy to this plan.”

Colonel Lockhart? Well, I already knew he was ex-army, but that’s some heavy stuff. I look around the room. Everybody is looking as grim as a tax audit, except for Mhari and Alex (who look petrified), Pete (who is appalled), and the DRESDEN RICE dead wood (who appear to be wondering what time dinner is served in this nursing home).

“Working groups: Greene, Northcote-Robinson, you are working under Jez Wilson on task alpha, securing our human resources. You will coordinate with Colonel Lockhart once he has secured Mr. Menendez. Angleton, Howard, Murphy, Wilson, Newstrom: you are on tasks beta and gamma, threat identification and neutralization. Which is to say, you have to identify, track, and intercept a dedicated assassin who has successfully killed at least one PHANG and quite possibly a senior banking executive.” Everyone looks duly grave. “You will now form breakout groups in, ah, this briefing room and next door, room 203, and conduct a task breakdown exercise and develop proposals for taking the operation forward. Judith and I will coordinate from here. Are there any further questions? No? Very well, let’s get to work.”

• • •

I END UP TAKING MHARI HOME—MY HOME. BECAUSE . . .

“It’s a safe house. No, really: class one secured, and tested the hard way.”