“Weren’t.”

“Who was the largest donor to Lombard’s Senate campaigns?”

Titus didn’t answer.

“Who championed Cold Harbor for defense contracts over the big PMCs like Blackwater and KBR? It’s not rocket science. If Lombard needs someone snatched, whom else is he going to call?”

“Guess that’s what I’m here for.” Titus smiled his affable good-old-boy grin. Just a couple of pals shooting the breeze. “Not bad, George. You always were a sharp guy. Not real practical but sharp. You put my boy in the hospital.”

“I thought I missed.”

“Nope, he’s going to be talking funny for a long time. You haven’t lost your touch sitting behind a desk.”

“That’s generous of you, but since only one of your boys is in the hospital, and I’m chained to this table, I’d say my touch is very much in question.”

“I admire a man who takes stock of his failings.”

Titus pushed the cup of water closer. George didn’t ask for the shackles to be removed so he could drink it. Nor was he about to lap at it like some dog.

“Have you thought about what it means that Lombard called you and not the FBI?”

“Don’t care,” Titus shrugged. “Man’s going to be president.”

“In which case, you stand to make a fortune.”

“Another fortune,” Titus said with a crooked smile. “First one’s getting lonely.”

“Is he here?”

“The VP? Surrounded by Secret Service? Come on.”

“Being a public servant can be inconvenient,” George said.

“Never saw the appeal myself.”

“What does he want?”

“He wants to be president. But right now he very much wants to know what you did with Abe Consulting Group.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t,” Titus said wearily. “Don’t play that game with me, George. I mean, where did it go?”

Mike Rilling had been unemployed for twelve hours. He, along with everyone at ACG, had been terminated via e-mail at eleven p.m. Thursday night. No warning. No exit interview. Nothing. A massacre—the entire company laid off without warning. His coworkers had all received the same e-mail explaining that unforeseen financial setbacks were forcing ACG to close its doors permanently.

It was a betrayal. Not of the company—Mike didn’t give a damn about any of them—but of him personally. What about all their man-to-man talks about integrity, about doing things the right way? To be stepped on this way? It just proved that George Abe was as big a hypocrite as anyone.

It validated Mike’s decision to funnel information to the vice president. After all, it was the man’s daughter. In Mike’s mind, Benjamin Lombard had a right to be kept informed. He didn’t really see the need for all this secrecy. Finding the creep that snatched his daughter was a good thing. The vice president would be grateful.