“Why do you think he disappeared?”

“I have no doubt something bad happened or he would be here, ready and eager to fight. I think he went under to protect himself, protect the flash drive, maybe even me and the rest of the team.” She stared at him, swallowed again. “I won’t accept that they’ve found him, killed him to get the flash drive even though the logical part of me, the experienced part, keeps trying to convince me he has to be dead. The people who want that flash drive will stop at nothing.”

“Which means what’s on it provides evidence of malfeasance.”

“I shouldn’t be telling you anything classified, but—” She shrugged. “Hashem was embedded in the Iranian military. I’m guessing he found out who was selling missiles and guidance systems to Iran. And whoever it is will stop at nothing to get it back.” Olivia looked down at her clasped hands that were close to shaking. Firm up, Hildebrandt. “If he’s alive, no, no, he is alive, but why hasn’t he called me? I’m well enough to kill a man, I’m certainly well enough to help him. So I’ll give you a list of where I’ve looked, who I’ve asked. How can you possibly find him when I can’t?”

Savich said, “Like your Mr. Lodner, I have resources, Olivia, resources he doesn’t have. Trust me. Maybe after Mike visited you in the hospital, he decided he needed to figure some things out on his own, and he believed staying out of sight would keep you safe. You say he’s smart, he’s experienced. Your mission was compromised, and you all were almost killed. It’s possible your satellite communications were intercepted or that there’s an internal data breach at the CIA, or even a mole.”

She was nodding. “Yes, everyone at the CIA, including the director, is aware of those possibilities, and taking steps. I’m just afraid they’ll look no further than Mike.”

Savich sat back, smiled at her, and said, “He sounds too tough to let anyone get him.”

He saw color bloom on her face, and there, again, that desperate hope in her eyes. “Yes, you’re right about that. He’s one of five sons, and both of his parents are Marines. He told me surviving his brothers is how he learned his survival skills, that, and the street fighting in all the countries he’s lived in. He speaks street Farsi, Arabic, and some Italian from a Neapolitan grandmother.”

Savich nodded. He’d find out everything about Mike Kingman, including his high school prom date. “Olivia, I think Mike will contact you now, if he can, because whoever is behind this tried to either take you or kill you. He won’t want to leave you in the dark any longer, it’s too dangerous.”