“We could put you in prison,” said Tucker. “So how about you go kill Ahmadi and our ‘agreement’ is you don’t rot in a jail cell?”
Reel looked at Potter. “So accommodate me.”
“How high up do you want the signatory to be?” a
sked Potter.
“Way higher than either of you,” she said.
“That is a short list.”
“And don’t I know it.”
Potter looked at Tucker, who sat back, folded his arms across his chest, rocked back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling, looking for all the world like an overgrown child who had just had his crayons taken away.
“Okay,” said Potter. “Consider it done.”
Reel scooped up the USB stick. “Nice haggling with you.”
She and Robie started to leave.
“Robie, hold up,” said Tucker. “We have matters to discuss with you separate from this.”
Reel looked at Robie and shrugged. “I’ll be outside.”
She left.
Tucker motioned for Robie to retake his seat. “She’s a liability.”
“I don’t see it that way,” said Robie. “And why are you really sending me along? She doesn’t need a spotter.”
“Because you are to make sure that she comes back. She is going to be held responsible for her crimes,” said Tucker.
“You mean for killing traitors?”
“I mean for murdering two of my people.”
“And the deal you gave her?”
Tucker looked triumphant. “There is no deal.”
Robie glanced at Potter. “You just told her there was a deal.”
Potter looked uncomfortable. “I’m usually a man of my word, Robie. But this is out of my hands.”
Tucker pointed a finger at Robie. “And just to be clear, if you tell her the truth your ass will be in a prison cell until the day you die. We’ve got you on all sorts of aiding and abetting the enemy, meaning Jessica Reel.”
Robie looked over at Blue Man, who was still doodling on his paper. “What do you think about this?” he asked him.
Blue Man looked up, thought for a moment. “I think you should go. And do your duty.”
Robie and Blue Man gazed at each other for a long moment. Then Robie rose. “See you on the other side,” he said, before going out the door.
Blue Man caught up with him before he left the building.
“Was that bullshit back there from you?” Robie asked.
“It was actually the best advice I could give you under the circumstances.” He put out his hand. “Good luck.”
Robie hesitated and then shook it.
Blue Man walked off and Robie left the building.
Reel was waiting for him at his car. They got in.
Reel said, “What did they want with you?”
“Doesn’t really matter, now that I know.”
“Know what?”
Robie held up the piece of paper that Blue Man had slipped him while shaking his hand.
Reel looked at the two letters Blue Man had written on it.
They were both lowercase t’s.
She gazed up at Robie. They both knew exactly what it meant.
“Double cross,” said Reel.
“Double cross,” repeated Robie.
CHAPTER
83
THE OPERATIONS ROOM WAS SMALL and the company selected to sit in on this particular mission few in number.
Potter, the APNSA.
Tucker, the DCI.
The new number two at CIA, who looked slightly gun-shy, since his two predecessors had been killed and permanently incapacitated, respectively.
The director of homeland security.
A ramrod-straight, white-haired three-star from the Pentagon.
And Blue Man.
On one wall was a mass of giant TV screens on which real-time SAT downloads were streaming across. The men sat in comfortable chairs around a rectangular table. Bottles of water sat in front of each of them. They could be getting ready to watch every NFL game being broadcast.
Or another type of contest from a half a world away.
Potter checked one of the digital clocks on the wall. “One hour away,” he said, and Tucker nodded.
“Everything in place?” asked the three-star.
“Everything’s in place,” replied Tucker. He had on a headset and was receiving communications from assets on the ground. This was hard to do in a place like Syria, but the United States had enough muscle to do just about anything just about anywhere.
He hit a button on the control console in front of his chair and one screen flicked to the sniper nest set up in an empty office building in downtown Damascus.
“It was fortunate that Ahmadi’s people never learned of the assassination attempt,” said Tucker. “In fifty-seven minutes he’s going to find himself in the crosshairs once more.”
“When does Reel arrive at the nest?” asked Potter.
“In ten minutes.”
“And Robie?”
“His spotter site is set up on the street opposite where Ahmadi will be getting out.”
“And their exit?” asked the director of homeland security.
“Planned and polished and we expect it to work,” said Tucker vaguely.
“But everything is a risk,” added Potter quickly. “Especially over there.”
The three-star nodded approvingly. “It takes balls to do what your people do. Sending two in with light weapons and no backup. We send our guys into tough situations, but they have a lot more firepower and resources. And we don’t leave people behind.”
“They’re the best we have,” said Blue Man, drawing hard stares from Tucker and Potter.
“I’m sure,” said the three-star. “Well, godspeed to them.”
“Godspeed,” mouthed Blue Man.
A voice spoke in Tucker’s ear. He turned to the others and said, “Robie has just communicated in. He’ll be in position in five minutes. Reel will be in the sniper’s nest in seven minutes. Everything looks good. Ahmadi will be leaving the government building right about now. He will be out of target for the next forty-eight minutes. Then they’ll have a two-minute window to—”
Tucker broke off speaking for a very understandable reason. On the TV