“How is that your fault?”
“I could have kept it back.”
“Would it have been as effective?”
It was a good and obvious question, and one he wasn’t entirely sure how to answer. There was always a balance between taking action and being safe.
“I don’t know,” he said finally. “But I guess I feel I should have told them to be more careful.”
“If someone told you that, would it have made any difference?”
“Probably not,” conceded Danny.
“I don’t see how you’re supposed to be perfect — doesn’t every plan get changed once the battle starts, or something like that?”
“Something like that.” Danny smiled. It was odd how suddenly he felt so comfortable talking to her.
Chapter 6
Jonathon Reid was about to open his car door in the Langley parking lot when a black government limo pulled up behind him. Reid knew exactly who it was, and could have guessed more or less accurately what was going to be said. He wanted to be anywhere but here, but there was no way to escape. He sighed to himself, then turned to face Herman Edmund as the rear window rolled down.
“Jonathon, come in here a moment, would you?” said Edmund.
“I’m actually late for an appointment,” said Reid.
“It’ll keep.”
Reluctantly, Reid walked over to the far side of the car and got in the back, next to the CIA director. There was a partition between the driver and the backseat; it was closed.
“Why are you doing this?” demanded Edmund. “I thought we were friends.”
“This isn’t personal,” said Reid. “There’s nothing personal involved.”
“You were trying to make me look bad with the President.”
“Herm, that’s not true. I barely spoke.”
“Your tone was atrocious. Raven is an important project,” continued Edmund. “It was started two directors ago. It wasn’t my idea.”
“I’m sure it’s important.”
“So why are you sabotaging it? What if I were I to do the same with Whiplash?”
“I don’t see that as a parallel situation in any way,” said Reid.
“No, of course you wouldn’t.”
“You do oversee Whiplash, the Agency component at least.”
“Oh come on, Jon. Everyone knows it’s your baby. You got it assembled, you got the funding, you convinced Magnus and the others in DoD to go along. It’s your baby. If anyone were to look at it cross-eyed, you’d scream.”
“The way Raven was deployed was not characteristic of your best decisions,” said Reid. He consciously picked his words, making the stiffest choices. Distance would be useful. This wasn’t a personal matter, and Edmund shouldn’t see it that way.
“Deploying the weapon without extensive testing and safeguards was ill-advised,” Reid continued. “You were almost guaranteed that something would go wrong.”
“You have no idea of the safeguards we employed,” said Edmund. “Or how much testing it’s undergone. Sooner or later it has to be used. That’s the real test. This — This was just a bizarre set of circumstances. The Predator caused the accident. It was part of the safeguards and it bit us in the butt — if we hadn’t had it with the flight, we wouldn’t be here talking.”
“It’s a powerful weapon,” said Reid.
“So powerful it should be under your control. Is that it?”
“Not necessarily, no.”
“But if it were a Whiplash project, that would be all right. If your private army had it, then nothing could ever go wrong.”
“Whiplash is just our — is just
“No, ‘our’ is the key word there.” Edmund had a smug expression on his face, strangely triumphant, as if Reid had proven his point. “I want you to think of what you’re doing to the Agency here, Jonathon. I know you’re jealous of me. But think of the Agency. The institution. Our oaths. Our history. You’re going to drag the Agency through the mud. Again. You. Both of us swore we would never let that happen. I’m just surprised that you went back on that. I expected a lot more from you.”
“I’m not involved in the politics at all.”
“Oh come on. You didn’t tell Ernst?”
“Absolutely not.”
“I know you’re the one who went to the President, Jonathon. What did you do? Use Breanna Stockard? Did she tell her husband? Was he the one who tipped off Ernst? I know he has his own agendas. I don’t buy all that hero crap.”
“Breanna did not tell either her husband, or Ernst. I have no idea who tipped off the senator. Most likely it was someone on your staff.”
“Now you’re getting ridiculous.” Edmund’s face reddened. “Get out, Jonathon. We’re done.”
“Herm—”
“Out of my car. I can’t fire you, obviously, but I can tell you that our friendship is done. I’ve been too trusting of people. Ironic for a spy, isn’t it?”
Chapter 7
Amara walked into the dimly lit hall trying to get his bearings after the long airplane flight. He’d been to America before, but that experience didn’t help him now. He knew he had nothing to fear — and yet he had everything to fear. The customs agent sat in a small booth similar to a toll collector’s. The man frowned as Amara handed over his passport.
“Why are you here?” the agent demanded.
“Vay-Vacation.”
“What’s a vay-vacation?”
The agent’s hostility made it easier somehow.
“I am here to visit my aunt and uncle,” said Amara. “I have their address.”
The official frowned and began examining his passport. “You’ve been in America before.”
“Yes, sir. I have been to school here.”
“You are thinking of getting a job.”
“It’s very difficult to get a job,” said Amara. This was his first answer that hadn’t been rehearsed. But it didn’t need to be. “I am helping my country build itself. There is much to be done.”
“That makes sense.” No longer interested in him, the agent flipped the passport pages back and forth, then stamped his book. “Be careful,” he said as he handed it back.
Be careful of what? Amara thought, shouldering his backpack out to the luggage claim area.
A half-dozen men in dark suits were standing near the doors, holding cards with handwritten names. He glanced at them. The terminal building felt a little unbalanced, as if the floor were tilted. He went to the carousel,
