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call him Violator, Suzanne. You aren’t at the watercooler with the junior administrators.”
    Chastened, she said, “Of course. I’m sorry. But why is he a threat? My understanding was that
we
were after
him
.”
    Mayes said, “We are, and he knows it. Five years now. That’s why him showing up like this is so problematic. It’s possible his arrival in the area was coincidence, a waypoint towards his final destination, but we have to allow for the possibility that he is here on some sort of an offensive operation.” Mayes added, “It’s what he does, after all.”
    Brewer spoke with a tone of astonishment. “That . . . that would be suicide on his part.”
    On the monitor next to the map a new image appeared. A passport photo of Courtland Gentry, wearing a blue blazer and wire-rimmed glasses. The image was at least five years old.
    Brewer said, “He looks so . . . average.”
    Carmichael broke into the conversation. “Do you know what this ex-asset is capable of?”
    “I admit I only know the rumors. Cafeteria chatter and such. That file has been SCI code word classified,” she said, and then quickly added, “which of course you know, because you classified it.”
    “I did,” replied Carmichael.
    She added, “If I am to help you, I’ll need to know what we’re dealing with. The more information you can give me, the better.”
    Jordan Mayes said, “Here’s what you need to know. The threat is one man, but the threat is real. Gentry was, hands down, the best hard asset in the entire Agency while he was in.”
    “And how long was he in?”
    “He was with us for nearly twelve years.”
    “Ex-military?”
    “Negative. His potential was identified at a young age, then he was brought in to a pilot program designed to train exceptional young men for autonomous field work.”
    She lifted her pen and put the tip on the legal pad in front of her. She still seemed stunned by the thought of going up against the Gray Man, but she was quickly composing herself and getting down to work. “The name of this program?”
    When no one spoke, Brewer glanced up from her pad. The room was perfectly silent and all eyes stared at the pen on the paper.
    After a few seconds, she slowly put the pen back down. “I see.”
    Mayes broke the silence. “After 9/11 Violator was folded into a rendition and direct action task force in Ground Branch.”
    Brewer said, “I’m cleared for SAD ops. Will you tell me the task force’s name?”
    Carmichael answered with a wave of his hand, as if it didn’t matter. “Golf Sierra. Run by Matthew Hanley.”
    Brewer just muttered, “The Goon Squad.”
    “So you’ve heard of them, too.”
    “Well, like it is with Gentry, I only know the legend. They were supposedly the best we had.” Brewer glanced quickly around the room. It was evident to all she was wondering why on earth Gentry’s former superior was not present. Matthew Hanley was now the head of the Special Activities Division;
surely
he was cleared for anything said in this room.
    As she was about to bring up this concern, something else occurred to her. “I guess the most important thing you can tell me is why we are after Gentry in the first place.”
    She looked to Mayes, but Mayes only turned his head to Carmichael. Apparently Carmichael would determine if she was to be allowed to know this part of the story.
    Before Carmichael could speak, a disembodied voice filled the room. “We have Director Aurbach ready on the satellite.”
    Mayes told the commo technician to send the feed to the monitor.
    The large blue screen on the wall came to life. Menachem Aurbach sat at a desk wearing an open-collared white button-down. The man wasseventy-two years old, and he had a thick neck and a thicker gut, but he also was in possession of a ruddy complexion and a coiffed black mane that was only peppered with strands of silver. His visage was tired and sullen, but Carmichael expected nothing else, because as long as he’d known