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Chapter 1

THE scratch of the Montblanc pen whispered in the quiet, well-appointed office Thick stone walls and double-paned bulletproof glass worked to daton, DC, and su in the walls kept his office a haven of solitude amidst one of the busiest cities in the world

Richard Burns, executive assistant director of the Criation, flipped through page after page, initialing and signing The Bureau e, but paperwork still ears turn With a sniff, he closed the folder and tossed it into his outbox for his assistant to pick up At least he didn’t have to write out his full title every time

He was reaching to replace the fountain pen in its box when the buzzer on his phone interrupted him

“Sir?”

“Yes, Nancy?”

“Security just called, sir You have a visitor,” his assistant’s tinny voice announced over the speaker

“Who is it? I don’t have any appointments until two”

“The ID provided is for a Mr Randall Jonas Central Intelligence Agency”

Burns looked at the phone in surprise “Send hi his tie and suit jacket

It took five ain “Sir, the escort is here with Mr Jonas”

Burns walked around his desk to greet his old friend when he cah the door Randall Jonas had been one of three inal Marine Corps squadron who had returned from Vietnam Earl Grady was the other They were like his brothers, and Burns would never turn down a surprise visit from one of them But when the door opened and Jonas was shown into his office, Burns knew i

“You look like hell,” he said before he could think of a more appropriate way to say it

Jonas nodded “With good reason”

Jonas didn’t look at all like the sharp CIA section chief Burns saw for an occasional drink at an upscale DC bar Jonas looked worn, etoward heavy in recent years, with gunray hair and eyes that were a washed out brown He was usually full of good huht now, though, he looked like a bear being chased through the woods by bigfoot

Burns offered hiestured toward the leather sofa in the corner of his office “Forgiveover the pleasantries, but it seeht want me to What’s happened?”

Jonas dragged a hand through his hair “I really stepped in so detained at Langley,” he said as he thumped onto the couch and pulled at the knot of his tie

“You what?” Burns sat down across from Jonas

“I ca story short, soovern the assets when they got wise They turned the CIA into a hit service”

“What?”