“What operatives? You can’t task my guys without informing me.”
“They aren’t your guys.” Carmichael hesitated. “They are part of a special mission unit from JSOC.”
Hanley looked like he’d been poleaxed. He leaned all the way back in his chair. In a nearly hoarse voice he said, “What in the name of God are you doing?”
“I wasn’t planning on using SAD. I have sanction to pull certain military assets from—”
“Why?” Hanley quickly put a hand up in the air. “Why not tell me and call up Ground Branch assets?” He sat up straighter in his chair and raised a finger. “I get it. You are using me as bait.”
Carmichael grinned like a cornered dog showing his teeth. “He’ll try to make contact with you. You know he will.”
“Meaning . . . you think he’ll try to kill me.”
Carmichael did not respond for a moment. Finally he picked up the report again. “You’ll be safe.”
“Despite your best attempts to keep me out of the loop, Gentry has made other arrangements. Now I am involved, whether you like it or not. I know what’s going on here, and I know you are doing your best to keep this whole thing under wraps. For the sake of the Agency I hope you do keep a lid on it. If U.S. military forces go loud on the streets of Washington, D.C., some really curious folks are going to want to know why.”
Carmichael replied, “I am well aware of that.” He drummed his fingers on the table now. “I suppose some support from Ground Branch wouldn’t hurt. Why don’t you task a few elements to my Violator Working Group? We can involve them in the hunt, wrap this up even faster.”
Matt Hanley shook his head with a laugh. “You’ve got some brass balls, Denny. Trying to suck me into your debacle in the making so I’ll be invested in the outcome? No thank you.”
“I will remind you that I am your superior. Your men are, ultimately, mine to do with as I see fit.”
Hanley stood. “Can’t argue with you there. My guys are at your disposal.” He started to turn for the door. Then he stopped himself and turned back. “Of course, I can always drop by the director’s office. On something this big, you don’t mind if I check with him just to make sure everything is squared away.”
Carmichael’s jaw flexed. “On second thought, maybe SAD should sit this one out. I’m sure your operational tempo is keeping your forces busy.”
“As a bee,” said Hanley.
It was quiet now as two men who neither trusted nor liked each other squared off. Finally Carmichael looked back down to his paperwork and said, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work on my desk.”
The meeting was over but, to the surprise of the senior executives, Chris Travers spoke up. “Sorry. Can I ask a question, sir?”
Carmichael looked up, annoyed. “What is it?”
“If Gentry really did what we accuse him of . . . why the hell would he come back, grab me like he did, question me like he did . . . and then just leave? I’ve been thinking about it all night. If he wanted to hunt down the people after him, why expose himself like that? He’s too smart to give away a tactical advantage.”
Hanley looked to Carmichael, his eyebrows raised, waiting to hear the older man’s response.
Carmichael said, “I have stopped trying to understand all of Gentry’s motivations. Did it make sense that he would eliminate his team and go on the run like that?”
Travers said, “If what he says is true . . . if they did shoot first . . . then, yeah, it does make sense. I love my team like brothers. But if they draw guns on me, I’m gonna do the same to them, and somebody’s gonna die.”
Carmichael said, “Son, you are not cleared for the op that got Gentry in hot water in the first place, so you are not cleared for anything that Gentry told you last night. That means the questions you are asking me are out of line.”
Mayes took over now, ending the meeting by ushering Hanley and Travers towards the door.
As they walked off Hanley put an arm around his younger employee. In a voice loud enough for all to hear Hanley said, “Don’t feel bad, Chris. I’m not cleared for it, either. Denny is the only one in the building with enough juice to know what Court did to put him in the CIA’s crosshairs. I bet Mayes here is flying as blind as the rest of us.”
The two men left the room. Mayes shut the door, then turned back to Carmichael. Carmichael said, “Don’t worry about Hanley. Despite his posturing, he’s in this as deep as me. If we leave him alone, he’ll continue to play ball.”
Mayes said, “I’m not worried about Hanley. He makes noise, but he always comes around. He knows you are the law around here, not the director. I am, however, a little concerned about this Travers. I could see him becoming a problem.”
Carmichael nodded and said, “Agreed. He’s unreliable. I don’t want him operational until the Violator situation is resolved.” Carmichael quickly put up a hand. “Belay that. I want him out. All the way out.”