about?"
"You are so naive, General. Do you think I'm foolish enough to put my life in your hands and not have an insurance policy?"
"You are bluffing."
"No, that's not my style. I plan, I don't bluff. I have taken certain precautions. I've hired multiple lawyers and given them very specific instructions that if they don't hear from me at prearranged intervals they are to mail an encrypted file to Director Kennedy and a few other select people."
Durrani wanted to think it was a lie, but Rickman was devious and untrustworthy. "What kind of information?"
"Very detailed information that implicates you in all of this."
"What could you possibly be thinking? That is reckless . . . what if these lawyers take a look at the information?"
Rickman knew this would drive Durrani nuts. The specter of an unknown number of people possessing information that could expose him, ruin everything he'd worked for and probably get him killed, was too much to absorb for a control freak. It would likely keep him up at nights for years to come. If he lived that long. The important thing for now was to keep him as levelheaded as possible while making him understand that he did not hold all the cards. "It's encrypted, and don't worry, they are people I trust. They have no desire to look at the files. They know they contain information that could get them killed." Rickman scratched his dog's neck and said, "You have nothing to worry about as long as you honor our agreement."
"You are the one who needs to honor our agreement. The senator says he needs the information so he can move against Rapp and Kennedy."
That might have been true, but until Rickman was confident that Rapp wasn't coming after him, Senator Ferris would have to wait. "Let's see how things go in Zurich."
"You are a fool."
"Really," Rickman answered in an amused tone. "I think it is actually very pragmatic of me."
"I'm talking about giving such valuable information to people I cannot trust. It's foolish."
"It's actually very smart, although probably not all that smart considering your history."
Durrani shook his head and scowled. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It's pretty obvious that you have a habit of killing the people you work with."
"That is an exaggeration."
"Not really, so the fact that I took a few precautions is just common sense. It's not particularly smart."
If Durrani had thought it would solve his problems he would have killed Rickman and his crazy dog, but he needed the American to complete his plan. It was time to change gears and find common ground. "Joe, you must understand . . . you are different. We have discussed this. You understand the stupidity of your country's folly in Afghanistan. You knew it almost from the beginning, but you did your job. You saw the people you despised become rich beyond their wildest dreams, all with American cash provided by you." Durrani pointed at him. "You fought valiantly and then you saw the light. America should not be in Afghanistan, and they most certainly shouldn't be giving money and weapons to the very people who are already turning against them. You saw the injustice and you took the money, but you needed an ally to help you disappear. I am that ally. Your dream could not have come true if it wasn't for me."
"General, I am not disagreeing with you," Rickman said, wondering why Durrani had to take everything so personally. "I am simply saying the timing isn't right. I'm happy to hear that we have a special relationship. And the best way to keep it that way is to make sure neither of us tries to bully the other into doing something that we do not want to do. Surely you must see that."
Durrani was not used to sharing power. He didn't like the lack of control, but until he could find a way to dismantle Rickman's network of lawyers, he would have to play this game. "I see your point," he said, even though he didn't. "But surely you can see where I am coming from. I have put a great deal into this, yet so far I have seen no return for my effort, and if we are to carry out the next phase of our plan and embroil the CIA in scandal, we need to begin passing your information on to Senator Ferris."
This was the one part of the plan that Rickman had never fully embraced. Senator Ferris was a windbag, and