to give out information about it, but she could, and would, give him a man’s name. That Renfro would deduce this was a Poison Apple asset was a given, and Suzanne Brewer was fine with that.
“Look into the record of a man named Zachary Paul Hightower. He is fifty, a former SEAL DevGru operator, former Ground Branch paramilitary. He is the man Hanley has on your tail in violation of federal law. From what I can deduce, this asset’s association with the DDO goes back fifteen years or more.”
Renfro didn’t know this name, but that was no surprise, because he didn’t work directly with the “sled dogs” who did the actual physical operational work for CIA. “Excellent,” he said. “I’ll look into him.”
He stood, and Brewer followed him to her feet. They shook hands and Renfro asked, “Can you keep him off me while I work? I’d like to have this dealt with before I leave the country tomorrow.”
Brewer said, “Ordinarily, yes, but Hanley is in direct contact with the asset. If I pull Hightower off the assignment for much time at all, Hanley will know something’s going on.”
Renfro conceded this point. “Fine, keep him on me till I get Hanley’s future with the Agency sorted out. And when I do, you will be able to write your own ticket.” He smiled. “At that point, perhaps my relationship with the director will begin to impress you.”
* * *
• • •
Renfro walked back to his car, his hands and armpits dripping sweat. There was a lot to process about what he’d just learned.
First, he told himself that he believed Brewer really did want to parlay her warning into some sort of improved situation for herself in Agency HQ; he had no sense this was all some sort of act to garner information or to deliver a subtle threat.
He’d forgo the hearings this afternoon; he could get out of them, and instead he would head to the office to begin digging into this man Hightower. After that he was determined to head back into D.C. to see Trina. Tomorrow he would leave for the UK; he’d have to pack and fulfill family obligations first, and sneaking out would be nigh on impossible then.
He felt better now than he did before speaking to Brewer, immeasurably so. But his fears about the secret he’d been keeping at the Agency remained, and he still couldn’t shed himself of the terror that his world was crashing down around him.
As he climbed into his car he spoke aloud. “If I’m going down, that prick Hanley is going down with me.”
CHAPTER 37
ONE MONTH EARLIER
The three Range Rovers rolled through a cool afternoon in the Scottish Highlands, traveling the twenty miles between the parking lot where the helicopter landed and the passengers climbed into the SUVs and Castle Enrick, the site of the upcoming Five Eyes intelligence conference. The castle appeared over a rise, and Janice Won gasped at its majesty. It was an immense fortification, ringed with an ancient wall and perched on a hillside overlooking Loch Ness.
The structure was off-white in color, not the brown stone of many castles, and its size did not give it an ominous appearance at all. It was imposing, but welcoming, with flags waving in the breeze and ornate landscaping along the drive up to the gate.
The vehicles rolled through the gate of the curtain wall around the entire facility, its parapets still intact, the crenellations maintained, as if archers were standing by even now to protect the castle hotel from marauding invaders.
There were several buildings inside the walls, but the keep was the largest, strongest, and most well-protected part of the entire fortification, and it was also the location of the majority of the conference. They parked in a small lot here, then entered through the gatehouse, walking under the iron portcullis held up by thick rope.
The original castle had been built in 1269, but it had been a simple tower keep at first, and only over the next century was it built up into the massive complex it was today. A great hall, an entry hall, and larger living quarters were added. In the 1800s bathrooms and electricity and improved ventilation were put in, and in the 1970s the family that owned the property turned it into a luxury hotel and conference center.
After they dropped their bags in their rooms, Mars, Fox, and Won met back in the entry hall. Jon Hines did not make this trip. Even though he