Page 31

CANDACE KIM

NSA Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland

“Thanks for stopping by, Slash.”

“No problem,” he answered. “I’m happy to help. Any progress on the Avenger front?”

“A lot, which is why I asked you to stop by.”

Candace appreciated his insight on the situation, which she found unusual since she knew him the least of all the directors at the NSA. Slash was new to his position, having only recently been elevated to director, an impressive promotion that had raised more than a few eyebrows given his age, background, and number of years at the agency. But she’d seen him at work firsthand during several sensitive, high-pressure situations, and he’d handled them all with expertise, brilliance, and calm. Her gut also told her that he was a good guy, and she always trusted her gut.

She rose from her desk and shook his hand. “We just had another exchange where we told him we had tentative approval from the Justice Department on the immunity issue, assuming he followed through on our demands. He said he’s willing to deal.”

“You’re convinced the Hidden Avenger is Ethan Sinclair?”

“I’m convinced. I just need him to confirm it for us.” She invited him to sit, and he did, but she remained standing and walked over to the window.

“So, what’s next?” he asked.

Candace looked out at the view. The autumn colors had turned the forest surrounding the NSA compound into a beautiful riot of yellow, orange, and red, but these days she was too tense to enjoy it. Sighing, she turned around to face him again. “Well, the Justice Department has said that if itisEthan Sinclair, they’re willing to arrange protection for his family through the US Marshals’ Witness Security Program for a period of up to six months.”

“That’s good news. How does it affect the daughter Angel Sinclair? She’s currently in the UTOP trials.”

Candace knew that. She also knew that while Slash would want to keep the entire family safe from whatever threatened them, she wondered if he had a special connection to the girl. She knew Slash’s fiancée mentored Angel at her company and that he’d been front and center when the girl had brought down the Iraqi hacker. She also knew he’d personally invited her to UTOP. But just how invested was he in her and her future?

“How’s she doing at UTOP?” Candace asked.

“It’s just starting, but I have full confidence in her.”

“Good for her, and good for you for nominating her. We could use more women operatives, especially tech-savvy ones.”

“That we could,” he agreed.

She hesitated and then plunged forward with her question. “Do you mind if I ask how you know Angel Sinclair?”

A guarded look came into his eyes. This was not a man who would easily share information, especially personal information, so she was gratified when he responded. “I’m friends with her older sister, Gwen, who works at ComQuest in Baltimore as a microbiologist. Gwen and Angel helped my fiancée and me with a project. I was impressed by Angel’s skill and capability behind the keyboard, especially given her age.”

That wasn’t anything Candace couldn’t have found out herself, but she appreciated that he’d offered it. “I’m satisfied she’s protected for now at the UTOP compound. Are you?”

“I am,” he replied. “But what about the rest of the family?”

“They’re already under protective surveillance. But Ethan will need to provide further information about himself before this goes any further.”

“What kind of information?”

“For one, why he bolted and why he slapped ShadowCrypt on the back door.”

Slash steepled his fingers together, regarded her. “You may not want to hear what he has to say.”

She understood what he was getting at. Examining whether or not the NSA—or certain employees within the agency—had overstepped the boundaries regarding spying on US citizens would be a highly delicate matter to navigate, especially internally. “Actually, I do. If we need to clean house, then we’re going to do it.”

He didn’t respond, but she thought she saw a flash of approval in his eyes. Good, because if she had to take a close look inside the NSA as part of bringing Ethan in, she’d need all the friends she could get.

“The director has agreed to the private one-on-one meeting with Ethan,” she continued. “He’s curious, as am I, as to what’s going on.”

“There’s more to his story,” Slash said. “He’s going to want any assurances in writing and will most certainly have anything reviewed and verified by a lawyer,” Slash pointed out.

“We’ll do it. I’m going to bring him in.” She perched on a corner of her desk and folded her arms against her chest. “So, there’s something else. He’s trying to tell us something. I’ve got some of our best analysts looking at it, but nothing yet. I’ve got two code words from him so far—Ahab and Pope 264. Do those things mean anything to you? Any clue what Sinclair is trying to communicate?”