Page 34 of Cold Target

The Army officer didn't respond.

The tall man turned from the window. "What's the timeline on the other operations?"

Winthrow consulted her notes. "Idaho team estimates two weeks before they have enough for warrants. Montana is slower. The compounds are remote. Hard to surveil without being spotted. We've got informants in three groups, but they're low level. No access to leadership."

"And Kinsman?"

"Still missing. No confirmed sightings since January. Financial activity stopped six weeks ago. Either he's gone to ground or he's dead."

"He's not dead," the tall man said. “Reacher needs to find him. I think he can do it.”

Everyone looked at him.

"If Kinsman were dead, someone would've taken credit. These groups love martyrs. They'd be circulating his name, his story, his ideology. The fact that he's silent means he's operational."

The Army officer shifted in his seat. "Which brings us back to Michigan. If Kinsman's operational, and if Reacher and Simmons are our best shot at finding him, then we need results. Not excuses."

"They've had three days," Winthrow said.

"Three days is a long time when you're blown."

"They're not blown. They're noticed. There's a difference."

"Not to the people who jumped Simmons."

Winthrow set her pen down. "You want to pull them?"

"I want to replace them. With people who know what they're doing."

"Reacher knows what he's doing."

"If you say so."

"He's former Army Intelligence. He's worked counterintelligence. He understands operational security and network analysis. And he's smart enough not to get himself killed."

The Army officer smiled thinly. "Yet."

The tall man raised a hand. Not a command. Just a gesture. The room went quiet.

"We're not pulling them," he said. "Not yet."

The Army officer opened his mouth. The tall man continued.

"But we need movement. Winthrow, call Reacher. Tell him we need actionable intelligence within forty-eight hours. Names. Locations. Connections to Kinsman. Something we can use."

Winthrow nodded. "Understood."

"And tell him the parking lot incident is noted. If their cover is compromised, he needs to adjust. Go deeper or pull back. But he doesn't get to sit in the middle and hope nobody notices."

"I'll make it clear."

The tall man looked at the Army officer. "We keep them in play. For now. But if they don't produce, we reassess."

The Army officer didn't argue. He just closed his folder and leaned back.

The CIA man spoke again, still quiet. "There's another concern."

Everyone turned.