The Humvee was bouncing so much it was hard for Greenly to read the file in his hand. He knew the Darby case backwards and forwards, but reading kept him from dwelling on who he was on his way to see. The windows were darkened—a pointless precaution since the Eagle could rearrange people’s memories. If things went poorly, Greenly might wake up tomorrow and not remember being here.

  If things really went south, he might not wake up at all.

  The ranch was one of the most protected locations in the country. Greenly had led one of the DSSA teams responsible for testing the security here. They hadn’t found any holes.

  A company of Marines from the 2nd Division out of Camp Lejeune patrolled the only road leading to the ranch. Its members were single, unattached Marines who had distinguished themselves in duty. Closer in, dozens of ex-military contractors kept watch on the area around the house. All of those troops had once served under the direct command of the ranch’s owner, Col. Sam Carr—more commonly known to insiders as “the Eagle.”

  An M1A2 tank idled at the end of the driveway. Patriot missile launchers were scattered around the perimeter of the property, along with an Avenger air defense system.

  That’s new, Greenly thought.

  Under normal circumstances, the Eagle communicated through official channels, which meant issuing orders through Director Whitchurch—or through the President himself. A direct summons meant the Eagle was even more concerned about Teri Darby than they suspected. Greenly had jumped on a plane to DC as soon as he got the message. It left Julie in a bind, but nobody in his right mind would keep the Eagle waiting.

  The door opened as Greenly walked up the steps. A uniformed, middle-aged man with graying hair met him. “This way, sir.”

  They walked through a series of rooms adorned with a mix of antique furniture, Turkish rugs, medieval weapons, and paintings of battle scenes. His escort opened an ornate wooden door. “Go right in, sir.”

  The Eagle, a fit man in his fifties, was sitting behind a plain oak desk. He wore fatigues adorned only by eagle insignias on his shoulder. A painting of General George Patton hung behind his desk, one of the few decorations in the room.

  An attractive blonde stood beside him, wearing a miniskirt and a low-cut button-down shirt. Her hand rested on the back of his chair.

  Greenly had met the woman once before. Her name was Mindy Tibbs. Officially, she worked for the President, but Greenly knew she was the Eagle’s troubleshooter and girlfriend. The big secret, according to Julie, was that Mindy was also a mentalist—a real major league talent.

  The rumor in government circles was that she’d been a fashion model before the Event. Greenly believed it. You didn’t see legs like that every day.

  He cleared his mind. Best not think thoughts like that about the Eagle’s girlfriend right in front of him.

  “Reporting as ordered, Colonel,” Greenly said.

  “Have a seat.” The Eagle’s voice had the rasp of a lifelong smoker.

  A chair appeared behind Greenly. He sat.

  The Eagle’s pen scratched on paper for a few more seconds, then his eyes fixed on Greenly’s face.

  “How’s the search going? Find any trace of our three rogue talents yet?”

  “I have a report that Agent Hawkins and I prepared, Colonel.” He held out the folder.

  “Spare me. All I ever do is read reports. Just give me a quick run-down.”

  Greenly set the thick folder on the desk. “Well, sir, I can summarize this report in one word: nothing. We have absolutely nothing.”

  The Eagle stared at him for a moment, then grinned. He fished a pack of cigarettes out of a desk drawer and lit one.

  “Good,” he said. “I like it when my people are upfront with me. But you knew that, didn’t you?”

  “I did, Colonel.”

  “Still. I appreciate it. Nothing, eh? Not surprising, given the level of talent we’re dealing with.”

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  Greenly raised an eyebrow.

  “Oh, don’t act so shocked. I’m not an idiot, even if some of the people working for me are.” He grimaced. “Whitchurch. What a disappointment. That’s what happens when you put a bean-counter in charge. The President and I discussed this, but there was a lot of pressure from Congress to have a normal in that position, and … well, that’s water under the bridge.”

  Greenly nodded. “Sir, you should know that Agent Hawkins requested that you be brought in within minutes of meeting Teri Darby.”

  “I heard. And if that had happened, things would be very different right now. But again, water under the bridge. We have to deal with the reality at hand.”

  “Yes, sir. Agent Hawkins and I agree.”

  The Eagle cocked his head. “You’re very loyal to your partner, aren’t you?”

  “I think she’s one of the best DSSA has,” Greenly said.

  “They say she’s crazy.”

  “She is. But she channels it productively.”

  Mindy smiled, her first reaction since Greenly had entered.

  “Good,” the Eagle said. “I have some plans for Agent Hawkins, and for you. And some less pleasant plans for Director Whitchurch.”

  Greenly opened his mouth, then closed it. He’d learned a long time ago that when you didn’t have the answers, it was best to keep your mouth shut.

  “On to business,” the Eagle said. “Are you familiar with Amelia Franklin?”

  “Yes, sir. Lou Franklin’s daughter.”

  “Right. I’ve had an agent in place keeping an eye on her, but I can’t reach him anymore. His last report said Amelia had captured Teri Darby and her friends.”

  “Highly unlikely, sir,” Greenly said. “If DSSA couldn’t catch her, how are a bunch of normals going to find her?”

  “Roadside bomb. Stroke of luck, apparently.”

  “Oof. Even if that’s the case, they can’t possibly know who they have.”

  “They can and they do. Amelia Franklin is a mentalist. A powerful one.”

  Greenly whistled. “Well. That’s not good. Do you think she’ll be able to hang on to them? What if they join her cause? We haven’t exactly given them an incentive for patriotism.”

  “All good questions, and we need answers. If there’s even a chance that New Frontier can control Teri, we can’t ignore it. A weapon like that could win the war before it starts.”

  “Yes, sir.” Greenly studied the Eagle. It made sense, but he couldn’t help but wonder why the Eagle didn’t take care of the problem himself.

  The Eagle smiled. “There’s a lot more going on than you know—here and overseas. It requires all my attention. There are at least half a dozen people of my talent level in China alone.”

  Greenly’s stomach did a flip. “Sir, I understood that aside from yourself, no one approaching that level of talent has been found.”

  “Oh, there are others out there, but we don’t publicize it. I can feel them sometimes—some of them here in our own country. Might be someone even bigger than me out there.”

  Greenly’s stomach was churning now.

  “That’s why I can’t pop around and clean things up myself,” the Eagle said. “I’m the only major talent in this country who gives a damn about the Constitution. If something was to happen to me …” He shuddered. “I have a responsibility to protect the American people, and I can’t risk walking into the middle of a civil war. What if this whole thing is a trap? What if New Frontier has someone as strong as me, sitting there, waiting for a chance to take me out?”

  “Probably a wise precaution in any case, Colonel,” Greenly said. “We don’t understand the motivations of Darby and her friends, either.”

  “Yes. Exactly.” The Eagle lit another cigarette. “Kind of ironic, isn’t it? This much power and I can’t do anything with it. That’s why I have to work through surrogates like Mindy. And like yourself, Director Greenly.”

  “Sir?”

  “Congratulations on your promotion.”

  “Um … I’m a field agent, Colonel. A grunt. Surely a trained and educated mentalist would be a better choice. My partner, for instance.”

  “Julie Hawkins is a fine agent,” Mindy said. “She has a lot of administrative experience, but she doesn’t … play well with others. And certain influential people in Congress and elsewhere would be very nervous about having a powerful mentalist in charge of DSSA. She’ll be of more use as your deputy director.”

  “In this world, every leader needs a loyal mentalist,” the Eagle said. He smiled at Mindy. “Agent Hawkins will report directly to you, of course, but she’ll be under my orders as well. I trust that won’t be a problem?”

  Director Greenly. It did have a nice ring to it. “No, sir.”

  “Good. Now, I’m afraid I have to give you one little test beforehand. Nothing personal, but a position of responsibility like this comes with strings. I’m sorry about this.”

  “Sorry about what, s …” A weight pressed down on his mind.

  He was an ant on the sidewalk, pinned to the ground by a boot. He could barely breathe. Then the sensation faded, replaced by something else.

  He’d been dominated by mentalists before, as part of his training. It was like being drunk, seeing everything but not having complete control of his actions. This was different. He knew the Eagle was controlling him, and he didn’t mind. In fact, he welcomed it.

  To be used like this in service to one’s country … it was an honor.

  The Eagle winked at him. “All right. No outside influence that I can see. No one’s been messing with your mind, and you’re as loyal to Uncle Sam as they come. Which is all I can ask.”

  Greenly felt the hold release, and almost cried out. He wanted to keep it, hang onto the feeling … but it was gone.

  He blinked. He must have drifted. “Sir, I’m sorry. You said something about a test?”

  “Forget it. There’s no need. Your record speaks for itself.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “But back to business. We’ll hold off on announcing your promotion until you’ve made sure the three rogues are dealt with. I need you on this case, and it wouldn’t do for the Director and his top deputy to be in the field chasing three rogue talents. People would start asking too many questions.”

  “I understand.”

  “Mindy will have the President speak to Whitchurch, and you won’t have any problems getting whatever you need from DSSA or the military. You are to take any and all steps necessary to ensure that Amelia Franklin does not control the rogues. Am I clear?”

  “Absolutely, Colonel.”

  “Good. Now get to it, Director Greenly.”