“Gunner,” warned Doc. “You know how this works.”
“We can’t stop Yanli from going back to Hong Kong. If she makes that decision, it’s out of our hands,” said Money.
“You can’t seriously be considering—”
Doc held up his hand, interrupting Dr. Benjamin. “What he’s saying is if we want to make this negotiation, we have to act before she does.”
Razor raised his hand. “Sorry to interrupt the current topic of conversation, but does the name Lam Shum mean anything to anyone?”
“What’s the context?” Doc asked.
“He was secretary-general of Interpol from 1997 to 2007.”
“Is that a lengthy tenure?” asked Stella.
Burns shook his head. “The position is appointed for a five-year term and may be reappointed once.”
Razor was back to studying his computer. “According to their annual report, Interpol’s operational support, aka funding through private donations, increased more than fifty percent in 1998. Similar growth occurred over the next five years. It leveled out in 2003.”
“Money laundering,” blurted Gunner.
I agreed. “The timing is perfect, given the handover.”
“It’s estimated that mainland China moves upwards of $100 billion in US dollars through Hong Kong annually,” said Money. “Although there have been decreases since the establishment of AML/CFT, or Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance.”
Gunner’s cough sounded more like “bullshit” than a hack.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” said Stella, causing all heads to turn in her direction. “All Kerr’s bullshit about voluntary contributions being funneled through Interpol keeping the intelligence community and entire governments from crumbling, how the world would stop spinning without men like him making the power plays behind the scenes, was really all just about money laundering? Not that I bought into his altruistic diatribe for a split second, but fuck, I want to kill him all over again.”
“You raise a good point,” said Doc. “In terms of how he may have convinced Harris to ‘do his bidding,’ as someone else said. My guess is the young man became disillusioned by the agency, maybe even the government as a whole after we failed to take care of his father. Kerr swoops in, convinces him that Argead is dedicated to righting wrongs or whatever other bullshit he fed him. Even his ‘code name’ speaks to this. Xander, or Alexander the Great, believed himself to be the defender of the Argead.”
Thoughts raced through my head. That first mission, when Dingo, 337, and Julius were gunned down, we’d been tasked with watching a Chinese-born Canadian national who was the kingpin of a drug network reportedly bringing in fifty million dollars annually. The assignment wasn’t to bring him in. It was to figure out who in Hong Kong was laundering his money.
“You knew about the hit,” I said, looking directly at Dr. Benjamin. “That’s why you were there that night. You and your son.”
When he didn’t respond, I pushed back my chair. Burns put his hand on my arm.
“It was a part of an investigation, in the same way you have been conducting your own,” said the doctor.
“My investigation was to find out who was murdering my fellow agents. I don’t give a shit about who the fuck moves money where.” I was shouting and I didn’t care. “There is no goddamn greater good. These are human beings who have been murdered, their bodies left in the street in order to keep money flowing into the pockets of greedy power mongers.” I pointed at Money. “And the agency covered it up. Burned the missions like they never happened. Why? Because motherfuckers like Fisk, Flatley—God knows who else—were on the receiving end of that cash?”
This time I did get up, but not to go after Benjamin. I stormed out of the room and out of the house.
“Irish.” I heard Cope call my name, but I kept walking. “Paxon!” he shouted.
I spun around. “You are no better,” I shouted. “You were going to let it happen to Malin Kilbourne. You were going to sacrifice her life as a means to an end. Fuck off, Cope!”
I had no idea where Flynn might be. She said she was off today, which meant she could’ve left the ranch like she had earlier this morning. Not knowing where else to go, I walked over to the corral, stood by the fence, and watched the horses. I was shocked when the one I’d ridden the one and only time I’d been on horseback sauntered over to me.
“I don’t have any treats for you today, buddy,” I said, rubbing his forehead like Flynn had taught me to do. He edged closer so the side of his face was right next to mine. It was the most natural thing in the world for me to lean into him. “Can’t tell you how much I needed that,” I said.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and immediately knew it was Flynn’s. I turned and pulled her into my arms.
“How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Manage to appear when I need you the most?”
“You do the same for me.”
“I do? I feel like this is one-sided.”
“You were there when Trent called me a name in that bar. You were there to warn me away from that other guy. But mostly, Paxon, you were the first man who made me feel like I could be desired as a woman. There is nothing one-sided about what we do for each other.”
Her mentioning Trent reminded me that Ink told me he’d been fired from the place in Redstone. He’d also muttered something about a broken nose that I chose not to follow up on for details.
I shook my head, willing the memory away. I smiled at Flynn and looked into her eyes. “When we first met, I remember thinking I wished I could be ten years younger, just so I would be closer in age to you. Now I realize it would only make you another ten years wiser than I am.”
“What happened in there?” She motioned toward the house with her head.
“I have a different philosophy about life than most of the people I work with.”
“How?”
“I don’t believe in the greater good. I don’t believe a life should be sacrificed in order to save the many.”
“And yet it’s how you live your own life.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have repeatedly put yourself in danger for the sake of those many. I don’t need to know the details of things you’ve done or been a part of since you went to work for the CIA. I still know you put your life on the line. Just like my brother Buck does. Probably everyone here in that room does.”
“It’s different when you make the choice yourself than it is when the decision is made for you.”
“Those other agents did make that choice, Paxon. It was their own sacrifice, not yours or anyone else’s on their behalf.”
“I don’t want to, but I should return to the meeting.”
Flynn reached up and kissed me. “My offer never expires. If you need me, you know how to reach me.”
“Why are you so good to me?”
“I think we already covered that. Now, go, so you can get done early enough that I can come to your cabin again tonight.”
39