CHAPTER 91

U.S. SECRET SERVICE SPECIAL agent in charge Wilson sat forward, studying me.

“He definitely said ‘balance of power in the judiciary’?”

“One hundred percent,” I said.

“Nothing about the executive branch?”

“Not specifically.”

Chief Thomas said, “Nothing about an assassination attempt?”

“Nothing directly,” I admitted. “But given the nature of my question to Malcomb and given his tacit admission that he’d ordered the killings of potential Supreme Court nominees, an assassination plot has to be considered likely.”

Chief Thomas said, “But the assassination of whom, exactly?”

Bree said, “It could be anyone in power in the federal judiciary system, from the incoming attorney general to, frankly, the acting director of the FBI. But it makes sense for the target to be a U.S. Supreme Court justice.”

“Or two, or more, from a cataclysmic perspective,” I said.

“Two or more?” said Diana Zhang, marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court. She wore combat fatigues and, judging from her expression, believed her worst nightmare had come true.

Nodding soberly, I said, “One successful assassination attempt would upset the balance on the court. But two? It would radically change the court for decades.”

Bree said, “And remember that Malcomb has already, in effect, culled the pool of potential nominees so the ones who remain are to his liking. This is very real.”

“What do you mean, to his liking?” Zhang said.

I said, “I’ve been thinking about what M told me, that it had never been about the judges they’d killed, and I believe that he meant that the goal wasn’t to murder those judges but to move the ones who remained to the top of the list.”

Director Hamilton said, “You think the possible nominees are compromised?”

“From my perspective, I think everyone left on that list should be looked at very closely.”

Wilson, the Secret Service agent, held up his hand. “I agree, Dr. Cross. This is all a very real threat. But I cannot let that interfere with my job to protect the inauguration.”

“Exactly,” the acting FBI director said. “Which is why the Bureau is going to work closely with Marshal Zhang and give her whatever manpower she deems necessary to protect the justices starting ASAP. Does that work, Marshal?”

Zhang, who was in charge of all security at the court, including the protection of the nine justices, nodded. “It works. And I’d like to point out that two of the justices have been sick, though they are both determined to be at the inauguration.”

“You’ll provide us with all routes of travel, companions, and the names of the officers on their regular security detail?”

“I’ll make that happen right now, Director,” Zhang promised.

Hamilton gave her a half smile. “I’m not director yet, Marshal. But thank you. And Mr. Reilly? CIA? We’re hoping you can be of help.”

Timothy Reilly, a whippet-thin operations chief for the Central Intelligence Agency, sat forward and said, “Unless I have to break laws.”

“Not today. We’re looking for information on a former Russian national.”

I said, “We knew her as Katrina White. Malcomb said she was once a GRU Sparrow.”

Reilly lost color. “You think there’s a Sparrow involved? Here in DC?”

Mahoney said, “She’d be a likely candidate. We believe she was the shooter of the potential court nominees.”

Bree said, “No, we know that she was. Malcomb said as much. And we believe Katrina White was not with the other Maestro operators hunting us as we escaped.”

Reilly nodded, said, “I’ll start searching names and aliases straightaway. But if we do have records on her at Langley, especially biometrics, I’d have to seriously wonder how she’d get into the U.S. without triggering alarms. I mean, we share that information with immigration, border patrol, FBI, and NSA. She should have been picked up trying to come in.”