“The timing suggests otherwise,” said Clark. “CONTROL doesn’t take unnecessary chances. If they split us up at the last minute—something changed.”
“It’s a fair assumption,” said Rudd. “Which is why I assume we’re meeting here to go over the changes, instead of there.”
“What are the other changes?” said Clark, checking his watch.
“You in a hurry?” said Walsh.
Clark didn’t respond. He didn’t have to. The permanent dour look on his face answered the question. He was all business, all the time.
“CONTROL is looking for a second location used by Helen Gray. Her apartment yielded nothing,” said Rudd. “They think the son might lead us to it, if such a place even exists.”
“Was that in our briefing?” asked Ward.
“No. That was sent to me less than an hour ago, presumably while you were all in transit.”
“Do we have any idea what CONTROL is looking for at the location?” asked Walsh.
“Or what kind of a location?” said Clark. “A house, apartment, locker?”
“No. We’re in the dark as usual,” said Rudd.
“And this Karl Berg? Any theories on how he fits into all of this?” asked Walsh.
“Ex-CIA, like Helen Gray. Directorate of Operations. The two of them worked off and on together in the mid-to late nineties. But their paths didn’t cross much at the CIA after that,” said Rudd.
“Doesn’t sound like much,” said Ward.
“He was the only person from the CIA to show up at her wake,” said Jolene. “That’s something.”
“Exactly,” said Rudd. “And the information I received this morning classified Berg as high-damage potential.”
“He’s retired, right?” asked Walsh. “Not working for any private entities of interest?”
“As far as CONTROL knows, or is willing to tell us,” said Rudd.
“Interesting. That classification bears a lot of weight,” said Walsh. “Normally we’d be sent to get rid of someone in that category.”
“Which must be why we’re having this meeting,” said Rudd. “The mission sounded straightforward enough until I received the update.”
“No doubt timed to arrive while we were on the way,” said Walsh. “What else did they send?”
“And why aren’t they using people closer to the area? Operatives that know the area like the back of their hand?” said Rick Gentry, a Kentucky-based operative whom Rudd had worked with a half dozen times before. “Or are they? I really hope this isn’t a double-up situation.”
A double-up or duplicate team operation involved two separate teams pursuing the same goal—most often unaware of each other. It was a recipe for disaster, particularly for a complex surveillance operation like they had been assigned. Double the chance of detection. The duplicate team worked best for assassinations or thefts. Single, compressed events requiring a fail-safe.
He doubted CONTROL had put two teams on this, for that very reason—and another that he couldn’t share. Jolene had surmised from her recent assignment that the pool of operatives working the Washington, DC, area had been decimated. She knew this because she had been woken by CONTROL about an hour and a half after Harvey had been dispatched to deal with Helen Gray, and sent to DC, where she had slipped onto one of the recovery floors at Howard University Hospital and injected two fiftysomething-year-old men with syringes that had been provided to her along with doctor’s scrubs, a stethoscope, and a hospital staff identification card.
Both men had sustained head injuries, which suggested she was involved in more of a cleanup job than some kind of strategic assassination. The information about her mission had not been included in the current operation file, and they had no intention of sharing their theory with the team—for obvious reasons. He fought the urge to look at Jolene.
“They wouldn’t double up a surveillance,” said Walsh. “And it doesn’t make a difference if they do. Orders are orders.”
“Yeah,” said Gentry. “Just thinking aloud.”
“Should we all log in to our computers and read the update before we start to analyze the plan?” asked Walsh.
“I don’t think it’s necessary. Outside of what I told you about Berg’s new status and the focus on finding a second location used by Helen Gray, the only other update relates to fixed surveillance locations. CONTROL has secured an apartment on the third floor of a complex across the street from Devin Gray’s building, with a view of his balcony and bedroom window. From that apartment, we’ll be able to give the trail cars enough notice to get into place and for the ground teams to move into position in case he opts for a walk or run.”