Takedown

CHAPTER 23

A park bench at the National Mall was not their normal meeting place, but when McElroy made the request to get together, Mr. Gray had chosen the spot, saying it would do them both good to get a little sun.

When McElroy arrived, Gray was seated on the bench, peering into the sack lunch in his lap as he dipped a hand inside and rooted around. After a moment, he produced a flip-top can of pineapple chunks and a plastic fork, removed the lid, and dropped it back into the sack.

He held up the fork and can as McElroy sat down. “Would you like a taste?”

“I’ll pass, thank you.”

“I prefer this over fresh pineapple,” Gray said. “I’ve no explanation for it. I suppose it could be the syrup that I’m addicted to, but I don’t think so. There’s something sublime about the texture and taste of canned pineapple that always keeps me coming back for more.”

“I’m happy for you. But I’m not here to discuss your culinary quirks.”

Gray stabbed a chunk and popped it into his mouth, chewing as he spoke. “You know, you worry me, Jason. Your obsession with work will be the end of you.” He swallowed. “When was the last time you sat down to dinner with your lovely wife?”

“I don’t have a wife. Lovely or otherwise.”

“Of course you don’t. Divorced, I take it?”

“Like everyone else in DC.”

“Don’t be so cynical. I’ve been married for over thirty years.”

“The exception that proves the rule,” McElroy said. “But I didn’t come here to discuss your family life, either.”

“Very well, then I suppose we should get down to it. Your call sounded urgent, so what’s plaguing you on this fine day? A problem with the acquisition?”

“Considering what’s at stake, you seem pretty calm.”

“I’ve learned never to fret over things that are only partially in my control. I’ve put my trust in you and your people, and I have no doubt you’ll get the job done, one way or another.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” McElroy took the manila file folder from under his arm and held it out to Gray. “But while you’re blowing smoke, you want to explain this to me?”

Gray took another bite, chewed, sipped a bit of the syrup, then reluctantly returned his snack and fork to the paper sack and set it to the side. He took the folder from McElroy and opened it.

Inside were the side by the side head shots of Eric Hopcroft that Cooper had sent McElroy, along with a printout of Stonewell’s file on the man.

“I’m surprised it took you this long,” Gray said. “Does Ms. Poe know about this?”

“That’s why I’m here. She thinks this has something to do with me wanting to catch her father. Cooper says she went off half-cocked, so there’s no telling what she might do.”

“I’m sure it’s not a concern.”

“Why would you say that?”

“For someone who works with the woman, you seem to know so very little about her. As I told you before, we’ve been watching her on and off for quite some time, and based on our observations, she may get the occasional hair up her ass, so to speak, but she usually does the right thing in the end. So I’m sure she’ll come to her senses about this little wrinkle before she allows herself to do anything rash.”

“You knew about her connection to Hopcroft, didn’t you?”

Gray nodded. “Of course we did.”

“Is that why you got her involved?”

“If you’re a student of human nature, you know that when an asset has a personal connection to an operation, they tend to hone their focus and up their game. Like an athlete playing in honor of a recently fallen teammate. It’s true that Ms. Poe happened to be in the right place at the right time, but we knew of her family history, and hoped that Hopcroft’s involvement in the matter would only strengthen her commitment to the task at hand.”

McElroy leveled his gaze at Gray. “Sounds like more smoke to me.”

“Take it however you like, Jason. As much as I value our relationship, what you think means little to me in the larger scheme.”

“Thanks for being honest for once. And while you’re at it, why don’t you tell me the truth about Hopcroft?”

Gray offered him a benign smile. “I’m afraid that’s classified.”

“You have clearance,” McElroy said, “and you’ve trusted me before. Have you ever gotten any blowback because of anything you’ve told me?”

“Next, I suppose you’ll be asking me about the codes.”

McElroy shook his head. “I don’t give a damn about what those codes are for. You made sure of that by dangling Valac as a reward. But contrary to your speech about human nature, this thing with Hopcroft is threatening the acquisition of a very big prize, and I think I have a right to know what’s going on.”

“And if I don’t feel like sharing?”

“I’ll tell my team to withdraw and let you deal with this mess.”

Gray’s eyes hardened. “That would be a very big mistake.”

“No, the mistake was you people getting greedy. You could have stopped Favreau even before he went to St. Cajetan, but instead of a safe single, you went for the double. Get the codes back and take down a man who’s been sticking his thumb in your eye for decades.” He smiled. “Don’t think I’m not grateful for the chance to make all that happen and leave you blameless if anything goes wrong. But Stonewell doesn’t live or die on the strength of a single acquisition, or work with a single client, and while walking away may be painful, it won’t be fatal.”

Gray said nothing for a long moment, no doubt weighing the pros and cons of showing his hand. Then he said, “Hopcroft is deep cover.”

McElroy’s brows went up. “He’s working for you?”

“His assassination in Yemen was meant to facilitate his entry into a terrorist network and give him the freedom to move without restriction.”

McElroy was incredulous. “So he’s been undercover for twelve years?”

“He’s very committed. He started out as a kind of freelance fixer slash security man, and built up quite a reputation as someone who delivers.” Gray smiled. “With our help, of course.”

“How long has he been working for Valac?”

“Four years now. He began as a free agent, but was able to gain Valac’s trust and was brought in full time. And in those four years he’s managed to work his way into a senior position. He’s next in line of succession after Valac.”

“Line of succession?”

“Contrary to all reports,” Gray said, “Valac doesn’t run the show. He has people he answers to. A shadow group that we believe has strong ties to Iran and other unfriendlies. It’s all very John le Carré, but Hopcroft is now in the thick of it, and if Valac goes, he’s the one who takes over.”

“I don’t get it. If he’s that close to Valac, why not have him switch the codes and take Valac out himself?”

“And risk destroying over a decade’s worth of hard work? I don’t think so. Besides, taking Valac alive has its advantages.”

“Okay. So is Hopcroft the one who gave you the heads-up on the deal with Favreau?”

“No,” Gray said. “That happened exactly as I told you. We haven’t heard from Hopcroft for several weeks now, and he’s ignored all the usual methods of communication. We can only assume that his rise in the ranks and Valac’s cautious nature have subjected him to more scrutiny than usual, and he doesn’t want to risk exposure. He knows nothing of this operation or even that we’re aware of the deal.”

McElroy thought about this and the truth suddenly fell into place. “That’s the real reason you wanted Alex on the team. She’s your message to Hopcroft.”

“Very good, Jason. There’s hope for you yet.”

“Which means you aren’t the only ones who’ve been keeping tabs on her. He has, too. He cares about her.”

“Very much so, as it turns out.”

“But why?”

“I’m not sure, but he was around the Poe family quite a bit during her formative years, and I assume he formed an attachment. Our agents aren’t always immune to sentiment, I’m afraid.”

“But in this case, it works to your advantage,” McElroy said. “He must know that Stonewell recruited Alex, and you’re hoping that the moment he sees her, he’ll realize what the play is.”

“We’re counting on it.”

“And with him in position to take over for Valac, this isn’t just a double. It’s a home run.”

Gray smiled again. “Assuming everything goes as planned. Which, of course, depends on your team. How close are they to finding those codes?”

“They’re working Favreau the best they can, but they haven’t had any luck yet. And with Alex in the wind—”

“Trust me, she’ll do the right thing.”

“You don’t know her as well as you think you do. It’s one thing to observe and another thing altogether to work with her. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t feel entirely safe around her.”

Gray shrugged. “That’s because she despises you. But that’s another discussion altogether. The clock is ticking. It’s only a matter of time before Valac and Favreau meet, and those codes need to be in our possession before that happens. Even with Hopcroft in place, there’s no telling what Valac will do once he has them, and we’d rather not risk that happening.”

“Like I said, if the codes are that important to you, don’t be so greedy. You’ve got a man in place. Take Favreau now, wait for Hopcroft to communicate with you, and save Valac for another time.”

“And deprive you of your payday? We wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Uh-huh,” McElroy said. “Tell me one more thing.”

“Which is?”

“You keep saying ‘we,’ but how many people really know about this? Does it go all the way to the top?”

Gray laughed. “Come on, Jason. You know better than to ask that.”

Then he picked up his paper sack and rooted around inside until he found his plastic fork and can of pineapple chunks.