19
The first call Marcus made after leaving the White House was not to Annie.
It was to Pete.
The fact that Pete answered immediately meant he was no longer in the meeting with Dell.
“Something’s come up,” Marcus began.
“Good or bad?” Pete asked.
“Not over the phone. Can you meet at that place next to the thing?”
“Sure—how soon?”
“Thirty minutes.”
“Done.”
“And don’t tell anyone,” Marcus said.
“Got it—see you soon.”
It was just before 11 a.m. when Marcus entered the worst Thai restaurant he and Pete had ever been to. The spring rolls were inedible. The panang beef was worse. The tea was always lukewarm. And the prices were outrageous. Still, it was located in Georgetown with a beautiful view of the Potomac River, and for the last few years it had been their go-to meeting place when they didn’t want to say on an open phone line where they were going.
Pete arrived moments later. Though the lunch crowd had yet to arrive, Marcus asked for a quiet table in the back where they couldn’t be seen by any passersby.
“So what’s got your knickers in a twist?” Pete asked the moment he took his seat.
Marcus lowered his voice and summarized his meeting at the White House.
“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, champ,” Pete said the moment he heard the scheme. “You didn’t actually say yes, did you?”
“I did.”
“Are you insane?”
“What else was I going to say?”
“How ’bout, ‘Hell no, I won’t go!’”
“Pete, come on, it was the president asking.”
“Marcus, have you actually looked in a mirror anytime in the last ten days? I mean, you’re a freak show. You should be home in bed popping Percocet like M&M’S, not gallivanting across the globe trolling for the Troika. You’ve completely lost it.”
“The mission isn’t done.”
“Mine is,” Pete replied.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Let’s just say while you were humiliating Stephens in front of the entire NSC, I was negotiating a generous severance package with him. We wrapped things up yesterday before the ceremony began. I leave the Agency on June 12.”
Marcus was stunned. “And you didn’t say anything?”
“I’m saying something now.”
“What about last night at dinner?”
“That was hardly the time or place.”
“And now is? Pete, I need you.”
“Marcus, we didn’t join the Agency as lifers. You did it to keep your tail out of prison. And you dragged me into it because you have no other friends. But come on. We’ve done our duty. Abu Nakba is dead. I’m out of here and you should leave too.”