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do.”
    â€œYou start today,” said Kilmer.
    â€œI need to know what Alex was in Africa for.”
    â€œHe was protecting the secretary and making sure the country’s covert positions were being held. The secretary didn’t know anything about that.”
    Luther waited a second for Kilmer to keep talking. When he didn’t, he asked, “And his E-1 assignment…?”
    Kilmer’s look didn’t waver, and neither did Luther’s. Luther had as much as said to the director that he knew he was holding back vital information. Operatives always had multiple assignments. They received their cover, their stated assignment, and beneath it all there was usually a task specifically for E-1 that came from the director himself.
    Kilmer looked at Luther with the blank stare of a man who’d been raised in the agency. It was a look that told nothing but spoke volumes to Luther, who knew Kilmer was measuring his response and the value of the information. Then Kilmer did something Luther wouldn’t have thought possible—he laughed.
    â€œIf you hadn’t asked me, I’d’ve thought I’d selected the wrong agent,” said Kilmer.
    Kilmer went back to the screen and hit a button on his desk. The screen flashed E -1 MISSION FILE : DIRECTOR’S EYES ONLY . The file appeared, showing a picture of an African military man.
    â€œAlex’s E-1 mission was to eliminate this man, Supreme Commander Ngamu Behiddah of the Congo region. Behiddah was planning a coup and was allied with several other strongmen known to be hostile to the U.S.”
    â€œBehiddah was also rumored to be a terrorist sympathizer,” Luther added. “But he was killed by one of his own men, I thought.”
    â€œDeavers is an expert in elimination,” said Kilmer. He smiled ever so slightly.
    Luther admitted being a little jealous. He had checked that story when he saw it, thinking it was an agency hit. But there were no telltale signs of E-1 on it. All the evidence pointed to Behiddah’s subcommander as the killer.
    â€œSo I assume it wasn’t Behiddah’s people who paid Gorman,” said Luther.
    â€œNo. After Alex’s elimination of Behiddah, all Behiddah’s men were rounded up and killed by his successor.” Kilmer looked at Luther with his unreadable stare again, but this time Luther knew what he was thinking.
    â€œWas Alex clean?” Luther asked. “Did we try to backwash him?”
    â€œBackwash” was a field term for the elimination of an assassin after he’s completed his mission, in order to clean or “backwash” any witnesses. This was done when an agent was dirty and the agency was onto him.
    â€œNo,” said Kilmer. “I think Alex might be insane, and right now he may believe that we tried to kill him. Under this delusion he might be allying with our enemies.”
    â€œYou think he’s a traitor?” asked Luther.
    â€œI think he’s sick and extremely dangerous,” said Kilmer, looking gravely serious. “There are a lot of secrets in that head of his. We need to keep them there by eliminating him. Good luck.”
    Luther said goodbye, stood, and left the director’s office. When he stepped outside, he was immediately met by Thomas, who had an envelope in his hands.
    â€œThis is the file and your instructions,” Thomas said, handing the thick packet to Luther. “Mr. Hampton is your tech and weapons adviser as usual, and the director will expect contact at all key junctures by the usual channels.”
    â€œThanks,” said Luther.
    Luther took a few steps and then almost bumped into Frank Hedgispeth, a fellow E-1 agent. Frank was a good agent, but he and Luther had never had an easy relationship. Frank stuck close to home when he could and worked the system for advancement, while Luther did fieldwork. They’d been rivals throughout training, and they’d probably be rivals for