Page 26 of The Secret

They took a table in the corner farthest from the bar and a server approached them after less than a minute. She was wearing denim coveralls and giant, unlaced work boots, and she had a red paisley bandanna in her hair. Reacher figured she was going for the Rosie the Riveter look, and wondered if that was her choice or if it was required by the management. Neilsen ordered a glass of champagne. Reacher and Smith asked for beer.

“You celebrating?” Smith said after the server had retreated to the bar.

Neilsen said, “I guess. I mean, I still have a pulse. I’m still upright. Those things have to count for something, right?”

The server brought their drinks. Neilsen took a sip and said, “So, what do you think? Are we going to save the country from a blackmailing fanatic?”

Smith shrugged. “We’re going to try, I guess.”

Reacher said nothing.

Neilsen set down his glass. His expression suddenly became overbearingly earnest. “Listen. Here’s how I see our situation. We need to trust each other. We need to pull together. If we do, we might just get through this. If not, we’re screwed.”

Smith said, “How do you figure?”

Neilsen said, “We all have skeletons, right? That’s why we’re here. Why whoever got the call from the Department of Defense put our names forward. They didn’t just pick us out of a hat. We’re expendable. This whole thing is a train wreck waiting to happen. When it goes off the rails, we need to make sure we don’t crash and burn along with it. We need to decide, right now. Are we going to trust each other? Or not?”

Smith and Reacher stayed silent.

Neilsen said, “You know I’m right. Tell me the first thing you did in your little hutches this afternoon wasn’t to pick up the phone and ask questions about the other three. See what dirt you could find.”

Smith said, “It wasn’t the first thing…”

Neilsen said, “But you did do it.”

Smith nodded. Reacher gave nothing away.

“Good.” Neilsen smiled again. “We may be late for happy hour at the last chance saloon but at least you’re not total idiots.” He turned to Reacher. “Think the blackmailer is one of yours?”

Reacher said, “I don’t think there is a blackmailer.”

Neilsen nodded. “That’s why you asked Baglin about ransom notes and attacks on people from other projects. But if our guy isn’t digging for blackmail material, what is he doing? What does he want?”

“Revenge. The murders? They feel personal.”

“I came to the same conclusion.”

“If someone who was involved with the project is behind the murders, then it’s definitely not about blackmail. They would know what happened, because they were part of it. They wouldn’t have to force the information out of other people.”

Neilsen nodded again. “Right. And it would be impossible to get away with it. If the killings stop with only one guy left alive, he might as well print a confession inThe New York Times.”

Reacher said, “Agreed. Which is why I think it’s a relative of someone who was harmed by the project. Some kind of long-term damage or disability.”

“And this could be a soldier?”

Reacher breathed out slowly. “Could be. Think about the training the guy must have had. Kill someone in a hospital and none of thestaff notices you were even there? Then get in and out, and murder a guy, while his house is being staked out by professionals? Those aren’t things that just anyone could do.”

Neilsen said, “Could be army, I guess. Could just as easily be CIA. How are you going to find him?”

“Start with everyone who served in those research units. See who has a son or a grandson or a nephew in green. Or who was in green. Then prioritize by those old-timers who’ve died recently or who just got a terminal diagnosis. Anyone who had or has a reason to set the record straight at long last.”

“That’s a sound method. Our records are kept differently but I’m doing basically the same. I wonder if either of us will hit the jackpot.”

“You won’t.” Smith swallowed the last mouthful of her beer and set the bottle down. “You’re both wrong. The Soviets are behind this.”

“They can’t be,” Neilsen said. “There aren’t any Soviets anymore. They lost.”

Smith snorted. “Of course there are. The Soviet Union closed for business, sure. But the KGB didn’t. The name it uses will make no difference. You’ll see. And their agents are still here. These guys are fanatical. True believers. They’ll continue the fight till the end of their days, no matter what else is happening in the world.”

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