you are Mr. Rapp and Mr. Nash.”
Rapp didn’t speak, so Nash answered for them. “That’s right. I assume you are Arianna Vinter.”
“Yes, please have a seat.”
Nash noted that she was much prettier than in the photograph on her government-issue ID. Nash looked at the man to Vinter’s left and noted the eagle on the patch in the center of his chest and the name on the right side of his chest. Reaching across the table, Nash extended his hand and said, “Mike Nash, Colonel. Nice to meet you.”
Poole took his hand. “Counterterrorism, right?”
“That’s correct.”
Poole looked at Rapp and stuck out his hand. “Colonel Poole, military attaché. Mr. Rapp?”
Nodding, Rapp took the man’s hand but didn’t say anything. After a firm handshake, Rapp sat down.
“May I offer either of you anything to drink?” Vinter asked. Rapp kept his mouth shut and offered only a slight shake of his head. Nash said, “Coffee would be great.”
Vinter grabbed the carafe and poured a cup. “You strike me as the kind of man who takes it black.”
“That’s right.” Nash smiled. “Thank you.” Nash took the mug and set it in front of him.
Vinter told Poole and Sickles to sit and then she grabbed a seat across from Rapp and Nash. Sickles was on her right and Poole on her left. She directed her gaze at Rapp and in a sweet voice said, “Mr. Rapp, we’ve never met before. What exactly is it that you do for the CIA?”
“I’m in the Clandestine Service.”
“Do you have a title?”
Rapp shook his head. “I report directly to DCI Kennedy.”
“I see,” Vinter said, placing her hands flat on the table. She examined her fingers for a long moment and then in a casual voice asked, “Do you think I’m stupid, Mr. Rapp?”
Rapp didn’t take the bait. He instead turned to Nash and gave him a look that said, this is your show . . . feel free to jump in.
Nash cleared his throat. “Arianna, I’m not sure we understand the question.”
Her expression flared briefly as she turned her attention to Nash. “I wasn’t addressing you. I was speaking to your colleague Mr. Rapp. Now, Mr. Rapp, I asked you a straightforward question. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“I don’t know you.”
“You don’t know me. That’s all you have to say.”
“I’ve never met you before and I haven’t heard anything about you until this morning, so I’m not really in a position to answer your question. You could be a genius or an imbecile. As of right now I can’t answer that question, but keep talking and I should be able to give you an answer in a few minutes.”
Vinter took in a long breath. “Do you think the president is a smart man?”
Rapp thought about that for a moment. The man had his strengths and weaknesses, but, all in all, he was no dummy. “Yes, I think the president is a smart man.”
“Well, the president put me in charge of this little hellhole because he thought I was the best person for the job. My team and I have worked extremely hard to implement the president’s plan and things were going very smoothly until you showed up this morning and shoved a gun in the face of one of our allies.” Vinter’s agreeable façade was slowly melting away, revealing her angry side. “I know you think you’re some hotshot, but you need to understand something. I’m in charge around here and if I don’t like you and what you’re up to, you’re going to find your ass on the next flight out of here. Do you understand me?”
Instead of answering the question, Rapp again turned to Nash and said, “I think you’d better field this one.”
“Arianna, we are in a unique situation. None of us are questioning what you have accomplished, but you need to understand—”
“I don’t need to understand a thing,” Vinter said, slicing her hand through the air like a karate chop. “I live here. I know what’s going on. You two don’t.” She wagged her finger at Nash and then Rapp. “I’m not going to have
Rapp didn’t speak, so Nash answered for them. “That’s right. I assume you are Arianna Vinter.”
“Yes, please have a seat.”
Nash noted that she was much prettier than in the photograph on her government-issue ID. Nash looked at the man to Vinter’s left and noted the eagle on the patch in the center of his chest and the name on the right side of his chest. Reaching across the table, Nash extended his hand and said, “Mike Nash, Colonel. Nice to meet you.”
Poole took his hand. “Counterterrorism, right?”
“That’s correct.”
Poole looked at Rapp and stuck out his hand. “Colonel Poole, military attaché. Mr. Rapp?”
Nodding, Rapp took the man’s hand but didn’t say anything. After a firm handshake, Rapp sat down.
“May I offer either of you anything to drink?” Vinter asked. Rapp kept his mouth shut and offered only a slight shake of his head. Nash said, “Coffee would be great.”
Vinter grabbed the carafe and poured a cup. “You strike me as the kind of man who takes it black.”
“That’s right.” Nash smiled. “Thank you.” Nash took the mug and set it in front of him.
Vinter told Poole and Sickles to sit and then she grabbed a seat across from Rapp and Nash. Sickles was on her right and Poole on her left. She directed her gaze at Rapp and in a sweet voice said, “Mr. Rapp, we’ve never met before. What exactly is it that you do for the CIA?”
“I’m in the Clandestine Service.”
“Do you have a title?”
Rapp shook his head. “I report directly to DCI Kennedy.”
“I see,” Vinter said, placing her hands flat on the table. She examined her fingers for a long moment and then in a casual voice asked, “Do you think I’m stupid, Mr. Rapp?”
Rapp didn’t take the bait. He instead turned to Nash and gave him a look that said, this is your show . . . feel free to jump in.
Nash cleared his throat. “Arianna, I’m not sure we understand the question.”
Her expression flared briefly as she turned her attention to Nash. “I wasn’t addressing you. I was speaking to your colleague Mr. Rapp. Now, Mr. Rapp, I asked you a straightforward question. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“I don’t know you.”
“You don’t know me. That’s all you have to say.”
“I’ve never met you before and I haven’t heard anything about you until this morning, so I’m not really in a position to answer your question. You could be a genius or an imbecile. As of right now I can’t answer that question, but keep talking and I should be able to give you an answer in a few minutes.”
Vinter took in a long breath. “Do you think the president is a smart man?”
Rapp thought about that for a moment. The man had his strengths and weaknesses, but, all in all, he was no dummy. “Yes, I think the president is a smart man.”
“Well, the president put me in charge of this little hellhole because he thought I was the best person for the job. My team and I have worked extremely hard to implement the president’s plan and things were going very smoothly until you showed up this morning and shoved a gun in the face of one of our allies.” Vinter’s agreeable façade was slowly melting away, revealing her angry side. “I know you think you’re some hotshot, but you need to understand something. I’m in charge around here and if I don’t like you and what you’re up to, you’re going to find your ass on the next flight out of here. Do you understand me?”
Instead of answering the question, Rapp again turned to Nash and said, “I think you’d better field this one.”
“Arianna, we are in a unique situation. None of us are questioning what you have accomplished, but you need to understand—”
“I don’t need to understand a thing,” Vinter said, slicing her hand through the air like a karate chop. “I live here. I know what’s going on. You two don’t.” She wagged her finger at Nash and then Rapp. “I’m not going to have
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