I, Alex Cross

looking for trouble," he said. "A real category-five shitstorm. Don’t you just love Washington?"
    "Actually, I do. Just not right at this minute."
    "So listen, Alex." His voice went serious again. "The Bureau’s all over this. It’s about to go
pop
. I’d totally understand if you want to back off, and if you do, now would be a good time. Just hand the envelope full of goodies back."
    I was a little surprised by the offer. I thought Ned knew me a lot better than that. Which meant, of course, that his offer carried a serious warning.
    "Does that mean you’re ready to hit the club out in Virginia?" I asked him.
    "I’m waiting on the ex parte right now."
    "And?"
    Ned grinned, and if I’m not mistaken, he looked just a little relieved. "And you should probably leave your phone on when you go home tonight. I’ll be calling."

Chapter 43

    THE GOD NEWS was I got to have a nice dinner with the family. I even got to spend some time hanging out with the kids afterward, just before all hell would probably break loose, probably like nothing I’d ever experienced before. It all depended on
who
was at that private club tonight.
    Jannie had been teaching Ali to play Sorry, one of the most boring games in the universe, but I liked playing just about anything with the two of them. I goofed around between my turns, stealing pieces off the board and telling old jokes to Ali. Things like "Why is six afraid of seven?"
    "Because seven ate nine!" Jannie cackled. She loved to be the spoiler, and Ali was a perfect audience. The boy just loves to laugh. He’s the least serious of my three kids by far.
    Nana sat off to the side, watching us over the top of
A Thousand Splendid Suns,
one of the books she’d been tearing through these days. She and Bree had settled into a tentative partnership, with Bree slowly asserting herself around the house and Nana learning she could afford to let go of a few things she’d always controlled — like how to load the dishwasher.
    It was all good — until the phone rang.
    Usually, I expect the kids to put up an immediate stink when that happens.
"Don’t answer it, Daddy"
had become a common refrain around our house. So when both of them just looked away, waiting for the inevitable, I felt even worse.
    I checked the ID. It was Mahoney. As promised.
    "I’m sorry; I really do have to take this," I said to Ali and Jannie.
    Their silence was loud and clear as I went out to the hall to answer.
    "Ned?"
    "We’re a go, Alex. There’s a Holiday Inn off Exit 72 in Arlington. I can meet you in the parking lot if you come now. Right now."

Chapter 44

    IT WAS CALLED Operation Coitus Interruptus, which only goes to prove that there are some people in the FBI with a sense of humor.
    Ned’s full team had convened at a small farm in Culpeper County, about an hour and a half west of DC and not far from Shenandoah National Park. It was a strange, foreboding mix: Mahoney and his co–case agent, Renee Victor; six HRT agents; three crisis negotiators from the Tactical Support Branch; and a ten-man FBI SWAT team.
    I’d been expecting an all-HRT team, but I wasn’t concerned in the least. FBI SWAT has some of the best tactical units in the world. This was going to be quite a show.
    There was also a rep from Virginia State Police, who had two collection wagons on standby, and me. I’m not sure what strings Ned had to pull to have me there, but I appreciated it, and also knew that he figured I would add value. We all gathered around the tailgate of someone’s pickup for a quick briefing from the big guy.
    "There will be some heavy hitters inside, but for us, it’s going to be SOP all around," Ned told the group. "I want SWAT in first, then agents, and I want all exits secure at all times. You should be prepared for any scenario, including sexual situations and even violent resistance. I’m not expecting the latter, but it’s possible; anything is. The idea is to work fast and safe, and to clear this place out as cleanly as we can."
    Surveillance showed that the main house had entrances on the north, south, and east sides. Mahoney divided us into three units accordingly. I’d be going in the front door with him. There were also several outbuildings, which were supposed to be empty, at least tonight. I couldn’t help wondering about the kind of parties held in them.
    Before we left, Ned gave me an FBI jacket and a new Aramid vest from the back of his car. The vest was lighter than anything I’d used before,