Chapter Twenty-Six #2
“Excellent,” Mike said. “I have weapons, ammunition, an iPad loaded with five targets and their dossiers, and a latex mask you can use as a disguise. It’s all in a case in the trunk of my car here.”
Coyle thought a moment, translating the word “trunk” to “boot.” “I’ll take the iPad, of course. I’ve the weps I need already. The mask…sure, that sounds like fun.”
Mike seemed surprised. “We have full support for you. You only have to—”
“You just met my support. I just need those targets.”
The American just looked at him, then at the other men. “Who are your men?”
“They know what they’re doing. They all have legitimate IDs, and they have no ties to your group, whatever group that might be. If the other assets you’ve hired for your whirlwind of killing are using your own support staff, then that’s a compromise on you.”
“My organization has thought of that already, of course, and has taken measures. I’ll worry about my strategy, Whetstone; you worry about your five targets.”
“Meant no offense, chief.”
Mike said, “One million per. A million bonus for getting all five in a three-day period.”
Coyle said, “That’s just grand. But there’s something else I want.”
Mike sighed a little. “Now’s not the time to negotiate, friend. You already agreed, Sir Allen Glazebrook told me this himself.”
“I’m not renegotiating my price. I’m discounting it.”
The taller American cocked his head. “What?”
“I’ll delete these five individuals for four million total, no bonus, but my price also includes the Gray Man.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Whatever is going on here, you have access to information within the United States government, yeah?”
“We have some access, yes.”
“You’re sending me, and others from what I hear, out to kill government employees, presumably to cover something up or to keep something quiet.”
“Why we do what we do is none of your concern. If you don’t understand that, then—”
“I could give fuck-all about that. I’m just telling you I know you can find out about him. I want all the information you have on the Gray Man.”
Mike let out an exasperated sigh and looked around the parking garage. An older couple pushed a cart out of the grocery store, but they headed in the opposite direction. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“What’s the problem?”
“I already looked for information on the Gray Man. For another shooter.”
“Explain that.”
“Another asset he’s pissed off, as I understand it.” He waved a hand in the air. “If I knew where the Gray Man was, I’d be hiring him for this job, not you guys.”
Coyle just looked at the man.
“There’s nothing in the information we have that says who he is or where he is. There used to be a task force set up to find him, but it was disbanded. It’s like he’s been erased.”
The Northern Irishman thought a moment. “His code name with the Agency was—”
“It was Violator. Yes, I learned that much. Surprised me. I thought he was just a fairy tale. But believe me, Whetstone. My people dug, and that’s all they found. I told the other asset that I had no information on the Gray Man. He wasn’t happy about it, to put it mildly.”
Coyle held a finger up; he had an idea. “There’s another man. A CIA man. Hanley. Matthew Hanley.”
Mike cocked his head. “What about him?”
“Keep trying to get me information on the Gray Man, but in the meantime, get me intel on Hanley.”
Mike didn’t hide his surprise now. “Matt Hanley was the DDO. Top operations guy in the Agency, up until a couple of years ago. He’s not some denied asset.
Not a ghost. Just a very senior-level exec at a desk, or he was until he was demoted.
What do you want to know about him, and what’s he got to do with the Gray Man? ”
“Get me intelligence on Hanley. Where he lives. Where he is now. You get me that, for now, and I’ll get started. Keep working on the rest of it. As to the relationship between the two men…let’s just say there is a rumor I heard.”
The American shrugged. “I can get you Hanley’s location, I suppose. You’ll do your jobs in the meantime, though, right?”
“I’ll start immediately. Trusting you to come through.”
Campbell Coyle held out a hand; Mike opened the trunk of his car and fished around for a moment, and while he did so, Coyle held his other hand up, telling the Kearney men that whatever was happening was not a threat and they should maintain their positions.
After a few seconds Mike pulled out an iPad and a latex mask. “The code is three, two, three, two, three, one. One of your targets is in Baltimore, two are here in the D.C. area, one is in Chicago, and one will be given to you once you complete the others.”
Mike looked at his watch. “The operation will kick off tonight at ten thirty p.m. local time. If you could eliminate target number one by dawn tomorrow, that might keep you on track to complete your task inside of three days.”
“And the Hanley intelligence?”
Mike shrugged. “I’ll pass it to you as soon as I can. I’ll have my contact dig deeper for Gray Man. If we find something, we’ll give it to you when you’re done with your operation for us.”
Coyle shook his head. “When I am done with my operation, I am leaving America. I need the information before.”
“What are you planning to do with the intelligence we give you?”
“Nothing that will slow down my operation for you. Nothing that will come back on you. Nothing that will make the news.”
It was true that Coyle didn’t expect Mike or his operation to be affected by his plan. But as for this not making the news or slowing down Coyle’s actions for the American, that was a lie.
The larger man seemed to think a moment, then nodded. “Agreed. But your allegiance is to me. This is a time-critical mission; I can’t have you running around on other projects.”
Coyle said, “Five targets in three days. I understand my assignment, chief.”
Campbell Coyle climbed into the car with the Donnelly brothers, and they followed the Jeep with the Walsh brothers out of the parking garage of the Wegmans grocery store.