Ben said, “For Günter, it would be the ultimate high for him. Trying to kill Fleurette on the grounds of the safest compound in the world? I don’t think he could pass that up.”

“He couldn’t,” Savich said. “He’d have to use a rifle. Let’s say he’s got only average skill as a sniper. With a good sniper rifle, say a gas-operated semiautomatic, he could hit his target at about twenty-four hundred feet. If he’s an expert, that goes up to three thousand feet. That’s a very long distance, well off the grounds.

“The new sniper rifles are even more accurate than those we used five years ago. For example, the Yugoslavian M-76 has a longer, heavier barrel and a modified stock that’s more ergonomic. It’s chambered in a much better long-range caliber than the calibers of the rifles it’s derived from. I’d wager he’d use one as good as that. Could he hit a person at three thousand feet? I wouldn’t want to bet against it.”

Director Mueller said slowly, “We’d be putting agents’ lives at risk. And to have agents and SWAT teams trying to cover that huge area twenty-four/seven, the necessary manpower boggles the mind. There’s lots of egress, roads and trails both. We have to assume Günter is an expert. Have you mapped out the terrain where he’d have his best shot, Savich?”

Savich nodded. “Yes, we have. Unfortunately there’s more than just one.”

Director Mueller looked toward Jimmy Maitland, who nodded. “It’s a big risk, Jimmy. But I’d bet on our snipers over just about anyone. Can we have enough of our guys out there to keep a reasonable guard over our agents?”

“We can try,” Jimmy Maitland said. “I can get the Washington, D.C., SWAT team and the Hostage Rescue Team at Quantico. Also, we can enlist SWAT teams from all the local cop shops. No doubt everyone wants to bring this asshole down. But there’s no way to keep it secret—we can’t expect to hide that many men from view. Günter will know it’s a trap. I don’t think there’s anything we can do about that.”

Savich grinned at them. “We’re not even going to worry about it. I want him to find out. Don’t you see? Günter will see it as a direct challenge. He’ll want to spend time out at Quantico finding the firing spot he wants, locating the positions of our snipers, figuring out how to get away. Oh yes, I’m counting on Günter to thumb his nose at us.

“Okay, the first step is to let Günter know exactly where Fleurette will be. Callie, you want to be a turncoat and reveal Fleurette’s hideout to the Post?”

Callie laughed. “My editor will wet himself. It’ll be in the evening paper.” She punched Ben in the arm. “Hey, you think this might mean a Pulitzer?”

“Nah, this’ll probably just save your job,” Ben said.

They all laughed. Director Mueller stood up. He looked at all of them in turn. “I wish us all luck with this.”

When the conference room door closed behind the director, Savich said, “Okay, we’ve got a plan. We’re finally acting, not just reacting.”

“Let’s get it done, boyos,” said Jimmy Maitland.

CHAPTER 33

QUANTICO
LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON

SOME DEAD LEAVES MOVED, three fingers gave a little wave. Dave Dempsey heard Joe Boyle’s low-pitched voice. “Hey, did you tell your wife you might tangle with Günter?”

Dave whispered back, “I wanted to, but she isn’t speaking to me right now, said I was a pig.”

A low chuckle. “Yeah, so what else is new? Hey, do you think this Günter character will really show?”

Dave said, “Agent Savich told us he’s betting on it. Says this guy loves to take the big risks, and what bigger risk could he take than coming to Quantico to kill Elaine LaFleurette? He said Günter will know it’s a trap and he won’t care. It’ll make him even more determined to come out and play with us. What do you think, Joe?”

“I’m not as sure as Savich is. I mean, this Günter guy’s survived a lot of years, and that’s gotta mean that he isn’t stupid.”

Dave whispered, “On the other hand, he went right to Savich’s house in Georgetown and shot it up—is that nuts or what? And he got away. Sounds like he’s got bigger guavas than my mother-in-law.”

Joe said, “Take a look around. There are lots of low hills, lots of trees and bushes, true, but everything’s bare now. That makes it really tough for him.”

“But there are still some places to hide. Look at us, nearly thirty of us and we’ve managed it.”