on Robert Puller.
“Point two: Like your brother, I don’t believe you’re guilty. But you were convicted and sentenced, which means, in the eyes of the military, you are guilty.”
Robert still remained silent.
“So we get to point three: The real traitors are still out there. And we have to catch them. And I plan on using you as bait to do it. I’m not asking you. I’m telling you,” she added. “That’s the quid pro quo for me not turning you in right now.”
Robert looked at his brother.
Puller said, “Have you really thought this through, Knox? There’s a lot more that can go wrong with it than right.”
She looked at him incredulously. “Are you really going to lecture me on the pros and cons of risk-taking after the crap you pulled with him?”
Puller shook his head. “I had to do that out of necessity. You have a choice. And you need to make the right one. Meaning the right one for you. I made my bed. Don’t be concerned about what’s going to happen to me.”
“You could both just turn me in,” said Robert. “In fact, from your perspective that would be the best plan. You’ll get a promotion, a medal, and a pay bump.”
“I’m not really into promotions, medals, and money,” Knox retorted. She looked at Puller. “I’m more into getting my job done. How about you? Or would you rather turn your brother in so they can pin another ribbon on your manly chest?”
“What do you think, Knox?” asked Puller.
“So to be clear, do I take that as a yes?” she replied.
“Just tell us the plan.”
She didn’t hesitate. “I want to confront Reynolds.”
“We’ve confronted her before,” countered Puller.
“Right. But now you guys just left a litter of wreckage across D.C. I’m betting that the cops are going to find somebody alive in either the Benz or the SUV.”
“So?” asked Puller.
“So Reynolds won’t know whether they did or not. She won’t know whether one of her goons has fingered her. We can go in with that leverage and squeeze her until she breaks.”
“I’m not sure that will work,” noted Puller. “She’s a tough nut to crack.”
“There’s something else,” said Robert. They both looked at him.
“What?” asked Knox.
“When I interrogated her I asked her who she was working with.”
“What did she say?” demanded Knox.
“That she was working with the Russians. I have it on my phone recorder.”
“I believe you. But what’s the point?” said Knox.
“When she said it, her micro-expression betrayed her. I was watching her reflection in a mirror I set up.”
“How did it betray her?” asked Puller.
“Her eyebrows were drawn upward, causing short lines across the forehead.”
“Characteristic of someone lying,” said Knox.
“She also touched her nose.”
“The nose?” said Knox. “Haven’t heard of that one.”
Puller said, “When you lie a rush of adrenaline to the capillaries in the nose causes it to itch. So people who are lying tend to involuntarily scratch it.”
Robert nodded. “Right. But I checked her c.v. Reynolds worked on interrogation teams in the Middle East extracting intelligence out of people, hardened people who did not want to give it up. She taught interrogation tactics as well.”
Puller said, “So she would know the micro-expression and that nose scratching when answering a question would signal a lie.”
Robert said, “Correct. And she knew I had training in reading faces as well. Many of us did at STRATCOM. And she must have seen the mirror I was using. But she screwed up, I just didn’t see it until later.”
Knox rose too and put a hand on his arm. “But let’s get one thing straight. I’m running this op, not you, certainly not your brother. You will follow my lead at all times. Are we clear on that? Whatever it is, you will follow my lead.”
The Puller brothers glanced at each other. Robert nodded and then so did Puller.
Knox eyed them both for another long moment, seemed satisfied, turned, and led them out of the room.
John Puller muttered to his brother, “Why do I always end up running smack into the hard-ass women?”
“Heard that,” called out Knox.