Once he got off the plane, Max had called his boss, the Deputy Director for Analysis, at home, and arranged to meet at the office. They happened to pull into the lot at the same time, walking all the way into the building together without a word.
Once settled into his office, the DD gestured to the side table. “Would you like a drink, Max?”
“For this, sir, we might both need one,” Max said solemnly.
Receiving a nod in the affirmative, he poured out two glasses of Scotch, handed one to his supervisor, and took a seat in one of the visitor’s chairs across the desk. Pulling the laptop out of his bag, he fired it up, then opened the file he wanted to share and slid the computer across for the DD to read.
Max nursed his drink and waited patiently. He knew the moment the DD grasped the signi
