The Shell Company
The shell company has a name: Meridian Strategic Holdings. Delaware-registered, Reston-based, board lousy with ex-Stasi and ex-Langley men who learned long ago that loyalty has a spot price.
You close the laptop. The ice machine down the motel hallway has stopped humming. Two car doors, almost simultaneous. A floorboard outside complains under careful weight.
The Glock is already in your hand. You have maybe ninety seconds to decide what kind of ghost you intend to be.