“Does he ever. He’s probably one of the most hated senators in Washington. He’s blunt and he’s been around so long that he’s untouchable. He knows it. He’s a bully, and when he doesn’t get what he wants, he gets angry-and he always gets even. Other politicians fear him. Even the White House. He has a reputation for being ruthless and vindictive.”

“Sounds like every politician I’ve known,” Storm said.

“No, Windslow is in a league of his own. You would expect Republicans to hate him because he’s a Democrat. But half the members of his own party can’t stand him. And that’s just on Capitol Hill. Outside of Congress, the groups that probably hate him the most are the environmentalists. Windslow is a shill for Big Oil. Always has been. He doesn’t believe in global warming, thinks oil companies should be able to drill holes anywhere they damn well please, and once voted against a bill that would have levied fines on visitors who littered in state parks.”

“It’s hard for me,” Storm replied, “to imagine that an armed gang of environmentalists kidnapped the senator’s stepson.”

“You asked me to identify his enemies. That’s what I’m doing. Being thorough.”

Storm called over the waiter and ordered another beer. “OK, besides the tree huggers, who’s next on the enemies list?”

“As chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Windslow wields tremendous power. He’s always been a strong advocate of Israel. That makes him hated by Middle Eastern extremists.”

“Any particular terrorist cell?”

“All of them despise him. He’s also managed to alienate the Russians, the Germans, and the Greeks. He’s a rabid anti-Communist and doesn’t trust the new Russian leaders; he believes all Germans are closet Nazis, and he dislikes socialist countries.”

“How can anyone hate the Greeks?” Storm asked. “All they ever do is break plates and spend Euros that they don’t have.”