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you did, she added with affection. You re so brave.
Clarisse hugged her gently. My dear, you have a courage all your own, and a rare, rare ability to
make friends with even the most hostile human beings. She pointed at herself. Case in point.
You aren t hostile, she protested.
But I was. She smiled.
Peg stared at her for a minute and then said, We can all be hard to get along with, when we live
through tragedies, she said gently. The important thing is to get through them without damaging
ourselves too much in the process.
Old thoughts for a young mind, the general said softly.
She grinned. I m an old mind in a young body.
I must agree, the general said. Is there coffee, do you think? he added heavily. It will be a long
night. I fear for my scouts. It seems that Sapara may have captured them.
They won t talk, if he did, Grange said quietly. They re trained to resist even the most intense
interrogation methods.
Machado didn t reply. He knew more about torture than even Grange did. His early life had been
spent roaming the world, hiring out his talents to various governments. He didn t use torture as a tool
in his presidency, but he d had to speak harshly to Sapara for torturing a media person just before his
political comrade usurped his government. Sapara and his people made an art of it.
A small, dark man wearing nothing except what seemed to be a spandex bathing suit came into the
circle of light. His hair was cut in a circle high above his ears and he had tattoos on his skin, visible in
the firelight. He was carrying a bow that was much taller than he was, with a handful of arrows that
had to be five feet long each.
Maria glanced at Machado, who got up and went to talk to the short man. Incredibly Machado spoke
the native tongue of the visitor. He spoke, listened while the other man talked, then spoke again. He
smiled and nodded. The visitor left.
Thank God and the Holy Mother and all the saints! Machado exclaimed. Our two missing scouts
turned up at their village. He gestured toward the native who was already running out of the camp.
They did contact Domingo Lopez, but they didn t get back to us in the camp because they thought
they were being followed. They diverted to escape their pursuers. They ve become guests of the
Yamami, another branch of Maria s tribe north of here, where they ll be safe until they re needed. I m
going there now.
I ll come with you, Grange said.
Me, too. Rourke got up.
O Bailey started to rise, but they waved him down.
The fewer of us, the better, Machado told him. It will be difficult to get through as it is. We ll
have to take a boat. He turned and spoke to one of the male village elders, who nodded and spoke. It
will be risky at night, but this man knows the river and the trouble spots. He ll get us through. It isn t
that far.
Here, then, take this, O Bailey said, handing him a handheld shortwave radio. We re using a
frequency that they can t monitor. If you have to talk, limit it to one or two words and cut it off
immediately so they can t track it. He grinned. Phones would have to bounce off a satellite and they
might monitor those. But they won t be able to monitor anything for long. I m ready to introduce the
virus, whenever you give me the word. After that, they won t be able to launch a missile, order an
attack or even speak to one another.
You re a wonder, O Bailey. Grange chuckled.
Here s a pad and pen, write me girlfriend and tell her! O Bailey drawled.
They all laughed.
We ll give you the word as soon as we reach the outskirts of the city, Machado told the Irishman
grimly. There is a tunnel, one whose secret I never had occasion to share with nonmilitary personnel
like Sapara, thank God. It was used for movement of troops and weapons, and only I have the codes to
unlock it.
That s a real blessing, Rourke said quietly. I was wondering how you meant to get into the city
undetected. I should have known you d have something foxy under your sleeve, mate, he told
Machado.
I always play my cards close to the chest, Machado replied, flashing white teeth. This one
strategic secret may save us a bloody revolution inside Medina. Assuming that the electronic unit is
still functioning, he added quietly. It is well protected from the elements, though, so I am hopeful.
If it doesn t work, however, Rourke said quietly, patting his sidearm, we can handle it. Several
of our men were in Baghdad during the war. They re familiar with urban combat.
I hope they don t have to use it, Grange said. But it s best to be prepared.
You be prepared and come back safe, Peg said to him. I wish I could come with you.
He kissed her forehead. So do I, baby, but you d be a liability.
If it s any comfort, I can t go, either, Maddie told her, putting an affectionate arm around her.
I m far too rusty to function in a combat group. Now I mostly just dig up stuff, she added.
Very important stuff, Machado said, and looked at her with warmth and real interest. When I
regain power, you can go back to work.
Maddie smiled a little shyly. I ll look forward to that.
So will I, Machado told her, and his dark eyes stared into hers for so long that she blushed.
Can I speak to you for a moment? Clarisse asked Rourke quietly.
For just a moment, Rourke bit off. We re pressed for time. He followed her out of earshot of
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