When Charlie returned to the room where Seiran el-Habib sat, tied to his chair and guarded by a fierce-looking Orteño, Whitman was still in the hallway listening with growing concern to what Cutler was telling him.

She went right to el-Habib, and, taking out a knife, cut his bonds. “A man like you, guarded by American soldiers, shouldn’t be tied up.”

“At last.” El-Habib glared at Flix. “Someone who’s come to her senses.” He worked his wrists to return circulation to them.

Flix, for his part, goggled at both of them as if they had grown second heads. “What the fuck d’you think you’re doing?” he said to Charlie.

Charlie came around in front of the Saudi. “Stand up, please.”

Flix swung his AR-15 into firing position. “Chica, I won’t ask you again: What are you doing?”

Charlie ignored him. “Stand up, let’s get your legs working.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Flix said, ricocheting between nervousness and anger. “Better to wait for Whit.”

Charlie, continuing to ignore him, smiled sweetly at el-Habib. She reached forward, gave him a hand up. “Now, how does that feel?”

“Better,” he said as he tested the strength of his legs.

She stared him straight in the eye as she slammed her knee into his groin. “How about now?”

El-Habib’s mouth formed a shocked O. As he tried to double over, Charlie grabbed him by the armpits, kept him more or less erect as his body spasmed in agony.

“What’s going on here?” Whitman said, striding in.

“I tried to stop her, compadre,” Flix said. “She’s a loose cannon. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Whitman handed the sat phone back. “Charlie, what’s going on?”

“The Chinese are going on,” she said. Her face was so close to el-Habib’s she could smell the stink of fear and pain coming out of his mouth. “You’re in bed with the Chinese. Isn’t that right, fucker?”

El-Habib stared at her, shaking.

“Compadre, how long are you going to let her—”

He broke off at the sight of Whitman’s raised hand. “Seiran,” he said softly, almost gently, “I’d like to intervene, really I would. But this woman is a force of nature. Once she starts down a path even God can’t stop her, so I’m going to take a step back and give you two the space she needs.”

“Dios mío, Whit, she’s out of control.”

Whitman whipped around. “Shut the fuck up, Flix. Go back to what you do best, monitoring comms. Make sure no one’s trying to reach the compound. And take it outside, will you?”