She picked up the second knife and assessed its weight as the pinwheel increased in speed. Should she quit now or try for a perfect score to up her points for that abysmal run and eval?

Her hand tightened on the dirk’s handle. If her overall score didn’t make the grade, she had nothing to fall back on but cyber. Perish the thought.

Harry Benson forced his body to utter stillness as he assessed his boss, Officer Nigel Thatcher, across the desk. Three days ago, Nigel had retracted Harry from North Africa and given him orders to report to the Secret Intelligence Service Building upon his arrival in London.

“Congratulations, Agent Benson. Your training is complete,” Officer Nigel Thatcher said.

Harry repressed a spurt of surprise. At last, he could take unmonitored assignments instead of dancing to the tunes of micromanaging field agents.

“You are to report to Glenkinnon Base Monday morning working undercover as an army captain.”

“Monday?” Harry’s heart sank. He had promised his son a camping trip this weekend. After his debrief this morning, he had expected the usual two weeks of R & R before his next mission.

“Is that a problem, Agent Benson?” Nigel’s mild eyes rested on him.

“No problem, sir.” Sammy would understand; he always did.

“My secretary has scheduled your flight, car hire, and off-base quarters. She has the estate agent’s address, so you can collect your house key upon arrival. Agent Brown will brief you on all the particulars.”

“I gather this mission is military centric?” Why else would he be sent to an army base?

“Yes. Your findings in Lebatu spurred this assignment. A munitions shipment has gone missing. As a former British army intelligence officer, you are the perfect candidate to track down our armament thief. That will be all.”

Harry shook hands and exited Nigel’s office, ducking so he didn’t hit the lintel on the way out. After collecting his travel packet from Agent Brown, Harry proceeded to the lift, fighting the urge to whistle.

His first solo job. His lips curved. He was now a full-fledged field agent.

On the ride down to the lobby, with the lift’s floors lighting in reverse, his thoughts swung back to Sammy. He’d spend what time he had with his son before he packed his kit, then visited his parents before he flew to Edinburgh. Part of him shifted uncomfortably; Sammy deserved so much more than the few crumbs Harry threw his way between overseas assignments.

For the last four months in Lebatu, he had monitored the renegade militant band operating under General Nheshal. The guerillas had overrun a strategic air base and port on the Mediterranean, thus establishing a threat to other countries along the Med.