“Expect resistance,” Nick briefed them. “It will be hot. His security people are drawn from Mexican Special Forces. They are hardened professionals and, in the past, have fought to the death. Check the reports from Wichita, if you doubt. That’s why the full body armor, especially helmets. That’s why it’s shoot to suppress from the first encounter of fire and, if necessary, full automatic. Take a lot of ammo. Waste bullets, not men. That’s why night vision, for all tac advantage. But I say again, the point here is to take down one guy, not even Señor Menendez, though he would be a very nice bonus. Our guy is Arab, early forties, another extremely capable character. But he’s the bonanza. Prefer him alive, but I’d rather kill him than lose any of you. The point is to stop him, not interview him. That’s a good day’s work.”

Afterward, Nick and his team gathered at a National Guard Armory in Jackson Hole. Here, he’d assembled his ground component, mostly personnel from Salt Lake City and Denver. They would engage simultaneously with the air assault, crashing the fake gate, then the real gate, and hitting the compound as the commandos moved through the structures. Their task was perimeter containment, to stifle any escape, seal the place off and put it out of business in a hurry, under mandate from FISA, which allowed “any and all law enforcement activities deemed necessary to halt a terrorist threat.” A U.S. Attorney was along with them to issue legal advice on the fly, if need be, and to help move stretchers to ambulances.

“Have I forgotten anything?” Nick asked Bob.

“Yeah, me,” said Bob.

“Sorry, pal. You’re sitting this one out. Explicit orders from Washington.”

“Come on, Nick . . .”

“Nope. Believe it or not, they treasure your brain over your trigger finger. A first, I’m sure.”

Bob didn’t lose it marine NCO style, but his his gray face, his narrowed eyes and slit mouth, his measured breathing, all equaled rage.

“I am going along.”

“I guess you are. In a government sedan. We will need you to examine and make identification fast. I’m told he looks just like Dr. Zhivago, so that should be easy. Have you seen it recently?”

“I never saw it in the first place.”

“Maybe you’ll get to interview him. I hope, at least, that you get to ID the body. And following that, you’ll provide assessment on any sniper activities found in place and begin to assemble data for the after action report.”

Bob nodded without enthusiasm.