Rodgers was more concerned about Herbert going to check on Chaos activities by himself. Rodgers wasn't worried because Herbert was in a wheelchair. The man was not defenseless. He was worried because Herbert could be like a dog with a bone. He didn't like letting go of things, especially unsolved cases. And there was only so much Op-Center could do to help him. Unlike the U.S., where they could listen in on telecommunications through local FBI, CIA, or police offices, it was difficult to mount broad surveillance immediately overseas. Satellites could focus on individual cellular telephones or even small regions, but they also picked up a lot of garbage. That was what he'd been trying to tell Senator Fox earlier. Without people on the scene, surgical operations were difficult.

Herbert was a good person to have on the scene. Part of Rodgers worried about what Herbert would do without a moderating force like Paul Hood-- though another part of him was excited by the prospect of Bob Herbert unleashed. If anyone could make the case for putting money into a crippled HUMINT program, it was Herbert.

Liz Gordon arrived shortly after Eddies call. She updated the General on the mental state of the Striker team. Major Shooter had brought his 89th MAU charm-- "more accurately," she said, "his lack thereof"-- to Quantico and was drilling the squad by the book.

"But this is a good thing," she said. "Lieutenant Colonel Squires tended to mix things up a lot. Shooter's regimentation will help them to accept that things are different now. They're hurting real bad and many of them are punishing themselves by drilling hard."

"Punishing themselves for thinking they failed Charlie?" Rodgers asked.

"That, plus guilt. The Survivor's Syndrome. They're alive, he isn't."

"How do you convince them they did their best?" Rodgers asked.

"You can't. They need time and perspective. It's common in situations like these."

"Common," Rodgers said sadly, "but brand-new to the people who are having to deal with it."

"That too," Liz agreed.

"Practical question," Rodgers said. "Are they fit for service if we need them?"

Liz thought for a moment. "I watched them work out a little this morning. No one's mind wandered, and except for a lot of angry energy they seemed fine. But I have to qualify that. What they were doing this morning were rote, repetitive exercises. I can't guarantee how they'll react under fire."

"Liz," Rodgers said, slightly annoyed, "those are exactly the guarantees I need."

"Sorry," she said. "The irony is, I'm not concerned that the Strikers would be afraid to act. To the contrary. I'm worried that they would overact, a classic Guilt Counterreaction Syndrome. They would put themselves at risk to make certain that someone else isn't hurt, to ensure that what happened in Russia doesn't happen again."

"Is there anyone you're particularly worried about?" Rodgers asked.

Liz said, "Sondra DeVonne and Walter Pupshaw are the shakiest, I think."