One of the young officers answered the phone. There was a scrambler attached to the mouthpiece, one which mixed high and low voice tones at one end and descrambled them at the other.

"Sir, it's another call being routed from America."

Ballon screamed, "I told them before not to put anyone through. It's either a bloody opportunist trying to ride our efforts across the finish line, or a saboteur trying to hold us back. Whichever it is, tell them to go to hell!"

"Yes, Sir."

"Now they want to help me. Now!" Ballon muttered. "Where have they been for seventeen years?"

Sergeant Ste. Marie said warily, "Perhaps this is not what you think."

"What are the chances of that?" Ballon asked. "Dominique has employees the world over. It's better if we stay insulated, uncontaminated."

"Inbred," Ste. Marie added.

The Colonel looked at the crisp color video picture of leaves moving slowly beside the wall of the ancient fortress which was now a factory. Ste. Marie had a point. These four days here had been totally unproductive.

"Wait!" Ballon barked.

The soldier repeated the command into the telephone. His face was expressionless as he watched the commander.

Ballon rubbed his face. He wouldn't know the answer to that unless he took the call. And what was more important? he asked himself. Pride or getting Dominique?

"I'll take it," he said.

He walked briskly toward the phone, arm extended as Sergeant Ste. Marie watched with delight.

"Don't look so pleased," Ballon said to him as he passed. "It was my own decision. You had nothing to do with it."

"No, Sir," Ste. Marie replied as he continued to look very pleased.

Ballon took the phone. "This is Ballon. What is it?"

"Colonel," said the dispatcher, "I have a phone call from General Michael Rodgers of the National Crisis Management--"

"Colonel Ballon," Rodgers cut in, "forgive the interruption but I need to talk to you."

"C'est evidement."

"Do you speak English?" Rodgers asked. "If not, give me a minute to get a translator--"

"I speak English," Ballon said reluctantly. "What is it, General Rodgers?"

"I understand you're trying to close in on a mutual enemy."

"Trying, yes."

"We believe," Rodgers said, "that he's planning to download computer software which will help to cause rioting in cities around the world. We believe he intends to use those riots to throw the economies of major American and European nations into chaos."

Ballon's mouth began to go dry. This man was either a godsend or the pawn of Satan himself. "How do you know this?"

Rodgers said, "If we didn't, the government would take away all the money they give our team."

Ballon liked that too. "What about his terrorist squads? What do you know about those?" he asked, hoping for some new information. Any new information.

"Nothing," Rodgers admitted. "But we suspect he's working closely with several neo-Nazi groups in America and abroad."