Of course, if they didn't, they'd be searching for four needles within five haystacks. Yet for every second they remained in position, the odds of them being spotted increased.

Below, a few more castle windows darkened.

The uplink channel in Mitchell's HUD switched to a view from the tiny camera mounted on Diaz's headset. "Captain, I got a bead on our first sniper. I'll have to move to get the other guy."

"Hold."

"Holding."

"Captain, we're still waiting here," called Beasley from his position in the forest near the choppers and trucks.

"I know, I know. Just sit tight."

Inside the castle grounds, Huang held the leash of his dog and started toward the main gate.

"Where are you going?" asked one of Fang's men posted there.

"For a walk," Huang snapped.

The guard frowned. "Walk him here."

"He will not go here. I take him to the field."

"No."

"Do you want me to call Captain Fang?"

The soldier swallowed. "You know him?"

"I'm going to walk my dog." Huang turned around, moved to the gate, unlocked the door, then started outside, deliberately leaving the gate open.

Once he reached the bottom of the path and was turning toward the field, he tugged the phone from his pocket and nervously made the call.

Forty-three minutes later, Colonel Xu Dingfa was lying in his quarters inside the central, rectangular-shaped building. Fresh flowers had been arranged in vases, and the beds had been made with clean and sweet-smelling linen. Captain Fang had made all the arrangements for the "comfort girls" who had recently arrived, and one of them was already giving Xu a deep and erotic massage. The other three Tigers were, assumably, enjoying their own nights of pleasure before turning to much more grave business in the morning.

When they had planned the meeting, Xu had suggested that they gather immediately within the first hour of their arrival, but his impatience had been summarily quashed by the older Chen, who considered the "event" a long weekend and chance to work, celebrate, and unwind. Consequently, Xu had arranged for the girls and the banquet-style meal.

In the morning, they would establish the chain of command, finalize their timetables, and clearly identify the individual types and numbers of ships and aircraft involved. Call signs would be issued, as well as operating area assignments. Chen would distribute the communication encryption key cards for secure communications on what he had dubbed the Pouncing Dragon Primary Tactical Network (PDPTN).

Xu sighed as the girl dug her soft hands a little deeper into his shoulders.

The lights suddenly flickered a moment, then went out.

The girl gasped.

Xu rose, fumbled in the dark for his radio, found it, and called Fang.

The captain sounded irritated. "Sir, Huang tells me they are working on the transformers every night. The power should return within thirty minutes. It is no worry."

"I don't like this, Fang. Security is your mission. Do not fail us."

"I will not."