The National Crisis Management Center had not had a lot of dealings with the Pakistani embassy. The only reason the ambassador. Dr. Is mail Simathna, personally knew them was because of Paul Hood and Mike Rodgers. After the men had ended the hostage stalemate at the United Nations, Simathna asked them to visit the embassy. Plummer was invited to join them. The ambassador claimed to be paying his respects to a brave and brilliant American intelligence unit. Among the many lives they had saved were those of the Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations and his wife. But Hood and Plummer both suspected that Simathna simply wanted to meet the men who had embarrassed the Indian secretary general That feeling was reinforced when the visit received considerable coverage in the Islamabad media. Hood was glad, then, that Plummer had come along. Op-Center's PEO gave the appearance of substance to a meeting that was conceived to make a statement about India's ineffective contribution to world peace.

The security officer turned Plummer over to the ambassador's executive secretary. The young man smiled pleasantly and led Plummer to Simathna's office. The white-haired ambassador came out from behind his glass topped desk. He was wearing a brown suit and a muted yellow tie. The sixty-three-year-old ambassador had been a front line soldier and bore a scar on both cheeks where a bullet had passed through his jaw. He had also been an intelligence expert and a professor of politics and political sociology at Quaid-E-Azam University in Islamabad before being tapped to represent his nation in Washington, D. C. He greeted Op-Center's political officer warmly.

Plummer had not told Ambassador Simathna why he needed to see him, only that it was urgent.

The men sat in modern armchairs on the window side of the office. The thick bullet-proof glass muted their voices.

As Plummer spoke he sounded almost conspiratorial.

The ambassador's lean face was serious but unemotional as Plummer spoke.

He leaned forward, listening quietly, as Plummer told him about the Striker operation from conception to present, and Hood's fears about the actions of India's SFF. When Plummer was finished, the ambassador sat back.

"I am disappointed that you did not come to me for intelligence on the nuclear situation in Kashmir," the ambassador said.

"We did not want to impose on your friendship," Plummer replied.

"It means a great deal to us."

"That was thoughtful of you," he replied with a little smile.

"But you have come to me now."

"Yes," Plummer replied.

"For your advice, your confidence, your patience, and most of all your trust. We believe we have a good chance to keep this under control but the hours ahead will be extremely difficult."

"One could describe nuclear brinkmanship in those terms," the ambassador said softly.