“A dirtbag mercenary,” Cole said. He offered that answer without any hesitation at all. Davis Cole seemed to care more about what the Confederacy was than what he himself might be.

“Good,” Big Daddy said. “What else?”

Cole shrugged. “A pimp. A rapist.”

“And?”

“A disgrace to the American flag,” Cole said.

Big Daddy sighed again, and then smiled. “Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. What are you going to do tomorrow morning?”

Cole took a deep breath. “I’m going to drive two guys into Edwin Parr’s compound.”

“Where is Parr’s compound, as far as you know?”

“When I left, it was inside Al-Arabi Palace in Tikrit. The place is well protected, comfortable, and I have no reason to believe he’s moved during the past several days. Logistically, it would be very hard to do so because the locals are hostile to him, and they can’t reach him there. But if he leaves…” Cole shrugged. “He’ll be up for grabs.”

“When you get those two guys inside, what are you going to do then?”

“I’m going to assist them in arresting Parr, or killing him, whichever the case may be. Then I’m going to help them get out again.”

“And if you don’t cooperate, or if you hesitate in carrying out your assigned tasks, or if you do anything funny at all?”

“I’ll be killed.”

“Good. And if you try to escape?”

“I’ll be killed.”

“What’s that around your neck?” Big Daddy said.

Cole’s big hand reached up and reflexively touched the metal collar. His fingers followed it around in a circle.

“It’s a GPS unit so you know where I am at all times.”

“Very good. What else is it?”

“It’s a bomb.”

Trudy audibly gasped.

“Your friend is a psychopath,” she said to Luke.

Luke nodded. “Big Daddy? Yeah, maybe. I think so.”

Big Daddy patted Cole on top of the head. “Good dog. It’s a small incendiary, with a remote detonator, isn’t it? It won’t make much of an explosion, just enough to take your head right off your shoulders. And who decides if that bomb goes off or not?”

“You do.”

Now Big Daddy’s grin was very wide. He looked into the mirrored window again. He put a proprietary hand on top of Cole’s head.

“I predict that this very able combat veteran is going to make one heck of a good, cooperative guide for you guys tomorrow. He will give his very life to ensure the success of the operation. This is because he knows that if the operation fails, and he’s somehow alive afterwards, I’m going to kill him anyway.”

He looked down at Cole’s face.

“With pleasure.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

8:45 p.m. Central European Summer Time (2:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time)

Bourg-de-Four-Square

Old Town

Geneva, Switzerland

It’s happening, the text message read.