“Yes,” Loh said. “The idea that someone fired across the water’s surface because the vessel shifted. A forward dip would have thrown the projectiles skyward.”

“Exactly,” Herbert said. The intelligence officer was impressed. Monica Loh did not always seem to be listening. But she was. And she was thinking. Herbert had gotten accustomed to the way things were done in Washington. When people were silent, it was always for one of two reasons, both of them bad. Either they thought they had all the answers and were not interested in hearing any others, or they were afraid to speak because then they would have to take responsibility for suggestions that might become policy. Far too many federal employees put personal interest over national interest.

Herbert enjoyed being surprised by a person’s quiet assets rather than by their hidden shortcomings. His wife Yvonne had been like that. When they started working together, the future Mrs. Herbert was always very quiet. Herbert instinctively, chauvinistically, wrongly thought of Yvonne in terms of her pay grade. She was a subordinate. She was backup. But the woman was anything but that. She was usually beside him or several steps ahead. It was odd. When the Beirut embassy was bombed, Yvonne had taken shards of wood and cinderblock in the back. Herbert had no proof of this, none at all. But he went down a moment before she did. He had always imagined that Yvonne became aware of the bomb going off an instant before he did, pushed him to the floor, and dropped on top of him. That was how the couple was found.

Whether or not they were approaching Darling’s boat, Herbert no longer felt quite so trapped.

“It’s too dark to see anything now,” Jelbart said as he lowered his binoculars. “Wish I’d brought the bloody night-vision glasses.”

“We’ll be in range of the spotlights in two minutes or so,” the pilot pointed out.

“We’ll also be in range of any weapons they might have,” Herbert said, leaning toward the pilot.

“I was just thinking that,” Jelbart said.

“Sirs, we don’t have any retaliatory capability,” the pilot noted.

“I noticed that,” Herbert said. “Mr. Jelbart, can you radio General Hopkins and ask to have the Mirages circle the area.”

“Of course,” Jelbart said. “Not that I think we need to worry. A sinking boat is not an ideal firing platform.”

“I’ll still feel better with a couple of fighters buzzing the boat, just to keep them honest,” Herbert said.

“Sir, I’ll try to position the under section of the hull between us and anyone who might still be on it,” the pilot said. “That will make it difficult to target us.”

“Sounds good,” Herbert said.