The Admiral Lunin surfaced amid the flares and smoke floats dropped by the P-3. It was much too far for a rescue aircraft to come out, at least in this weather. The seas hadn't moderated, and the light was bad, but Dubinin's was the only ship in the area, and he did the best he could to start rescue operations.

The interrogation room was ten by ten, with a cheap table and five equally cheap chairs. There was no two-way mirror. That trick had been around far too long. Instead, two fiber-optic cables ran out of the room and into cameras, one from a light switch, and the other from what looked like a nail hole in the door frame.

Both terrorists were set in place, looking somewhat the worse for wear. The broken fingers both sported offended the professional ethic of the FBI, but Murray decided to pass on that. Clark and Chavez went off for coffee.

"As you see," Ryan told them, "you failed. Washington is still here."

"And Denver?" Ghosn asked. "I know about Denver."

"Yes, you did manage to do something there, but the guilty parties have already paid."

"What do you mean?" Qati asked.

"I mean that Qum isn't there anymore. Your friend Daryaei is now explaining his misdeeds to Allah."

They were just too tired, Ryan thought. Fatigue was the worst enemy of men, even worse than the dull pain in his hand. Qati didn't show horror at all. His next error was worse.

"You have made an enemy of all Islam. All that you have done to make peace in the region will be as nothing! because of this."

"Was that your objective?" Ryan asked in considerable surprise, drawing on the two hours of sleep he'd had. "Was that what you wanted to do? Oh, my God!"

"Your god?" Qati spat.

"What of Marvin Russell?" Murray asked.

"We killed him. He was merely an infidel," Qati said.

Murray looked at Ghosn. "This is true? Wasn't he a guest in your camp?"

"He was with us for some months, yes. The fool's help was indispensable."

"And you murdered him."

"Yes, along with two hundred thousand others."

"Tell me," Jack said. "Isn't there a line in the Koran that goes something like, "if a man shall enter your tent and eat your salt, even though he be an infidel, you will protect him"?"

"You quote poorly - and what do you care of the Koran?"

"You might be surprised."

CHAPTER 44

The Breeze of Evening

Ryan's next call was to Arnie van Damm. He explained what he had learned.

"My God! They were willing to -"

"Yeah, and it almost worked," Ryan said huskily. "Clever, weren't they?"

"I'll tell him."

"I have to report this, Arnie. I have to tell the Vice President."

"I understand."

"One more thing."

"What's that?"

The request he made was approved, largely because no one had a better idea. After the two terrorists had had their hands treated, they were bedded down separately in FBI holding cells.