“OK,” said Bob, “I found a truck. Just this side of Munich, about an hour away. Four years old, forty-five thousand euros, and it even has the red cab.”

“Where the hell are we going to get forty-five thousand euros?” said Alex.

“At least there’s one thing that’s not a problem,” said Nemo. “I can take care of that.”

“You have forty-five thousand euros burning a hole in your pocket?” said Bob.

“I have savings,” said Nemo.

“Great,” said Patton. “Bob, you and Nemo go get the truck and I’ll go . . .”

“You’re forgetting our agreement,” said Bob.

“Fine,” said Patton, “Franklin and Nemo go get the truck. Ted, you and Jean keep monitoring the news, and Bob can come with me and Alex to do reconnaissance on the Fox’s Den.”

“Are you sure you need me out there?” said Alex. “It’s just that word, ‘reconnaissance’—it sounds dangerous.”

“Considering that you’re the person who actually knows where the Fox’s Den is,” said Patton, “yes, it might be somewhat helpful to have you with us. Now come on.”

“Are you sure this plan will work?” whispered Nemo to Patton as she stepped toward the door.

“Not in the slightest,” said Patton. “Now go get us a truck.”

An hour later, Alex had led Patton and Bob deep into the woods, skirting widely around the security fence that marked the edge of the Fox’s Den property. They found a spot that gave them a view of a hundred or so meters of the fence line and of the forest behind it. There, they pulled out the high-powered binoculars Franklin had bought in Innsbruck and settled in behind some bushes to watch. Alex, whose only job had been to lead them there, quickly dropped off to sleep, leaning against a tree, and Patton and Bob passed the binoculars back and forth every thirty minutes or so, taking turns with the watch.

After an hour, Patton felt more relaxed than she had since the bullets had started flying in Alta Vista. This was military surveillance, and she understood military surveillance. Working together with another soldier, communicating only by gesture, patiently watching and listening—to Patton this was like meditation, a mental discipline that focused and relaxed her mind as the training took over and she didn’t need to make decisions or plan actions or even think. She only had to watch and listen.