“You idiot—you might have had the men that attacked your base,” Kazakov said. “I want details, Zuwayy. I want to know everything you know about these attacks, both on Samah and Jaghbub, and I want to know everything your military forces learned before, during, and after you attacked those vessels out in the Mediterranean Sea.”

“I can tell you almost everything,” Zuwayy said. “Especially the last part—the part of the incident where some of our planes were shot down.”

“Some Libyan attack planes . .. shot down ? By whom?”

“By the men firing missiles from one of the ships.”

“Firing missiles! And you’ve been sitting on this information all this time! Which ship, damn you?”

“The Lithuanian salvage ship,” Zuwayy said. “We recovered eleven men and one woman from the water.”

“It was them. I know it,” Kazakov said. “They invaded your country to force you to release those prisoners.”

“I will blast them to hell,” Zuwayy said. “Khan thinks he has them surrounded. I will—”

“What did you say, Zuwayy?” Kazakov thundered. “What did you say? ”

“I received a call from Ulama Khalid al-Khan, the chief justice of the Egyptian Supreme Judiciary,” Zuwayy said.

“He claims that Susan Salaam and General Ahmad Baris aided and abetted a group of soldiers believed to be American comm—” He stopped, his throat completely dry, as he finally made the connection in his head. “Oh, my God ..

“You knew this?” Kazakov screamed into the phone. “You knew those commandos were on that base?”

“I have been attacked'!” Zuwayy shouted, not quite knowing what else to say. “I didn’t know these were the men you sought. I didn’t realize—”

“Are those commandos still in Egypt?” Kazakov interjected.

“I believe Khan is holding them at Mersa Matruh.”

“Tell him not to let them leave under any circumstances,” Kazakov said. “They must stay in Mersa Matruh. Tell Khan that you will deliver the prisoners there—that should keep the commandos in place. And you will detain all of those prisoners that have the slightest appearance of being Americans. Do not send them along with the others.”

“And then what do we do?”

“This is what you will do, Zuwayy,” Kazakov said. “You will do exactly as I tell you to do, and you had better not slip up, or I will see to it that a lot more than your damned nose is smashed.”

“You will not speak to me this way!” Zuwayy shouted. “I am the king of united Libya—!”