“You know how,” Patrick said ominously. “The same way I destroyed Samah, Jaghbub, Al-Jawf, and Zillah.” Both Fazani and Hijazi looked decidedly uncomfortable at that point. Fazani paced around Patrick, thinking hard; then: “Then I have a better idea, General: You will recall your bombers immediately, or I will execute your wife and all your men right before your eyes.”

“If I don’t report in to my unit by the bottom of the hour, Minister, this palace will be destroyed.” Hijazi looked at his watch: ten minutes to go. “There is no abort code, Minister—either I report I’m still inbound, or I report I’m coming out with the prisoners, or this place gets leveled. I’m not afraid to die.”

“Then it was a suicide mission,” Fazani said. “Because I assure you, we will be safe from any of your weapons— unless you intend on dropping a nuclear bomb on us. After the attack, we will all appear on the world news together and tell the world all about your doomed rescue mission and your homicidal bombing raids on Libya.”

“Then you’ll be doing that report from the rubble of your government buildings and palaces,” Patrick said, “because I guarantee you, you won’t be able to stop my bombers from attacking this city.”

“Then right after your appearance on CNN, General McLanahan, perhaps you, your wife, and your spies will be dragged out of that rubble yourselves,” Fazani said. “Either way, we will be safe, and alive, and you’ll be dead and disgraced.”

“I have a better idea, Tahir—let us tell Jadallah’s financier whom we have now,” Hijazi suggested. Fazani’s eyes brightened at that idea. “I think he will pay handsomely for this man delivered alive to him.”

“Don’t count on it,” Patrick said. “I don’t work for any government, but I command a lot of firepower—whoever you bring me to will suffer the same fate as you will.”

“I doubt that very much,” Hijazi said. “Pavel Kazakov commands many forces as well, and I’m sure he’s far wealthier than you are.”

“Kazakov?” Patrick exclaimed. “Zuwayy is working with Pavel Kazakov? I should have known.”

“I see you’ve heard of him? Good. He will pay a very generous bonus to the ones who bring you to him—alive if possible, but dead if necessary. Perhaps we can negotiate a package deal for all of you Americans together—I think Kazakov would love to use you all as an example to others of what happens when you cross him. But first we need to know all about your bombers and other infantry forces you have in Libya. The king has described some very amazing forces—perhaps you can tell us all about them.”

“Go to hell,” Patrick said.