He did not contradict her guess, but looked at her carefully, with a steady stare, and replied, “Find out who your allies and fellow soldiers are. Assemble and organize your forces, then evaluate: If your forces are superior, fight; if inferior, run, preserve your forces; if equal, stay on the move and harass the enemy.”

“Sun-Tzu. Basic combat doctrine,” Susan said with a nod and a thin smile. “I’ve been a politician’s wife for so long I’ve almost forgotten how to be a soldier. But I don’t have an army, and soon I probably won’t have a country. Survival seems to be the best option.” She paused. “Perhaps I can talk with the National Democratic Party officials, lend any support I can to our party’s candidate for president. Dr. Kalir, the prime minister, will certainly run. The chief justice of the Egyptian Supreme Court, Ulama al-Khan, will run as well—he is the danger, the one who wants to turn Egypt into a theocracy and align it with the Muslim Brotherhood states. He has the power to do it, too.”

“Sounds like a plan of action to me.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Susan said. She looked deeply into his eyes. “Before you go—can you tell me your real name?”

He hesitated once again, the old security regime automatically kicking in again, but it dissolved just as quickly. It was time to start trusting someone again, he told himself. “Patrick. Patrick McLanahan.”

“Chief petty officer? Colonel? Special agent... ?”

Still trying to gather intelligence, Patrick noted. She needed careful watching. “Just Patrick.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Just Patrick McLanahan,” Susan said with a mind-blowing smile. She reached up to kiss him on the cheek, holding her lips there long enough for him to feel a jolt of electricity course down his spine. “Welcome to Egypt.”

About an hour later, Salaam, Baris, and Shafik disembarked from the supply vessel. They were met on the pier by Vice Marshal Ouda, the military district commander, who looked mad enough to chew nails. “How dare you overrule my orders and approach my ship without my permission?” he shouted. “Who do you think you are?”

“No one is undermining your authority, Vice Marshal Ouda,” Susan said. “I thought it would help to resolve the issue if I met with the terrorists themselves.”

“And were you successful?”

“Yes.”

“Then they are surrendering?”

“On the contrary—I offered them the use of the facilities here on the base for as long as they need them.”

“Ana mish faehem! Are you insane?” Ouda exclaimed. “Those men are terrorists! They have taken an Egyptian warship and are threatening to kill everyone on board!”

“But they have not killed anyone, and I believe they are telling the truth when they say they will not harm our men,” Susan said. “I do not want them harmed.”

“Who are they?”