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had tried the hero
business and had failed.
    On
the other hand, what if he really did have some special quality that would turn
the tide? If he walked away and the attack succeeded, how could he live with
himself? He beat himself up every day for surviving the operation in Iran when
his men had not. Guilt and loss were eating away at his soul already, but would
pale in comparison to the question that would torment his every waking moment—what
if he really had been the only one able to find, and stop, Kira Miller?
    And
even though he had wanted to clear his head and put distance between himself
and anyone he had known from his past life, his relationship with Connelly had
been very close, and almost certainly would be again someday. There were few
men he admired as much as he did Jim Connelly.
    Desh
stared long and hard at the colonel. “Okay,” he said wearily, a look of
resignation on his face. “I’ll help you.” He shook his head bitterly, and it
was clear he was annoyed with himself for being unable to refuse. “I’ll give it
my best,” he added with a sigh. “That’s all I can do.”
    “Thanks,
David,” said Connelly in relief. “That’s all anyone can do.”
    The
colonel paused and now looked somewhat uneasy. “Now that you’re on board, I
need to insist that you don’t go after her yourself, under any circumstances. Your
job is to find her. Period. The job of the person at the end of the telephone
number I gave you is to reel her in.” He paused. “Before you leave, I have to
be sure you’re crystal clear about this.”
    Desh
stared at Connelly in disbelief. “I’m clear on it, all right, Colonel. What I’m
not clear on is why. What if I found her and was in the perfect position for
capture? I need to be able to strike when the iron’s hot. By the time I call
someone in and they arrive, she could slip through the noose. She’s too elusive
and too important to allow that to happen.” He shook his head in disbelief. “It’s
an idiotic strategy,” he snapped.
    The
colonel sighed. “I couldn’t agree more,” he said. “But those are my orders. I
made all the points you just made as emphatically as I could, but I didn’t win
the day. So this is what we’re left with.”
    “Okay
then,” said Desh in annoyance. “I’m just a civilian now. If someone up the
chain of command just had a frontal lobotomy, there’s nothing I can do
about it.”
    “On
the bright side,” continued Connelly, pressing ahead, “I was able to win
one important argument with my superiors.” He smiled slyly. “I convinced them
it wouldn’t be easy to entice you back. They’ve authorized me to pay you two
hundred thousand dollars upon initiation of the assignment as a draw against
expenses. It’s all set to be wired into your account. You’ll have access to it
within the hour.” He leaned forward intently. “There’s another million upon success.”
    Desh’s
eyes widened. A payment of this magnitude would dramatically change the course
of his life. It would allow him to leave the violent world he had known behind
and immediately start down whichever new path he finally chose for himself. “Thanks,
Colonel,” he said. “That’s a hell of a lot of money.” Desh paused. “But you do
know I agreed to help because of you, and because of the nature of the threat,
and not for the money.”
    A
twinkle came to Connelly’s eye. “I know that,” he said. “Notice that I only
brought up the money after you had agreed.” The colonel smiled. “Considering
the bounty for Bin Laden went as high as twenty-five million dollars, and
considering the devastating consequences of failure, you’re the biggest bargain
the government has ever had.”
    Desh
smiled. “Well, as long as the government is happy,” he said dryly,
spreading his hands in mock sincerity. He paused for a moment in thought. “What
about Fleming Executive Protection?”
    “Don’t
worry. We’ll make sure your calendar is cleared for the