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By Root 364 0

past him to slap a buzzer button mounted on a post in the middle of a white circle marked on the soft ground; he tried to knock you out of the circle before you did it. Troopers were only allowed to enter the circle one at a time, and if you got thrown out, you had to go back to the end of the line and try it again. While your timer stopped when you reached the circle-your belt transponder clicked it off when you lined up in the quay zone-and resumed only as long as you were in the circle, this was where most testees hurt their scores. The combat instructors did not like to lose. They took turns in the circle, and they were all good, but Phillips was strong, skilled, and he loved this. One-on-one, face-up, Phillips would hand you your head if you tried to outmuscle him. There were troops who swore theyd seen Phillips lift and pivot the front end of a Dodge pickup truck into a too-tight parking space. The only way to beat him was to keep out of his range, and that wasnt easy.

When Howards turn came, he went straight in at Phillips, jinked left, then right, faked high, then dived to the left and rolled. Phillips got his hand on Howards right ankle as he came up, but too late-the colonel swatted at the buzzer, barely brushed it with his fingertips as Phillips jerked him prone on the ground. It was enough-the buzzer went off. His timer stopped, his run over.

You got officers luck, sir, Phillips said.

Howard rolled up, brushed himself off and grinned at the larger man. Ill take it. Better to be lucky than good.

Yes, sir. Phillips turned away. Next!

Howard walked around to where Fernandez and a couple of techs were scoring the exercise.

You must be getting old, Colonel, sir. Youre gonna come in third.

Behind ? He pulled off his headband and used it to wipe the sweat from around his eyes.

Well, sir, Captain Marcus is first by a good sixteen seconds. You missed him throwing Phillips with that jujitsu move he likes.

And second ?

Fernandez grinned. Modesty forbids, sir.

I dont believe it.

Well, sir, I was first up.

How long?

Two seconds faster than you, Fernandez said.

Jesus.

I do believe He favors me, yes, sir.

If you were first up, you should have flown through the minefield.

I stopped to have a beer, sir. Since I figured I had plenty of time and all.

Howard shook his head and grinned. How are they doing?

Pretty good overall. Id put all our AI boys-and girls-up against any SpecForce outside of maybe the SEALs best, and theyd give them a pretty good run.

Carry on, Sergeant.

Sir.

Howard walked toward the new officers dressing room-hell, it was all new, none of this had even been here a few years ago-to change his clothes. If he hurried, hed just have time to get home and join his wife in time for church.

Sunday, October 3rd, 8:45 a.m. In the air over Marietta, Georgia

Mora Sullivan looked through the jets window at the ground far below. She had both of the first-class seats to herself this flight, and that was not due to chance-she usually bought two tickets to each destination, in case she needed to change identities before she boarded the flight.

Coach was only half full, so nobody was getting a free upgrade to take the empty seat next to her.

Fall colors were up-the hardwoods in the Georgia mixed forests below were shades of orange and yellow and red among the evergreen pine trees. She tended to sleep on plane trips, but she was too awake and edgy for that this morning.

During all her years in the biz, she had only deleted two of her own clients. The first, Marcel Toullier, had been for a contract from a different client six months after shed worked for the Frenchman; being one of her clients did not confer immunity, and it had been strictly business, nothing personal. Shed liked Toullier.

The second deletion, the gun dealer Denton Harrison, had been because Harrison had done stupid things and gotten himself arrested. The authorities had enough on him to put him away for fifty years, and Sullivan knew he was a talker, hed be willing to give up what he knew to stay out of prison. Sooner or later, Harrison