"Shut up."

"Why did you kill her? She seemed like a sweet woman. An innocent. And you just shot her."

"You want to know why I killed her? Because I was starting to like her. Now tell me about the security system."

"Go on the Web. I'm sure you can learn all you need to know ..."

She jabbed the pistol deeper into his arm.

"It's the usual. Very complex biometrics: iris patterns, fingerprints, facial readers, blood vessel authentication, and blood flow sensors, all combined with traditional pa.s.sword protection and token codes. The live fingerprint authentication alone includes four biological markers of pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, and the capillary patterns in the skin to verify fingerprints by a.n.a.lyzing ridges of the print as well as the depth of the valleys between the ridges."

"I've bypa.s.sed those systems."

"Not these. You can't make a photocopy of someone's thumb and use it. Or even a gel copy. These are quite literally the best in the world."

"Which is where you come in."

"Well, you should know the Al Maktoum family wouldn't simply rely on those measures alone. The sheikh was an eccentric." Chopra smiled darkly.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you should expect the unexpected."

"No, I'll expect you to get us inside."

Even as he'd spoken, Chopra was already formulating a ruse, but he could not put forth the plan without the young sheikh's help-and therein was his greatest challenge.

"He'll get us in," said Hussein. "And I'll get you the data on the oil reserves, but only if you get me something to eat."

"So you'll give away your nation's a.s.sets-all for one meal."

The boy shrugged. "Half the gold and one meal. I'm starving."

"I've already ordered," said the Snow Maiden. "And new clothes will be here shortly. You'll both shower and change."

"What you're attempting is quite huge," said Chopra. "And have you considered the radiation? Exposure has been limited to less than eight hours without full NBC suits."

"Who do you think you're dealing with here?"

"I don't know. I ask. You never answer. Why don't you tell me? Are you terrorists?"

She chuckled. "Hardly."

"Then what is your purpose?"

"Well, that's philosophical, isn't it?"

Chopra stiffened. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"Then you can just listen," she said, taking a seat across from him. "When I was a little girl, my father told my brothers and me a story about an old woman who lived in our town, and she was tired and old and couldn't afford to eat, so she would go into the market and steal some bread or soup, or people would give her a handout. She got caught stealing some potatoes one day, and they hauled her off to jail. And my father never saw her again."

The Snow Maiden just sat there, staring through him, reliving the moment.

"Was she put to death?" asked Chopra.

"I don't know. I don't think my father knew, but he never trusted the government after that. And he taught us to be afraid of the police."

"Why does this bother you?"

"Because one day, I'll be that woman, and they'll lock me away because I stole some potatoes, and that will be my life."

"I'm here to change that young man, to make him recognize that he was not born to live an ordinary life. He will change. It's never too late."

The Snow Maiden just looked at him, as though yearning for change herself.

Thirty-six hours later, Brent, his team, Thomas Voeckler, and Schoolie rendezvoused with the USS Florida Florida in the Gulf of Oman, fifty miles south of the strait. The small-boat personnel transfer between their cruiser, USS in the Gulf of Oman, fifty miles south of the strait. The small-boat personnel transfer between their cruiser, USS Gettysburg Gettysburg CG-64, and the Virginia-cla.s.s nuclear submarine took place at 0300. All boarded the nuclear submarine and were issued thermoluminescent dosimeters worn on their belts. The units, about the size of a deck of cards, measured their total radiation dosage while onboard and were worn at all times. This wasn't the first time Brent had taken a ride aboard one of the JSF Navy's finest, but Thomas was new to it all, so the others took turns ribbing him over his naivete and hundred questions. CG-64, and the Virginia-cla.s.s nuclear submarine took place at 0300. All boarded the nuclear submarine and were issued thermoluminescent dosimeters worn on their belts. The units, about the size of a deck of cards, measured their total radiation dosage while onboard and were worn at all times. This wasn't the first time Brent had taken a ride aboard one of the JSF Navy's finest, but Thomas was new to it all, so the others took turns ribbing him over his naivete and hundred questions.

They were all given a refresher course in life aboard a submarine, and Brent had been escorted to the captain's stateroom by the ship's XO.

Commander Jonathan Andreas was seated at a fold-out desk, working the touchpad of a small computer. Andreas, who couldn't be much older than Brent and had salt-and-pepper hair, gestured to a chair. "Have a seat, Captain."

"Thank you, sir."

"Our lockout trunk is good for nine, so you'll have to lock out in two evolutions. My SEAL chiefs will provide the training to your newbies. They'll also deliver all of your heavier gear, including your combat suits, with our wet vehicle. You've seen one of the SDVs in action, I a.s.sume?"

Brent nodded. The older-model SEAL Delivery Vehicle was a torpedo-shaped craft that cut through the ocean at six knots and expedited the transfer of a team's worth of gear. Brent was thankful for the help. Anything they could do to decrease their infiltration time was welcome. Two full evolutions of the lockout trunk was going to slow them down already, and it was his intention to establish an effective web of observation posts in and around Dubai before the Snow Maiden arrived. It all sounded excellent in theory. It always did.

The lockout drills were performed quickly, with each group standing inside the trunk in rising water, exiting the submarine, and reentering. There was some concern over Thomas's ability to remain calm, but the Splinter Cell went through the motions quite admirably. Afterward, Brent congratulated the man and said his brother would have been proud. Thomas agreed.

Lakota brushed past Brent in the confined pa.s.sageway outside his stateroom and asked if he'd ever had s.e.x onboard a submarine.

He stood there, dumbfounded, speechless, shocked even ...

And then just as quickly, she sang, "Kidding ..." and started away.

"That's s.e.xual hara.s.sment," he said.

She glanced back salaciously. "So?"

"I could write you up for that."

"Before or after?"

She rounded the corner, gone.

"d.a.m.n," he muttered. If insubordination didn't get him busted out of the Army, temptation like that would.

"Captain?" called the ship's XO. "We have Major Dennison for you. She's got updated intelligence on your target. If you'll follow me ..."

"Does it sound good?" Brent asked.

"There's a lot of activity at your infiltration point. And there's been some Russian sub movement. We might even have a shadow. You boys come with a lot of baggage."

"Yeah. It is what it is."

The meeting with Patti was canceled, and that same morning a private jet belonging to the Ganjin Ganjin flew the Snow Maiden, Hussein, and Chopra from Geneva to Fujairah, one of the seven oil-rich emirates that made up the old United Arab Emirates. Fujairah was located on the Gulf of Oman, about an hour's car ride directly east of Dubai. They were put up in the Hilton Fujairah Resort, where they were to remain until Patti called and was ready with the trucks and team that would head west. flew the Snow Maiden, Hussein, and Chopra from Geneva to Fujairah, one of the seven oil-rich emirates that made up the old United Arab Emirates. Fujairah was located on the Gulf of Oman, about an hour's car ride directly east of Dubai. They were put up in the Hilton Fujairah Resort, where they were to remain until Patti called and was ready with the trucks and team that would head west.

Without notice, a knock came at the door. The Snow Maiden drew her weapon, asked who it was. Room service. She checked the peephole.

Two men stood there: one wearing a hotel uniform and pushing a cart that carried food and bags of clothing. The other guy wore a long overcoat and had the dark but graying hair and pale skin of an Eastern European. She guessed he was about fifty.

She opened the door, keeping her weapon hidden behind her back, and allowed the cart pusher to enter.

The other man immediately said, "Viktoria, come with me."

"Oh, yeah?" she asked, raising her pistol to his forehead. "Maybe you should come with me."

"I'm in the room next door. He'll keep an eye on Chopra and the boy."

"Who the h.e.l.l are you?"

"A colleague of Patti's. Lower that weapon. Right now."

The Snow Maiden thought a second-he knew who she was, knew about Chopra, and knew Patti. She lowered the gun but remained tense and ready. "Answer my question."

"I will. Come on," he said.

She followed him to the next room, where inside, seated at the desk near the window, Patti smoked a cigarette and sipped a cup of tea. "Sit down, Viktoria. And please keep your mouth closed and listen."

"That would be wise," added the other man.

"This is Igany Fedorovich," Patti began. "He's director of SinoRus Group oil exploration. They have headquarters on Sakhalin Island. That's just north of j.a.pan."

"And he's a member of the Ganjin Ganjin," added the Snow Maiden.

"Of course."

Fedorovich looked at the Snow Maiden and put a finger across his lips.

Patti continued, "What I'm about to tell you, very few people in this world have heard. And if they learn that you know who they are, you will be a target."

The Snow Maiden smirked; tell her something she didn't know. Everyone already wanted her dead. Take a number.

"Ganjin as a concept was born many years ago, back in the 1970s, during the fall of the Communist regime. The movement was the precursor in China toward capitalistic individualism and enabled the beehive mentality of Chinese society to restructure into many hives. The concept also prompted Xu Liangyu and Isaac Eisenstein, two cla.s.smates at Harvard, to consider how the concept could be used to gain control of the world's natural and socioeconomic resources." as a concept was born many years ago, back in the 1970s, during the fall of the Communist regime. The movement was the precursor in China toward capitalistic individualism and enabled the beehive mentality of Chinese society to restructure into many hives. The concept also prompted Xu Liangyu and Isaac Eisenstein, two cla.s.smates at Harvard, to consider how the concept could be used to gain control of the world's natural and socioeconomic resources."

The Snow Maiden yawned. "Kill me now before this history lesson continues."

"Quiet," snapped Patti. "You need to understand this."

"Why?"

"Because you're part of it."

"I quit. You're here. You got the old man and the kid, who by the way is a spoiled punk who would sell his own mother to the devil. I'm done. You do the rest. I want to be paid right now."

"You'll do as we say-otherwise, you'll receive nothing."

The Snow Maiden raised her pistol at Patti's head. "Payment now. Electronically as usual."

Ignoring the pistol, Patti forged on: "Liangyu and Eisenstein were joined by myself, Igany here, and Dominico DiNezzo, who's president of the Vatican Bank and the man who discovered the existence of Mr. Manoj Chopra. We called ourselves the Committee of Five, members of the Ganjin Ganjin, a network that extends over the entire globe. We've influenced this war in ways you can't imagine, and all for the benefit of the People's Republic of China, a nation we once believed would win this war and become the world's only remaining superpower."

"So I've been working for China."

"Indirectly, yes."

"What's wrong, then? I can hear it in your voice."

Fedorovich moved in beside Patti. "The committee has split. Patti and I do not agree with the Ganjin Ganjin's new direction."

"They no longer support China?" asked the Snow Maiden.

"They've linked with the Green Brigade Transnational. They've extended their network into South America. They're being heavily influenced by those factions, and many of our resources within China have turned their backs on us because they will not endorse those relationships. The Chinese have very careful and thoughtful plans to seize control of the Russian Federation, but these South American factions can undermine those plans."

"So that's how Nestes knew who you were," said the Snow Maiden.

Patti nodded. "I gave him orders to protect you against attack, but he double-crossed me, then tried to play a different card with you. I'm glad you saw through him."

"He just knew too much. So I killed him."

"Exactly."

"So what now?"