Operation Arrakis:
Cold Trails II: If The Shoe Fits...
by Brad Corletti

"You got it right," Wells said. "We want the shield generator."

Brad smiled. "I can help with that, if you can help us."

Wells seemed relieved to be making some headway. "Excuse me for just a 
moment," he requested, as he made a call on his cellphone.

Brad nodded politely. He wandered over to the table and noticed that there 
was a window behind wooden slats. He opened it a crack - the Old City 
looked back at him.

Brad heard Wells finish his conversation. He kept his attention on the Old 
City.

Wells glanced at Brad's back. When Brad didn't turn, he shrugged. <I>So he 
wants to play that game, does he? Fine.</I>

Wells glanced over the business card he'd found in Brad's wallet. <I>What 
do you know, this Defel joker really does have Acommodating Guy on his 
business card.</I>

Brad finally broke the silence. "I don't want your guys bungling this."

Wells naturally took offence. "Your amateur pranks are nothing next to what 
we're capable of. It's in everybody's best interests if you just tell us 
where the device is and we send in the cavalry."

Brad turned, then, and looked Wells in the eye, his expression steady and 
concerned. "I have the utmost respect for the fighting ability of the 
United States Armed Forces. But this threat is beyond even them. I've no 
desire to watch them cut to pieces by weapons that make the armour of an 
Abrams vanish into vapour - against an enemy that I would say they won't 
detect until it's too late, except that even then their radars will still 
be jammed, their night vision still disrupted. I'm talking about weapons of 
war that the Pentagon only dreams of."

"The generator is one piece of a puzzle the people I represent solved long 
ago. Help us recover this piece. I can offer so much more."

"I want the shield. I don't want your empty promises. I want Americans to 
sleep safely at night knowing noone - noone - can hurt them."

"I can think of worse outcomes."

"Where did this shit come from, anyway? If the Pentagon didn't make it, who 
did? It's not like anyone else is competing with us on anti-missile 
shields."

"Are you going to work with me, or not?"

"Sure, sure," Wells said, too quickly.

"Give me something."

"Like?"

"Like, I want to know what, if any, intelligence assets you have in place 
in Baghdad. I want the full support and cooperation of said assets when my 
team goes in. I want to know the locations of every last one of Hussein's 
secret fortress palaces. I want Presidential pardons for each member of my 
team who has ever had so much as a parking fine on the United States' 
watch. I want lots and lots of money. I want the US on a nice big DEFCON in 
case something goes wrong. And, in case you missed it, I also want lots and 
lots of money."

"I'll have to kick this one up the chain of command."

"I expected as much. You realise that if you get the shield, all you'll be 
able to do is power it? It's technology you won't be able to reverse-
engineer for a long time."

"It will work. That's all it has to do. We want the shield."

Wells rubbed his knuckles absently. Brad pretended not to notice. "And I 
want Cochran. No pardon."

"You have a history with him?"

"A woman."

"Fine," Brad said. "This is bigger than one man." He turned back to the 
window.

Jerusalem, birthplace of the world's religions, flash point between the 
freedom of the West and the theocratic tyranny of the East, sprawled into 
the distance.

"I picked one hell of a town to play Judas."

--

The door opened, and the redhead from the bar entered. Brad glanced over 
his shoulder. Her expression was not nearly as friendly as it had been when 
she was leading him into an ambush like the complete fool he was.

"This is Donna. I believe you've met. She'll be going along with you."

He opened his mouth to object, but Wells cut him off.

"Donna's read the file on Baghdad. We don't have many native Iraqis on our 
payroll so Donna's not going to take point."

"I don't-"

Donna spoke. "You asked for our help, Drake. I'm it. I know our people. I 
know, you're thinking I'm going to stand out, but I won't stand out anymore 
than you will after I fix my hair."

"How the hell am I going to exp-"

"How were you planning to do it? Were you going to say you hacked into 
Langley and stole our files?"

"Will you let me-"

"Not while we're in a free country."

<I>Sci's going to love this...</I>