me you have maps. Bring them. It's a small city, head due east, and if you walk fast, you'll make the outskirts within twenty minutes. Stay in your costumes till then. But once outside, ditch those Arab clothes. The city's surrounded by Marines, they've lost a lot of people, and this has put them in an ugly mood. They shoot first and sort it out later. It will be good for your health for them to see those American Army uniforms. Understand?"
I looked at Bian and she nodded. He continued, "I told the Agency you need to have compasses and a thousand dollars each in your pockets." He said, "Show me," and we did.
He said, "The money is life insurance. The Fallujans are less bribable than most Iraqis, but you never know. If you run into a terrorist, the money won't help; you're just tipping your own killer. If it's an ordinary citizen, on the other hand, five hundred bucks could buy a few minutes of silence. Start by insisting you're a reporter--they all know that word--then press money into their hands as fast as you can."
"Has this ever worked?" Bian asked.
He looked thoughtful, then said, "Not that I know of." He laughed.
He handed us each napkin-size American flags. "If you see American troops, wave these. It helps." He said, "My people will handle the assault and apprehension. You'll stay with the fire support element. Do you have a problem with that?"
Ordinarily I don't like being told what to do, but one should always make an effort to oblige his host. Also, on a more noble note, the assault element is definitely where the risk is. I said, "No problem."
"We've been told to take everybody alive, and that's what we'll attempt to do," he continued. "No money-back guarantee, however. If they're all asleep, we'll have a good chance. If they have one or two guards, well . . . those we'll have to take out. But if your man is a big shot--you wouldn't be here if he weren't, right?--he won't be pulling guard duty. These Arabs are very hierarchical; leading by example to these people means getting more rest, eating better, and taking less risks than the foot soldiers."
He turned to Carl Smith and ordered, "Trunk of my car. Get their weapons, first aid kits, vests, and night-vision goggles." He turned back to Bian and me. "The goggles and first aid kits are standard Army issue. I assume you know how to use them." We did not contradict that, and he asked, "Are you comfortable with M16s?"
We both nodded.
"Good. The safeties remain on till I tell you otherwise. Once again, until I tell you. I don't want either of you accidentally shooting my people . . . or yourselves."
Obviously, Bian and I had a few credibility issues. I said, "Carl mentioned safe houses inside Falluja--why don't you show me their location on the map?"
"Should it come to that, my people will lead you to one."
In other words, were Bian or I separated, incapacitated, or captured, Finder didn't want us possessing the ability to expose his team. As I warned Bian, the team came first. And Drummond and Tran came second. This meant last.
Time to exert the power of the purse, however, and I said, "Okay, now you listen to me, Mr. Finder. If Major Tran or I fail to make it out with our prisoner, no money. Understand? The prisoner, and both of us, alive--that's the deal. Protect us, or this whole thing is a waste of your time."
He smiled and suggested, "I think your problem will be a little bigger than mine."
"Not if one of us survives. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
We stared at each other a moment.
He said, "I guess I do."
"Point two. The ingress and assault are your show. Neither I nor Major Tran will interfere. But once our target is in custody--once we start the egress--new rules. Your advice will be welcome, but I'm in charge and you'll obey my instructions."
"If they aren't stupid or suicidal."
"They won't be."
He looked at me a moment, unconvinced, then said, "Anything else?"
"The major and I travel in and out together. Who's transporting us?"
"That would be me. I have a few more instructions to pass on, about rally points if we get split up, how we handle casualties, that sort of thing. I'll explain it all during the drive."
So the ground rules were set. He spoke into his microphone and began instructing his team, all of whom began