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“You’re still going to the Philippines?” Eddie was surprised

“I have to,” Juan replied, resignation in his voice “We need soet Max back”

“It’s going to take the better part of a day just to get you there God kno long to find so, even if it exists Do you really think Max can hold out that long?”

Juan’s next words were as much for his benefit as they were Eddie’s “You don’t know this because Max never talks about it, but he spent sixhis second tour in Vietna his confinement defies belief He’ll hold out Of that, I am certain”

“Juan, that was forty years ago Max isn’t a young man anymore”

“Surviving torture isn’t about your physical strength It’s about how tough you are , he’s tougher now than he was then And he knows that ill do whatever it takes to get him back”

“How did he get out of it? Was he rescued?”

“No During a forced uards They killed four VC with their bare hands and vanished into the jungle Only Max found his way to an American firebase The other two are still considered MIA”

JUAN WAS ON THE WING BRIDGE of the pilothouse just after dawn the nextto watch the sun reveal the principality of Monaco and the city of Monte Carlo perched on rocky cliffs over the war monarchies in the world, the tiny state had been ruled by the Grimaldi family for more than seven centuries Only Japan’s Chrysantheer lived

Monaco was long a playground for the world’s elite and its harbor was carpeted with gleath, several approaching three hundred Juan spotted the Matryoshka, the target of the eavesdropping job on Russian arh-rise apartment blocks rose all around the harbor, and luxury villas clung to the hillsides He knew that real estate here was soe, he couldn’t see the fabled Monte Carlo casino, but he had a few fond memories of the place

Fro toward the ship, where it lay at anchor a mile from the coast Harbor authorities had already been inforine was disabled and the creere awaiting parts froh the vessel was inside Monaco’s three-mile territorial limit, the harboron through binoculars fifteen minutes earlier

The speedboat ate the distance to the ship at nearly sixty knots, cutting across the light chop like an offshore racer Juan descended to thefor his, his eyes hidden behind stylish sunglasses

“I don’t like leaving right now,” the big former SEAL said, and not for the first time

“This is the best e’re going to get Max back I’ve called Thom Severance’s office in California a dozen ti them who I aot to force his hand and to do that we need leverage”

“Langston Overholt won’t help?”