Inspector Pitbull and Agent Chang (Fishing port, Sicily, Italy)

An officer of the Sicily police welcomed us and explained he and the civilian crew of the tuna fishing ship we were going to board would function as our interpreters. I stayed in the dock while our people started loading all the equipment, contemplating the old ship swaying softly at the harbor. Agent Chang, curious about my behavior, approached me under the harsh rain.

"Is something wrong, inspector?"

My concentration broken, I answered hesitantly. "No, no, I'm fine. It's just that... It's being a while since I got on a ship. Last time I did, I was with..." I faltered.

"It'll be alright. Come on, we have a terrorist to catch," said the brave and beautiful woman. Something in my expression must have given me away, because Agent Chang offered me a warm stare that gave me the necessary strength to, at last, board the fishing ship.

At the bridge, a man, weathered by time, greeted us with a friendly smile, his eyes practically disappearing amid the wrinkles of his face. Agent Chang directed me to the kitchen, which had been transformed into an ad hoc tactical operations center. Charles was already there, setting up the monitors with help from some of the CIA agents. All the commandos were there, too, waiting for the instructions and details of the mission. Agent Chang told me to sit in the only chair left and handed me a steaming cup of coffee.

She went to the front of the room and began the briefing. A series of slides showing the blueprints of a ship that looked like it was, at least, four times bigger than ours started playing.

"Our first objective," explained Agent Chang, "is to assume control of the tender ship that provides, according to our sources, logistics support and provisions to the Russian submarine controlled by the Duke's men.

We'll be divided into three teams. The first team's mission is to neutralize any hostile forces aboard; the second team will secure the communications and the bridge of the tender." Agent Chang paused, apparently forgetting to mention the third team's objective. "Our main objective is to apprehend this man," she zoomed in a picture of the Duke, making sure everybody was acquainted with his face. "I have to warn you, though. The Duke completely remodeled the submarine. The control room is here," she directed a laser pointer at a specific spot in the submarine's blueprints. "The third team, however, will be formed by a frogmen squad and an assault team. The frogmen will set the explosives at the points indicated in your PDAs, in order to stop the submarine from submerging. And the assault team will break into the submarine's main bow and stern hatches."

One of the soldiers there raised his hand. "How many hostiles are we talking about?"

"At least around fifty men from the Duke's private security, plus the crew. If the third team or any of you, really, fail to capture the Duke in twenty minutes, you must withdraw from the submarine so the Royal Navy ships can destroy it before its submersion. Remember, you only have twenty minutes to find and seize the Duke."

"We're supposed to find one man in a submarine that's 357 feet long?"

"Affirmative, soldier. If everyone does his job and follows the plan, we have an eighty percent chance of catching the Duke alive."

"But if we're putting explosives to stop the Duke from escaping, why can't we have more time to search the submarine?"

"Because we're afraid the Duke could, in fact, escape. If we can't take him into custody in that time, two British ships, a French nuclear submarine and another one American have orders to destroy the submarine once the twenty minutes pass. Understood? ETA is datum T- 1 hour. Set your clocks!" Agent Chang set the time. "That's all, gentlemen!"

"Check your equipment! Each unit report to your commander!" A CIA officer shouted over the noise of the soldiers leaving the room. Agent Chang and I were the last ones in the room when a flustered Charles approached us.

"We have a problem. You better come and see this."

We went to the monitoring room and Charles focused on a blurry image that showed in one of the three monitors: two big spots watched from a bird's-eye view.

"It's the Duke's submarine and the tender. The picture was taken five minutes ago by a Chinese satellite."

Agent Chang grabbed a radio from the monitor that was next to Charles. "Eagle to Nest, do you copy?"

"I copy, Eagle."

"I need comms with the Chick closest to the Worm,"

The officers of the Air Force aboard a modern C3 aircraft with capabilities for Command, Control and Communications verified the coordinates and contacted one of the British ships that were sailing swiftly to the point where the Duke's submarine replenishment was underway.

"Nest to Chick Two."

"Chick Two to Nest. Over." The voice coming from the radio was definitely British.

"We're contacting you with Eagle."

"Roger that, Nest."

The officer pushed a few buttons on his console and passed the communications to Agent Chang, who was waiting anxiously. I caught her before she fell when a particularly strong wave battered the ship.

The rain was now a storm that didn't show signs of subsiding, making our little ship creek every time a wave hit it.

"What's your ETA to Worm?" said Agent Chang.

"T-40 minutes."

"And the estimated time of completion?"

"T-30 minutes, with an eighty percent chance of impact."

"Copy that!" Agent Chang took the chronometer of the CIA commander and set the timer to twenty minutes. "OK, my authorization code is Zulu – Alpha – Beta – One – One – Delta – Lima. Over."

"Verifying, Eagle. Wait, over" answered the British officer.

Agent Chang signaled one of the agents that were milling around and ordered him to ask the tuna ship captain how long would it take to launch the boats. The agent came back in less than two minutes.

"T-15 minutes, Ma'am"

Agent Chang made a small gesture of confirmation to the commander officer, who blew a whistle in a series of pre-arranged bursts. Soldiers and agents were running around in the hallway, wearing diving suits, or carrying machine guns, assault weapons, handguns, and grenades, among others. I grasped the CO.

"I'm going with the assault squad that's going to take the submarine," I stated.

The CO directed a questioning look at Agent Chang. "I'm sorry, inspector Pitbull," she began, "but you're my intelligence officer and I can't risk you."

"Everything I know is on the files. You need me on the field, leading your men in that submarine. I know how the Duke thinks and I know his tricks. Let me help your men."

Agent Chang stared at the monitor showing the two spots. Abruptly, she hit the table with her fist and turned to me. "All right, but if you don't catch the Duke in less than twenty minutes you have to come back immediately because I won't hesitate to sink that submarine," she warned me.

The radio crackled, and the voice of the British ship officer came through. "Here Chick Two. Code verification was positive. What are your orders, Eagle?"

"You have authorization to destroy Worm upon visual confirmation. Do you copy?"

"Copy, Eagle. Roger and out!"

The CO told me to follow him to equip me and give me my weapons. I turned to go after him when Agent Chang's delicate hands stopped me.

"Please, inspector, be careful," she said, a hint of worry thrumming through her sweet voice.

"Don't worry, I expect to bring you the head of that terrorist." I trailed around the CO, who gave me the assault equipment. The two of us got lost in the crowd of the hallway, but I still could feel Agent Chang's worried gaze tracking me.