“You saved El Kabbar’s life several years ago, and since you retired you’ve occupied this house only a stone’s throw from his own. You’ve become good friends with him.” A slight smile tugged at his lips. “Hell, I’ve even seen newspaper pictures of the two of you jetsetting together in Paris and Monte Carlo. Quite a change for a man of your background, Daniel. Are you enjoying your newly acquired wealth?”

“It’s all right, I suppose. It has its moments.” Daniel’s gaze sharpened. “You want me to intercede with Philip for you?”

“No,” Clancy said calmly. “I want you to go into Said Ababa alone and bring out the girl. And I want you to do it in such a way that Hassan and his men will follow you back into Sedikhan.”

For a moment Daniel stared at him in stunned disbelief. Then he started to laugh. “Good God, I suppose I should be flattered. Who do you think I am, anyway? Superman?”

“You’re a damn good agent and you’ve pulled off stunts as difficult as this before.” Clancy tilted his head objectively. “If anyone can do it, you can. We don’t have a hell of a lot of choice. You’re the only man El Kabbar would tolerate violating his territorial border.” Clancy’s voice became grim. “There’s no possibility that Alex will release those prisoners. That terrorist group planted a bomb on a schoolbus, and it seriously injured several children when it went off. Alex wants those bastards, and if El Kabbar is angered by them and what they’re doing in his province, they’ll never reach Marasef.”

“I’m relieved that you don’t want me to wipe all four of them out at one swoop,” Daniel said caustically. “Just grab the woman, cross fifty miles of desert and another five through the hills. Then, if we make it to the border, I’m to keep Philip from carving up any possible pursuers and serve them to Alex myself on a silver platter. Nothing to it.”