She continued, “Now I know that the Agency and the Pentagon have been holding bin Laden for years, running a joint covert op that put you two in control of al Qaeda, keeping its followers busy, constantly sending them on fool’s errands—”
The Director raised his hand and interrupted. “Ms. Black, do you want the contract or not?”
Iggy shot her a quizzical look. She gave him a quick reassuring nod, then turned back to the CIA Director. “Hear me out. Al-Zahrani and Abdullah popped onto the scene a little over two years ago, fighting each other for control of al Qaeda. I can’t help but notice that’s around the same time that things really started heating up between the CIA and the Pentagon.”
“Jesus,” Iggy muttered under his breath. Hunter sat there, proud of her.
Stella took a deep breath and paused for an agonizing moment. “Before I take on the contract, I need to know that your joint bin Laden operation didn’t break down. I want absolute assurance that Abdullah isn’t the Pentagon’s man.”
The Director’s face suddenly turned ashen and his jaw clenched. He paused for a few moments, then said, “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
Hunter smiled as he listened to her and thought of swimming together in Hawaii. Then she glanced at him with a familiar twinkle in her eye that made his gut clench.
“Don’t misunderstand me.” She continued speaking to Director Doherty, calculating inflated costs in her head. “The prison contract is a totally separate issue. I’m ready to move forward on that immediately. Just a rough estimate, but I figure you’re running a surge capacity of one hundred, so with a three to one staffing ratio, each detainee will cost around fourteen-hundred dollars a day, plus transportation and—what’s your term for the cost of bribing the local officials?”
“Host country fees,” Iggy said. “A simple cost plus fixed-fee work order contract.”
“And without start-up costs, we’re realistically looking at around ninety-five million for a firm fixed-price contract. Interrogation costs would be extra, of course, unless you want to provide the service yourselves.”
“Stella, what are you doing?” Hunter whispered.
She turned to him, her eyes glistening with excitement. He really did love watching her in action.
“You didn’t say a word about secret prisons,” she said. “And besides, we’ve got to have some way to pay for our Hawaii trip and your tooth implant. Not to mention your new Gulfstream.”
About the Author
R J Hillhouse has run Cuban rum between East and West Berlin, smuggled jewels from the Soviet Union, and slipped through some of the world’s tightest borders. From Uzbekistan to Romania, she’s been followed, held at gunpoint, and interrogated. Foreign governments have solicited her for recruitment as a spy. (They failed.) The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote that “she’s truly like James Bond and Indiana Jones all rolled into one.”
A former professor and Fulbright fellow, she earned her Ph.D. in political science at the University of Michigan. She is fluent in several languages. An expert on international affairs and national security, she has published in major academic journals and has lectured at such diverse institutions as Harvard, the Smithsonian, and the Soviet Academy of Sciences.
She lives in Hawaii, on the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano. She blogs about the outsourcing of national security at www.TheSpyWhoBilledMe.com.
Acknowledgments
No spies or soldiers were harmed in the making of this book. Any revelation of classified national security information is purely coincidental and is the product of a rigorous analysis of open source materials coupled with a vivid imagination. I am indebted to the many fine journalists who have brought many of the inner workings of the War on Terror into the public domain. I am particularly grateful to the many professionals, including friends and family, who have shared their knowledge of unclassified matters with me.
Like countless other Americans, the War on Terror touched me personally, as friends and family were sent to Iraq. This novel was conceived during the long hours, and sometimes days, of waiting for an email from a loved one who was in combat. My deepest thanks goes to LtGen James Mattis, LtGen Richard Natonski, and BGen Joseph Dunford, USMC, who keep bringing my cousin home safely.
My cousin, SSgt Grant Smille, USMC, has been an inspiration and a teacher, without whom this book would not have been possible. A decorated Marine, internationally ranked martial artist, and a true patriot, Grant has not only taught me rudimentary tactical, infantry, and combat skills, but has also given me a glimpse into the passion behind being a Devil Dog. From him I gained the highest admiration for the men and women of the US Marine Corps. There is truly No Better Friend.
My favorite bomb-maker, LCDR Jim Froneberger, USN (ret.), has kept my characters from blowing themselves up. LtCol Ben Fuata, Hawaii Army National Guard, and his staff generously shared their extensive knowledge of combat helicopters, as did CW4 Robert Nance, US Army (ret.), and CW4 Jeffrey Crandell, US Army/CA ARNG. My cousins LtCol Jerry “Rebel” Summerlin, USMC (ret.), and Pam Summerlin went to great efforts to help me understand the mid-air refueling process. Fellow thriller writer and former USAF C-5 pilot Cindy Dees provided additional flight assistance. Rob Krott, former Senior Foreign Correspondent for Soldier of Fortune magazine, author, and mercenary extraordinaire, helped sketch in the fine details about contract soldiering in Iraq. GySgt Scott Stutler, USMC, was the official armorer for Black Management, assisting with weapons choices, their functioning and limitations. My sister and medical advisor, Renée Walker, D.O., F.A.O.C.O.O., kept the characters alive, and me out of trouble. My father, Charles Hillhouse, has been to me what “Q” was to James Bond, creating and testing unusual approaches to escape, evasion, and sabotage, including some that actually worked and made it into these pages; I’m grateful to my mother, Donna Hillhouse, for keeping Dad from killing himself in the process, as well as for her constant encouragement.
I am grateful to the many others who have donated their technical assistance, including SrA Cecily Okimura, USAF; 1Lt Charles Newman, Hawaii Army National Guard; Reef Hardy, Ph.D., criminalist, LAPD Scientific Investigation Division; Keith Yamakawa, D.D.S.; Keith Shiigi; fellow writer Lauren Baratz-Logsted; ACO Sgt Kathy Wheeles; and Paul Wheeles. Bobby Carmichael is for the OR crews in Joplin.
Michael Lukson, my first reader, partner in crime, and Web guru has come to my rescue countless times. Leah Wilson’s keen insight and suggestions helped the manuscript reach its full potential. Sarah Wang has provided outstanding legal counsel to me, as well as to Black Management, and her keen eye for detail has made this book a much smoother read.
My editor, Eric Raab, has worked diligently and tirelessly to champion this novel and to ensure it was not only the best book it could be, but that it was published well. Tom Doherty has my gratitude for his preserving belief in my work. The staff at Tor, including Linda Quinton, Kathleen Fogarty, Elena Stokes, Tom Espenscheid, AJ Murphy, Mike Rohrig, Patricia Johnson, Christine Jaeger, Patty Garcia, Edwin Chapman, and others behind the scenes, have done truly exceptional work.
Scott Miller, my literary agent, has a gift for making just the right observation at the right time, one of which was the springboard for the structure of this novel. He is golden. My thanks also go out to Holly Root and others at Trident who’ve worked diligently on the project. Sarah Self’s enthusiasm and hard work are greatly appreciated. My publicists at PTA—Brian Feinblum, Jessica Church, and Peter Horan—are exceptional.
This is the point where an author usually thanks a spouse for processing endless scenes, plot, and character ideas, but instead I have to thank my dogs LynnDy, Jordan, and Suzie-Q for listening to these ramblings—even if it did take many boxes of biscuits to ensure their rapt attention. I am so blessed that my partner gives me a book-free space, where I can get away from the shadowy world I’m writing about so I can focus on the people, things, and dogs that really matter. My deepest love and appreciation are for Cynthia Curatalo, who makes it all
worthwhile.
Glossary
240-Golf or 240G
a medium, belt-fed machine gun
4th Generation Warfare
conflict involving stateless ideologically-based actors using unconventional warfare techniques such as terrorism; the classic example is the global War on Terror
5.11s
reinforced tactical shirt and pants made by Royal Robbins, originally for mountain climbers, that feature many cargo pockets; the pants, an Under Armour T-shirt and a photographer’s vest is the preferred uniform of most contract soldiers in Iraq
Abraxas
a private intelligence corporation that, among other services, creates and maintains non-official cover alias identities for case officers
adhan
call to prayer (Arabic)
the Agency
slang for the CIA
AK
AK-47; Soviet-designed assault rife
AK-102
Russian-built short assault rifle; shorty AK
Allahu akbar
Allah is great (Arabic)
Anbar
province in western Iraq
Babylon
Iraq
backstop
to provide backup evidence for a cover identity
bingo
fuel state of an aircraft at which return-to-base must be initiated
black
secret, off-the-books; as in black ops, black units; opposite of white or unclassified
Black Hawk
UH-60 utility helicopter widely used for a variety of missions by US military
black site
a secret CIA prison outside US legal jurisdiction; see also rendition
Bushmen
nickname for members of Force Zulu
CAS
Close Air Support
case officer
CIA personnel responsible for recruiting and handling agents
chalk
designation for the troops making up an aircraft load for a specific mission
Christians In Action
slang for the CIA
Christmas tree
an airplane flying on a secret mission without lights flashes its red and green lights on and off for quick identification
Claymore
directional antipersonnel mine
click
one kilometer
collective
one of the primary helicopter controls that governs the pitch of the main rotors
Combat Talon
MC-130 special operations aircraft used by the CIA and military Special Forces for helicopter air-to-air refueling on deep penetration missions over hostile territory
comm
communications
Cougar
state-of-the-art blast-resistant troop transport
crawl, walk, run
mission rehearsal, usually using a sand table; a small terrain mock-up
cyclic
one of the primary helicopter controls that governs direction; similar in appearance to a large joystick
Delta Force
popular name for the Army’s elite counter terrorism unit (SFO-D)
Dragunov
Soviet-designed semiautomatic sniper rifle
ECM
Electronic Counter Measures
egress
exit, escape; opposite of ingress
EOD
Explosive Ordnance Disposal—bomb experts
flash-bang
grenade that emits a bright flash of light intended to temporarily blind and distract
FLIR
Forward Looking Infrared
Force Zulu
a deep-cover espionage and covert action unit that combines elements of espionage along with commando tactics; part of the Pentagon’s Strategic Support Branch (SSB); the real-life designation of the unit is highly classified and changes frequently; also referred to as Task Force Zulu
frag-o
fragmented operations order; an on-the-fly order that answers the basic questions about the operation—who, what, where, when and how and sometimes why
ghillie suit
sniper’s camouflage outfit
green badger
private contractor working for the CIA
Green Zone
government district of downtown Baghdad protected from the rest of the city by eight miles of blast walls, razor wire, and armed guards
grid
GPS coordinates
haji
military slang for terrorist/insurgent; a Muslim who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
halal
permitted (Arabic)
haram
forbidden (Arabic)
HE
High Explosive
helo
helicopter
hootch
sleeping quarters
HVT
High Value Target
IED
Improvised Explosive Device
ingress
entrance, approach; opposite of egress
insh’allah
Allah willing (Arabic)
inside the bubble
inside the Green Zone
inside the wire
inside the camp
IR
infrared
joker
fuel state above “bingo” at which event termination must begin
JSOC
Joint Special Operations Command, a branch of SOCOM specializing in counterterrorism that commands all Special Mission (SMU) or black units, including Delta Force, DEVGRU (former SEAL Team 6), the various incarnations of Task Force(s) 11, 20, 121, 5-25, 6-26, 145, etc.
KIA
Killed in Action
Langley
slang for the CIA because of its headquarters in Langley, Virginia
legend
cover identity
LIGHTNING SIX
Stella/Camille Black’s call sign
Little Bird
AH-6 helicopter; a light, high-performance assault helicopter often used by Special Forces
LZ
Landing Zone
M4
short assault rifle
mag
magazine; a container with multiple rounds of ammunition to be fed into a gun
masha’allah
Allah’s will (Arabic)
MC-130
Combat Talon, a C-130 variant operated by the Air Force and rented by the CIA and Special Forces for air-to-air refueling as well as infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of Special Forces troops
merc
mercenary
MI6
British foreign intelligence service; also known as SIS
Mi-8
Soviet-designed, Russian-built helicopter, NATO codenamed Hip
MRE
Meals, Ready-to-Eat—combat rations
muj
slang for mujahedin/terrorists
mut’a
temporary marriage (Arabic)
Night Stalker
Army Special Operations helicopter regiment specializing in nighttime and adverse conditions in support of Army Special Operations
NOC
Non-official cover; the most secretive type of CIA case officer operating without the protection of an official cover
NVG
Night Vision Goggles
OBL
Osama bin Laden; CIA usage is UBL
OGA
Other Government Agency—military slang for the CIA
on deck
on the ground; on site
operative
a clandestine agent, spy
operator
a highly trained, Special Forces counterterrorism soldier
opsec
operational security
overheads
satellite images
overwatch
security; a position responsible for providing operational security and keeping track of the key players; also called tertia
ry position or guardian angel
Pave Hawk
medium-sized utility helicopter; Special Forces variant of a Black Hawk
Pave Low
large-sized utility helicopter; Special Forces variant of a Super Jolly Green Giant
quasi-personal
something that is issued to a cover operative as an accessory to an alias to make it seem more realistic
plastic tie
plastic electricians’ ties used as handcuffs
PT
physical training; exercises
rack
slang for bed
read into
to have official knowledge of a secret project
recon
reconnaissance
rendition
the CIA system of kidnapping suspected terrorists anywhere outside the US and taking them on secret flights for interrogation and torture in either a select Third World country or a secret CIA prison (“black site”) outside US legal jurisdiction
ROE
Rules of Engagement
Outsourced Page 42
