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beg to be locked up anywhere else.

      Chapter Two

      Wellington, New Zealand

       Tuesday 6pm

      'Tell me again why we're meeting here.' The Foreign Minister asked his personal assistant, as he flexed his shoulders and cricked his neck. Even first class seats tended to be uncomfortable for his large frame.

      'So it looks like we're taking action while we're still just talking about it.'

      'And who's here?'

      'Aaron, didn't you read my email on the plane?'

      'No, Mick. On the plane, I was sleeping.'

      Mick Fleming growled at his boss and long-time best mate before proceeding, as usual, to fill him in on the run.

      'Your counterparts from here, Japan and Fiji; the New Zealand PM - because it's her building - a couple of our key navy personnel; and intelligence wankers from everywhere, including ASIO and ASIS of course and the CIA.'

      'What the hell do they want?' Aaron Danby asked.

      'If you mean the CIA, two of the hostages are theirs remember.'

      'What, spies?'

      'No. American citizens,' Mick stated.

      'Bugger. But we still don't negotiate with terrorists?'

      'No, but they're not terrorists; they're rebels.'

      'And the difference is?'

      'Politics, upbringing, an absence of religious fanaticism?' Mick shrugged. 'I don't know and it doesn't matter. We don't intend to agree to anything. We need to keep them talking while…' Mick hesitated as a harried woman emerged from a door ahead of them and rushed away down the corridor.

      Danby stopped dead. 'Mate. This is a high security government complex and I doubt the Kiwis are spying on us. You can probably talk freely.'

      Mick narrowed his eyes and looked guilty.

      'Oh.' Danby narrowed his eyes too, mimicking his friend, as he'd done ever since they were kids. 'Keep them talking while what happens?'

      'While we extract the hostages,' Mick lowered his voice to a whisper.

      'By force?'

      'In a manner of speaking.'

      'And how long have you been speaking in this manner?'

      Mick raised an eyebrow. 'There's a retrieval team in place, awaiting orders, as we…'

      'Speak?' Danby finished. 'A retrieval team? Was that in your email? The one I didn't read.'

      'No.'

      'Did I know about this before now?'

      'No.'

      'Do I want to know about it now?'

      'Not really.'

      'And when you say we do you mean we're assisting the CIA, or - someone?'

      'No. When I say we, I mean us,' Mick said and gave a sly grin, 'for a change.'

      Danby looked thoughtful. 'That's nice, but I wasn't aware we did things like that,' he said, then indicated they should proceed down the corridor.

      'It's not something we advertise, Aaron.'

      'It's not something listed in the Foreign Minister's handbook either.'

      'Few things are,' Mick noted.

      Danby stopped again and shoved his hands in his pockets. 'If we have a team in place, Mick, does that mean we have an update on the situation?'

      'As of 15 minutes ago,' Mick nodded, 'we believe the hostages are all alive and…well, alive.'

      Danby looked expectant.

      'They're all locked in separate cabins. Jana Rossi was spotted being escorted around.'

      'Thank God,' Danby continued walking. 'Okay, apart from you Mick - and you can tell me later why that is so - who does know about this retrieval?'

      'Technically? The PM.'

      'So Robert okayed it?'

      'Technically.' Mick indicated a right turn down a cross corridor.

      Danby smirked. 'Robert doesn't know anything about this either, you mean?'

      'And it's best if he doesn't,' Mick said, smiled, then shrugged. 'He'll only want to share it with, you know, everyone so no American toes get stomped on.'

      'Mick?'

      'Aaron.'

      'You're not gonna keep me in the dark, if I become Prime Minister are you?'

      'When you do, Aaron mate. When you do. And I wouldn't dream of it.'

      'But 'when' is the real question isn't it?' Danby said, even now launching into his favourite gripe. 'Anyone'd think we had a legitimate line of succession instead of a government of elected members. That arrogant beanpole Robert Harvey has no intention of making way for anybody, which leaves me way back in the imaginary queue behind bloody Prior and Sharpe. And Robert's only 59. I mean I know I'm younger than all of them…'

      'And more patient,' Mick said. He'd heard it all before.

      'Oh sure, mate. I'll grow some patience when you stop barracking for the Sydney Swans, mate.' Danby laughed. 'Let's face it, we only just scraped into power last time - and it's still actually beyond me how he pulled that off again. I'll be 50-something myself before I get a crack at his job, assuming we hang on for another couple of terms. If we don't then I'll be an old man before I get to warm that seat.'

      'Stop whingeing Aaron, it's not like you're a lowly backbencher.'

      'True,' Danby shrugged, accustomed to Mick's standard reminder. 'Hey, I've got an idea. Does this retrieval team you sent to Laui do abductions as well?'

      'No they bloody don't.'

      Chapter Three

      Laui Island, Pacific Ocean

       Tuesday 6.30 pm

       'Redback Team One - you in place?'

      'Yes, Link. Still. We're gonna die of old age here.'

      'Beats being shot, Gideon. Can you see the others?'

      'Coop and Wade are dozing in the sand beside me.'

       'The other teams, Gideon.'

      'It's a small island, Link; but not that small.'

       'I take that as a negative.'

      'Whatever. We are three-by-three, and in place.'

       'Roger. Should be good to go in about ten.'

      'Wake me when the word comes through.'

       'If it comes down to it, Gideon, it's your call not theirs. As usual. Okay?'

      'Yeah. As usual.' Bryn Gideon pulled a face at Wade and Cooper, who'd heard both sides of the exchange through their aural implants.

      Wade caught the look. 'The gunner who went bush for a piss has returned,' he said, then returned his eye to the nightscope. 'So we're back to four under the tree, and five playing darts in the rec room. The solo is about to lock our package up again. And what I want to know is, how come she looks just as young and cute as she did in our briefing?' Wade sat back on his haunches. 'Video always makes me look older and fatter.'

      'You are older and fatter,' Coop stated. 'And hairier.'

      'Not to mention butt ugly to begin with,' Gideon said, belly-crawling into position to catch a glimpse of their primo mission objective. Uh-huh. Cute was not word enough for that little honey-blonde package. No wonder someone's desperate to get her back. Nine days in captivity

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