Primeris —
First Mission

CHAPTER 1

"YOU DO UNDERSTAND what you're supposed to do?" Sergeant Emmanuel Flores asked, marching around the woman like a strutting peacock. Shoulders straight, hands clasped behind his back, he epitomized the image of the perfect soldier.

"My instructions are clear. I will be able to complete my mission within twenty-four hours," she replied, her voice as emotionless as her expression. Dressed in a black, form-fitting jumpsuit, she stood at attention, her eyes fixed on some invisible spot on the far side of the room. The sergeant nodded approvingly at her immaculate appearance and military bearing. He knew she had the skills to perform her duties, but she was inexperienced in the field. He had reservations about her ability to go solo, especially on her first assignment.

Rookies are never sent out by themselves, no matter how well they perform in the program. It takes years of mentoring before they gain the maturity to work by themselves, Flores thought. Still, orders were orders... and, like her, he had to obey his. That didn't mean he had to like them though, and he definitely didn't like sending one novice operative out on a mission that normally would take three or four.

"Twenty-four hours!" Flores barked, frustrated more with his command than her. After all, how could she possibly know what lay ahead of her? "It'll take you at least that long to reach your destination."

"I have already studied areal and topographical maps. I have isolated several potential drop zones that will put me within four to six hours of the target. Mr. Guiterrez is presently at his compound in Nayarit. The terrain is mostly forested ridges and valleys. I should have no trouble reaching my goal within the allotted time frame."

"And what about your target? How do you know he'll be there when you get there?" If you get there, he finished silently.

"Our contact indicates he will be traveling to La Paz in four days and then onward to Paraguay to meet with President Madero in two weeks. My best chance at breaching his security is while he is in his own home."

"I'd think that would be the toughest time. The complex has a highly advanced electronic intrusion detection system, not to mention over fifty armed guards quartered in and around it."

"That is my point, Sergeant Flores. His security network is ninety-seven percent effective. That gives me a three percent opportunity to infiltrate the compound and complete my mission."

Sergeant Flores stopped his circling.

"Three percent! Who in the hell approved this plan?" he asked, shaking his head.

"Colonel Cranley. I have outlined a strategy that should insure a ninety-one percent success rate."

"Oh, well, ninety-one percent.... Why not ninety-four or ninety-five? Hell, if you're so good at planning, why not a hundred percent?"

"One hundred percent would entail calculating all of the possible variables in the fifty-three minutes it will take me to deactivate the security system, enter the compound, overcome the necessary obstacles and neutralize my target. At this time, I have analyzed predictable possibilities and factored in several probabilities. I am not able to determine Mr. Guiterrez's movements at any given moment, other than reports that he retires to his sleeping quarters at 10 p.m. and appears for breakfast at 6:15 a.m. I have been informed that he sleeps alone but has two guards stationed outside of his bedroom door. Eight guards patrol the interior of the house. Eleven man the towers on the perimeter. Shifts are staggered and overlap to insure someone is on guard at all times. Sentries are rotated every two hours."

"And the colonel really thinks you can accomplish your mission under these conditions in such a short time frame?"

"It would not be logical to give me an assignment he did not think I was capable of performing. I am a valuable asset to SU33. I am also the only one capable of completing the mission, considering how far the drop zone is away from the compound and the time constraints involved."

"Maybe, but I think I need to talk to Colonel Cranley. Wait here!" Sergeant Flores ordered.