"It's gonna be a girl." "Got a real special name picked out, too." "Mary." "You see, the way I figure it, everybody's naming girls" "Heather and Shauna and Madonna these days." "By the time she grows up, Mary's gonna be a real unusual name." "I just hope I get home before Annie gives birth." "Do you think you could step out of the maternity ward long enough to figure why we haven't hit El Wadi oasis?" "TC said El Wadi's up here, about 10 miles." "Hell, we've only gone, about 15." "Dave, the Iraqi border's only a couple of miles north of El Wadi." "Hey, John?" "Does that look like one of ours?" "Iraqis!" "Anyone on this freq?" "Over." "Anyone on this freq?" "We're taking fire!" "Sarge, stay on the radio!" "Nobody's answering!" "Sarge!" "Saddam Hussein announced today that the body of Marine Corporal John Edner, killed four days ago when he crossed into Iraq near the Kuwaiti border, will be turned over to the International Red Cross." "However, Marine Corporal David Anderson, who was captured in the same incident, is to be charged with espionage." "Saddam Hussein then surprised reporters by announcing that American military lawyers will be allowed to defend Corporal Anderson." "At the moment, it is not known whether or not the White House will accept the Iraqi proposal." "From Baghdad, this is Chuck de Caro on special assignment." "Clear." "Cover." "Three, two, one." "Move it!" "Move it!" "Congratulations, Lieutenant." "You just shot Corporal Anderson." " I didn't think he'd be in the corridor." " He probably won't be." "But if he is and you do what you just did, he goes home in a box." "I know it's no excuse, but just triggering one round at a time is making me a little jumpy." "You want a room broom, huh?" "That's not the way we teach close-quarters combat, Lieutenant." "First you get good with one bullet, then you get to shoot a lot of them." " Mind if I give it another try?" " You got it." "One more time." "Let's go." "Actually, the Iraqi Constitution guarantees many of the same rights as our own." "That doesn't track with the cases I've been reading, sir." "Probably because in reality, whatever Lola wants, Lola gets." "Lola, meaning Saddam Hussein." "Oh, of course, sir." "Did the Iraqis respond with our request for more reference books?" "Yes." "They sent us stacks of material." "Unfortunately, it's all in Arabic." "Many of the terms have no precise English cognitive." " So by the time we translate it..." " The trial will be over." "I'm afraid so." " Cheap lawyer trick if I ever heard one." " Isn't it?" "You and Lieutenant Rabb will be appearing in a special security court." "Essentially a military tribunal." "It'll complicate matters, but I think..." "Sir, shouldn't we wait for Lieutenant Rabb?" "He's missed a lot of these sessions." "The Lieutenant's being briefed on matters of protocol." " Protocol?" " Yes." "Diplomatic niceties need to be observed." "Since we have no ambassador in Baghdad, you and Lieutenant Rabb will be doing double duty." "So to speak." "We don't want any social gaffes to appear in the legal arena." "I understand that, sir." "It's just that with Corporal Anderson's life at stake, it seems..." "Commander." "Lieutenant." "Did you learn which fork to use yet, sir?" "Actually, I've managed to do a little research." "I thought this might be useful." " I've read it." " Oh." "Frankly, I think that the best book is this manual on Iraqi military procedures." "Strictly speaking, it's not a legal book, but the fourth chapter shows their approach to evidentiary questions." "It sounds interesting, but I've..." "I just stopped in to deliver the book." "I've got to get back." "Iraqi utensils are trickier than you'd think." "Your diplomatic briefing's no laughing matter, Lieutenant." " No, sir." " Maybe I'd better join you for a while." "Lieutenant Austin seems to have everything under control here." "Carry on, Lieutenant." "Corporal Anderson is being held at Al Mataha near Basra." "It's one of the most secure prisons in Iraq." "Its original foundations, where most of the prisoners are kept, date back to the Middle Ages." "It's a warren nest of cells and corridors." "In fact, Al Mataha is Arabic for "the maze."" "A maze our satellite infra-red enhancement" " seems to have penetrated." " Yes, sir." "Now, if it could just tell us which one of those cells" "Corporal Anderson is in." " How many are there?" " About 300." "Which is why you're going to have to pass him this transponder when you interview him." "After they convict him, all you have to do is contact us on the satellite uplink." "We'll do the rest." "Lieutenant, you don't have much confidence in our defence." "Do you, sir?" "No." "I just don't like being counted out before we enter the courtroom." "Sorry, sir." "I can smuggle this into Iraq, but not an uplink." "It's already there." "An undercover agent code-named "The Scimitar"" "will give you it and our escape route." "Who's Scimitar?" "We don't know, but since Scimitar is an Arab sword, we think he's someone in the Iraqi military." " And he's going to help us?" " We assume he's anti-Saddam." "In any case, his intel's been reliable when he chooses to provide it." "Now, Scimitar may contact you directly, use intermediaries, he may even wait for you to contact him." "Now, how do I do that if I don't know who he is?" "You're going to have to play it by ear, and I hope you're good, because once we go in, the only way out is through him." "Sir, this is another reason why we can't continue to keep Lieutenant Austin in the dark." "We've been over this a dozen times, Lieutenant." "Mission planners feel the fewer people that know the true nature of the operation, the better." "We're asking Lieutenant Austin to take risks she isn't even aware of, sir." "Would she take them if she knew?" " Without a doubt." " Then what's the problem?" "I don't like holding out on my partner." "She can see I'm not prepping for court, sir, and she's starting to wonder why." "Give her a why." " Commander..." " Lieutenant." "I'd like to level with her, too." "But we can't." "Now, that's final." "Yes, sir." " It won't work." " Our defence?" "The bribe." "Even with chilli peppers and chorizo?" "Where did you find a Texas pizza?" "Well, I got the pizza at Tony's." "I got the toppings at Los Amigos." "I put them together and zapped them in the microwave." "It's an apology for ducking out on our cram session." "You don't think we stand a chance, do you?" "Hey, there's always a chance, Meg." "Having us defend may be just a propaganda move, but it's double-edged." "We may score some points they don't expect." "Why haven't you been hitting the books?" "Well, it's partly because of this protocol business." "But it's mostly because you're to be lead counsel." " Me?" " Yeah, it was psy-ops's idea." "The Iraqis aren't used to women in positions of authority." "We throw them a curve ball by having you lead the defence." "Hoping that they'll underestimate me." "You know, if I could find a weak spot or two, we might at least get a lighter sentence." "Exactly." " What is that?" " It's an anchovy." "It's only on my half." "Lieutenants Rabb and Austin?" "I'm sorry to disturb you." "I'm Laurie Anderson." "My husband is Corporal David Anderson." "Please, come in." "Have a seat." "Thanks." "The building's so big it took me a while to find you." " I hope you don't mind." " No, no, of course not." "They'll let you see him, won't they, when you get to Iraq?" "They'll have to, ma'am, if we're going to defend him." "Will you give him these?" "One from me and one from Mary." "That's what we're going to name her." " That's a beautiful name." " He thinks so, too." "Every time Dave sends me a letter, he sends Mary one, too." "I thought a letter from her might make him smile." "We'll see that he gets them." "Just bring him home." "Please." "We know you were spying." "All we want to know is the nature of your mission." "Look, I already told you boys I wasn't on any mission." "Don't you want to go home?" "Hell, yes." "But not by confessing to something I didn't do." "Look, we weren't spying, all right?" "We were looking for the oasis at El Wadi." "We just got lost." "That's all there is to it." "I'll make your choice even simpler, Corporal." "You can go home on a first-class seat, or the same box as Corporal Edner." "Which will it be?" "I'm not a spy." "The box." "Wait a minute here." "Why, you son of a..." "Don't deceive yourself, Corporal." "Sooner or later, there will be a bullet in the chamber." "The two navy lawyers assigned to defend US Marine Corporal David Anderson on charges of espionage arrived in Baghdad today and were immediately rushed into a private meeting with Saddam Hussein." "Iraqi television reported that while Hussein expressed regrets over the death of Marine Corporal John Edner, he had no choice but to prosecute..." "Marine Corporal David Anderson for espionage." "Eighteen hours of flying and he calls them straight into a meeting." " Shrewd." " How's that, sir?" "Are you at your best after 18 hours on an airplane, Lieutenant?" "Usually." "I sleep on airplanes." " There it is." " As they left the airport they passed within sight of the prison where the trial will begin tomorrow." "Their destination today, however, is Al Ba'ran," "Saddam's highly secure personal compound in Basra, where the two attorneys will stay for the duration of the trial." "This is Chuck de Caro on special assignment." "Lieutenant Rabb, Lieutenant Austin, welcome to Iraq." "Colonel Ahmad Al-Barzan, at your service." "I will see that you have full access to Iraqi legal expertise, Lieutenant Rabb." "You will find our justice system different from yours, but just as fair." "And, Lieutenant Austin, this is Lieutenant Dumai." "She will see to your personal needs." "And, Colonel, since I'm lead counsel on this case," "I'll be the one needing access to legal expertise." "Are you not the senior officer?" "Yes, but Lieutenant Austin is the expert on Iraqi law." "I look forward to acquainting you with our laws." "Now, if I may show you to your rooms." "Actually, Colonel, we'd like to visit with Corporal Anderson first." " That is impossible." " You said your system was fair." "Surely a client has the right to see his attorney." "Security passes have to be obtained first." "Well, that shouldn't be a problem, since you are chief of security." "Permission from a higher authority will be required." "Then I suggest you obtain it, Colonel." "Perhaps it would be wise if you did not go to the trouble of unpacking your bags." "This way, please." "I didn't realise women served in the Iraqi military." "Would you put that on the bed, please?" "I'm sorry." "Perhaps you don't speak English." "I speak English very good." "Then you must not have heard me." "Please put my bag on the bed." "Thank you." "First Colonel Barzan, now Corporal Yusuf." "Do you respect no men?" " Respect, yes." "Fear, no." " It is not fear to behave properly." " What about his behaviour?" " He's a man." "That doesn't give him the right to ignore me." "You judge things that you know nothing about." "That is stupid and dangerous." "I spoke wrongly." "I ask your forgiveness." "No, I'm the one who should apologise." "I have offended you and that was the last thing I wanted to do." "Shall we start again?" "I didn't know women served in the Iraqi military." "Do you require anything further, Lieutenant Austin?" "No, nothing." "My room is at the end of the hall if you change your mind." " Sorry." " No, no, no." "Come in." "I was just getting ready to check out the shower." "First thing I learned in a foreign country is check the hot water." "Come on." "This whole place has to be bugged." "I'm not off to a very good start." "I offended Lieutenant Dumai." " I would have thought that impossible." " Yeah, for you." "You're a man." "I asked the Corporal to put my bag on the bed." "He refused." "I insisted." "You should have taken that protocol course." "Me?" "What about you?" "You practically peed on Colonel Barzan's leg." "Seeing Corporal Anderson before the trial is non-negotiable." " Even if he sends us packing?" " They won't." "The Iraqis would lose too much face if they sent us home now." " They'll fold." " I wouldn't bet on it." "Lieutenant Rabb!" "Yes?" "Colonel Barzan has a car waiting to take you to Al Mataha." "He signed your pass personally." "And Lieutenant Austin?" "Women are not permitted to visit Al Mataha." "I'll be right there." "Sorry." "The hell you are, sir." " They capture you, too, sir?" " I'm your lawyer." "They didn't tell you?" "All they do is ask me questions." "I wish to speak with my client alone." "How are they treating you?" "I can't complain." "There are two of us here to defend you, so don't speak to anyone without us present." "It'll all be over in a few days." "Sir, you think you can get me out of here?" "Count on it." "Your time is up, Lieutenant." "It's a letter from your wife and one from your daughter." "No unauthorised communications to prisoners." " The letter's from his family." " I'll decide that, Lieutenant." "Semper Fi, Marine." "Semper Fi, sir." "He was right." "They are from your family." "Would you like to read it?" "What were you doing on our side of the border, Corporal?" "I already told you." "We got lost." "Marines in a Humvee do not get lost." "Well, we did." "I swear it." "Surely a woman like you has had many chances to be married." "So far I prefer to concentrate on work." "How can work compare to the caresses of a man you love?" "I wasn't comparing them, Colonel." "You were." " A woman like you needs a strong hand." " I already have a strong hand." "My own." "Excuse me." "Colonel." "Wonderful reception." "My compliments to you and your staff." "If you'll excuse me, I'm sure the two of you have manly things to talk about." "Don't be offended, Lieutenant, but since we are both men of the world, are you and Lieutenant Austin professional colleagues only?" "It would be against regulations to be otherwise, Colonel." "Some women are worth breaking rules over." "I have a very fine collection of antique duelling weapons." "Swords, epees, scimitars." "Scimitars?" "The jewels of my collection." "Do you think Lieutenant Austin would be interested in such implements of violence?" "I don't know, but I am." "You do not fascinate me, Lieutenant Rabb." "She does." "Rather blunt, but to the point." "Well, since the two of you are going to be leaving in a day or two," "I have to be." "Two days?" "Lt'll take longer than that to get through the preliminaries." "The chief judge is very efficient." " Do you know him?" " Intimately." "Court is now in session." "In the case of the Iraqi People v. Corporal David Anderson of the United States Marines, the charges are espionage and violating the territorial integrity of the Sovereign Nation of Iraq." "Major Kassim, are you prepared to call your first witness?" "I am, Your Honour." "The People of Iraq call Sergeant lbram Talfah." "Sergeant Talfah." "You were in command of the border patrol squad that captured Corporal Anderson, were you not?" "I was, sir." "And how far across the border would you estimate the American vehicle was when you first saw it?" "A good two kilometres, sir." "We warned them to turn back, but instead they opened fire." "And you returned fire" " in self-defence?" " Exactly." "This made them run." "But we caught up with them." "Thank you, Sergeant." "The defence may examine the witness." "Lieutenant Austin, it is not customary for a woman to appear as an advocate in a special services court." "I was hoping an exception might be made in this case, Colonel Barzan." "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, there will be no exceptions." " With all due respect, Your Honour..." " Sit down, Lieutenant." "Sergeant, the United States Marines aren't in the habit of running from a fight." "These Marines drove away as fast as they could." "Which, across the desert, would be what, 50 kilometres an hour?" " At least." " Back the way they had come." "Yes, they were very scared." "How long did you chase them?" "Five minutes at least." "Let's see, 50 kilometres an hour for five minutes..." "That's a little more than four kilometres." "But, Sergeant, you testified that they were only two kilometres over the border in the first place." "So you shot and killed Corporal Edner and captured Corporal Anderson two kilometres into Kuwaiti territory." "Colonel Barzan, I request a recess." "I object, Your Honour." "I've just begun to question..." "Overruled." "This tribunal is in recess until tomorrow morning at 8:00." " Thanks." "That was brilliant." " You're welcome." " You coming?" " Yeah." "Lieutenant Rabb?" "Colonel Barzan, why are you breaking into my room?" "I thought this was Lieutenant Rabb's room." "Obviously, it's not." "Lieutenant Austin, one of my men made a mistake." "Please excuse us." " Colonel, what's all the noise?" " This was the female's room." "Her room had a dripping faucet." "We switched." "It doesn't bother me." "Is something wrong?" "No, just a routine check." "Good night, Lieutenant." "I should have known." "Meg, you're a genius." "I saw you in the garden." "It was the only way I could think of to buy you time." "What the hell's going on?" "I was out taking a walk and this Iraqi soldier..." "Cut the bull, sir." "You were sneaking around out there and you came back carrying something." "What?" "Oh, my God." "That's a..." "It's a satellite uplink." "There's gonna be a rescue, isn't there?" "Soon as a mole named Scimitar gives me an escape route." " I think it's Colonel Barzan." " No, that man's a jerk." "Well, jerk or no, we can't call in the Navy SEALs until we know how we're getting out of here." "What do you mean "we," sir?" "Sorry, Meg." "I was under orders not to tell you anything." ""Psy-ops picked you as lead counsel." "Go get them."" "Well, I had to tell you something." "And you did get them." "That idea you had today in court was brilliant." " For all the good it did." " It bought us time." "Damn it, Harm, we're partners." "And I did exactly what you would have done, partner." "Followed orders." "Yeah, you're right." "It's not your fault." "I just wish someone had considered me worthy of being included." "Sir, Private Hebron swears the man who hit him was the American Lieutenant." "That fool doesn't know what hit him." "It could have been a pig." "He won't get out again." "I'll have two men to watch them at all times, even in their rooms." "That's not necessary." "If it was the American Lieutenant, he won't repeat the mistake." "Besides, an increase in security would bring this embarrassing matter to the attention of our superiors." "Lieutenant Dumai should have known they switched rooms, sir." "Yes." "I'll see that she's reprimanded." "Come in." "Your coffee, Lieutenant Austin." "Thank you, Lieutenant Dumai." "How did you get that?" "An accident." "Because of last night?" "I did not know that you and Lieutenant Rabb changed rooms." "It caused great embarrassment." "It was only proper to be disciplined." "You think you are superior to me because men treat you as an equal." "No." "And all men don't treat me as an equal." "I just don't accept the behaviour of those who don't as correct." "There are many things that you do not know, Lieutenant Austin." "Is there any chance I can get you to call me Meg?" "It would not be proper." "Tell me, Lieutenant Austin, have you ever heard of Babylon?" "Of course." "Everyone's heard of ancient Babylon with the tower and the hanging gardens." "It is 3,000 years old, and we have other cities even older." "And how old is America?" "A little over 200 years." "Your country is like a child who has lived nothing, yet thinks it knows everything." "Let your civilisation survive its first 1,000 years, then perhaps we will begin to listen." "Even the young have something of value to offer." "But is it not for the old to decide if they want to accept it?" "Yes." "Then why do you try so hard to push your ways on me?" "Because I can't stand seeing anyone denied their human right." "As the trial of Marine Corporal Anderson enters its second day, temperatures continue to rise here in Al Basrah." "Saddam supporters began demonstrating outside the court at dawn, and they say they will not leave until the American spy is brought to justice." "Colonel Barzan, the defence would like to continue its cross-examination of Sergeant Talfah." "Of course." "He's completely at your disposal." "Sergeant Talfah." "Sergeant, yesterday you testified you pursued a marine Humvee" " across the Iraqi border into Kuwait." " I object." "Sergeant Talfah made no such statement." "Sustained." "Sergeant, you testified the marine Humvee was two kilometres into Iraq..." "Six." "It was six kilometres inside our country." "Would the court please read Sergeant Talfah's testimony yesterday" " back to him?" " That will not be necessary." "I made a very foolish mistake, for which I apologise to you and to the court." "Corporal Kabai, who was monitoring our position, informed me last night that we were at least six kilometres from the Kuwaiti border when we spotted the American vehicle." "Lieutenant." "Not a good day?" "About as expected." "Coffee?" "Why not?" "You disappoint me." "I didn't think of you as a man who gives up when faced with a little adversity." "I'm being realistic, Colonel." "The verdict is obvious." "I'm afraid so." "Which means I'll be leaving in a few days without having seen your scimitar collection." "I prefer to show it to Lieutenant Austin." "But I'm the senior officer." "True." "But it's my collection." "Power failure." "Only on the TV." "Just a second, Meg." "What are you doing?" "There's no way I can protect you." "I'm an officer in the United States Navy." "I'll protect myself." "The Colonel thinks date rape's an acceptable social practice." "Harm, I've been handling Texas cowboys since I was 15." "I'll handle Colonel Barzan." "It's Corporal Anderson's only chance and you know it." "I can't let you do it." " I can." " Lieutenant." "Don't give me an order I won't obey, sir." "No." "I understand you've been having problems with your shower, Lieutenant Rabb." "I think it's working again." "After the verdict," "Corporal Anderson will be returned to his cell for the night." "The following morning, he will be moved to Baghdad." "The rescue will have to be tomorrow night." "Lieutenant Rabb, I am Scimitar." "I have no idea what you're talking about, Lieutenant." "What do you mean, you're Scimitar?" "I left you a message in the courtroom directing you to the northwest corner of the garden, where I buried a satellite uplink to call in the Navy SEAL team." "You passed Corporal Anderson a transponder to locate him once the SEALs are here." "All you need now is the escape route, which I have." " I thought Colonel Barzan was Scimitar." " What made you think that?" "Well, he kept talking about scimitars, practically winking when he said it." "Iraqi intelligence knows of Scimitar and suspects a rescue attempt." "That's why I waited to contact you until everything was in place." "You didn't say anything to the Colonel, did you?" "No, but Lieutenant Austin might." "She's with him now and I told her he was Scimitar." " Where are they?" " I don't know." "He took her to dinner and to show her his scimitar collection." " We must move tonight." " Not without Lieutenant Austin." "I'm afraid Lieutenant Austin is lost." "The moon will soon rise over the desert." "It is very beautiful." "We have moonlight and desert in Texas, too, Colonel." "I was in Texas." "Many years ago at your Lackland Air Force Base for pilot training." "A vast state, but your desert pales next to ours." "Dessert." "I think you will find this dessert quite surprising." "I'm afraid I'm full." "This particular dish is not filling." "Thank God it's not something to eat." "I love your courage." "Our women are so weak compared to you." " You know what it is?" " Of course." "A satellite uplink." "Which we found in Lieutenant Rabb's room, or was it your room?" "You trade so often it's hard to keep track." "Well, we know." "That's all that matters." "No." "What matters is what I do about this." "Are you offering a way out of this embarrassment?" "Perhaps." "Forgive me, Colonel, but I find it very difficult to believe that you would overlook this for a moment of intimacy." "Of course not." "Why barter for something I can take?" "In exchange for Scimitar's identity, you and Lieutenant Rabb will be deported from Iraq in disgrace," "but with your heads intact." "Go to hell." " Christian or Muslim hell?" " Whichever will take you." "I promised to show you my scimitars." "This is my favourite." "A Damascus blade." "Perfectly balanced." "Sharp enough to split a hair." "Strong enough to lop off a head." "Meg!" "Are you okay?" "I am now." "I'm sorry, sir." "He insisted that I bring him here." "What did he do, Lieutenant?" "Put a law book to your head?" "No, sir." "He said that he would loudly announce in his room that you were someone called Scimitar." "Without the shower running or the music playing." "I'm sure your intelligence people listening in would find that very interesting." "I am the one listening in." "I didn't know." "Lieutenant Dumai, I will see to your stupidity later." "Yes, sir." "I'm sorry, sir." "Lieutenant Austin and I were just discussing Scimitar." "I am willing to trade your lives for his name." "Go to hell." "The name!" " Colonel." " What?" "There was nothing else to do." "It's dead." "I'm sorry." "You're going to have to escape without your marine." " Not if you can get us weapons." " But I cannot get you into Al Mataha." "He can." "We need to find him quickly." "It will be daylight soon." "Don't worry." "There's a lot more in my laptop than legal precedents." "I just hope they didn't find the transponder." "Bingo." "Come on, Corporal." "We're going home." " Sir?" " Unless you'd rather stay." "No, sir." "Go!" " You okay?" " Yes, sir." "Don't ask me how." "You can thank Colonel Barzan for making his limo bulletproof." "Hit me with your pistol across the head." "No, the guard saw me hold a gun on you at the gate." " It is not enough." " Then come with us." "What I did, I did for my country." "One day Saddam will pass, but Iraq will remain, and so will I." " Now, please, hit me!" " I can't." "Corporal." " Thank you." " You're a brave woman." "So are you, Meg." "Lieutenant." "Go quickly." "That chopper's getting close." "Open the sunroof." "Cut right." "Cut left!" " We're almost to the border." " These guys don't stop for borders." "They'll stop at this one." " It's just like Stagecoach!" " With John Wayne." "John Wayne was being chased by Iraqis?" "Indians." "Right in the middle of Monument Valley." "Bet they didn't have a woman with them." "You'd bet wrong!" "They had a woman a lot like you." "Claire Trevor." " Yep, prostitute Duke fell for." " You're comparing me to a prostitute?" "No, ma'am." "I didn't say that." "I did, and I meant she was spunky like you." " Spunky doesn't cut it, sir." " How about pretty?"