"Nice job, perfectly performed, a true professional!" The cynics in the words weren't lost on David. He knew he blew it, in one day the entire operation started and got blown.

"Now, David, tell me again what went wrong."

"I met him by the ravine as expected. I needn't do a thing. He was so perplexed, he fell backwards in the ravine. After that I went to Beverly Hills and made contact with Alex Valdez, as I had to."

"Contact you fool, not rape!"

"Excuse me, I may look 17, I'm not."

"Cut that out. You had to make contact, befriend the girl. Nothing else. Professional." The last word was said with a sneer. David knew there were a lot of strings that had been pulled to get this operation going. In the ambassador's homeland and here in the US.

"We are going to try it one more time. This time it will have to be a raid as our professional blew his undercover operation. I'll contact our man in LA. He'll look after you. Pick up your weapons and get lost. I only want to see you back if you're successful or in a body bag."

David left the office. This certainly wasn't his day. He should have hit Mandy first, but she stood further off. The redhead, he wanted her death. He would see to it. Her death must be slow and painful. He entered the armoury.

"David, what can I do for you? You need a new bat?" He could kill this nitwit, but he needed weapons. "Cut that crap. What have you got for me?"

"It depends what your intention is. Long range, short range or maybe machine-gun, rocket launcher perhaps."

"Don't temp your luck!"

"OK, this is the best marksman's rifle we have in stock. A FAL, standard issue in NATO countries. Widespread over the entire world. .308 ammo, 20 round clip, semi automatic, accurate up to 220 yards." David takes the rifle. He tests if he can easily work with it. He used it often, but that was quite some time ago. He puts the rifle back down.

"Secondly, small and fast. The P90 Tactical with integrated optical sight for poor light condition. This model comes with a silencer and sub-sonic ammo, accurate up to 210 yards. Clip takes 50 rounds, single shot or full automatic fire at 900 rpm. Is known to destroy some bullet-proof vests. FN in Belgium produces both guns. Retracing where they came from is impossible." David looks at the weird formed gun. It isn't even 20 inch long. He picks it up and is amazed at the lightweight.

"Does this thing do what you said?"

"Don't take my word. You know where the firing range is. Test them both. I'll provide a sight for the FAL."

David takes the two weapons and ammo to the range. He starts with the FAL. After all he knows this rifle. Not new, but accurate. He would have preferred their newer weapons. But tracing has been much improved on their guns. He wonders about the P90's untracebility.

He starts firing shot by shot, adjusting the sight to his way of shooting. He tries both standing and lying down. To end he gives a short burst. This gun will do what is necessary.

He picks up the P90. It's a weird thing. Especially with that case collector attached. He test fires a round. He takes of his ear protection. Fires once more. Even in the firing range the sound isn't overwhelming. He puts the gun on automatic and fires a burst. Damn accurate too. They know their job, those Belgians.

David takes the guns and brings them back to the armoury. "They will do the job. I take them."

"Do you need a side arm?"

David looks at the armourer. A side arm? "What do you offer?"

"A Beretta Cougar, 9 mm, 13 rounds or, a bit more out of the ordinary, the Five-seveN, same bullets as the P90, 20 rounds."

"The Five-seveN? You've got stocks in FN? I take it, the less different ammo the better. How does it get to LA?"

"It will, don't worry." David understands he outstayed his welcome and takes leave.