Iran

AZERBAIJAN PROVINCE, IRAN - It was midday as the Special Activities Division officers watched the approaching convoy an informant had said were carrying a shipment of Chinese ground-to-air missiles. The destination was thought to be a terrorist training camp and principal staging area for raids into Iraq.

As for most missions, the team had selected a remote mountainous region in which to carry out the interception. The rocky terrain continued well into Iraq and was ideally suited for trafficking terrorists and contraband into that country; it, however, worked both ways.

This was to be a hit-and-run mission using something just introduced into the SAD arsenal: a thermobaric-tipped, man-portable missile system. To date, the Iranian response had proven to be ineffective. To counter the Americans success, the Quds Force had added armored support to convoys.

Marcus smiled as he peered down from his steep, rocky perch at the pair of older, Russian-built BMP-70 armored personnel carrie