Chapter Two - part six

   Everyone had stood as if frozen in place while James spoke. All eyes had been fastened on him. They remained where they were for long minutes before the first move was made by anyone. Then slowly they all resumed their seats. They sat in silence until James started to speak to each of them again. He spoke to each man in his turn. He put each man on the spot about something and each one gave him an answer, but none asked a question of him when he offered him the chance. After they were done James started around again. This time he was asking what they wanted to see happen first in the negotiations. It was a slow process, but each time one of them started to raise their voice or speak out of turn James would slap the table and simply shake his head. It worked, this time! Maybe it only worked because it was such a shocking change and so unexpected, but regardless of why, it did work. They spent almost five hours talking and more importantly, listening. Nothing was settled, but much was given voice for the first time.  The only ones not talking were the U.N. people and the Ambassador. They were silent because most of the problems being voiced were directly tied to the U.N. and NATO presence inside Syria.

  James didn't try to schedule another meeting with the groups all together. Instead he asked each of them to contact him with a time when they could come in alone to talk with him. James wanted to see them one at a time now, before meeting again with all of them together. They had seemed surprised by that, but again the only objection had been from the original U.N. negotiators. James had just smiled and explained that he wanted to get to know the people he was dealing with personally, and he wanted them to get to know him personally too. James had told them that strangers didn't often share secrets or discuss private matters with one another or in public. That was something that friends would do in private. Since they weren't ready to be friends with each other yet, well maybe it was time someone else made friends with each of them first, individually and in private. They had said they could trust him and now it was time to see if they really could. All of the men who he had talked with seemed to be interested in this new idea. They agreed to meet with him again and soon.

  The U.N. negotiators were furious with James and spent nearly an hour explaining how he had just destroyed months of work in one short meeting. Sabella had tried to step in and defend James several times during the tirade, but James had silenced her each time. Finally she had just sat there fuming while they raked them all over the coals for what had just happened. The Ambassador finally demanded that James say something after nearly an hour of this. That was when James finally smiled and slowly stood up. Still smiling he spoke very softly compared to the screaming that he had been listening to from all of them. "Ambassador, I didn't ask to come here. I didn't want to do this. I came because I was ordered to come. Now, I do understand that I am not being diplomatic and handling negotiations the way you would. That said. I am not a diplomat. I am a soldier, a warrior. The men you are trying to negotiate with are also soldiers and warriors. Sir, we don't negotiate the way you do. We study and access our opposition. We look for weaknesses and strengths. Then we form a battle plan. After that is done we take the field and we do battle. Now, I have no desire to fight an actual battle with any of those men. I doubt they really want to do battle with me, but that will change nothing. We are warriors and we can only deal with each other as warriors. I will meet with them and learn what I can from them, just as they will learn what they can from meeting with me. Then we can begin to talk, not negotiate... just talk. Once we learn to talk with each other, if we can. Then and only then can we sit down to negotiate with each other. I am sorry that you don't understand or approve of any of this, but until I receive orders saying different. I will meet and talk with these men on my own terms. You can proceed with negotiations as they were if you wish, but I think these men just sat down to the longest meeting you have had in over a year? I also know that more of them were here together this time. I think that is a success. You may call all of this a failure today, but I call it a beginning. Now if you will excuse me, I need to use a bathroom."

   James had turned and walked out so quickly that nobody had a chance to react. Both of the girls had to scramble to get up and get out along with him. Neither of them wanted to get caught in that room alone with those angry men, not after what James had just said. Sabella followed him down the hall and waited outside the bathroom for him with a huge frown on her face. Aadila was standing across the hall watching her and the door of the bathroom. Sabella couldn't believe what James had just done. Those men could easily destroy his career and he had just treated them like enlisted troops. Actually he had treated them worse than that. Her head was spinning. What had he just done? Aadila on the other hand was smiling, but she knew why Sabella was frowning. James might have just tanked all of their careers. Still she had to smile, because she had seen that look in his eyes and heard that determination in his voice before. Sabella might well be worried and unbelieving, but Aadila was neither of those. That was the look and the voice of the 'Ironman'. It was the same look and determination that had carried them to the finish line when she hadn't believed it possible. She knew that James had just begun this race. He had just picked up the burden and begun to run with it. She knew that he would carry it to the finish or kill himself trying too. Knowing all of that was what made her smile... while Sabella was still frowning.