won’t get into trouble? You promise?”
Nick had to move his arm sling a little to cross his heart. “I promise.”
Eddie nodded. “Okay, well, this guy asked me-”
“Whoa, stop,” Nick said. “What guy? How did he contact you?”
“I didn’t know the guy. He would come in the store every Thursday and buy us out of the carton of cigarettes he liked. Finally one day he comes in and asks if he could order a couple of cases instead of buying them one carton at a time. When I looked into it, we couldn’t. It was coming from Turkey and there was some sort of allocation going on so we were only allowed one carton a week.”
The sound of an engine approaching stopped the conversation. A red convertible cruised by, all four of them thinking the same bad thought as it passed.
Nick looked at Tommy who shook his head.
“Anyway,” Eddie continued, “one day he comes in with this wad of hundred dollar bills and explains how the truck which delivers the cigarettes goes down to Phoenix to drop off the rest of its load. He says there’s at least five cases of cigarettes on the truck and I can keep the money if I find a way to steal the cigarettes for him…. so I stole them off the truck when the driver was making a delivery in Pinetop. No one was hurt or nothing.”
Eddie looked around at the group as if looking for an understanding face.
“Of course,” Matt finally said. “A completely harmless crime. We’d all do the same thing if it was us.”
Eddie raised his eyebrows, as if they were one big happy family of thieves. “Really?”
“No,” Matt said. “That’s okay though. Things happen.”
“So how did you discover where they stayed?” Nick asked.
“Well, they asked me to drop the cigarettes off in this dumpster behind the Native New Yorker. So I did what I was told and went into the restaurant to get a sandwich. After I’m done, I’m going to my car and I see this guy going through the dumpster and tossing the cigarettes into the back of a pickup truck … and, well I was curious, so I followed the truck back to their cabin.”
“Get outta here.” Tommy laughed and clapped his hands. “You and your bulletless gun followed a group of international terrorists back to their hideout? Are you kidding me?”
“Well, I didn’t know who they were,” Eddie said defensively. He touched his contorted nose. “Not until you come up to me in the bar tonight.”
“Hey, I’m sorry, okay?” Tommy said.
“You know the address?” Nick asked.
“No, but I could take you there.”
Nick placed his hand on the kid’s shoulder. “Good work, Eddie. You did the right thing by coming clean.”
Eddie smiled like he’d just saved a baby from a burning building.
• • •
The first thing Temir Barzani did when he’d taken over the American operation, was plant a miniature video camera up in a tree across the street from the sheriff’s substation. It was far enough away to escape detection, yet could zoom in to determine faces and license plates. He wanted to know exactly who came and went to determine his timetable.
Now he sat at the kitchen table of their safe house and examined the video screen on his tablet and grunted with disappointment. In the darkness, two cars had just sped into the sheriff’s parking lot, followed by two large army vehicles. He knew they were coming. He could feel it.
Whether it was Semir, or another loose end, Barzani had no choice but to close the circle of information. He couldn’t afford to have any more of his men taken prisoner. There was too much risk involved. His mission required absolute secrecy. He would create a disaster which would exceed any destruction ever produced on American soil. His name would become synonymous with this event. A slaughter of such magnitude, his cunning would be renounced for decades.
A scratchy voice came over the radio on the kitchen counter. “Jemin and Tzardif are returning. They just pulled into the driveway.”
Barzani nodded and a member of his security team acknowledged the message by picking up the radio and saying, “Understood.”
A few moments later two members of his crew came in through the garage door and approached Barzani.
“Yes?” Barzani said.
Jemin Hester approached Barzani with a look of satisfaction on his face. “The bombs are all set, Sarock,” he said. “The detonator is in the cave where you instructed. The code is one-two-two-four.”
“Very good.” Barzani stood and patted them both on the back. “Jemin, I am in the mood for one of your cigarettes. It is a time of great celebration.”
Jemin smiled, drew a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed them to his leader.
Barzani held a cigarette between his fingers and held up the pack with his other hand. “May I keep these?”
“Of course, Sarock. It would be my honor.”
Barzani barely had the cigarette in his mouth when a lit match was waiting for him. He inhaled the burning tobacco and let out a breath full of smoke. He smiled at his squad of devout soldiers which was now forming a semi-circle around him.
“It is time to prepare for battle.” He gestured to one of his security team. “Tell our two scouts to return inside. I want everyone out of harm’s way. Let us make certain we are ready for this confrontation.”
The command made sense and his crew responded appropriately. He watched them attend to their chores with perfect loyalty. Men who’d chosen to leave their homeland for months at a time to accomplish their goal. For a moment, he actually felt a pang of guilt for what he was about to do. Just a moment.
He took another puff on the cigarette and casually said, “Memu, you will drive me to the cave so I can prepare for the great holocaust.”
“But Sarock,” Jemin said. “We have just come from the cave. There is no reason for you to risk such a move.”
Barzani gave Jemin one of his most ferocious glares, which put the young man on his heels. “You do not yet have the privilege to question my authority, Jemin. There are duties I must tend to which require my attention. Only I am capable of securing these duties. Do you understand?”
Jemin nodded silently even though he couldn’t possibly know which duties Barzani could have been speaking about. One of the great advantages to autonomous rule was the ability to proceed without true scrutiny.
There was a sense of anticipation in the room as his squad gathered around Barzani and awaited their instructions.
Barzani pointed his finger and raised his voice like a fierce soccer coach, “When we left Kurdistan over a year ago, we came here with great ambitions. Ambitions which are now just hours away from completion. This will be the final twenty-four hours of our journey. Tomorrow night either the American President will be removing troops from our homeland, or his country will suffer the most colossal destruction they have ever faced. Ever. This next day will bring us closer to our main objective-a sovereign state for all Kurds. Our families will rejoice in our accomplishments. We will return home to the greatest of celebrations.”
The handful of men began a low grunt in agreement, like wild animals showing their excitement, as their leader took in each and every face.
“This undertaking will live on as the defining moment in Kurdish history. No one will ever doubt our resolve again.” Barzani pumped his fist in the air. “We are warriors!”
The squad began to jump in unison, a rhythm of ecstasy as they chanted, “Kurds, Kurds, Kurds, Kurds.”
Barzani puffed on his cigarette and smiled and waved his hands as the men jumped and chanted and grunted.
“We … will … not … fail!” Barzani screamed over the exuberant pack of soldiers. He could feel the floor move beneath him, gyrating to the pulse of the surrounding militia.
Barzani let the celebration continue for several minutes before raising his hands for quiet. The room immediately became still. Nine pairs of eyes intently watched their leader as Barzani walked over and dropped his cigarette in the sink. He returned to address his team for one final time.
“I will arrive back here in less than two hours. By then I will expect to see every weapon sparkling, every
