One Rough Man

rehearsed on whiteboards and individual assignments dictated. They could now execute a multitude of plans on a moment’s notice, with only the actual location of the operation unknown.

* * *

Sayyidd watched Bakr pace back and forth in their small hotel room, clearly impatient that a message hadn’t arrived. Sayyidd had checked the account every hour on the hour, but they’d received nothing. Bakr stopped pacing and walked to the door.

“I’m going out. I need to get some air. This is driving me crazy.”

“Allah has shown us the way throughout this journey. He’ll continue to do so. There’s no reason to worry or get angry. He’ll speak again when He’s ready.”

When Bakr didn’t respond, Sayyidd thought maybe he was getting through to him. He had convinced Bakr to choose this path, and now wondered if Bakr himself had the courage to believe in their destiny. Maybe he was looking for a reason to fail. Sayyidd had seen it before. Otherwise brave, righteous men cracking under the pressure placed upon them by the word of God. Not wanting to fail, but unable to simply leave, they ended up doing foolish things to ensure their place in heaven. He needed to prevent that with Bakr. He knew his limitations. Sayyidd had proven time and time again that he could accomplish missions against all odds, but always as a member of a team. Never as a leader. Or, in this case, on his own. Without Bakr, he knew he would fail.

He booted up the M4, praying that Walid had answered. He checked the next Yahoo! address and immediately deflated. It was empty. Behind him, he heard Bakr say, “Still nothing?”

Before Bakr could get angry again, Sayyidd said, “Let me check the other addresses. Maybe it went to the wrong one.”

Sayyidd went to the next address on the list, watching anxiously as the new Web page loaded. There were two messages, one spam and the other from The Sheik. A shiver ran through him. Finally, an answer. He opened the message. It was short, and to the point.

Praise Allah, my pilgrims have made it to the land of Walid. I have passed your message, and Walid has replied that he gave you instructions, which you did not follow. He will contact you again, but requests that you send the e-mail address you wish to use to ensure there are no more mistakes. May Allah smile on your mission. All are aware of your journey, and all praise your quest. Wait for his contact, then smite the infidels with his help.

Sayyidd breathed a sigh of relief. It had all been a simple mistake. He felt a huge weight leave his shoulders. Everything was going to be okay. He turned away from the computer, smiling, only to see Bakr, his face drained of blood, staring at the screen as if he had seen his own death. Sayyidd had had enough.

“What is it now, you old woman? Can’t you be happy about anything? Thirty minutes ago you were whining like a dog about not getting a message, now you’re mad about getting one.”

Bakr sat in silence. He finally said, “I’m taking the weapon in the morning. We’ve been discovered.”

Sayyidd was stunned. “Taking the weapon? Have you lost your mind?”

“Walid sent us a message, but we didn’t get it. Now we get the next message on the next e-mail address. Why? Why didn’t The Sheik send the message in the order he dictated us to use? It’s because there was a message, and he thought we had received it, thus that e-mail address was no longer usable. We didn’t get it because someone else retrieved it. Someone has that e-mail address, and might have the others. I have no idea of the technology the Great Satan employs, but it’s not impossible.”

Left unsaid was the mistake that Sayyidd had made in Guatemala.

“Quit it,” Sayyidd said. “You’re constantly afraid of your own shadow. Why does everything have to be some evil plot against us? Why can’t you trust in Allah to protect us? Just once?”

Bakr spoke in a dangerously quiet tone. “Dog, it’s because of my caution that I live. I have killed more infidels in a month than you have in your life. I have no idea why Allah has shined a light on you and allowed you to survive with the mistakes you make, but I’m not going to repeat them.”

Sayyidd felt a chill. Bakr was not a man to test, and Sayyidd could sense the mission falling apart, with Bakr about to make a decision that would leave him alone. Without any support. Forcing him to face his fears. He held his tongue, awaiting Bakr’s decision.

“I’m leaving tomorrow with the weapon,” Bakr said. “Whatever happens here, we can’t let the infidels steal the means of victory. It may simply be a mistake, but we should act as if it isn’t. You will remain behind here to wait for Walid’s message. Once you have that, meet him and finish the final planning.”

“But where will you go? What’ll I do once I meet Walid?”

“I’ll head to Bosnia. There are plenty of old fighters there willing to help. You do exactly what we were going to do all along. Give him our request for evidence to blame the Persians, and figure out how we’ll get into Palestine. Once you know that, contact me with the plan. God willing, we’ll meet again and continue our journey together.”

“But if you’re right, I’ll be arrested. I’ll be the one who dies without striking a blow against the infidels. Maybe we should both go.”

Sayyidd’s voice cracked. He hoped Bakr took it as concern for the mission, and not a fear of being exposed as a fraud. It must have worked, because Bakr didn’t sugarcoat anything, choosing instead to give him the hard facts.

“You may very well die here, or at the least be put in prison, but your part of the mission is worth that risk. Without you and Walid, I’ll be forced to go on my own, with little chance of starting the catalyst that you envisioned. I need your help to make this work. Even so, we can take steps to protect ourselves.”

“How? What should I do?”

“It’s time for you to become what you were going to become in America: a simple college student, without any political aspirations. If they suspect us, the far enemy will focus on this section of the city. Check out of this Muslim hotel. Find one in the city that doesn’t stand out and allows you to blend into the local tourist scenery. Set up your meeting with Walid away from known hotbeds and radical mosques. That should protect you more than any security procedures I could devise.”

Sayyidd calmed down, feeling more secure. After all, Bakr had the weapon. Bakr would be the shahid. Sayyidd wouldn’t have to push the button. He would be the facilitator, and with Allah’s help, they would succeed.

“All right. I’ll stay and meet Walid. How will you get to Bosnia?”

“Well, I can’t fly, since they might be watching the airports. I’ll take a ferry from here to Germany. From there, I’ll take trains and buses until I join up with our Muslim brothers in Tuzla. It’ll take a little longer but will be more secure.”

“Give me five minutes and I’ll get that set up.”

Before he could boot up the M4 satellite phone, Bakr stopped him. “Wait. We need to ensure we can communicate first. I want you to establish a separate e-mail address, known only to you and me. Every twenty-four hours, I want you to send me a message. Include the town of Fallujah in the message somewhere. If I don’t hear from you every twenty-four hours, or I get a message without the mention of Fallujah, I’ll assume you’ve been captured or killed. I’ll then immediately take the weapon and attempt to use it to the best of my abilities.”

He stopped, waiting for Sayyidd to look up. When he had Sayyidd’s undivided attention, he began again. “Sayyidd, I don’t want to make you mad, but the only way that splitting up will be a mistake is if you fail in this task and inadvertently send me to my death. Once I believe that you’re discovered, I’ll immediately flee to stay out of the hands of the authorities. There’ll be no turning back. Do you understand?”

Sayyidd said, “I understand. Don’t worry. I won’t fail you.”

Bakr relaxed, satisfied that he had made his point. “From here out, we must act as if we were still in the Land of Two Rivers. Watch around you. Look for the infidel with the knife. We’ve come very far in a short amount of time. God willing, we’ll finish our journey in victory, but it will require diligence, and I’m sure we’ll both be tested before this is through.”

Sayyidd felt sick to his stomach at the thought of being left alone.

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