“There’s a guard, but he looks relaxed. I couldn’t see anyone else, but I don’t know if there are more inside. There're no vehicles outside.”
“Then maybe they aren’t there,” said Naeem. “Usually, the pickup is outside, and if they were there, they wouldn’t keep a guard. The guard is to stop the... women escaping.”
John stared at Naeem, a retort on the tip of his tongue. What would drive a man brought up in modern civilization to think keeping women as slaves was okay? That it was God’s reward? He bit his tongue and returned his thoughts to freeing the women.
He was sure they could handle one guard, but they desperately needed another vehicle before they rescued the women. There was no way everyone would fit in the single pickup they had, but so far, the only vehicles he had seen were rusted shells or filled with H.T.S. fighters armed to the teeth.
“Naeem, where can we get another vehicle? Where did you get this one?”
“I took it.”
“You took it?”
“Yes. This morning before we rescued you.”
“Took it from where?”
“One of the locals.” Naeem shrugged. “He was driving past. I needed a car, so I took it off him.”
“They must love you in these parts,” said Steve, shaking his head.
“If I hadn’t done it, you would be dead by now,” Naeem shot back.
John gestured to Steve not to respond and looked back at Naeem. “I need you to get another one and quickly. Bring it back here.”
Naeem frowned, hesitating.
“Now, Naeem!”
He nodded, adjusted the strap of his AKM, so it hung in front of him, and set off down the street.
“Do you trust him?” Steve asked as they watched him walk off.
“No.”
“Maybe Mansur should go with him?”
John considered the idea, then shook his head.
“No, we need an Arabic speaker with us just in case anyone comes.”
“Mia?”
John shook his head. “No. No-one will speak to her. They’ll only want to speak to another man.” He exhaled loudly. “We have to trust him. Let’s go back to the car.”
“Okay.”
“I still don’t buy his story about how he freed us,” John mused as they weaved their way through the rubble.
“Neither do I. Little shit. I want to strangle the bastard.”
“Steve, we need him, so stay calm.” John put a placatory hand on Steve’s arm.
“But let’s be careful.”
77
It was a tense thirty minutes before Naeem returned. Two other vehicles had passed, but the H.T.S. flag flying from the aerial and the sight of Karam standing on the back, cradling his AK47, had prevented anyone from stopping.
Naeem pulled up behind them in a small Hyundai Truck. John walked around it and nodded his approval. The goods tray had tall sides, and anyone sitting down in the rear would be hidden from sight.
“Perfect, Naeem.” He beckoned to Steve and Mansur to join him. “Call Karam.”
He waited until they were all standing by the truck, Naeem still sitting in the driver’s seat.
“Mansur, please translate for Karam.” Mansur nodded, and John continued. “The guard won’t have seen this vehicle before. Steve, you and I will approach the building from the rear on foot. Naeem, you and Mansur drive up in the truck. Stop just short of the building, so he can’t see you clearly... maybe call out for directions or pretend the truck has broken down... you decide. Anyway, wave the guard over, distract him, we’ll approach him from behind, and grab him. Then we go in, get the women, put them in the truck, and get out of there.” John looked at each of their faces, “What do you think?”
“Sounds okay.” Steve looked back toward the pickup. “What about Mia and the baby? I don’t want to leave them alone here on the street.”
“No.”
“And the women might not want to come with us,” added Mansur. “They don’t know who we are. They will be suspicious.”
“Yeah,” John sighed. “You’re right.” He closed his eyes and visualized the street, pictured what they were planning to do. Opening them again, he asked, “Can Karam drive?”
Mansur asked, and the boy shook his head.
“What about Mia? Naeem?”
“Yes, she can.”
“Great. Naeem, wait here. Steve, come with me, you too, Mansur, bring Karam.”
The four of them walked forward, and John crouched down beside the open door of the cab. Looking inside, he saw Mia staring out the windshield, a distant look in her eyes while Malak dozed on the seat beside her.
“Mia?”
She jumped as if surprised she wasn’t alone, blinking rapidly as she tuned back into the present.
“Mia, we’re going to rescue your friends. We are leaving Karam here to protect you. Naeem says you can drive?”
“Yes.”
“Good, I want you to wait in the vehicle. Karam will wait on the corner over there.” John pointed up the street. “When he sees us grab the guard, he will signal you. I want you to bring the pickup down to the building. Can you do that?”
Mia nodded, her eyes flicking toward Karam, who was listening to Mansur’s translation.
“Then I’ll need you to come inside the building and tell the women to come with us. They’ll need to see someone they can trust. Okay?”
“Yes.”
John stood up, stepping back as Steve leaned over and looked in.
“Are you okay?”
Mia nodded at Steve and John.
“Don’t worry, I can do it.”
“I know you can.” Steve smiled and winked. “See you soon.”
“Wait.”
The two men paused and looked back in.
“What is it?”
Mia leaned forward and flipped open the glove compartment. “Look what I found.” Lying in the glove compartment was a handgun.
Steve reached and
