“A Glock 17.” He pressed the magazine release button, checked the magazine, and popped it back in again. “Fully loaded, too.”
“Give it to Mansur. He’s in the car with Naeem.” John looked at the tall Bedouin. “Mansur, keep this with you in case Naeem tries anything stupid.”
Mansur took the weapon and slid it into his waistband, pulling his jacket over the top.
“Karam understands what he has to do?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Okay, guys, let’s do it.”
78
It took John and Steve a good twenty minutes to get in position. Fortunately, this part of town had been shelled heavily at one time and was now mostly abandoned. However, it took them time to work their way around behind the building and approach it from the rear. By the time they were pressed up against the back wall, they were covered in dust, and their hands and knees were scraped from tumbles and falls in the piles of rubble. John crouched down and moved slowly along the side of the building until he could see the corner where they had left the others and could just see Karam’s head. He raised his hand and gave him a thumbs-up signal. John saw Karam nod, then his head disappeared behind the wall. John slowly turned and keeping low, moved carefully back to the rear of the building.
“Okay?” Steve whispered.
“Yup.” John looked back to the front of the building. “Let’s go around the other side. When Naeem stops, the guard might see us. We’ll be better hidden on the other side.”
Steve nodded, turned around, and headed toward the far side of the building. They made their way carefully through the piles of broken concrete and bricks. A pile of bricks dislodged and slid to the ground. John winced and held his breath. They both waited, crouched low to the ground, in case someone had heard them, but all they could hear was the truck approaching on the road. John crept forward until he was at the corner of the building, waited until he heard the vehicle stop, then peered around the corner. Naeem had stopped the truck just short of the building, and fortunately, the angle of the sun prevented a clear view into the cab through the windshield. John heard a noise and saw the guard step out of the doorway onto what remained of the pavement. He held an AK47 in his left hand, but it was pointed at the ground, and his trigger finger was outside the guard. He seemed relaxed, the battered Hyundai mini-truck not appearing to be a threat. An arm waved out of the vehicle window, followed by a shout in Arabic. The guard stepped into the road and slowly walked over to the vehicle.
“Here we go,” John muttered to Steve and stood. He stepped around the corner, bent down, and picked up a brick, then walked quickly and quietly after the guard.
The guard approached the vehicle, and just as he neared, a cloud went across the sun. The reflection on the window disappeared, affording him a clear view inside. He stopped and raised his weapon.
“Naeem?”
John sprinted forward, raising the brick. The guard must have heard him. He turned… but was too late. John brought the brick down on the side of his head, knocking him to the ground. The guard groaned but was still conscious. John kicked the AK out of his reach and followed it up with a kick to the guard’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He laid in the dirt, gasping for breath as blood ran from a split in the side of his head.
“That’s going to hurt in the morning,” Steve said as he joined John beside the truck.
“Quick, let’s secure him and get him out of sight.” He looked over at Mansur and Naeem, who had climbed out of the truck. “Check the building. There might be others. Mansur, take the AK.” John bent down and flipped the guard onto his stomach and knelt between his shoulder blades as Naeem and Mansur set off at a run toward the building.
“Steve, find something to tie him up.” John pressed the guards face into the dirt with his right hand and turned slightly, so he could monitor the street. He heard an engine and saw the pickup rounding the corner at the end of the road as Steve came back with some rope he had found in the rear of the truck. John bound the guard’s wrists, then removed a Glock from the holster on his belt before going through his pockets. He found a cell phone, which he pocketed and a pocketknife which he used to cut the excess end off the rope, then threw it to Steve.
“Tie his feet together.”
Using the knife, John tore off a section of the guard’s shirt and tied it around his mouth as a gag, then stood, slipping the knife into his pocket.
Mia pulled up behind the truck, and both she and Karam climbed out and ran toward them.
“Mia, wait until they’ve checked the building, then go tell the women we have to leave straight away.” As he said that, he saw Karam look past him and turned to see Naeem in the doorway, giving the thumbs-up.
“Mia, all clear. Go!”
Mia ran across the road as John bent down and grabbed the guard’s arm.
“Steve, give me a hand. We’ll hide him in the building.” Steve grabbed the other arm, and they dragged the fighter across the street and through the doorway past Naeem. “Over there.” John nodded toward a gap under the stairs. They dragged him over and dumped him face down in a dark corner. John turned and saw a look of discomfort on Naeem’s face.
“You know him?”
Naeem nodded. “Abdul.”
“It was him or us.” John grabbed Naeem by the arm. “Come on, bring the truck in front, and let’s get out of here.”
Naeem nodded and stepped out the door.
“Steve, watch Naeem and bring the
