“Infidel…!” he shouted. Instantly, the others picked up the cry. Then in a moment of inspired madness, Jarral seized the pump nozzle from its cradle and held it high above the attendant’s head.
“Mi dios…no!” Diego realized what was about to happen and began to sob.
Ignoring his plea, Jarral pulled the lever, covering the old Spaniard in gasoline as the others stepped back. Were it only one man acting alone, he might have hesitated, but buoyed by a sea of general discontent, Jarral felt a bond, a sense of purpose. Each feeding off the other, irrational and deadly, they embraced the inevitable, galvanized into a frenzied state by the prospect of what was to come.
“Por favor in el nombre de dios…” Diego stammered.
“Muerte al infiel…! Death to the Infidel…!” Buttar shouted as the others picked up the chant. Jarral stared at the men, his eyes suddenly incandescent. Clearly there could be no turning back.
Tearing open a book of matches, Jarral struck a single match then touched it to the rest. As the entire book exploded into flame, the Spaniard stared in horror as it arced through the dusky air, hitting him in the chest. In an instant, Diego’s body was crawling with fire as the gasoline ignited. Thrashing wildly as his tormentors watched and shouted, the Spaniard’s screams rose into the darkening sky until he became a human torch, completely engulfed in flame.
Transfixed by what they had done, they continued to chant God’s name as if it somehow sanctified the deed, absolving them from blame. Turning at last, Jarral motioned to Buttar and the others. “Allahu Akbar…!” He shouted. By the Sword of the Prophet, this was but a prelude, he promised, to the glories that lay ahead. Backing toward their vehicles, they watched the burning man as he staggered between the pumps.
Slipping into the passenger seat of the red Peugeot, Jarral nodded to Raza. “Drive,” he said. And stepping on the accelerator, Raza did as he was told. For without question he had to concede, Jarral must indeed be God’s messenger and as such he must be obeyed.
As the last of the four vehicles finally drove away, Diego slammed into one of the pumps, knocking the hose to the ground as the flames continued to spread. Without warning, the entire station suddenly exploded in a fireball, lighting up the night.
*****
It had taken them the better part of two hours to unload the trucks, leaving only the large and small generators as well as the two heavy-duty aluminum equipment cases containing the 3D Laser Scanner and its computer in the back of the last truck for morning. In the meantime, Gorka had somehow managed to produce several impressive platters of tapas, which, with a little Rioja left them bone tired and ready for bed. As they sorted out the sleeping arrangements, Corbett spoke with Sebastian and Hector.
“They will sleep well tonight,” Sebastian noted as he surveyed the interns and others. Turning to Corbett, he indicated a single tent set up apart from the rest just beyond the command tent. “I’ve had them pitch your tent over there. With luck, it will offer the best chance at a wi-fi connection. Don’t expect miracles. But by using the bi-directional antenna, you should be able to communicate with the university and the rest of the outside world using the Internet… at least most of the time. In these mountains, of course, there are no guarantees.” He stopped with a small smile. “When in Spain, as long as one maintains a sense of humor, anything may be possible.”
“Appreciate the warning. And thanks again for coming up here with the advance party and setting things in motion,” Corbett said then turned to Hector. “First thing in the morning, I want that winch up and running so we can have a look at the cave.”
“You got it, Boss.” Hector grinned. “Get to it quick, quick.”
“Good. Sebastian, if you can get things started here, I’ll take one of the Rovers and run down to the village in the morning. Make arrangements for food and supplies and anything else we need.”
“Por supuesto...” Sebastian grinned. “Like you, I feel it is a sin to waste time, especially up here. The faster we get things moving, the more time we have for discovery. I have been making a list of what we will need.” He handed him a folded piece of paper.
Corbett turned to where the three interns sat with two student volunteers, German exchange students from Munich named Gretchen and Heidi, finishing their meal. “Anyone up for a drive down to the village in the morning…?
“I’ll go,” Ella said. The words tumbled out faster than she’d expected. She bit her tongue. “I mean… if you’re looking for volunteers, I’d love to go.”
Corbett nodded, “Right. We’ll leave at dawn.“ Seeing Ella’s face fall, Karim and Roberto exchanged a knowing look. “The rest of you grab an extra hour of sleep. You’re going to need it. That’s it. Big day tomorrow.”
As Corbett moved toward his tent, Karim winked at Roberto, raising the timbre of his voice to mimic Ella’s. “l’ll go…” Immediately picking up on it, Roberto did the same: “No, take me, take me…” Barely able to contain their laughter, they watched as Ella arose from the table.
“Why don’t you both go fuck yourselves,” Ella whispered under her breath. Then turning, she followed Gretchen and Heidi as they made their way to the tent they’d be sharing. Exhausted, she decided there would be plenty of time to wash and get
