“What you think? Dinner, what else?”
“Why give them to me?”
“Because there is much to do. You are young like the day, not old like me. Move… quick. Must be gutted and skinned”
“Gutted…?” Karim stared at the old man, his horror intensifying. “But I’m vegan.”
“Vegan… what means ‘vegan’?”
“I don’t eat meat.”
Gorka shrugged. “Maybe you should. Gutted and skinned. Right away. I make stew for tonight.”
“This is insane.”
“Enough. Do not talk. Do… do! And stop whining. You sound like old woman.”
Karim watched the old Basque disappear into the cook tent then stared down at the dead rabbits at his feet in disgust. How could this be happening? Perhaps this was Allah’s way of punishing him for his sins.
“Here… leave them to me,” Antonio’s voice caught him by surprise. Turning, Karim felt a strange rush of excitement and relief at finding the Spaniard standing there. Reaching down, Antonio collected the rabbits. Feeling him so close sent a visceral charge coursing through Karim’s body. He stared in silence, clearly grateful, yet guilt ridden over their encounter from the day before.
“Gracias…” Karim managed at last, his voice barely a whisper.
“No es nada…” Antonio replied. “Esta noche. Come to the truck after supper. ¿Entiendes?”
Karim managed a nod. Turning with a seductive smile, Antonio moved off to skin the rabbits leaving Karim alone to wrestle with his conflicted thoughts. Though he had always hidden the truth from his parents, who were both devout Muslims, Karim had found himself attracted to men for as long as he could remember. Growing up in the London Borough of Redbridge, he had openly dated girls to deflect suspicion, but once away at school, he had led a secret double life. Unable to help himself, he had sought guidance as he attempted to embrace God’s word. By Shari’ah Law, sex between two men must be punishable by death. But in the holy Qur’an, Karim had found solace in the verse that proclaimed: “And as for the two of you men who are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. And if they repent and improve, then let them be. Lo! Allah is Merciful.” And so he had attempted to repent only to succumb to temptation time and again. As a result, he had recently struck a bargain with God. Whatever lustful transgressions he might commit, he had promised Allah he would, in the end, faithfully atone. Praying for the strength to make Antonio his last, he started up the incline toward the cave.
*****
Beyond the cluster of tents, Sebastian knelt beside the misshapen front bumper of the Land Rover, examining the damage done the night before.
“Should’ve been paying more attention. Never even saw the turn coming until it was too late. If I hadn’t struck the rock, I probably would have gone over the edge.” Standing beside him, Corbett attempted to sound nonchalant as he recounted his version of the events of the previous evening while carefully concealing the truth.
“You were fortunate. You could have been killed.” Sebastian replied, rising. “The wheel and axle seem to be intact. Just superficial body damage. Land Rover is built like a tank. But let me have Hector take a look just to be safe.”
“Tell Professor Asurias I will make arrangements to have the damage repaired once we return. If the university insurance doesn’t cover it, I’ll pay for it myself.”
“You are very kind. But I am certain that will not be necessary.” Sebastian frowned. “What I am not so clear about is what prompted you to drive off like that?”
“Malaria,” Corbett improvised forcing a self-conscious wince. “Picked it up in Africa a couple of years back. Comes and goes. When I stopped by the medical clinic in Xeria, I’d asked them to order some chloroquine tablets for me just in case. They sent it up by messenger. Only I missed him. When they said he’d just left, I thought I could catch him. Stupid idea.”
“At least you were not hurt,” Sebastian said before changing he subject. “By the way, just inside the mouth of the cave, we have discovered an imprint of a human hand painted on the wall. It is difficult to say how long ago or who left it, but there appears to be some sort of burial mound directly beneath it.”
“Really?”
“I thought that while you and the others were exploring and mapping the cave, I would begin excavating the area immediately adjacent to the entrance. One never knows. If we are fortunate, it might provide some clue as to who these cave dwellers really were.”
Corbett nodded. “Good idea. Let me know what you find. Meanwhile, I owe Professor Asurias a progress report. It’s looking like we should be able to set up the Laser Scanner and begin mapping by sometime this afternoon.”
“Excellent. See you up there,” Sebastian smiled as he turned and started up the mountain in the direction of the cave. Corbett watched him go then headed back in the direction of his tent.
He had felt badly about lying to Sebastian. But some things could not be avoided. To explain the true nature of the accident the previous evening would have required more than he was willing to divulge. Fortunately, the natural configuration of the mountains had essentially acted as a baffle neutralizing the sounds of gunfire. But the entire incident served to underscore the urgency of the operation. He would need to exfiltrate Tariq as soon as possible. Then end the subterfuge. Just focus on the work at hand.
As he moved through the camp, Corbett’s thoughts returned to the two men in the red Peugeot, their faces filled with fear and rage as their car went thundering over the edge. Like the two men he had been forced to kill in the street in Xeria. No doubt they all were part of the same ISIS sleeper cell. Hate-filled zealots on
