*****
Hearing the shouts coming from beyond the house, Jarral quickly completed his absolutions, collected his prayer rug and ran around to the front of the farmhouse where Buttar was ordering one of the men to drive the VW Jetta into the middle of the road.
“What are you doing?” Jarral cried.
“Tariq…!” Buttar shot back. “Raza spotted him in the camp of the Infidel. He’s driving this way. We must stop him.”
“Tariq…?” Jarral repeated as if only half believing his ears. “Are you sure?”
But before he could answer, the roar of a distant engine could be heard racing down the mountain toward them. Turning, both men glanced in the direction of the campsite only to spot the medical van in the middle of the road now careening toward them.
“There he is,” Buttar shouted pointing toward the fast approaching vehicle. “Stop him…!”
*****
Approaching the abandoned farmhouse at breakneck speed, Tariq could see several men clustered around a gray, rusted VW Jetta that had been driven out into the roadway blocking his path. Seeing the van careening toward them, the men scattered. At the same time, one of the men produced a rifle and dropped into a prone position across the hood of the Jetta. Taking aim at the oncoming van, he began to fire.
As the rounds glanced off the hood of the van, Tariq crouched low behind the wheel. Then clutching it with both hands, he pulled hard to the left just before the moment of impact, causing the van to barely avoid a collision. At the same time, a bullet struck the windshield, spidering the glass. Missing the VW by inches, Tariq managed to fly past as the men scattered. Reaching the main road, he cornered hard and headed for Xeria.
*****
Having clearly seen Tariq’s face through the cracked windshield as the van raced past, Jarral shouted to Buttar and the others.
“After him…! He must not escape.”
Obeying his command, the others started to scramble back onto the gravel road. But before they could reach the VW, a new sound caught their attention as the red Peugeot now bore down upon them from behind. Scattering again, they watched as the red car clipped the front bumper of the VW, sending it into the ditch. Fighting to keep the Peugeot from veering out of control, Raza managed to turn onto the main road and take off in pursuit of the van.
*****
At the same time, from the driver’s seat of the Rover, Corbett gripped the steering wheel as the car bounced down the rock-strewn path toward the main road. Ahead, he could see the Peugeot sideswipe another car, knocking it to the side of the roadway as it thundered after the van.
Stepping hard on the accelerator, Corbett sped past the disabled Jetta, narrowly avoiding a collision as he fought for control. Somewhere close at hand, the sound of sporadic gunfire erupted. Clutching the wheel, he pumped the brakes as the Rover fishtailed through the loose gravel. Reaching the paved road below, he downshifted as he made the turn for Xeria, acutely aware that somewhere ahead Tariq was in danger.
*****
Nearly a half mile ahead, Tariq pressed the gas pedal to the floor to no avail. Glancing at the rearview mirror, he found the Peugeot charging hard from behind. Without warning, the Peugeot slammed into the back of the van as Tariq struggled to keep it from leaving the pavement. A moment later, the red car rear-ended him again. In the mirror, Tariq could see the Jihadi in the passenger seat begin to extend his upper body out of the side window. Wedging himself against the window frame, the man raised his AK-47 and took aim at the medical van’s tires. Reacting, Tariq swerved to the left as the man opened fire, striking the rear right quarter panel, barely missing the tire.
Without warning, they entered a series of switchbacks, causing the would-be assassin’s next shots to miss wildly as well. Eyes fixed on the road before him, Tariq pressed down hard on the accelerator, once more attempting to gain separation from the terrorists behind him. Abruptly, the Peugeot slammed into van from behind, again causing Tariq to nearly lose control as the entire frame of the medical van shuddered. Hitting the gas, he urged the van forward.
*****
Behind and above them, Corbett drove the Land Rover swiftly along the road, attempting to make up the lost ground. On the road below, he could see them jockeying their way through the switchbacks as the road reversed course more than once, before sending the cars back in his direction. Slowing, he pulled across to the left-hand side of the roadway, easing the Rover over onto the steep mountain incline. Coming to a complete stop, he engaged the four-wheel drive, then re-engaged the clutch and began the steep descent.
*****
On the road below, Tariq could see the blacktop narrow ahead of him as a pair of rock walls arose on either side, constricting the passage to barely enough room for two vehicles to slip past side by side. At the same time, an antique rusted tractor pulling a hay wagon hauling a half dozen bales approached from the opposite direction with nowhere to go. Essentially trapped by the natural channel formed by the rock walls, the tractor kept coming.
Trying hard to avoid the tractor, Tariq turned the steering wheel of the van to the right causing the right front fender to sideswipe the rock wall itself. Metal screaming, sparks flying, it raced toward the oncoming hay wagon. Seeing this, the farmer did his best to avoid a head-on collision then leaped from the driver’s seat. With the passenger side of the van continuing to grind along the wall, Tariq could feel the heat coming off the rock face as a shower of shards ricocheted off the hood. Suddenly, a cascade of sparks exploded from the grinding metal, igniting the hay. Flattening himself against the rock wall, the farmer watched in horror as the driverless hay wagon careened out of control then overturned, its inertia propelling the flaming bales on along the road ahead as the van hurtled past.
Following close behind, the Peugeot was going too fast to avoid the fiery debacle unfolding directly before it. Still hanging out the open passenger side window, Akif saw what was about to happen and scrambled to pull his body back inside. At the same time, Raza clung to the steering wheel and attempted to pump the brakes. Dodging one hay bale, he veered back to the right attempting to avoid the second only to slam directly into it. Eyes filled with panic Raza let a silent cry escape his lips as the Peugeot plowed through the burning hay. Bursting out from the fiery barrier, they shot past the wreck of the hay wagon and out the other side of the narrow passage.
White-knuckling the wheel with both hands, Raza fought to regain control of the Peugeot. A hundred meters ahead, he could see the van now limping down the road toward the village. Hitting the gas, he began closing the distance once more.
Glancing in his rearview mirror, Tariq could see the Peugeot bearing down on him. Unable to outrun them, he prepared himself for impact. Totally focused on the road, both drivers failed to see the Land Rover as it swiftly descended across the downslope from the road above.
Locked on the Peugeot, Corbett estimated the distance as he closed in, timing his move. Then just as the van drove past, he hit the accelerator, propelling the Rover forward, striking the Peugeot in the driver’s side door. For an instant, he could see the two men in the front seat, their faces frozen, caught completely by surprise.
Raza, the driver, fought to hold the Peugeot on course, but lost control as the car left the road. Beside him, the gunman, Akif, reflexively gripped the trigger of the Kalashnikov, firing wildly through the roof of the vehicle as they went over the embankment. Careening down the steep incline, it began tumbling end over end.
At the same time, still tight-roping along the edge of the roadway above, Corbett slammed his foot on the brake pedal as he muscled the Rover hard to the left to avoid following the Peugeot over the precipice as well. Tires smoking, the vehicle came to a shuddering halt.
Corbett caught his breath and climbed out from behind the wheel. Stepping to the edge of the roadway, he stared down, watching as the Peugeot struck the rocks far below, its gas tank rupturing as it exploded. A moment later, the car was fully engulfed in flames. Glancing back, Corbe
tt watched as Tariq, now a half-mile ahead, nursed the damaged medical van along the road leading to Xeria.
Relieved, Corbett climbed behind the wheel once more. Then putting the Rover into a tight U-turn, he started back up the mountain toward camp. Reaching the deserted farmhouse as the sun set behind the mountains, he cornered and headed back toward the base camp. Neither the Jetta nor the men he had seen surrounding it were anywhere in sight.
NINETEEN
T he rabbit stood stock still in the early morning light, its coat blending almost perfectly with the scrub grass and fieldstone. Instinctively, it wrinkled its nose, searching for a scent of danger. The crack of a rifle. The force of the bullet slamming into the rabbit sent the animal reeling, head over heels. Coming to a stop a dozen feet beyond where it had been crouching, clearly in shock, its body convulsed as its life ebbed away.
Gorka stood, bandolier across his torso, sighting down the barrel of an antique .32 caliber carbine as a wisp of gun smoke hung in the air. Lowering the weapon, his eyes still fixed on his kill, he moved slowly forward to collect his prize. From his leather belt hung two more dead rabbits, enough for a stew. Collecting the third, he trussed it there beside the others and lumbered back toward the cook tent.
As he drew closer, the old man spotted Karim just emerging after breakfast. Catching sight of the old Basque returning, Karim avoided eye contact and attempted to move in the opposite direction.
“Ongi etorriak…!” the old man called. Karim kept moving.
“You… deaf boy. Don’t run away.”
With unexpected speed, Gorka intercepted him as Karim feigned surprise. “Beg pardon…” he said in English as if to suggest he had been so lost in thought that he failed to hear him. Without ceremony, the old man untied the rabbits and thrust them into his hands. Karim reacted recoiling in mild horror as he allowed the rabbits to slip through his fingers. The old man shook his head in disgust.
“What are you doing?” Karim asked.
“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 a mission from God. True, every religion had them. Irrational obsessives, prepared to die for their belief in an unknown and unknowable God – that faceless cypher which each true believer embraced as his own.
What did it say in Genesis? “So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him…” Which begged the question: who wrote those words? Certainly not God. It could only hav
e been a man. Making such a claim was the height of hubris. Narcissism taken to the nth degree.
Reaching his tent, Corbett stepped inside. Moving to his suitcase, he removed his computer from its hidden compartment and set it on the field desk. Plugging it in, he waited as it booted up allowing his mind to continue its rant. Where was the common thread linking the three great religions to emerge from the Middle East: Judaism, Christianity and Islam? Suppose God had been nothing more than a hallucination. Yahweh, the Lord God Almighty, and Allah… each one a mystical byproduct of fasting, sleep deprivation, thirst and hunger spread by delusional, irrational, self-proclaimed prophets. What if the word of God was nothing more than a series of contradictions, half-truths and superstitious ramblings? Little wonder it should lead to misunderstanding, misery, violence and death. And while men spilled each other’s blood over which was the truer lie, god, that eternal enigma, sits mute allowing the carnage to mount in his name. Families destroyed, innocents slaughtered… War without end.
At last the email icon appeared on the screen. Corbett clicked on it and entered the encryption code. Typing Reed’s email address, he wrote:
Dear Mom: Have encountered serious complications in town. Situation grave. To avoid contamination will need to move patient A.S.A.P. For complete recovery, urgent you send travel prescription now. – Sonny
Clicking on “SEND,” he waited for the screen to confirm the message had been delivered, then shut down the computer once more before returning it to its compartment and heading back up the mountain.
*****
It was just after noon by the time Corbett actually reached the entrance to the cave. A string of LED lights, still unlit, had been strategically placed to illuminate the upper reaches of the cavern. With the elevator cage now tethered by cable to the winch, the bulk of the equipment including the aluminum case containing the Riegel 3D Laser Scanner stood to one side along with its tripod ready to be lowered into the cavern below, where Roberto and Karim would begin assembling it. To one side, Ella waited with her photographic equipment, impatiently checking everything for the umpteenth time. Catching his eye, she smiled.
The Exfiltrator Page 16
