by Joshua Hood
“Boss, the natives are getting restless and we have guys wearing Hezbollah yellow moving out into the street. I suggest that you start wrapping it up.”
“Roger that.” Barnes dropped his magazine and slipped a fresh one from his kit and into the mag well. Racking the bolt, he began crawling forward along the low side of the road. One of the rebels popped his head up and Scottie fired from the tower. The rebel’s head pitched violently backward before he slammed into the ground.
Boz’s voice came over the radio. “I’m coming up on your right, V.” Scottie fired again and the colonel heard the round’s dull thump as it hit flesh.
“Anvil 6, stay low, we’re going to move on these fuckers.” Villa fired a four-second burst into the rebels’ position, and Boz ran a few feet past him before diving to the ground. He began firing almost immediately to keep their heads down as Villa jumped up and bounded around him.
Once he was set, he ripped off another burst, allowing Boz to move up. They were so close now that he stayed in a crouch and fired as he moved up. The entire ambush had lasted three minutes and all the rebels were down.
“You two clear through. Harden, you and Scottie bring the van up.” Barnes hopped to his feet and doubled back to retrieve his magazine. “Jones, I assume we can’t come through your way.”
The van pulled up as Villa and Boz were checking the bodies. He watched Boz fire a round into a rebel’s face before continuing.
“I wouldn’t risk it. There’s a company-sized element loading up into a couple of technicals and heading your way.”
“That’s a good copy. When you have a chance, go ahead and move out. We are going to find a way around.”
“Roger that.”
Barnes waited for Boz and Villa to get into the van before he jumped in. He did a quick head count before telling Scottie to move out. Harden already had a route planned and told Scottie to get off the road and drive south. They took it slow as they navigated the terrain, but once it flattened out he was able to pick up the pace. The dust made it hard to see even with night vision, but Scottie was a pro at driving in shitty conditions.
“Anvil 6, we are clear and heading to objective one,” Jones finally reported.
“We will see you there.”
It took them an hour to skirt the settlements and get back on the main road. Harden navigated while the men topped off their magazines and conducted a brief after-action review.
“Villa, I messed up not picking up that extra guy in the house. I didn’t have the angle I thought I did,” Barnes began.
“No worries, boss. I should have picked up that ditch and I should have had a better position off the road. You saved my ass by flanking those shit bags.”
“Hoyt and Jones should have picked that up on the way in and reported it,” Harden said from the front.
“I think I did pretty badass saving everyone. I wish these AKs didn’t suck so I could have kept the high ground,” Boz said.
“Boz, don’t you need to brush your teeth or something?” Scottie called from the front seat.
“You just keep driving and maybe one day when you grow up, you can go on missions with the big boys.”
Barnes waited until the laughter died down before he spoke.
“I want you all to focus on the days ahead. All of our sacrifices have brought us here and our actions will finally turn the tide. While others have given up on the cause, you men have answered the call, and for that I am eternally proud. If I must die to change the world, I will at least take my enemies to hell with me.”
The air was electric as he paused to look at his men. They knew what was at stake and were ready for whatever lay ahead.
Barnes let the silence speak for itself. The colonel’s placid exterior hid the caustic hubris that had been driving him for the past six years. He was good at masking his intent, but the fact remained that his pride demanded the blood sacrifice that his team was about to pour out on the world. All the lofty talk about duty and honor clouded the issue and took the spotlight off the simple fact that Barnes would kill as many people as it took to break the back of radical Islam. It was his belief that it was America’s role to pacify the region, and he was more than willing to go from country to country to achieve his goal.
Harden told the colonel that they were coming up on the outskirts of Damascus and would be arriving at the safe house that Dekker had purchased for them a few days earlier. The team was looking forward to a few hours of downtime before the final push. As they descended from the hills, they could see the lights of the ancient city sprawling out before them.
Scottie had stowed his night vision and was back to using the headlights as he merged into the light traffic. He was glad that the house wasn’t in the heart of the city, because Syrian drivers were terrible. When they were ten minutes out, Harden was able to get Jones on the radio.
Jones told him that they had a green light to come to the house, and Harden began directing the driver through the maze of streets. The house was located in a residential area that was close enough to the target area without being right in the middle of the bustling city.
Barnes felt the tingle of anticipation as he drew closer to his destiny. Tomorrow a new war would begin, and there was no one that he would have to answer to.
CHAPTER 31
* * *
Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
Bagram had changed since Mason was last there. The airfield had doubled in size, but it was still eerily familiar. It made him anxious to be back in Afghanistan, and a sense of fear washed over him as he shouldered his assault pack and set out to find his prey.
He pointed out the Joint Special Operations headquarters, which looked exactly the same as it had the last time Mason had seen it. It was a small building surrounded by a concrete wall, and the sight of it made him feel very exposed as he unconsciously felt for the pistol on his waist.
The compound’s wall was made from Jersey barriers that had been stacked three rows high. The barriers looked exactly like the ones you would find at a construction zone or on the freeway. The wall was about ten feet tall and topped with razor wire. The only other security that he could pick out, besides the guard, was a camera mounted on a wooden pole near the entrance.
A guard sat out front, in a green plastic chair, enjoying a cigarette while basking in the sun. His rifle was leaned against the concrete wall to his left, but he didn’t seem too worried about anyone bothering it.
“Are you sure that’s it?” Zeus asked, looking for the additional security that he assumed he was missing.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
Zeus shrugged and told Mason to stay where he was. The American opened his mouth in protest, but his friend was already walking casually toward the guard, who seemed to be more interested in blowing smoke rings than doing his job. He was able to get within five yards before the guard lazily got to his feet. Zeus showed him his identification card and the two men began talking.
Zeus was careful to keep his head down and away from the camera while he spoke to the guard, and after a few minutes the Libyan turned and walked back to Mason’s position.
“That young man is very polite for an Egyptian. He knows the man we are looking for and told me that he had a very long night and is sleeping in his room right now. Allah always smiles on the faithful.”
“So, what are you thinking? Should we go wake him up?”
“I don’t want to be rude, but we are pressed for time.”
“Well, let’s do it.”
They found a line of Toyota Hiluxes parked near the edge of the compound, and Zeus spotted a set of keys in the third truck he checked. Mason got in the passenger seat, while Zeus drummed along with the CD playing in the cab.
“I like this band, the lady has a good voice. Who is it?” he asked as he drove.
“I don’t know. It’s some kind of teenybopper shit. Do you have any idea where you’re going?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to tel
l me?”
“Not until you tell me the name of this band.”
“I told you that I don’t know.” Mason hit the eject button on the CD player and pulled the silver disc out of the deck. “It says Lady Gaga. Like I said, I’ve never heard of it. If you don’t tell me where we’re going, I’m going to throw it out the window.”
“Put it back in and I’ll tell you.”
Mason slipped the disc back into the stereo and hit the play button. “Done.”
“We are going to the modular housing.”
Zeus slowed the truck to a crawl as he approached a row of modular housing. The “mods” were metal trailers that had been converted into barracks and each had an address attached to the upper-right corner of the building. Once you found the correct row the numbers ascended from front to back.
Mason dug through his assault pack until he found a lock-pick set, a pair of gloves, and a cell phone. He wouldn’t have the luxury of conducting the interrogation the way he wanted, so he was going to have to improvise. He lifted out four black zip ties before closing the bag.
“He told you all of this in a ten-second conversation? How did he know where to find the guy?”
“Just because he guards the CIA’s front door, it doesn’t mean he’s loyal to the Americans. I would expect you to understand this better than anyone.”
“Good point,” Mason said before handing the zip ties to Zeus.
The American stepped out of the truck; his boots crunched over the gravel as he slipped between the metal trailers. He kept walking until he realized that Zeus hadn’t told him the number he was supposed to look for. Stopping at the edge of one of the mods, he waited for Zeus to catch up.
“What’s the number, dickhead?”
“It’s that one right there.”
The building was exactly the same as the ones they were staying in, except that these were painted a dull tan instead of white.
“It’s room number three.” Zeus spoke as he slipped on his gloves.
They moved to the stairs, opened the door, and stepped into a hallway that ran the length of the trailer. As they stopped to let their eyes adjust, Zeus held up five fingers, telling Mason it would be the last room before the bathroom.
Moving slowly down the hall, Mason motioned for Zeus to stay put while he moved into the bathroom. He paused long enough to ensure that no one was inside and then stepped casually through the door. A quick check under the stalls told him that no one was using any of the toilets, and then he headed to the shower area. It was empty and he stepped back into the hall.
Zeus gave him the thumbs-down sign, which meant the door was locked, and Mason took a knee next to the doorknob and carefully inserted the pick into the lock. It had been a while, but after a few seconds of screwing around with the tumblers he managed to disengage the lock and ease the door inward.
Zeus had his pistol out and stepped slowly into the room, and Mason drew his Glock and followed. It was dark inside and the two men waited for their eyes to adjust before moving any deeper. Directly in front of them were two beds pushed against the wall, with two wall lockers forming a neat cube. The lockers effectively cut the room into four sections, making it impossible to see the other two beds.
On the back wall there was a desk and an AC unit that hummed in the dark as it struggled to keep the room cool. Zeus could see the two beds closest to him didn’t have linens on them and he nodded to Mason that he was ready to move. As the two men moved deeper into the room, they could make out a faint glow coming from a window that had been covered by a poncho liner.
Mason moved along the left side of the room until he came to the opening between the wall lockers. He could see a man sleeping in a bed to his right, and he stopped with his pistol up to signal Zeus that he had a target. Zeus moved up to the left side and once he visually cleared his area, he lowered his pistol to give his friend the right of way.
Moving directly toward the bed, Mason popped the hard corner formed between the bed and the lockers. It took only a split second, but once he saw that it was clear he pointed his Glock at the sleeping man and waited for Zeus to tell him it was clear.
Zeus moved up behind him and squeezed his shoulder, which told him he was free to move. General Nantz’s mouth was open slightly as he snored on his back, and Mason inserted the barrel of the pistol into the man’s open mouth. In one smooth motion he forced the pistol to the back of the man’s throat until he gagged.
The general’s eyes shot open while his brain processed what was happening. Zeus leaned in and whispered, “If you move, my friend is going to kill you.” Then he flipped on the small lamp sitting on the desk. “I want you to get up slowly and move to the chair. Nod if you understand me.”
Nantz nodded carefully and slowly sat up in the bed. Zeus grabbed the general’s pistol off the camp stool that sat next to the bed and shoved it into his waistband. Once the general was standing, Mason used the pistol like a bit to guide him until the backs of his legs touched the edge of the chair. He gave Nantz a nudge with the pistol, and the man lowered himself into a seated position.
“Place your hands on the arms of the chair and do not move them, or I will shoot you in the face. Nod if you understand.” Once again he nodded and lowered his arms. Zeus zip-tied the spy’s arms to the chair and then bound his legs together at the ankles. After he was secure, Zeus moved around behind him and slipped another zip tie around his throat. Slowly he clicked the male end of the tie through the female until it was tight enough to be uncomfortable but not affect his breathing.
“I am going to take the gun out of your mouth. If you make any noise, my friend is going to choke you. You need to know that I didn’t bring any cutters with me, so if you make him tighten it, we can’t get it off. Nod if you understand.” Mason waited for the nod before slipping the pistol out of the man’s mouth.
“Before you start talking, I want you to listen. We know who you are and the orders you’ve been giving General Swift. We know that you compromised a team that launched yesterday and that they are all dead. All we want is information, and if you tell us what we need, you will never see us again. If you lie to us, we are going to hurt you. There is a kill team at 365 West Union Street waiting for our call. If you are uncooperative, they will kill your wife and your children. Nod if you understand.”
Drops of sweat appeared on the general’s forehead and dripped down his face when he nodded. His pupils dilated from the adrenaline dumping into his system. The fight-or-flight response was in full effect, but Nantz wasn’t going anywhere. Zeus slipped past him and began searching his bed and the area around it. The Libyan pulled open his wall locker and began tossing the contents onto the floor.
“I need you to pay attention to what’s happening right here. I don’t need you to worry about what my friend is doing. I am going to ask you some questions now. I know your first instinct is to lie, but I want you to fight that. What do you have Swift doing for you in Syria?”
The general stared him right in the face and lied. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mason didn’t say anything. He just moved to the back of the chair and tightened the flex cuff around his neck a few clicks. Pulling the phone from his pocket, he began typing in a series of numbers. He waited for a few seconds, then began talking.
“Saber 6, you are a go to enter the house.”
“Wait, I’ll tell you. You have to understand what’s going on over there while we are stuck in this shit hole. It’s for the good of the country, you have to believe me. I’ll tell you everything you want to know. Just don’t hurt them.”
“General, you probably have two minutes until they have your family.”
“Ask me anything. I swear, I’ll tell you. Just don’t hurt them.”
“Where is Barnes?”
“He is outside of Damascus.”
“What’s the target? You’re wasting time.”
“There’s a mosque in Damascus that he’s going to use to draw the t
errorists into the city. Just like Najaf, Barnes is going to blow up the mosque and let them flood in. Everything I have is in the wall locker. Please don’t hurt my family.”
“You have thirty seconds.”
“There’s a hidden compartment in the back with a thumb drive. Everything that I know is on that drive.”
“Fifteen seconds.”
“That’s all I know, I swear.”
“Ten seconds. Tell me how to find him.”
“I swear to God I don’t know.”
“You’re running an operation in another country and you expect me to believe that you can’t talk to your men? That’s bullshit.”
“We have a secure server that allows us to communicate. The address and the password are on the computer. Please, I swear to you.”
“Saber 6, stand down,” Mason said into the phone. He’d bluffed and won, but he wasn’t sure it would matter.
“Can you keep them safe?”
“I need the password to this computer,” Zeus said from the bed, where he had booted the computer and inserted the thumb drive, which had been exactly where Nantz said it would be.
“It’s Pusher 79810.”
Mason wasn’t listening. He didn’t care what Nantz had on the drive. Right now all he cared about was killing him. Placing his hand on the general’s shoulder, he waited for the signal from Zeus. The Libyan looked up from the computer and nodded. Mason bent down and grabbed the zip tie.
“I want you to know that if I ever get back to the States, I’m going to kill everyone you care about.” Nantz tried to say something, but Mason was already pulling the zip tie as tight as he could.
The general’s legs shot out as his brain told him that there was a big problem. He tried to get his hands to his throat, but they were tied down, and the only thing he could do was twist and turn in his chair as the oxygen was slowly cut off.
Mason turned the chair so he could look into the man’s eyes as the light faded from them and Nantz fell still.
