Wanda

by carl smothers

  “Deliver it immediately.” The fat man turned, walked back to his STV and left.

  Yasaid considered the scene he had just witnessed. Why would someone deliver a package for the sheik at the mosque? Very curious. Maybe I should investigate. He checked his watch. Damn, if I don’t leave now I’ll miss my flight. I have to get back. “Let’s go,” he said.

  Chapter 19

  Anwar, Pakistan

  The flight back was uneventful, and it was a beautiful day in Anwar. After landing, Yasaid took off his tie and jacket, picked up his Mercedes STV and the computer drove him to his office. He felt good about the meeting with the sheik. After a cup of tea, he accessed his mail and his secretary brought the folders with all of the urgent business matters outlined. As he opened his file, the phone rang.

  “This is Yasaid. How may I help you?”

  It was the sheik, “Yasaid, someone tried to kill me yesterday.”

  “May Allah bless us, are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?”

  “It was a bomb! Small, but big enough to destroy the room I was using. Fortunately, I was in the adjoining courtyard in prayer and only received a few scratches. My ears are still ringing. Other than that, I’m all right. Ten other people were killed.”

  “Your Grace, it must have been the SWG. If they have taken such a bold step, they’ll strike again. I suggest you relocate to Anwar for your own safety. Besides, the Egyptian government has not been that cordial. I think President Hussein still holds a grudge against us. That’s another score that must be settled.”

  “I agree. I plan to come to Anwar later this week. I’ll stay at your beautiful home and make it our headquarters.”

  “It is my honor to accommodate you. I’ll have a driver and bodyguards pick you up. Just let me know when and what time. We’re going to make those bastards pay for this atrocity, Your Grace.”

  “They will pay all right,” he snarled. “See you soon.”

  After talking to the sheik, Yasaid realized he had seen the bomb delivered. The SWG had intended to kill both of them.

  The bastards knew I was there to meet with the sheik. Looks like their Intel organization is quite good also. I think I’ve underestimated them.

  The SWG was going to step up attacks. That meant he had to increase security — not only at his home, but also at the project site. He called General Yungsi Sone to arrange a visit and inform him of the attempt on the sheik’s life. After their conversation, he phoned Olmid Abdual. “Olmid, we must go to the Waziristan Valley. Please pick me up tomorrow morning at eight.”

  “I’ll get everything ready. See you then.”

  “Don’t forget my automatic,” Yasaid reminded him. After the call, Yasaid sat at his desk playing with a 9 mm shell and reflected about his old friend. He thought back over his twenty years in the Movement of Allah. Much of that time, Olmid served by his side, and together, they had been through many vicious gunfights with the Sacred Warriors of God.

  He remembered that night in Mogadishu. It was hot and steamy. His clothes were soaked, his eyes stung from the sweat running down his forehead. He had been in a heated gunfight and killed five men. Two SWG soldiers had pursued him into an alley and opened fire. Fortunately, Olmid ended their days before they could finish him off. Yasaid still had shrapnel in one leg and three bullet hole scars marred his chest as a souvenir.

  I’m sure glad Olmid’s going with me. He’s one tough little son of a bitch. I’m not sure what I’ll find at the facility, but I may ask him to take over security.

  Yasaid was restless and couldn’t sleep. His mind was preoccupied with the upcoming visit to the weapon facility. Every time he had gone there he wound up in a bloody shootout with the SWG. Tired of rolling around, he got up and decided to clean his 9 mm to relieve his anxiety. An hour later, satisfied with his task, he put a couple extra clips in his pocket, registered a round in the chamber and set the safety.

  He checked the clock, for the third time, and then looked out the window. He smiled as his ride pulled in front of the house — right on time. A small, frail-looking man got out and leaned against the STV. Yasaid grabbed a thermos of tea, stuck the 9 mm in his belt and then went outside to join his old friend. Olmid’s round face, handle bar moustache, wire frame glasses and signature turban gave him a perpetual happy face look. His appearance always made Yasaid smile, but he knew it concealed a very tough, loyal and efficient killer. Nothing scared the little man.

  “Good morning, Olmid. Did you bring the weapons?”

  “Good morning, Yasaid. They’re under the seat.”

  Yasaid got in and retrieved a 10 mm automatic, pulled back the slide to register a round and set the safety. He then activated the laser pointer, and spotted it against a louver on his house.

  What a fine accessory, he thought, admiring the new laser sight. “Praise Allah, I hope we don’t have to shoot our way through the Waziristan Valley like we did last time. Those pigs from the SWG will probably have some high caliber weapons. If they intercept us, the shit is really going to hit the fan. Sure would hate to get my ass shot off before we reach the facility.”

  “Allah willing, I’ll die happy knowing I took a bunch of the slugs with me,” Olmid said with a smile. “I’d like to help them get their mansion and seventy two virgins. Hope they take a lot of erection pills with them.”

  Yasaid snickered, took a deep breath. I just hope we make this trip without a shoot out.

  Olmid directed the computer to pull the STV into traffic and head for the frontier. It would take an hour to get out of Anwar and onto the pothole-ridden road leading to the valley. “How was your visit with the sheik?” Olmid asked.

  “Good, but the SWG tried to kill him the day I left. I’m sure they were after me, too.”

  “What happened?”

  “Someone left a bomb by the prayer room at the mosque. Fortunately, the sheik was outside praying in the courtyard when it exploded and only received a few scratches. The bomb must have gone off right after I left.”

  “Praise be to Allah. I’m relieved to know the sheik wasn’t harmed,” Olmid said. “Sooner or later we must deal with this pack of sewer rats. They’re getting far too bold. We need to finish them once and for all. I’m dying to pull a trigger when the time comes. I’d like nothing better than to kill a bunch of those bastards.”

  Yasaid smiled and thought, so would I, my friend.

  Suddenly, another vehicle swung in front of them. The computer swerved to avoid t- boning him. “You son of a bitch! Watch where you’re going!” Olmid screamed. “Shit! Get ‘em off a camel and these stupid bastards don’t have a clue about what they’re doing. It’s almost as bad as Cairo.”

  At the outskirts of the city, the magnetic grid terminated. The computer automatically began the seamless crossover procedure to activate the Off Grid System. It extended the wheels from their internal compartments and deactivated the levitation system. The magnetically driven drive motors activated as the wheels touched down. The computer increased the drive frequency and the STV headed down the unmaintained, gravel road to the weapon facility. From here on travel would be very dangerous.

  Chapter 20

  The Frontier

  Waziristan Valley, Pakistan

  After three hours of driving on a bumpy, dusty road in sweltering heat, they reached the frontier. MOA guards armed with automatic weapons stopped them.

  “Give me your papers.” The guard showed no emotion as he checked the inside of their vehicle and looked them over suspiciously.

  Yasaid pulled the holographic chip from his vest pocket and handed it to the guard. The guards were hard line militarists, who were very professional at what they did. The leader, a large mean-looking man known as Mohammed, dressed in black robes with ammo belts strapped across his chest, took the chip. After checking it, he went to his tactical STV (TSTV).The battle-worn TSTV was riddled with bullet holes, and had a 70 cal machine gun outfitted with an impulse round chamber, mounted on the back. After a phone call,
he came back.

  “General Yungsi Sone has authorized your transport to the site,” he said.

  Yasaid nodded his approval.

  “You must get in my vehicle for the last leg,” Mohammed told them as he returned the chip. A second man took his position at the machine gun and loaded a belt of high impulse ammunition. Yasaid only knew of Mohammed by reputation — a bad dude. He had close-set, beady eyes that held a crazy look. His short black scrawny beard and yellow teeth, several of which were missing, his large frame, and hook-type Arab nose made him look very ferocious. He was.

  The trip through the hazardous narrow mountain roads was making Yasaid nervous. Mohammed had put the TSTV on manual mode and was driving as if he had a death wish. On each curve, the vehicle skidded sideways and the wheels barely stayed on the road. Gravel spilled down the steep embankments, rushing towards the valley five hundred meters below. The machine gunner’s hands never left the trigger mechanism of the 70 cal. Yasaid looked down the embankment on each curve and noted how far it was to the bottom. No one would survive a fall over that, he thought. Well, so far so good. No SWG. This guy drives like a crazy man.

  After an hour, the vehicle rounded a turn in the mountain road. Up ahead, Yasaid saw a small valley-like area carved out of the mountain and covered with scrubby brush. It appeared as though the road construction people had excavated a large enclave to park their equipments and store materials.

  Suddenly, a rocket-propelled, armor piercing impulse grenade exploded close to the TSTV, jarring the men and throwing the machine gunner off the vehicle. He rolled several times before he skidded to a halt.

  Mohammed stopped the vehicle with such force it slid around and almost went off the side of the cliff. He screamed at Yasaid. “Get weapons from under the seat and get behind the vehicle! I don’t know how many of the dogs are hiding in the brush. We have a fight on our hands. Allah be praised. It’s a great day to be killing!”

  The gunner climbed back onto the TSTV, cocked the machine gun and sprayed bullets at the attackers. The first few rounds of the 70 cal took out several attackers hiding in the brush of the enclave. Yasaid and Olmid loaded their assault weapons and began shooting at positions they saw smoke coming from. It was hard to get a clean shot. The incoming weapon fire was intense and pinned them down behind their vehicle.

  Only one group is going to leave here alive, Yasaid thought. I hope it’s us. Wonder how the bastards knew we were coming.

  Bullets ricocheted off the side of the vehicle. Several more impulse grenades exploded behind them throwing dirt and rock into their backs. Yasaid’s head hurt from the concussions. He shook it to clear his thoughts.

  Olmid slammed in another clip. “Shit!” he screamed as he returned fire. “The bastards are thicker than fleas on a dog’s back.”

  Yasaid cleared the dirt from his eyes, and then opened fire. The first rounds from his weapon killed two of the SWG. He smiled and continued to fire. It was hard to get a clean shot. Every time he popped up, the enemy would respond with automatic weapons, spraying bullets all around him. The incoming rounds were so dense, it was like standing in the middle of a swarm of bees. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the front fender of the TSTV and blew it off. The explosion ejected the machine gunner from the vehicle and he almost went over the side of the cliff. The sound of the explosion nearly ruptured Yasaid’s eardrums. He winced with pain. He could hear Mohammed curse as he returned fire.

  The machine gunner crawled back onto the bed of the TSTV and restarted the 70 cal. They could hear the attackers scream as the large caliber shells tore their bodies apart. Arms, legs and heads were scattered all over the kill zone.

  Mohammed was firing impulse rounds at the SWG. The impulse rounds took their toll, blowing more enemy soldiers apart. Yasaid rose up slightly to fire. A bullet grazed his cheek. Blood streamed down his face. He screamed and wiped the blood off. Cursing loudly he returned fire as fast as he could, hitting several more attackers. More impulse grenades exploded behind them, throwing both Olmid and Yasaid away from their vehicle, knocking their weapons from their hands.

  They both lie there in a daze. Olmid’s nose was bleeding from the blast and Yasaid’s head hurt. They finally cleared their heads enough to crawl back behind the TSTV without taking a hit. The sounds of exploding rounds filled the air, and bullets riddled the ground all around them.

  It was hard to see. Smoke and dirt filled the still air, and the gunpowder created so much pollution it was hard to breathe.

  I’ll be lucky if I have any hearing left, Yasiad thought. Blood ran down his face. He was worried. Even though they had killed a lot of the attackers, the enemy was having no problem returning their fire. It was obvious they were grossly outnumbered.

  After twenty minutes, Olmid yelled, “I’m tired of this shit!” Ignoring a swarm of incoming fire, he jumped up and ran across the road, screaming and firing his weapon. A machine gun burst hit him in the arm. He went down with a scream and a thud.

  When Olmid hit the ground, Yasaid saw enemy soldiers moving towards him. If they got to him before he did they would slit Olmid’s throat. He jumped up yelling and ran towards his friend, shooting short bursts killing two of the enemy trying to get to Olmid. Being captured meant horrible pain and torture and Yasaid was not about to let that happen to either of them — at least not as long as he was alive.

  Twenty feet from Olmid, the SWG responded with several more rocket–propelled impulse grenades. The last one knocked Yasaid to the ground. Yasaid lie there for a moment, stunned. His head was dizzy, pounding with pain from the concussion of the grenade. He cleared his head, wiped the blood from his face then looked for his weapon.

  “Thank Allah my gun is okay,” he murmured. He shoved another clip in and fired at his attackers who were slowly moving in on his position.

  The machine gunner did a sector sweep with the 70 cal. At his second burst, the enemy soldiers responded with several deadly rounds that blew the back of his head off, showering blood and brains all over the bed of the vehicle. Killed instantly, he fell by the side of the vehicle.

  Yasaid’s adrenaline rush made him oblivious to the danger. He continued firing and moved ever so close to his wounded friend’s position. He winced as the bits of rock and sand thrown up by the bullets bouncing off the ground around him hit his face and stung his eyes. He couldn’t stop to wipe his eyes least the SWG close on him. His whole body hurt from the concussions and the bits of rock lodged in his skin. Warm blood trickled down his chest.

  As he got close to Olmid, an enemy soldier jumped up a few feet away and fired three rounds that tore the turban from his head. Yasaid winced, and then responded with automatic fire that cut the soldier in half. Blood sprayed the ground and Yasaid. The soldier’s guts spilled out of his torso.

  Mohammed jumped up from his position and retrieved the 70 cal. It didn’t take long for him the end the fight.

  After the firing stopped, Yasaid finally got to Olmid. “Are you hurt badly?”

  Olmid looked up at Yasaid and, with a grimace grunted, “No. Just a flesh wound. I‘ll be fine.”

  “Let me help you up.”

  Yasaid knew Olmid would never disclose the extent of his pain. It was the tough little man’s way. It would have to be bad before he would say much.

  As they returned to the battered vehicle, Mohammed wiped dirt from his eyes. “I think they had about thirty soldiers. Well, the pigs are all dead now. Allah was truly on our side today.” Mohammed stared at his dead companion. “You know, Mosouf and I served in Africa for four years and fought many bloody battles together. I will miss him. He was a friend and a good soldier.”

  Yasaid retrieved the first aid kit and bandaged Olmid’s wound. It wasn’t the first time he had administered aid to his friend.

  “Do you need a pain killer?” Mohammed asked.

  Olmid laughed and said, “For a scratch?”

  Once they had attended to Olmid, Yasaid helped Mohammed put Mosouf’s body in the back of th
e vehicle and covered it with a tarp. He then attended to his own wounds. His face felt like some wildcat had scratched it to pieces. Mohammed jumped in the driver’s seat and pulled the vehicle back on the road.

  Yasaid was still worried. “Do you expect any more problems?”

  “No. We ran into an SWG recon group. They were probably resting in the valley when they spotted us. I think we killed most of them, so they’ll leave us alone now. Allah was truly on our side this day.”

  The rest of the trip was somber. Yasaid thought about what Sheik Oganda had told him. He wondered if there would be more trouble, and how it might affect the project. I wonder if we can really pull this off. The sheik has such great plans, and he is smart, but no one has been able to conquer the whole world since the Romans. Now the world is bigger and much more dangerous.

  The roads grew worse and the vehicle bounced and jumped around. Mohammed didn’t make it any better. His driving is still insane, Yasaid thought. The vehicle hit a big pothole and Yasaid’s head rammed the top of the cab. “Shit, Mohammed,” he yelled. “Do you have to drive like a crazy man? Why don’t you activate the computer?” He rubbed his head to ease the pain.

  Mohammed laughed. “I hate fucking computers. I don’t trust ‘em.”

  “Who is this General Sone? I’ve heard of him, but I don’t know anything about his background,” Olmid said. His voice not disclosing any hint of pain.

  “He joined our group about ten years ago. At one time, he was the North Korean Secretary of War and then Minister of Science and Technology,” Yasaid said. “He and the dictator, Jouel Sung Un, got into a disagreement over a nuclear deal with Egypt. He left the country after Egyptian special ops killed his family at his home in Penjing.”

  “Ouch,” Olmid cried out, as Mohammed hit another big pothole and slammed him into the door.

  “Damn, Mohammed! Are you trying to kill us?” Yasaid complained. “Where was I? Oh, yes. Eventually Sone immigrated to Pakistan and linked up with the MOA. His science and defense background was ideal to allow him to head up the project. He’s an intelligent man totally dedicated to the destruction of the western powers, Egypt and the SWG.”