You don’t have all the fact—”
“I have all the facts, Agent Cooper, more than your clearance will grant you. Mr. Turk, leave. Go be with your family.”
Despite Agent Perry’s words, Cooper didn’t move, so Dylan sidestepped her and disappeared out the door. He didn’t know what was happening. All he could focus on was getting to his kids. That’s all that mattered.
Chapter 5 – 7:00 a.m.
The sun had finally made its way all the way up past the horizon. The light warmed Kasaika’s face. He closed his eyes and drew in a breath. “ Bismillah. ” After the words left his mouth, he walked back over to the dilapidated structure, past the rusting gas pumps, over the cracked concrete with grass and weeds poking through, and into the garage, where Sefkh, Zet, and the others waited. “He’s late.” Kasaika took a seat next to the piles of explosives.
“Patience, brother,” Sefkh replied. “Your changes in delivery have affected some of our times. Our men will show up.”
“Every second we waste is another for the Americans to catch up,” Zet said, spitting at the ground. “Now was not the time for changes.”
The room grew tenser with each moment that came and went. And then, carried by the wind, a light rumble came from down the road. Kasaika quickly grabbed his rifle along with the other fighters, and the men stood guard behind the crumbling structures as the sound grew louder. A lack of punctuality for a mission like this was cause for concern, and while the location was remote, there was always the chance that an unwanted guest could stumble across their path randomly.
The front of a garbage truck revealed itself as it bended the corner, and Kasaika felt himself let out a sigh of relief, and his body went slack. He lowered his weapon, but the rest of the men did not. They kept their guard up until the garbage truck parked itself and the driver got out. Once they determined the cause of his absence and checked the truck for any wires or traps, they lowered their guard.
Sefkh must have noticed the look on Kasaika’s face, because a few moments later he felt his hand on his shoulder. “We cannot be too careful, brother. Every single one of us understands what will happen to us if we fail or if we are caught. We have all accepted this fate, just as you have. But that doesn’t mean we are willing to fall into traps so easily.”
“Of course,” Kasaika said. “It’s smart, Sefkh. Well done.” The bombs were loaded from the back of the vans into the garbage truck, with the small unit of men that would be placing the bombs around the city. With the time of day and the current disguise, even if the United States intelligence had found something by the time they were in the city, it would be too late.
“They know the routes like the backs of their hands,” Sefkh said. “And we confirmed earlier this morning that all of the markers are still in place for the explosives’ deliveries.”
Zet checked his watch and rounded everyone up. “We need to move. We have less than two hours before the next phase.” The other modes of transportation that they arrived in were doused with gasoline and set ablaze. The fires burned hot behind them as they made their way through the backwoods, wading through thick swamps on their march.
Kasaika turned to look back one last time, watching the smoke from the fires go up. By the time the authorities showed up and tried finding anything, the city would be locked down. No one would be allowed in or out, keeping the populace vulnerable for the bombs already in place.
***
Dylan gripped the back of the headrest of the passenger seat until his knuckles turned white. The taxi driver turned onto East Boulevard and pulled up to the gated community where his children and ex-wife lived. The security officer stepped out of his booth, and Dylan rolled down his window. “Dylan Turk to see Evelyn Harth.”
“I know who you are, Mr. Turk,” the security officer drawled.
“I have all the facts, Agent Cooper, more than your clearance will grant you. Mr. Turk, leave. Go be with your family.”
Despite Agent Perry’s words, Cooper didn’t move, so Dylan sidestepped her and disappeared out the door. He didn’t know what was happening. All he could focus on was getting to his kids. That’s all that mattered.
Chapter 5 – 7:00 a.m.
The sun had finally made its way all the way up past the horizon. The light warmed Kasaika’s face. He closed his eyes and drew in a breath. “ Bismillah. ” After the words left his mouth, he walked back over to the dilapidated structure, past the rusting gas pumps, over the cracked concrete with grass and weeds poking through, and into the garage, where Sefkh, Zet, and the others waited. “He’s late.” Kasaika took a seat next to the piles of explosives.
“Patience, brother,” Sefkh replied. “Your changes in delivery have affected some of our times. Our men will show up.”
“Every second we waste is another for the Americans to catch up,” Zet said, spitting at the ground. “Now was not the time for changes.”
The room grew tenser with each moment that came and went. And then, carried by the wind, a light rumble came from down the road. Kasaika quickly grabbed his rifle along with the other fighters, and the men stood guard behind the crumbling structures as the sound grew louder. A lack of punctuality for a mission like this was cause for concern, and while the location was remote, there was always the chance that an unwanted guest could stumble across their path randomly.
The front of a garbage truck revealed itself as it bended the corner, and Kasaika felt himself let out a sigh of relief, and his body went slack. He lowered his weapon, but the rest of the men did not. They kept their guard up until the garbage truck parked itself and the driver got out. Once they determined the cause of his absence and checked the truck for any wires or traps, they lowered their guard.
Sefkh must have noticed the look on Kasaika’s face, because a few moments later he felt his hand on his shoulder. “We cannot be too careful, brother. Every single one of us understands what will happen to us if we fail or if we are caught. We have all accepted this fate, just as you have. But that doesn’t mean we are willing to fall into traps so easily.”
“Of course,” Kasaika said. “It’s smart, Sefkh. Well done.” The bombs were loaded from the back of the vans into the garbage truck, with the small unit of men that would be placing the bombs around the city. With the time of day and the current disguise, even if the United States intelligence had found something by the time they were in the city, it would be too late.
“They know the routes like the backs of their hands,” Sefkh said. “And we confirmed earlier this morning that all of the markers are still in place for the explosives’ deliveries.”
Zet checked his watch and rounded everyone up. “We need to move. We have less than two hours before the next phase.” The other modes of transportation that they arrived in were doused with gasoline and set ablaze. The fires burned hot behind them as they made their way through the backwoods, wading through thick swamps on their march.
Kasaika turned to look back one last time, watching the smoke from the fires go up. By the time the authorities showed up and tried finding anything, the city would be locked down. No one would be allowed in or out, keeping the populace vulnerable for the bombs already in place.
***
Dylan gripped the back of the headrest of the passenger seat until his knuckles turned white. The taxi driver turned onto East Boulevard and pulled up to the gated community where his children and ex-wife lived. The security officer stepped out of his booth, and Dylan rolled down his window. “Dylan Turk to see Evelyn Harth.”
“I know who you are, Mr. Turk,” the security officer drawled.
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