Then, she’d strike.
Chapter 86
Zahra
The LALO jump that Zahra had just completed might have been the single most dangerous thing she’d ever attempted. Typically, a Low-Altitude, Low-Opening jump was designed to insert military personnel underneath the lower altitude limit of the enemy’s radar. And unlike the static line variation, where the parachuter’s ripcord was attached to a cable running along the inside of the aircraft, Zahra and company had been put in charge of popping their own chutes. Luckily, none of the quintet had pancaked into the Egyptian desert.
Cork would circle the area for as long as possible before heading back to Cairo to refuel. She’d wait at the airport until she was contacted.
“Later, Zahra!” Cork had yelled, waving over her shoulder. “Keep me posted, will ya?”
“Will do.” Zahra had grinned and waved back. “See you around, Gwen.”
The last thing that Zahra had witnessed before she leaped from the Cessna was Cork's face morphing into that of a primal beast. In retrospect, poking the bear, when that bear was your ride, probably wasn’t a good idea.
“That was really stupid,” Zahra said, feeling her entire body shaking from the massive adrenaline spike. No matter what she did, her hands wouldn’t quit trembling.
The one positive was that the jump had been so quick that it was over before Zahra could process it.
Ali didn’t acknowledge her. She could tell by the way he was struggling to unclip his harness that he was also suffering the same effects as her. Sometimes the high or rush an extreme athlete experienced was exactly what was needed to complete the maneuver, but in this case, it had only delayed them. They were forced to take a few minutes to get themselves under control before heading off.
Unsurprisingly, Rabia had recovered first, and had quickly unfolded the stock of her rifle. Then, she slipped the suppressor out of her bag and screwed it into place onto the tip of the barrel. The sniper was currently laying prone atop a rise to the north, doing a bit of reconnaissance through her weapon’s high-powered scope. Her position overlooked the main street into the Bahariya Oasis, El Wahat Road.
“See anything?” Zahra shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. The rest of the team was camped at the base of Rabia’s perch.
The sniper didn’t respond, but she did pack up her gear and made her way down to the rest of her team. When she was back at ground level, Zahra repeated the question.
“Anything?”
Rabia shook her head. “They’re too far ahead of us.”
Zahra figured as much. “Where should we start looking?”
“Ask the locals,” Ali replied, speaking for the first time since landing. “Knowing Khaliq, he more than likely made a memorable entrance.”
Zahra nodded her agreement and followed Rabia as she led them north. They skirted around the rise and took a moment to survey the roadway. Zahra realized something she didn’t like. She and her people were dressed for war. They’d stick out like a sore thumb and alert the wrong kind of people.
She relayed her concerns. “We need a low-viz approach for this to work.”
“Zahra’s right,” Rabia said, frowning.
So, the team removed their combat gear, hiding it below the rise. Now, they all still looked out of place, but now they didn’t look like a small, militarized unit either. Rabia was forced to disassemble her beloved rifle and pack it into a large satchel. Happily, everyone’s rifles sported folding stocks, same as Rabia’s weapon. They slid into backpacks and were hidden from sight.
Ali, Elyas, and Tajj edged onto the side of the elevated roadway and tried to flag down a passing vehicle for a ride to town. Smartly, no one dared stop for three seemingly random, tough-looking men. After ten minutes of fail after fail after fail, Zahra slapped Ali on the shoulder.
“What?” Ali asked, not understanding the gesture.
“Have you ever seen professional wrestling before?”
Ali shook his head. He glanced at Elyas and Tajj. They also shook their heads, no.
“I just tagged you guys out.” They didn’t budge an inch. “It means get off the road!”
Elyas shrugged, and they did as they were told. Rabia started to follow them but was pulled back the other way by Zahra.
“Why don’t you guys let the ladies handle this one?” Zahra gave the trio a playful wink and threw her arm over Rabia’s shoulder, and stuck out her thumb.
Two minutes later, they had a ride. A scruffy-looking man pulled a 1970s Chevy pickup onto the shoulder and rolled down his window. He was a local and sported a thick head of black hair and the bushiest beard Zahra had ever seen. With her arm still draped around Rabia’s shoulder, she gave the driver a wide smile.
“Don’t suppose you can give us a ride to town, could you?”
The local grinned. Zahra doubted he saw very many women hanging out on the side of the road over the years.
“Where’s your car?” he asked, looking around.
Zahra thumbed behind her. “In the ditch.”
He tried to look past Zahra and Rabia but didn’t get far. Zahra forced Rabia to move with her, and they sidestepped back into the local’s line of sight. He was rightfully suspicious, and was doubting the real reason the two women had been “stranded” on the outskirts of town.
Rabia shrugged out of Zahra’s arm. “We’ll pay you.”
The local smiled. They agreed upon a fee, and the local looked tickled.
…Until Zahra signaled for Ali, Elyas, and Tajj to join them.
“I thought it was just the two of you?”
Zahra glanced at Rabia. “I never said that… did I?”
Rabia shook her head, hand in her pocket.
“Is this a problem?” Rabia asked.
The local growled. “Your friends must sit in the back.” The bed of the truck was thickly lined with hay and would keep their asses from becoming too sore during the ride to town.
Zahra eyed Ali, Elyas, and Tajj. She winked. “Sorry, boys.”
Ali stepped up to the bed and stopped, seeing something within it she didn’t like.
“What’s wrong?” Zahra asked.
“Come and see.”
Zahra left Rabia and went to see what had Ali’s feathers so ruffled. Even before she got there, she knew. Zahra could smell it.
She cooed. “How sweet.”
Zahra counted nine Baladi goats of all shapes and sizes. They were a prevalent breed in the region and provided a good source of meat and milk. A few of the truck-dwellers were quite old, some no more than a couple of months old.
All of them were covered in their own filth. One of the younglings popped its head up and playfully bleated, allowing Zahra to scratch its chin. She smiled, much to the disdain of Ali and the others.
She retracted her hand and cleared her throat. “Yes, well, have fun.”
Ali didn’t budge. His face sported a deep scowl.
“Look,” Zahra said. “It’s either this or you walk. You choose.”
Zahra rejoined Rabia, and the pair circled around the front of the truck and climbed in. Their chauffeur eyed their big, overstuffed packs.
“What’s in the bags?”
Rabia looked forward. “Tools.”
“Tools?”
She calmly turned her attention to the local. “Yes, tools.” Her tone was direct and laced with a warning.
Stop asking.
Smartly, he did, moving on to something else.
“So, your friends, are they—”
Rabia held up her hand and silenced the local. The bed of the truck shook and bent as the three men climbed in.
“Now, we can go,” Rabia said, handing over the cash.
He accepted the money, counted twice, then threw the vehicle into drive and puttered off.