“Okay,” Qafar said. He was following the plan so far, but Nasir still hadn’t answered his first question. “But where are we going?”
“Tajikistan. You will cross the border in the mountains. You’ll be safe there. We’ve already made the arrangements with our contacts there.”
Qafar’s mouth opened wide. “Tajikistan? That’s a long journey.”
“It isn’t that far. And you’ll adapt easily. You’ll need to cut your hair. Maybe grow a beard. A change of appearance will help. We would go through Afghanistan, but that would be running right into the lion’s mouth with the American presence there.”
He was right about that. The place was overrun with American troops. While they were preoccupied with hunting the Taliban, that didn’t mean they should tempt fate.
“And if I agree to this plan of yours… when will we be leaving?”
“Tonight.”
Qafar was taken aback. “Tonight? That’s a little sudden, isn’t it?”
“You can either accept our help and do what we say, or you can stay here and be killed by the Americans.”
Qafar stood up and paced back and forth. He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a long sigh. He stopped and faced Nasir. “I don’t understand. How is it that your government is going to allow the Americans to conduct operations here? They can’t do that.”
“My friend, it is important to always know with whom you pick your battles. Do you really think anyone in our government is going to tell the United States no? If they find out we are harboring one of the top ten sought-after men in the world, what do you think they will do?”
“Then stand up to them.”
Nasir chuckled. “And do what? Fight them? They will annihilate us. And the Indians will help them.”
“So you let them come into your home and do as they please?” Qafar spat the words out. He was disgusted by what he was hearing. Politics enraged him. He was a man of action, not committees or back alley dealings.
“If that is what keeps the people safe.” Nasir rolled his shoulders. “I suggest you take our offer, Abdullah. It is your only chance for survival. The convoy will be here in two hours. Take only what you need. You can always buy new things. You can’t buy a new life.”
Nasir turned and walked out of the room, leaving Qafar alone. Afi stood just outside the doorway as Nasir passed by. The military man stopped and put his hand on Afi’s shoulder. “Talk some sense into him, Afi. If you don’t, the cause he has worked so hard for will be lost.”
The front door closed behind Nasir as he left. Qafar had been standing silently in the bonus room, running through his limited set of options. He was tired of running, tried of hiding. It was cowardly. He knew it. But it was also necessary. Combine that with the fact that he didn’t want to die, and there was only one clear choice.
Afi hesitated in the doorway and then entered. He was reluctant to speak but eventually forced the words out. “It sounds like we need to get ready to leave.”
Qafar was staring at the floor with his chin in hand. He scratched his scruffy beard with his index finger a few times. He looked over at his friend and nodded. “So it would seem. Tell the rest of the men we will be leaving in two hours. Our friend Nasir has provided us with a means of escaping death once more. Take only what you need. Leave the rest.”
15
Qafar watched the street from the window in the upstairs sitting area. He glanced down at his watch and checked the time. It was almost time, but there was no sign of Nasir.
Qafar and his men had spent the last hour and fifty-plus minutes getting ready to leave. He had all he needed in a book bag sitting at his feet. The rest of the men were packed equally as light.
One minute before the hour, Qafar saw headlight beams approaching from just down the hill. In seconds, one pair of lights appeared, then another, and another. Six black SUVs pulled up to the curb in front of the compound’s wall. The door flew open, and Pakistani soldiers dressed in black got out and waited next to the vehicles.
“Looks like our ride is here,” Qafar said to Afi. “Get the others loaded up. Let’s not keep our friend waiting.”
Afi rushed down the stairs and started barking out orders.
Nasir exited the lead SUV, opened the front gate, and walked to the door. Before he could knock, one of the guards opened it and motioned for him to enter.
Inside, Nasir found a flurry of activity. Qafar’s dozen men were rushing around to make sure they’d collected everything they needed for the relocation.
Qafar appeared at the top of the stairs with his backpack slung over his shoulder. “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to be late, or if you were going to show at all.”
Nasir checked his watch. “I’m never late.”
“That’s what I’ve heard about you.”
Qafar descended the steps and joined Nasir on the main floor.
“We have weapons for your men,” Nasir said as they walked out onto the front porch. “I don’t trust the guns they have. Unreliable Chinese guns. Jam too much. If we get in a firefight on the way to the rendezvous, they’ll need weapons that work.”
“These guns work fine,” he said and pointed to one of the Kalashnikovs hanging on a nearby soldier’s shoulder.
Nasir’s head jerked back and forth. “I’m afraid I must insist. You haven’t seen what I’ve seen in battle. Trust me; we have you covered.”
“I hope you’re not expecting some kind of attack.” Qafar probed Nasir for the truth.
“No. That’s why we’re making this move tonight. No one knows what is happening other than my drivers and me. But I like to be cautious. Always.”
The lips on the right half of Qafar’s face creased slightly. “Safe is good, my friend. I trust you.”
“Good. The weapons are in the back of the trucks. Tell your men to exchange them before they get in. They are much smaller, submachine guns. But they’ll fire with just as much accuracy and are much more compact for travel.”
Qafar considered what Nasir was saying. Then he told Afi to make sure the men all exchanged weapons with Nasir’s men. Afi didn’t ask why. He simply relayed the message to the rest of Qafar’s men.
One of Nasir’s soldiers approached the house and ascended the front steps carrying a black box. He stopped in front of Qafar and turned to his commander.
“Thank you. See to it that the rest are loaded up and ready to go in the next five minutes.” The soldier stomped his foot on the ground, confirming the order. He double-timed it back out the door to assist with the evacuation.
Nasir turned to Qafar with the black box and pried the lid open. “In honor of our friendship, I took the liberty of having these made for you. I hope you like them.”
Qafar looked as if he’d been smacked in the face. “You bought me a gift?”
Nasir raised his shoulders. “I can be sentimental from time to time.”
Qafar stepped close and looked in the box. Twin 9mm pistols lay in a bed of crushed velvet. They were cerakoted with the images of golden dragons rising up from the grip and down along the sides. Their mouths breathed fire close to the muzzle.
“They’re beautiful,” Qafar said. He took the weapons out and waved them around, then took aim at a mirror on the other side of the room.
“They’re loaded and chambered,” Nasir warned. “So don’t pull the trigger just yet. We don’t want to rouse the neighbors.”
Qafar was clearly pleased. He stared with admiration at the two guns before placing them back in the box. “Thank you for everything, my friend. I appreciate all you have done. Allah will bless you for it. I promise.”
Nasir closed his eyes slowly as he nodded. “I certainly hope so. Now, we must be going. We don’t want to be late for our rendezvous.”