Those were strong words coming from a Muslim.
Kincaid looked at the iPad, turning it so that Slade could see it as well. It was a photo of a poster stapled to a telephone pole on a dusty street. The poster informed all inhabitants of the town that they were now part of a new Caliphate and thus subject to Sharia Law. In addition they were expected to support the jihad. Specifically, all unmarried girls between the ages of twelve and thirty were to be brought to public buildings so that they could be married off to the jihadi warriors. If they failed to comply the full weight of Sharia would fall upon their shoulders.
Sulla held his little girl, telling the two Americans, “So under pain of death fathers are to take their little girls, just like my darling Adara, to them so that those animals can rape them! I cannot believe it! I simply cannot believe it!”
Kincaid downloaded the contents of the iPad to his phone, but told Sulla, “We’ll do what we can, Sulla. However, you know as well as I that the current administration is not eager to interfere militarily — in anything. The chances of American boots on the ground in force is nil.” Killer sighed, and shrugged, “This is all you’re going to get. It’s your ball game Sulla. I wish I could do more.”
“Then the President is simply going to allow this caliphate, this terrorist state to exist?” the Iraqi exclaimed, clearly dumbfounded.
“We’re going to supply the airpower and Special Forces support, but we’re hoping that the locals will provide the muscle on the ground — you’re just as good as these guys — you’ll be fighting for your homes and families,” Killer said gravely.
“Our men need to learn anger instead of fear, but you are right, we must fight these devils ourselves.”
“My advice is that you get your family to Bagdad. That’s still the safest place in country; or I could get you out of the country seeing as you’ve been an asset.”
“I will not leave Iraq to these animals — these degenerates who want jihad for the sake of jihad — all they care about is blood, plunder and rape. I must fight them in any way I can, even if I spend my sons and daughters. If I can’t raise my children in a country without fear then I must fight for that country.”
“We will do all we can,” the Delta commander repeated. “That’s why we’re going to interdict that meeting tomorrow. We hope to isolate ISIS. We don’t want them making any deals with the Iranians or even Al Qaeda. The goal is to build distrust between ISIS and the other players and then systematically take out their leaders.”
Sulla turned to Slade and looked at him and the Barret slung over his shoulder. Smiling, he said, “So you brought your father to do that work for you?”
Slade smiled, but it was a deadly, mirthless twist of his thin lips. It was not a pleasant expression.
“He may be old Sulla, but he’s also one of the best operatives in the world,” the Delta Force commander reassured the Iraqi.
“I am only joking my friend,” Sulla said, patting Slade’s arm tentatively. “I have a great deal riding on you Americans. We all do.”
Slade’s expression softened. He nodded toward the little girl. “I have a niece Adara’s age,” he told Sulla. “I’ll do everything I can.”
“I do not doubt that, but when it is all said and done we must defeat this scum ourselves,” Sulla agreed. “With Allah’s help we will do so.”
Killer nodded, but he reminded his host, “The longer we stay the more danger you’ll be in Sulla, so let’s get down to business.”
Sulla took back the iPad and paged through to another screen. Laying the tablet on the table, he showed them a diagram of the village. “Here is the house where the meeting will be taking place. It will occur tomorrow at three, tea time, in the back room,” he said, pointing out the various tactical situations.
“The house is on the outskirts of town, but they will not have many guards. This is necessary because if you brought two rival factions like ISIS and Al Qaeda in close proximity you would be guaranteed a bloodbath; the hotheads would egg each other on until there was a full blown war. That would be good for us but very bad for their plans. Therefore there will be only four guards apiece. The ISIS guards will cover the street entrance, the Al Qaeda guards will be on the back terrace.”
“And the Iranians?”
“They will stay in their vehicle!” Sulla said with a laugh.
“What’s over here, do the sheppard’s graze their flocks in these fields?” Killer asked, pointing to the open area beyond the veranda.
“No, no one uses those fields,” he said, his finger thumping on an area about a kilometer south of the house. “This is a low ridge with a dirt road beyond. The road goes south but is seldom used even by the shepherds.” He glanced up at Slade and his Barret. “It is a perfect spot for someone with a nice long rifle and a good eye!”
“About twelve hundred yards — perfect,” Slade said.
Killer held up his hand and his face turned suddenly grave.
Slade heard Alpha report over their comlink. “We have a small group of civilians approaching the house. Two adults and a bunch of kids; it looks like a family. They’re all worked up but we can’t tell why.”
“There’s nothing else?” Killer demanded.
“Nothing — hold on — it looks like a group of Tango’s are entering the north side of the village about two hundred meters behind them. There are a dozen Tangos armed with automatic weapons, but I don’t see any support trucks or troops. They might be a patrol.”
“Keep me informed,” Killer ordered. He told Sulla what they’d seen. There was the unmistakable sound of voices outside the front of the house and a sudden, urgent pounding on the door. Sulla’s wife had gone to the door and opened it. Sulla turned off the kitchen light and rushed to the front room.
Killer and Slade melted into the shadows, listening to the strained voices of men, women and children from the front of the house. The conversation was too fast and agitated for them to discern much, but Sulla returned a moment later with a man.
“Things are not good,” he informed them. “This is Hamad. He and his family are friends, Shia from the next village. The ISIS animals are raiding the homes, killing the men and raping the women and girls they find regardless of who they are — they have a Fatwa from a Saudi cleric as their justification — Allah help us! The Shia and Christians are being slaughtered.
“Hamad fled here, hoping to find refuge with us as my family did with him when Malaki’s people were rooting out former Sadam supporters.” He wiped his brow, obviously nervous. “I don’t even know if I’m safe with these scum! What are we to do?”
“There’s only a dozen of them so far,” Killer told him. “We can’t afford to compromise the meeting tomorrow. So whatever we do we’ll have to do it quietly. For now, keep them here and keep them quiet. We’ll play it by ear.”
As the refugee family settled in the dark of the kitchen, looking hopefully at the two Americans. Killer got back on the line with his squads, keeping tally of the ISIS group’s movement. The news wasn’t good. “They must have marked where the family was going, because they’re coming here.”
“What do you want me to do?” Sulla asked.
“If you can talk them out of this it would save a lot of trouble,” Killer sighed.
Sulla went over to a cabinet and got out a Quran. He took a deep breath and sighed. “I will try.”
“Don’t worry Sulla,” Killer told him. “We’ve got your back. Try to bribe them. Make the best deal you can. If they don’t want to deal then we’ll take care of this the old fashioned way — permanently.”
Killer talked to his squads over the radio, “We’ll cover the front yard through the windows. I want Alpha high and Bravo down low covering the flanks and rear.”