CHAPTER 58
The other valley
“Did you hear that?”
Malik Mahmud looked to the top of the ridgeline above the cave.
“What did you hear?” Mohagher Iqbal asked. They were speaking in English, as Mahmud’s Bahasa Indonesian and Iqbal’s Filipino Tagalog didn’t mesh well.
Iqbal pointed his AK-47 to the north and threw his cigarette to the ground beside the Toyota pickup truck. The three trucks were parked pointed down the valley between the separate mud huts. The walls of the huts hid the vehicles well, except from someone looking above.
They both looked into the dark.
Mahmud put his finger to his lips, signaling for his fellow guard to be silent.
The mountains were silent. The cloud cover blocked any shape of the higher mountains to the west.
Finally, after several minutes of silence, Mahmud spoke.
“These bastards always have us on guard duty.”
“Your complaining only pisses him off.” Iqbal had had enough of Mahmud, as had the others.
“What time is it?”
“I thought you wanted us to be quiet.”
“It was nothing.” Mahmud hesitated. “Maybe it was a wild goat?”
“That would be meat!” Iqbal’s hunger could be heard in his words. “I miss meat. I don’t think they would know what to do with meat.”
The rations had been short since they had moved to the cave.
“Do you think we should see if we can hunt it?”
“If you want your throat cut by Yousef. Fool!”
Mahmud hung his head.
Suddenly Iqbal noticed Yousef standing next to them.
“Oh, Yousef!” Mahmud turned around.
“Are you on guard, brothers?”
“Yes, of course. It will be dawn soon.” Mahmud looked to the east. The first color of dawn was beginning to turn the clouds to a pink tint.
“Our brother should be in Peshawar picking up our guest. It is important that we be like Bu Zaid and treat our guest with hospitality. It is our supreme duty.”
Iqbar nodded enthusiastically. In his mind he couldn’t help but imagine a plateful of roast goat. He sneaked a glance at Mahmud, who clearly had the same thought.