‘You fought them here?’ Bwana whistled as he skipped out of the way of a bovine’s slashing horns.
‘It’s not like I had a choice,’ Zeb said drily.
‘We heard you fighting but couldn’t risk coming through the door with loose rounds flying. Besides, Pasha’s men put up a resistance.’
Zeb squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. Apologies weren’t needed.
‘I had help … them!’ He laughed ruefully as he jerked his head towards the cattle. ‘They intervened in key moments. Hamraz and his family?’
‘They’re safe,’ Beth replied. She wrinkled her nose at the stench as she joined him. ‘The villagers, too. We freed them. You,’ she said, stepping away from him, ‘need a bath.’
Zeb used the chief’s bathroom to freshen himself and dressed in spare clothing from his gear. He joined his friends, who were with Hamraz and his family in the courtyard, along with several other villagers.
‘We saw him on TV just yesterday,’ Gulriz said, shivering, as she eyed Pasha’s body, which had been dumped in a corner with the rest of the terrorists. ‘Why did he do this? Why come to attack us? Didn’t he want peace?’
‘No,’ Chloe replied somberly. ‘He didn’t. As for attacking you … that was a trap for us.’
‘How did you get here so fast?’ the chief asked.
‘We were following him. When you called us … we knew you were forced into it.’
‘Yes, he threatened my family. I couldn’t deny him.’
‘We are free, now,’ Nahida turned her back on the terrorists’ bodies. ‘You should call the army.’
‘Not right now.’ Zeb stopped Hamraz from fishing out his phone. ‘There’s something I want you to do before that.’
He explained quickly and answered the chief’s surprised questions.
‘Yes, we can do that, but—’
‘That’s the way it should be. Will your villagers cooperate?’
‘You saved us a second time,’ Gulriz said, standing proudly next to her husband. ‘For you, we’ll do anything.’
Zeb nodded and drew away from the chief when Chahar’s residents burst into excited chatter.
‘Do you know anyone who smuggles opium across the Chinese border?’ he asked, quietly.