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Zain studied the floorplan Kornev had provided of the other house. While he determined the best course of attack, one of his men walked into the room and told the banker, “We’ve discovered a tunnel under the home.”
Kornev kept a poker face when Zain looked at him. “Show me,” Zain instructed the man.
The man led Zain to the small bedroom and pointed to the hole in the closet where the remains of one of Kornev’s men was blocking the opening.
“I know that man,” the solider informed Zain. “He used to be one of the inspector’s police officers.
“Did he?” Zain commented, as he starting putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
Zain left the bedroom and returned to Kornev. He pulled his gun and pointed it at the Russian. He barked, “It is time to tell me exactly what is going on here. If you don’t, I will kill you immediately.”
Kornev held his hands out to his side as if to say, “Hey, no need to get all uptight.” But instead of tempting the hot-headed banker, he said, “OK. This is my safe house. I own this house and the one next door. When I arrived in town, Inspector Mehsud told me a woman was staying here, in fact, a CIA agent. You see, I have caretakers that not only take care of the properties but also report any intruders to the inspector. The inspector loaned me some of his men and we came to confront the woman.”
“How did she find out about your safe house complex,” inquired Zain suspiciously.
“The CIA must have been tipped off by someone because no one should know about my safe houses.” He paused to look directly into Zain’s eyes. “Well, now, with the exception of you and the inspector. Apparently, they were trying to set a trap for me.”
“And how did that confrontation work out for you?” Zain asked sarcastically.
The Russian ignored the question and said, “There are tunnels that connect the two houses. She has booby trapped them, and she has utilized the tight confines to her advantage. She was able to kill all my men.”
Zain’s respect for the arms dealer was waning by the second. “So, a woman killed all of your men and captured you?” It was either a derogatory question or a demeaning statement.
Kornev replied, “I have a stockpile of weapons in the tunnels. She had days in advance to set up defenses but, more importantly, she is not afraid of consequences. She has unlimited weapons and no fear of dying. This is a volatile combination, and it tends to make people both highly effective and dangerous.
All Zain could do was shake his head, dismissing the Russian’s contentions. “I will show you how my family deals with people like her.”
The Pakistani terrorist keyed on his radio and forcefully issued orders to the men surrounding the home.