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Kodak looked at his watch and lowered his eye to the rifle scope. Raj sat behind him, leaning back against a scraggy tree that looked as if it had grown in defiance amongst the scrub covering the hillside. The road from Tanta ran across the desert landscape below them to stretch into the distance, past the compound and beyond. It was the most direct route for the plumbers to take to respond to the emergency call that went out twenty minutes before.
Shifting his gaze, he looked at their truck, pulled off the side of the road. A jack propped up the back and one of the tires was off, telling the story of a vehicle left with a flat tire while the driver went for help.
“Anything yet?” Raj asked, throwing a stone through the air.
“No.”
“I hate waiting,” he muttered. “Are we sure they’re coming?”
“Asher said they dispatched a truck. They’re coming.” Kodak shifted his scope to the horizon again. The heat poured off the pavement in a wavy haze and he sighed. “I’ll be glad when the sun goes down.”
“Why? Because it will cool off? Or because that’s when this stops being so boring?”
“You just wrapped a car around a pole, and then blew out a section of a grid station. How do you think this is boring?”
“I hate sitting here, doing nothing.”
Kodak shook his head. “Relax, will you? How’s your head?”
“The pain killer worked. Thanks for that.” Raj crunched into an apple behind him and Kodak looked over his shoulder. “What?”
“You took an apple?”
“So?”
“Those are my apples!”
Raj grinned, chewing. “Really? Your apples? You were going to eat all of them?”
“Maybe.” He turned back to his rifle and lowered his head again. “You could have asked.”
“Can I have an apple?”
“No!”
“Too late.” Raj took another bite, staring out over the barren landscape. “Why would someone voluntarily choose here to hide out?” he asked suddenly. “He could have gone anywhere. Why Egypt?”
“Maybe he likes it here.”
“If I was forced into hiding, I wouldn’t choose a county that’s made up primarily of desert,” Raj decided. “I’d go somewhere exotic. Like Brazil.”
Kodak grunted in amusement. “Brazil is not exotic.”
“Oh come on, what are you talking about? Rio de Janeiro?”
“It’s a dump. You wouldn’t like it.”
“All right, grumpy. Where would you go then?”
“If I was running for my life?” He stopped and thought for a moment, lifting his head and pursing his lips. “I think I’d go somewhere like Canada.”
“Canada?!” Raj scoffed. “What the hell is in Canada? Mountains, snow and maple syrup. That’s it.”
“Exactly. No one would look there.”
“Where do you think Ruby would go?” he asked after a long silence. “I’m guessing somewhere like Cuba, or maybe Jamaica. I can see her on a beach in a string bikini. A red one, that ties.”
“I don’t wear red,” Ruby’s voice cut into the conversation. “And you will never see me in a bikini, Raj.”
“Never say never, Ruby. Who knows what the future holds,” Raj said cheerfully, unabashed. “Since you’re listening, I’m right, aren’t I? You’d go to an island, wouldn’t you?”
“Doubtful.”
“Where then? If you were forced to run, where would you hide?”
“I don’t plan on ever having to hide, so it’s a moot point.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
Kodak let out a laugh. “Good for you, Ruby.” The laugh died on his lips a second later as he stiffened. “I’ve got a work truck approaching. Asher, ready for the number?”
“Ready.”
“2619 SDL.”
“Got it. It’s them,” Asher confirmed a moment later.
“Raj, get ready,” Kodak said, adjusting his sight.
“Finally!” Raj tossed away his apple core and pulled out his phone. “Tell me when.”
Kodak watched through the scope as the battered, white work truck bounced along the road. Traffic was sparse this time of day, and the truck was the only vehicle approaching from either direction. Exhaling, he waited, monitoring the distance through his reticle. The truck grew closer and he saw two men in the cab, both dressed in overalls. One had a turban wrapped around his head, but the other wore only a cap over his thick, dark hair. He was talking animatedly to the passenger, waving one hand to make his point while the other gripped the steering wheel.
When the truck drew within range of their abandoned vehicle, Kodak spoke.
“Now.”
A second later, their lame truck exploded. The back end soared into the air as a fireball engulfed the vehicle, blowing the windows out and sending flames shooting into the air.
The oncoming work truck slammed on its brakes and skidded off the road as the driver tried to avoid the raging inferno in front of them. Kodak lifted his rifle and grabbed the mount, jumping to his feet. Raj was already halfway down the hill, making a beeline for the still skidding work truck, and he followed, half-sliding down the slope towards the road. As he went, he pulled a pistol from his back holster.
By the time the work truck came to a shuddering halt, yards away from the burning wreckage, Kodak and Raj had reached the road behind it.
“I’ll take the driver!” Kodak gasped. “You’ve got the other one.”
Raj nodded, pulling out a pistol identical to Kodak’s. The driver’s door opened and the man in the cap began to climb out, not seeing the two men running up behind the truck. Kodak raised his arm and fired. A second later, the man swayed, grabbed the door, then fell to the ground. A shout came from inside the cab, but Raj had already rounded the back of the bed. Before the man in the turban knew what was happening, he’d wrenched open the door and shot him in the neck. The man fell across the seat, stunned, before his eyes slid closed.
“Get him out and check for identification,” Kodak instructed through the open driver’s door.
Raj nodded and dragged the man out of the truck, laying him on the ground. Kodak bent over the man with the cap and pulled the dart out of his neck. He tucked it into his jacket pocket and quickly fished through the man’s clothing until he found a badge and a wallet. Taking both, he pulled the cap off his head and tossed it into the cab before grabbing the body under his armpits and pulling him further into the ditch beside the road.
Raj grunted from the other side of the truck and Kodak looked through the open doors to see him struggling with the passenger.
“God, he weighs a ton,” Raj gasped. “Come give me a hand.”
Kodak went around the front of the truck and bent down to grab the man’s ankles.
“Maybe you should try lifting some weights at the gym sometime,” he said.
Raj shot him a disgruntled look. “I have whiplash. Give me a break.”
“I don’t know, Raj. You were moving pretty well down that hill just now. I don’t think there’s much wrong with you.”
They carried the passenger around the truck and deposited him in the ditch with his friend. Raj bent down and pulled the dart of his neck.
“How long will they be out?”
“A few hours. By the time they come to, we’ll already have Masha’al.”
Kodak pulled his backpack off and tossed it into the back of the truck. Sliding his rifle into the bag hanging across his body, pulled it over his head and put it with the other bag, covering them both with an old tarp. He climbed behind the wheel as Raj got in beside him, setting his own bag on the floor by his feet.
Less than five minutes after the explosion, the work truck was on its way again, bouncing towards the compound.
Kai nudged Rina’s foot with hers, shaking her head in amusement. The woman came awake with a start, sitting up.
“I’m awake,” she gasped. “Did I miss anything?”
“Raj and Kodak are pulling up to the gate now,” Asher said. “How can you sleep in a dirt tunnel?”
“Easy. I close my eyes and pretend I’m on a beach,” she replied with a shrug before letting out a jaw-cracking yawn. “What can I do?”
“Nothing yet. Once Raj hits the charge in the grid, we’ll move these last two sensors.”
“And the cameras up top?”
“Kodak knows what to do.”
Rina nodded, stifling another yawn. “Have you heard anything from Jared? Are we still on time for the stars and stripes?”
Kai chuckled at that. “Yes.”
“Too bad we can’t warn them about the swamp out back,” she said, leaning back against the dirt wall again. “Still, they are navy. I don’t suppose a little mud and water will bother them too much.”
“Do we care?” Asher asked in surprise. “After all, their only use here tonight is as witnesses.”
“That doesn’t mean I want to see them get shot because they got bogged down in mud,” Rina retorted. “I don’t wish any harm on them.”
“Neither do I,” he said after a moment. “I tend to forget that they’ll be coming in and taking the brunt of the fire.”
“That’s because it’s not our concern,” Kai said. “They’re big boys. They can take care of themselves. Our priority is Masha’al.”
“Spoken like a true Kidon,” Rina said with a flash of teeth. “Did the boys remove their comms?”
“Yes.” Kai glanced at her watch. “Raj will blow the charge before they pull up to the gate, and then they’re on their own until they leave.”
“They’re approaching the gate now,” Asher said after a moment, his eyes on his laptop screen and the satellite image displayed there. “Showtime.”
Kai stretched and got up from where she’d been sitting on the stone tiles of the tunnel floor. She frowned, conscious of a strange feeling of uneasiness. Despite having a person on the inside who had created a situation requiring outside maintenance, it wasn’t guaranteed that Raj and Kodak would get through Masha’al’s security.
“They’ll be fine,” Rina said, seeing the look on her face. “They’re professionals.”
“Well, Kodak is, at any rate,” Asher murmured with grin. “I don’t know what Raj is.”
“Efficient, regardless of everything else he may be,” she said with a laugh. “They’ll get in.”
“Sensors are down,” Kai said suddenly, moving forward. “Let’s go.”
Rina got up and moved towards the opposite box. Working quickly, she and Kai moved the sensors up to the ceiling while Asher collected his gear and moved down the tunnel. Now that they were almost under the main house, the air seemed clearer and the distinct smell of spices and garlic permeated the underground space. Kai moved with as much speed as she could without making any noise, conscious of the fact that ten feet above them were heavily armed terrorists.
“Now that I see how easy it is to breach a structure through a tunnel, remind me to never have one myself,” Rina said, her voice low as if she, too, was overly conscious of their proximity to the enemy.
“I certainly wouldn’t have one so completely unprotected,” Kai agreed, turning away as she finished with her sensor. She reached for her bag. “They obviously believe that it’s a secret.”
“To be fair, it probably is to normal threats,” Asher said, coming back to help with the other bags. “We had access to ground-piercing radar. That’s not exactly available to just anyone.”
He picked up one of the duffels packed with equipment and turned to lead the way down the tunnel.
“The first entrance is just ahead,” he said in a low voice. “I believe it’s the opening inside the back door of the house.”
“Well, this is much nicer than the rest of it,” Rina said, looking around.
Kai nodded in agreement. Instead of the hard-packed, dirt walls they had been staring at, this part of the tunnel had been carved through rock. While it was crude and hardly comfortable, it made a nice change from the musty smell of earth.
“It’ll also reflect our voices, so keep them low.” She looked up as they approached the first opening. A wooden ladder ran up the side of the tunnel to meet a wooden trap door in the ceiling just above their heads. “Something tells me that’s newer than the rest of this section,” she murmured.
“You think it was added after they moved in?” Asher asked, glancing up. “Possibly. The other one is at the end. It has iron foot-holds drilled into the rock.”
“So at least this part of the tunnel was already here. Interesting,” Rina said as they moved past the entrance and continued along the narrow tunnel. “Who blows a tunnel into the rock under their house?”
“Someone who thought they would have to hide,” Kai said. “Or they used it for smuggled goods.”
“My bet is on contraband,” Asher said after a moment. “The tunnel was probably already started when Masha’al came along and finished it.”
“Thank God he did,” Rina said with a grin. “It’s working out beautifully for us.”
Kai shone her light ahead of them, illuminating the rocky end of the tunnel about ten feet away. On the left, another wooden door was built into the ceiling, but this one was much older and more solid, set into the rock so no shafts of light were visible around it. As Asher had said, iron loops were drilled and bolted into the rock at intervals down the side, creating foot holds to descend into the tunnel.
“And we’re at the end of the road,” Rina said, stopping next to her. “We think that leads to the foot of the stairs?”
She nodded. “That’s where we’ll bring Masha’al down,” she said. “His living quarters should be at the top of those stairs.”
Rina nodded and looked around, setting down the two bags she was carrying. Asher had already settled himself down a few feet away, his laptop open on his lap and his tablet beside him.
“Well, at least there’re no more sensors to worry about,” she said. “Or spiders,” she added with a wicked smile.
Kai rolled her eyes, switching off her flashlight and moving over to crouch beside Asher.
“How are we looking?”
“They’re inside the gate,” he said, turning the screen so that she could see. “It looks like they’re talking to the guards.”
“Who’s doing the talking?” Rina asked, dropping down to the ground and leaning against the wall, crossing one ankle over the other. “Not Raj, I hope?”
“Kodak. He’s got the better accent.” Kai glanced at her. “Raj is a pain in the ass, but without his bombs, we wouldn’t be here.”
“I know. He’s got his uses.” She leaned her head back and grinned. “All men do.”
Kai chuckled and turned her gaze back to the screen in front of Asher. The smile faded as she watched two of Masha’al’s men look into the cab and back of the work truck. One of them lifted a tarp in the bed and glanced under it cursorily before dropping it back down again. A moment later, Kodak and Raj were climbing back into the truck and the guard by the driver’s door pointed in the direction of the main house. After another moment of conversation, Kodak put the truck into gear and pulled away, heading for the back of the house.
Kai exhaled and met Asher’s gaze, reading the relief in his eyes. She smiled and patted his arm, standing up.
“They’re in.”
