The man came quickly towards the car, opened the door and ducked in. After fumbling for a few moments he left clutching a wad of papers and went back into the house. The interior light in the car came on when the door was opened, and stayed on for five seconds after it was closed…Long enough for Josh to spot the keys still dangling from the steering column.
He grabbed the door handle and, with the finesse of a car thief, got into the car, smashed the interior light, turned the ignition key far enough to release the steering lock and let the hand brake off. Slowly the vehicle started to move forward in the direction of the camp. Without the engine running the power steering was heavy and the footbrake almost useless.
There was no sign of Ahmad as Josh steered the car under the glaring lights and out into the gloomy, dark, depressing area of the buildings. He stopped, got out of the car before he was forcefully pulled to the ground. It was Ahmad, pointing frantically in the direction of the hut. Josh put his hand to Ahmad’s mouth. “Get into the back of the car,” he whispered before slithering away on his stomach in the direction of the buildings. Almost immediately, he heard the approach of feet on gravel, and the hushed tones of someone talking. He let the prisoner shuffle past, before pouncing on the following guard and holding him in a powerful grip around the throat until his eyes bulged. Paralysed with fear, he gave little resistance. The prisoner, clearly confused, slowly turned around as if expecting to be attacked next and waited, motionless. Ignoring him, Josh looked into the guard’s eyes “You come with us,” he said menacingly before slowly releasing pressure on his throat and snatching the AK47 from him in one swift movement. Pushing both the guard and the prisoner in front of him, he bundled them both into the car, the guard in the front passenger seat and the prisoner in the back with Ahmad.
With pounding heart, Josh turned the key in the ignition. The car started immediately. He drove up the slight incline towards the buildings where they had been hiding, and out through the gate. The guard was still slumped on his stool.
Josh turned the car left and put on the lights. “You speak English?” He barked at the guard, pointing the AK 47 at his head.
“A little, a little. I help you. I help you.” Josh thought for a moment, although the offer was tempting he had no way of knowing if they would be led into a trap, but there was no time for doubts.
“OK. We need an open space where a chopper can land,” he said hurriedly.
“Yes…Yes…I know place…go end of road turn right. Drive straight.”
The car swerved round the corner, almost taking several other vehicles with it, before straightening out and speeding in a northerly direction. No one spoke for several minutes until the guard blurted out, “Left …next.”
After taking the turning into a totally deserted road, he continued. “Stop here…here.”
He seemed agitated. They stopped. “Turn off light. We drive into road on right.”
Josh drove off again into the darkness as fast as he dared, rumbling over the rough terrain, the partial moonlight only just throwing enough light for him to be able to make out the larger wadis, and rocks. They bumped and bounced until the guard shouted, “Stop now…now.” They skidded to a standstill. “You have phone?”
“Yes…yes.” Josh said fumbling in his pocket and taking out his mobile. “Jack said to use this in an emergency. I guess this is an emergency,” he said half turning, to look, for the first time at the two in the back.
He dialled a number which was answered after three rings by a gruff voice. “Ya.”
“I was told to say, ‘Jack Richards is my friend’,” Josh said not knowing precisely what would happen next.
“OK, have you got what you wanted?”
“No, not really. He wasn’t there but we’ve rescued someone else... and I need a chopper.”
“Where? when?”
“Now.”
“Where are you?”
“I’ll hand you over to someone who will give you our bearing.” He looked at the guard, pointing the AK47 at him. “If you let us down you’re dead.” The guard took the phone and gave instructions before handing it back to Josh.
“I’ll try and get you out of there as soon as I can,” the voice said, then hung up.
Taking some keys from his pocket the guard turned to the prisoner in the back. “I think I take off you,” he said, leaning over and unlocking his handcuffs. “Now you put on me,” he said turning to Josh. “Not all in Syria like interrogator,” he said.
The guard handed the handcuffs to Josh and offered him his wrists. “Now… you… hit me in face so that I bleed. My nose… Bleed easy… I say I captured.”
Understanding the logic of his request Josh, without hesitation, leaned over and struck him in the face, splattering his nose and causing blood to spurt out over the front of his clothes. The guard, clearly alarmed and after taking several moments to recover, spread it over his face with his handcuffed hands. “Thank you. Now I wait until chopper arrive, or we discovered,” he said, speaking through a clogged nose and blood-filled throat.
Trying to pierce the gloom, Josh looked at the prisoner. His shrunken, emaciated, bearded face and sunken eyes conveyed nothing. ‘He probably thinks this is a trap to get him to confess or give away secrets’ thought Josh, ‘and he’s probably full of pentothal, or maybe brain damaged’. “Will you tell me your name?” he asked. There was no response.