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Midway Island
14 February
1855 Local Time
“As Attorney General, you have sent dozens of my brothers to your illegal prison camps and used your inhumane torture methods against them,” Fang said as he held the sword to the Attorney General’s neck. “You have been given the option to convert to Islam and save yourself from burning for all eternity. Do you wish to convert?”
There was a pause as Fang waited for a response. Attorney General Larry Engall sat in the wooden chair next to the President. He was blindfolded and bound to the chair. The President’s blindfold had been removed as she was gagged and forced to watch the trial of her cabinet unfold.
“Yes,” the Attorney General replied weakly. “Yes, I wish to convert.”
Fang lowered the sword and stepped in between the President and Attorney General in front of the camera. “Then you must proclaim the holy truth. There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet. Allahu Akbar.”
“There is no god but Allah,” the Attorney General mimicked slowly. “And Mohammed is his prophet. Allahu Akbar.”
“Allah is great. Allah is merciful,” Fang said as he stared into the camera. “This man will be saved. All who convert and embrace Allah will be saved. Allahu Akbar!”
Fang nodded and the cameraman turned off the camera. When the red light was off, Fang removed his mask.
“I will do whatever you want!” the Attorney General said. “Please let me go!”
“Take him out of here,” Fang ordered.
As the man unbound Engall from the chair, Fang turned and removed the President’s gag. He squatted down in front of her and stared at her with his cold, black eyes.
“Your men are weak,” Fang said.
“You might as well kill me,” President Clifton said defiantly. “America is strong and will not cower to your perversion of Islam.”
Fang laughed. “So naïve, Madam President. So clueless. I would expect nothing less from a woman President.”
“And it will likely be a woman that drops the bomb on whatever hole you crawl into when this is all over,” Clifton shot back.
Fang grabbed the President by the throat. He squeezed as her eyes widened. “I will make you beg for your life as the whole world watches. I will let you plead your case. Your American arrogance will be your downfall.”
As the cameraman walked out of the room with the Attorney General, Fang released his grip. Turning around, he saw Xiang standing in the doorway. Fang motioned for Lieutenant Ming to return the President to the room where they were keeping her alone.
“Where have you been?” Fang snapped as his men exited with the President. “Your radio has been off and I told you to return here nearly an hour ago.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but—” Xiang replied.
“But what?” Fang cut him off. “Did you get lost? Do you need a new map of the island?”
“No, sir,” Xiang said as he held his head low.
Fang stepped to within a few feet of Xiang. “Then what is it?”
“I found the American pilot and the remaining reporters, sir,” Xiang said as he picked his head up. “The American killed all of our men in Boli Sector, sir. He was armed and attempting to escape with three hostages. It was not wise to allow the American to move about freely.”
“Is that so?” Fang asked as he stepped closer to Xiang.
Xiang stepped back as Fang closed to within a few inches. “Yes, sir,” Xiang said. “I believe it would have been prudent to capture the American immediately.”
“Show me this American,” Fang said. “I wish to meet him.”
“Yes, sir,” Xiang replied. “He will make for a good video before we leave, but you must record it quickly. I do not think he will survive for very long.”
“Show me,” Fang said.
Fang followed Xiang out of the filming room. They turned right down the narrow hallway, passing Lieutenant Ming as he locked the door to the President’s room. They walked out the double doors into the massive warehouse. Their jammers and communications equipment were set up on the warehouse floor, as well as a loud diesel generator they had used to power their equipment. They crossed the warehouse floor into another set of double doors and down a hallway. Xiang nodded to the man standing watch who opened the door for them.
In the small room were four people with hoods over their heads. Their hands and feet were bound together using Flexcuffs. Fang found the American in his green flight suit and walked to him as Xiang stood waiting in the doorway. He was lying in a pool of blood. Fang squatted down over him and removed the hood.
“This man is barely breathing,” Fang said as he examined the American. “You should have obeyed my orders.”
“Your orders were foolish,” Xiang said loudly. “Your leadership has been wanting, Colonel.”
Fang spun around and stood. As he faced Xiang, he found Xiang’s sidearm pointed at his forehead.
“You dare threaten me?” Fang asked angrily, shaking his head as he stared down the barrel of Xiang’s gun.
“You have threatened this entire operation with your childish arrogance, Colonel,” Xiang said as he held the gun. “Your incompetence has cost the lives of many good men. You are unfit for command.”
“I had hope for you, Xiang,” Fang said with a nod. “But you leave me no choice.”
“No choice?” Xiang laughed. “Even with a gun to your head, you believe you have a—”
Before Xiang could finish, the double-edged, serrated blade sliced through his jugular causing Xiang to drop his gun. Fang had motioned for Lieutenant Ming, the cameraman, to follow them as they had passed him in the hallway. As Xiang raised his weapon, Ming had slowly unsheathed his knife. But thinking that there was still hope for the angry second-in-command, Fang shook his head. Fang’s nod had been Ming’s signal to strike.
“You are the one who is blind,” Fang said as Xiang collapsed to the floor. “You have lost sight of the purpose of this mission.”
Xiang grabbed his throat as he gurgled through his last breaths. Fang kneeled down next to him and closed the young soldier’s eyes as he expired seconds later. Ming wiped the bloody blade on his pant leg and sheathed it.
“What are your orders, sir?” Ming asked robotically.
“You are my second-in-command now, Ming.”
“Yes, sir,” Ming replied sharply.
“The transport will be here in the next twenty minutes,” Fang said as he stood. “Have the pilot brought to the filming room and then see to it that all goes as planned with the men landing. There can be no more disruptions.”