One Rough Man - Brad Taylor [114]
Left unsaid was the mistake that Sayyidd had made in Guatemala.
“Quit it,” Sayyidd said. “You’re constantly afraid of your own shadow. Why does everything have to be some evil plot against us? Why can’t you trust in Allah to protect us? Just once?”
Bakr spoke in a dangerously quiet tone. “Dog, it’s because of my caution that I live. I have killed more infidels in a month than you have in your life. I have no idea why Allah has shined a light on you and allowed you to survive with the mistakes you make, but I’m not going to repeat them.”
Sayyidd felt a chill. Bakr was not a man to test, and Sayyidd could sense the mission falling apart, with Bakr about to make a decision that would leave him alone. Without any support. Forcing him to face his fears. He held his tongue, awaiting Bakr’s decision.
“I’m leaving tomorrow with the weapon,” Bakr said. “Whatever happens here, we can’t let the infidels steal the means of victory. It may simply be a mistake, but we should act as if it isn’t. You will remain behind here to wait for Walid’s message. Once you have that, meet him and finish the final planning.”
“But where will you go? What’ll I do once I meet Walid?”
“I’ll head to Bosnia. There are plenty of old fighters there willing to help. You do exactly what we were going to do all along. Give him our request for evidence to blame the Persians, and figure out how we’ll get into Palestine. Once you know that, contact me with the plan. God willing, we’ll meet again and continue our journey together.”
“But if you’re right, I’ll be arrested. I’ll be the one who dies without striking a blow against the infidels. Maybe we should both go.”
Sayyidd’s voice cracked. He hoped Bakr took it as concern for the mission, and not a fear of being exposed as a fraud. It must have worked, because Bakr didn’t sugarcoat anything, choosing instead to give him the hard facts.
“You may very well die here, or at the least be put in prison, but your part of the mission is worth that risk. Without you and Walid, I’ll be forced to go on my own, with little chance of starting the catalyst that you envisioned. I need your help to make this work. Even so, we can take steps to protect ourselves.”
“How? What should I do?”
“It’s time for you to become what you were going to become in America: a simple college student, without any political aspirations. If they suspect us, the far enemy will focus on this section of the city. Check out of this Muslim hotel. Find one in the city that doesn’t stand out and allows you to blend into the local tourist scenery. Set up your meeting with Walid away from known hotbeds and radical mosques. That should protect you more than any security procedures I could devise.”
Sayyidd calmed down, feeling more secure. After all, Bakr had the weapon. Bakr would be the shahid. Sayyidd wouldn’t have to push the button. He would be the facilitator, and with Allah’s help, they would succeed.
“All right. I’ll stay and meet Walid. How will you get to Bosnia?”
“Well, I can’t fly, since they might be watching the airports. I’ll take a ferry from here to Germany. From there, I’ll take trains and buses until I join up with our Muslim brothers in Tuzla. It’ll take a little longer but will be more secure.”
“Give me five minutes and I’ll get that set up.”
Before he could boot up the M4 satellite phone, Bakr stopped him. “Wait. We need to ensure we can communicate first. I want you to establish a separate e-mail address, known only to you and me. Every twenty-four hours, I want you to send me a message. Include the town of Fallujah in the message somewhere. If I don’t hear from you every twenty-four hours, or I get a message without the mention of Fallujah, I’ll assume you’ve been captured or killed. I’ll then immediately take the weapon and attempt to use it to the best of my abilities.”
He stopped, waiting for Sayyidd to look up. When he had Sayyidd’s undivided attention, he began again. “Sayyidd, I don’t want to make you mad, but the only way that splitting up will be a mistake is if you fail in this task and inadvertently