town. Take Fernandez with you for backup. Leave the car but take the keys and throw them away in some vacant lot. Go.”
The two lifted off the floor, took their MGP-15s, and hurried out the back door.
Murdock turned to Rafii. “Didn’t I see a lot of wells when we came in? No central water system?”
“Correct. Usually a town well every four or five blocks. The water table must be high here.”
“Jaybird and Lam. Use the van. Take these two and drop them down a well in some abandoned spot.”
Barbara came into the room. She looked at the dead man and then at the other one. “I know where there’s a well we can use. Nobody goes there anymore; it’s sour and full of iron seepage.” She wore a robe. “Give me five minutes to get some pants on.” She hurried away.
By that time everyone in the house was in the living room. The shades had been drawn. The two CIA men watched.
Trenton looked at Murdock. “The two bodies?”
“Black flag. We can’t let this one tell anyone what he’s seen here tonight. He probably knows some English, or could figure it out. He’s a black flag victim.”
“Agreed.”
Murdock pointed to Rafii and Lam. “Get these two in the van. Out the back door.” The two carried the dead man out, then came back for the live one. His eyes were wild and he was shouting Arabic. Murdock put a cloth gag around his mouth and tied it tight at the back of his head.
Barbara came into the room dressed and carrying a small automatic. “Does this change anything?” Murdock asked.
“The two will be missing. They’ll find their car. There will be a search, but it won’t touch us. I’ll make some discreet phone calls in the morning. No, I’d say we’re still on for the diversion at noon and the attack fifteen minutes later. Let me go on this burial detail.”
She left the room. “There goes a strong woman,” Murdock said.
“She has to be, living in a Moslem society,” Trenton said. “Women have almost no rights. They can’t drive a car, go to school, own property, be seen in public without a husband or a brother. She’s had to struggle here. The family business is in the name of her brother-in-law, but she’s the brains and the push.”
“I’m keeping a man on guard outside the rest of the night,” Murdock said. “What time is it?”
“Just past one A.M.”
Murdock turned to Jaybird, who was wiping up some spots of blood on the rug. “Need some good cleaner. I’ll get some from the owner of the house.”
“Then you come out front and relieve me on guard duty. We don’t want to be surprised that way again.”
Outside, Murdock found some deep shadows beside the house and next to a struggling tree. He had one of the sniper rifles with a round in the chamber and nineteen more in the magazine. He checked the sound suppressor on the front. It was screwed on tightly. He settled in to wait, checking the two cars he could see, watching the one house with lights on. Nobody moved. No dogs barked. Strange, no dogs. Too expensive to feed them probably. Or they had all been served on the dining room table for supper.
Then a figure moved from shadow to shadow next to the row of houses across the street. Murdock aimed the 6 × 42 telescopic sight at the figure. Whoever it was knew what he was doing. Then a moment later Murdock spotted a second figure following the lead of the first one. The man in front, dressed in Syrian-looking civilian clothes, took a long run from one house, across a lot, and to the next structure. At least they weren’t Syrian soldiers. Then Murdock grinned. Something vaguely familiar about the way the first man ran, like he had a little hitch in his get-along. Murdock relaxed. The man had to be Bradford who’d been sent to dispose of the car. Fernandez would be behind him.
The pair came almost even with the safe house, then stood and walked casually across the street, and toward where Murdock crouched. He let Bradford get almost to the side of the house, going
The two lifted off the floor, took their MGP-15s, and hurried out the back door.
Murdock turned to Rafii. “Didn’t I see a lot of wells when we came in? No central water system?”
“Correct. Usually a town well every four or five blocks. The water table must be high here.”
“Jaybird and Lam. Use the van. Take these two and drop them down a well in some abandoned spot.”
Barbara came into the room. She looked at the dead man and then at the other one. “I know where there’s a well we can use. Nobody goes there anymore; it’s sour and full of iron seepage.” She wore a robe. “Give me five minutes to get some pants on.” She hurried away.
By that time everyone in the house was in the living room. The shades had been drawn. The two CIA men watched.
Trenton looked at Murdock. “The two bodies?”
“Black flag. We can’t let this one tell anyone what he’s seen here tonight. He probably knows some English, or could figure it out. He’s a black flag victim.”
“Agreed.”
Murdock pointed to Rafii and Lam. “Get these two in the van. Out the back door.” The two carried the dead man out, then came back for the live one. His eyes were wild and he was shouting Arabic. Murdock put a cloth gag around his mouth and tied it tight at the back of his head.
Barbara came into the room dressed and carrying a small automatic. “Does this change anything?” Murdock asked.
“The two will be missing. They’ll find their car. There will be a search, but it won’t touch us. I’ll make some discreet phone calls in the morning. No, I’d say we’re still on for the diversion at noon and the attack fifteen minutes later. Let me go on this burial detail.”
She left the room. “There goes a strong woman,” Murdock said.
“She has to be, living in a Moslem society,” Trenton said. “Women have almost no rights. They can’t drive a car, go to school, own property, be seen in public without a husband or a brother. She’s had to struggle here. The family business is in the name of her brother-in-law, but she’s the brains and the push.”
“I’m keeping a man on guard outside the rest of the night,” Murdock said. “What time is it?”
“Just past one A.M.”
Murdock turned to Jaybird, who was wiping up some spots of blood on the rug. “Need some good cleaner. I’ll get some from the owner of the house.”
“Then you come out front and relieve me on guard duty. We don’t want to be surprised that way again.”
Outside, Murdock found some deep shadows beside the house and next to a struggling tree. He had one of the sniper rifles with a round in the chamber and nineteen more in the magazine. He checked the sound suppressor on the front. It was screwed on tightly. He settled in to wait, checking the two cars he could see, watching the one house with lights on. Nobody moved. No dogs barked. Strange, no dogs. Too expensive to feed them probably. Or they had all been served on the dining room table for supper.
Then a figure moved from shadow to shadow next to the row of houses across the street. Murdock aimed the 6 × 42 telescopic sight at the figure. Whoever it was knew what he was doing. Then a moment later Murdock spotted a second figure following the lead of the first one. The man in front, dressed in Syrian-looking civilian clothes, took a long run from one house, across a lot, and to the next structure. At least they weren’t Syrian soldiers. Then Murdock grinned. Something vaguely familiar about the way the first man ran, like he had a little hitch in his get-along. Murdock relaxed. The man had to be Bradford who’d been sent to dispose of the car. Fernandez would be behind him.
The pair came almost even with the safe house, then stood and walked casually across the street, and toward where Murdock crouched. He let Bradford get almost to the side of the house, going
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