nodded.
‘Tell me,’ Hassan hissed, tightening his grip around Abdul’s neck until his windpipe started to hurt.
‘I understand,’ Abdul croaked.
‘Put on your balaclava,’ Hassan said again, releasing Abdul but staying threateningly close.
Abdul took a few seconds to regain his breath before pulling his balaclava onto his head and over his face.
Hassan pulled his weapon out of its holster and moved out of the doorway. ‘You,’ he said, looking back at Abdul. ‘With me.’
Abdul moved alongside Hassan who grabbed his arm and pushed him ahead.‘Take the lead,’ Hassan said.
Abdul walked slowly up the pavement for a short distance before looking back to see the others following in a line. Fear and anxiety began to course through his body as he wondered what Hassan was going to do with him - and what was going to happen on this raid that he was now leading.
Abdul walked on a little further and when he slowed to look behind him again Hassan urged him on with a stiff shove.
Halfway down the street Hassan grabbed the back of Abdul’s jacket to halt him. When Abdul turned to see why, Hassan was looking at a car parked against the pavement beside him. It was an old dark-blue BMW and Hassan looked back at his brother who nodded in confirmation.
Hassan pushed Abdul forward again. ‘Keep going,’ he whispered.
They reached a house where a light glowed dimly on the second floor. Hassan moved nimbly past Abdul and went to the front door. He paused to look around before moving closer and pressing his ear against it.
A moment later he beckoned Abdul to join him. Abdul stepped beside Hassan who suddenly grabbed him roughly. ‘Keep your ear to the door and listen,’ Hassan whispered.‘You hear a sound, you let me know.’ Hassan did not wait for a response from Abdul and moved to join his men who had gathered in a tight group in the shadows of the building.
Abdul watched the devilish quartet whispering together and kept his ear to the door as he’d been ordered. He thought he heard a sound from inside and as he focused his attention on it he was suddenly yanked unceremoniously back. Arras moved to take his place, opened his jacket and removed a hefty crowbar as he pressed his ear to the door.
The others stood close by, Abdul a head shorter than any of them and hemmed in tightly, unable to escape even if he had dared to try.
Arras stepped back from the door and worked the crowbar into the frame. As he slowly levered it to one side the wood began to split but the lock held. He wiggled the bar further in and then levered it back once again. There was a loud crack and the door popped open.
Hassan did not waste a second and pushed past Arras and into the house with anxious haste. Ali and Arras followed quickly while Abdul was shoved inside by Karrar who brought up the rear.
Karrar closed the door behind him and the five men stood like black sentinels in the hallway as if waiting for a signal to move. Halfway along the dark narrow hallway a flight of stairs led to the floor above and Hassan moved to the foot, his pistol in his hand. Without looking back he signalled for the others to move and they obeyed stealthily.
Arras and Ali passed Hassan and continued along the hall to the first door, which was partly open. The room was dark inside. The two men went inside and a few seconds later reappeared and moved further down the dark passageway to the next door.
A few seconds later they came out and went further back into the house, disappearing into the darkness.
Abdul hardly moved, watching Hassan who kept his pistol aimed up the stairs. Karrar breathed deeply behind him. Judging by Hassan’s air of intensity and his cautious stance, the man was expecting resistance. Abdul hoped it would end soon but then he realised that he would still be left to deal with Hassan and the matter of his resignation. Abdul was no longer confident that the issue was going to be resolved quite as easily as he had hoped.
Ali and Arras
‘Tell me,’ Hassan hissed, tightening his grip around Abdul’s neck until his windpipe started to hurt.
‘I understand,’ Abdul croaked.
‘Put on your balaclava,’ Hassan said again, releasing Abdul but staying threateningly close.
Abdul took a few seconds to regain his breath before pulling his balaclava onto his head and over his face.
Hassan pulled his weapon out of its holster and moved out of the doorway. ‘You,’ he said, looking back at Abdul. ‘With me.’
Abdul moved alongside Hassan who grabbed his arm and pushed him ahead.‘Take the lead,’ Hassan said.
Abdul walked slowly up the pavement for a short distance before looking back to see the others following in a line. Fear and anxiety began to course through his body as he wondered what Hassan was going to do with him - and what was going to happen on this raid that he was now leading.
Abdul walked on a little further and when he slowed to look behind him again Hassan urged him on with a stiff shove.
Halfway down the street Hassan grabbed the back of Abdul’s jacket to halt him. When Abdul turned to see why, Hassan was looking at a car parked against the pavement beside him. It was an old dark-blue BMW and Hassan looked back at his brother who nodded in confirmation.
Hassan pushed Abdul forward again. ‘Keep going,’ he whispered.
They reached a house where a light glowed dimly on the second floor. Hassan moved nimbly past Abdul and went to the front door. He paused to look around before moving closer and pressing his ear against it.
A moment later he beckoned Abdul to join him. Abdul stepped beside Hassan who suddenly grabbed him roughly. ‘Keep your ear to the door and listen,’ Hassan whispered.‘You hear a sound, you let me know.’ Hassan did not wait for a response from Abdul and moved to join his men who had gathered in a tight group in the shadows of the building.
Abdul watched the devilish quartet whispering together and kept his ear to the door as he’d been ordered. He thought he heard a sound from inside and as he focused his attention on it he was suddenly yanked unceremoniously back. Arras moved to take his place, opened his jacket and removed a hefty crowbar as he pressed his ear to the door.
The others stood close by, Abdul a head shorter than any of them and hemmed in tightly, unable to escape even if he had dared to try.
Arras stepped back from the door and worked the crowbar into the frame. As he slowly levered it to one side the wood began to split but the lock held. He wiggled the bar further in and then levered it back once again. There was a loud crack and the door popped open.
Hassan did not waste a second and pushed past Arras and into the house with anxious haste. Ali and Arras followed quickly while Abdul was shoved inside by Karrar who brought up the rear.
Karrar closed the door behind him and the five men stood like black sentinels in the hallway as if waiting for a signal to move. Halfway along the dark narrow hallway a flight of stairs led to the floor above and Hassan moved to the foot, his pistol in his hand. Without looking back he signalled for the others to move and they obeyed stealthily.
Arras and Ali passed Hassan and continued along the hall to the first door, which was partly open. The room was dark inside. The two men went inside and a few seconds later reappeared and moved further down the dark passageway to the next door.
A few seconds later they came out and went further back into the house, disappearing into the darkness.
Abdul hardly moved, watching Hassan who kept his pistol aimed up the stairs. Karrar breathed deeply behind him. Judging by Hassan’s air of intensity and his cautious stance, the man was expecting resistance. Abdul hoped it would end soon but then he realised that he would still be left to deal with Hassan and the matter of his resignation. Abdul was no longer confident that the issue was going to be resolved quite as easily as he had hoped.
Ali and Arras
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