The Trap: terrorism, heroism and everything in between
Page 14
‘What’s going on? Why are you here?’
Amir’s words focus Majid.
‘That’s what I want to know. Where’s Kate? I want to see her.’
Nabil sits down and crosses his legs.
‘Any verbal agreement you think you had—’
‘Think?’ Majid clenches his fists. ‘What do you mean, think? Nabil, I know what she said. She promised me my freedom in exchange for Bashir. I kept my side of the bargain.’
He gets up and crosses the room, shouting into the front garden, ‘Kate?’
There are footsteps, but it is Jack.
‘What’s happened to Kate?’ Majid demands. ‘I have to see her.’
‘She’s gone.’
‘Where? Call her. Tell her to come back. I am not saying another word until she is in this room.’ He folds his arms. ‘OK, you need to explain what this is all about.’
Nabil is unperturbed by Majid’s agitation.
‘You are our asset, Majid. We have another job for you.’
Majid is shaking his head.
‘No. No way. I did everything that was asked of me. This is over. You don’t get anything more from me.’
‘One more job, Majid. We don’t have an asset as credible as you.’
Mum joins the rest of the family. She glares at Nabil.
‘How can you ask any more of him? He could have been killed. Why can’t you leave us alone?’
‘I’m no use to you,’ Majid says. ‘Bashir knows I’m alive. My cover is blown.’
‘Bashir Mirza boasted about his contacts. We are pretty sure it was all bombast. We will give you a new identity. There is more mileage in Bungee yet. We are fighting a war. We need soldiers like you.’
Majid’s heart is hammering.
‘Soldiers? That’s what Omar called me. I’m done being a soldier. Don’t you get it? I just want my life back.’
Nabil glances at his phone.
‘You could still be looking at a ten-to-twelve year prison sentence for your time in Syria. If you do this for us, I am sure we can clear that for you.’
Amir is staring at Nabil with eyes that are dark with rage.
‘But for my brother there would be hundreds of people dead. Doesn’t that count for anything? You can’t do this to him.’
‘It is Majid’s choice,’ Nabil drawls. ‘All I have done is remind him of the consequences of refusal.’
‘Prison.’
‘Almost certainly, yes.’
Majid is silent. Finally, he looks up.
‘I don’t have any choice. One last job.’
‘One last job,’ Nabil confirms.
Mum is in tears.
‘Can’t we at least have a few days with our son? All this time we thought he was dead. Just when we got him back … It’s so cruel.’
Nabil considers her words.
‘We have to preserve Majid’s anonymity at all costs. If a single reporter got a photo of him the way he looks now, there could be no deal.’
‘He would go to prison?’
‘Yes.’ Nabil walks to the door. ‘You have five minutes to come to a decision. I’ll be waiting in the car.’
Majid embraces his mother and father.
‘I’m so sorry, Ammi-ji, Abbu-ji. I thought it was all over. I’ve got to do this.’
‘No!’
‘I’ll come back to you, I promise. Trust me.’
Nasima buries her face in his shoulder.
‘It’s so unfair.’
Majid pulls Amir to him.
‘You be good, yeah? Study hard. Make a life for yourself. You and Nasima, you do something I never did and make our parents proud.’
Dad wraps his hand round the back of Majid’s neck and pulls him close.
‘My son, I could not be prouder of you than I am at this moment.’ His eyes glisten with tears. ‘You will come home. Insha’Allah.’
Majid gives each member of his family a last embrace then walks to the door.
‘I will be back, I promise. I love every one of you. God willing, I will return and life will be good again.’
There are further murmurs of Insha’Allah.
Then he is gone.
To all victims of terror everywhere
AN INDIGO EBOOK
First published in Great Britain in 2016 by Hodder and Stoughton
This eBook first published in 2016 by Hodder and Stoughton
Text © Alan Gibbons, 2016
The rights of the author have been asserted.
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
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ISBN: 978 1 78062 246 0
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