by Jon F. Merz
“Well, gentlemen, I’m happy to report that you both check out. Your bonafides are legitimate and impressive given the small stature of your organization.”
“It’s small right now only because we haven’t had the funding to attract others to the cause,” said Zero. “Hopefully we’ll be able to rectify that.”
“Indeed,” said Salah. “Money is always the thing that makes a difference. It helps recruit others when you are able to purchase weapons and explosives and show the world what you are capable of pulling off. That is where the recruits will come from. And that is what we will help you achieve.”
Zero smiled. “So, Nadi-?”
Salah held up his hand. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I have spoken with him and he has authorized me to continue talking with you. But we must first arrive at a suitable means of getting you the money you desire. Once that is established, then we can finalize our deal and be done. You will be on your way, although I must stress I would not linger here in this city. No doubt Murad will be searching for you both. Indeed, you may need to find another way out of the country. If this proves difficult, we can help you there as well.”
“We would appreciate that greatly,” said Zero. “As far as getting the money to us, we have a few businesses that might allow us to transfer the money over in their names. Once it’s in their accounts, they can disburse it directly to us.”
Salah frowned. “And how reliable is that? Do you trust these people? If we agree upon sums then you must be certain to acquire all the money, minus a suitable fee for these businesses agreeing to help you. I would hate for us to invest in your organization only to find out that the people you trusted have in turn betrayed you either to the authorities or by keeping the money themselves.”
I shook my head. “They know what would happen if they tried to double-cross us. They know there’d be repercussions. Terminal ones at that.”
Salah smiled. “I don’t doubt that you are indeed capable of delivering on such a thing, either, my friend. So, yes, that sounds as though it could work. I would simply need the appropriate routing numbers, account numbers, and the like. As soon as you can get those to me, the better. We will use a system of cut-out companies on our end so that the money cannot be traced back to us. Obviously, we must remain discrete in this operation.”
Zero took a sip of his drink and then put the glass back on the table. “How much money are we talking about there?”
Salah smiled. “How much do you require?”
Zero eyed me and then looked back at Salah. “One million dollars US.”
Salah didn’t blink. “That’s an awful lot of money for a new organization.”
Zero took a breath. “We’ll have people joining us with no experience. They’ll need to be trained. That costs money.”
“Training we can help you with,” said Salah. “Nadi has a network of camps in the desert that we use to train various factions and organizations from around the world. Just over the border in Libya you will find all the space you require, trust me on that. Gunfire only carries so far and there are none living in the Libyan desert who will ever hear it. Not even Murad will know we are there.”
“Still have to fly them down here,” said Zero. “That costs. And then there will be the expense of getting our hands on weapons and explosives. Remote detonators. Radios. The works. We’ll need vehicles and safe houses as well. Plus, the bribes to the locals to help us make sure everything stays secret.”
Salah leaned back in his chair. “Just what exactly are you planning to do up there in Northern Ireland, Ian? These are very ambitious goals.”
Zero eyed him. “We’re planning on bringing the Brits to their knees. Force them to negotiate a state of independence to Northern Ireland, pull all of their troops out, and leave us be in peace.”
“And you think they will?” asked Salah. “They’ve been there for a very long time.”
“We’ll make them leave,” I said. “Once we start killing their young boys and sending them home in body bags, the public in England will grow tired of seeing their young sacrificed so needlessly. Then they’ll start putting pressure on the politicians to negotiate with us.”
“And what of the IRA? What will they think of your plans?”
“Fuck the IRA,” said Zero. “They’ve been going a bit easy on the squaddies as late. Easing back because they’re soft. They’ve given up being as tough as they need to be. But for any real change to happen, it’s got to be hard violence to force them to the table.”
“I don’t disagree with you,” said Salah. “I was just curious because it seems like you might be stepping on more than a few toes if you go about blowing things up without the IRA’s permission.”
“We don’t require their permission,” said Zero. “They know what we’re capable of and if they come after us, we’ll put them in the ground just the same as the Brits.”
Salah smiled. “Very well then.” He gestured to the food before us. “I suggest we eat and replenish ourselves.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I tucked into the meal and so did Zero. Salah ate eagerly and the servants kept bringing us out more food. I lost count of all the dishes we were served, but it soon whittled away my massive appetite until I was leaning back patting my stomach.
“That was an amazing feast,” I said. “My compliments to the cook.”
Salah nodded. “Food is one of those things I feel is most indicative of a people. You can learn so much from what a culture eats. Often times, it reveals more about a person than one would think.” He gestured at my plate. “Are you aware of what you just ate?”
I shook my head. “Not a bloody clue. All I know is it tasted great.”
“Among the dishes, that is kushari there, a mix of lentils and macaroni. There we have shawarma, and then at the end is cow brain, which you devoured without thought.”
“Cow brain?” If I hadn’t been so hungry, I might have wanted to vomit. I thought it had tasted a bit strange, but then again, I was starving, so I ate it anyway. “Well, it was pretty good stuff.”
Salah smiled again. “I wouldn’t have expected an Irish lad like yourself to throw himself with such zeal into a meal like this, but you did. I suspected you were hungry and you certainly proved me right.”
Zero chuckled. “Ol’ Billy there is known as the human mouth back home. You can put anything in front of him and he’ll throw it right down his neck without thinking. Comes in handy at the bar when he’s off impressing the ladies.”
“I’m sure it must,” said Salah. “Well, if you’re both feeling satisfied then perhaps we’ll take a bit of a ride.”
“A ride?” I asked. “Where are we going?”
Salah stood and gestured for us to follow him. “We’ve discussed all the business we had to discuss, so I think it’s time that we progress to the next level, don’t you?”
“And that would be what exactly?” asked Zero.
Salah looked surprised. “Why, exactly what you wished for gentlemen: we’re going meet with Nadi and finalize this deal. Tonight if at all possible.”
10
Salah’s men were waiting by a pair of Range Rovers in the courtyard. The black sport utility vehicles had a modified wheel base and could handle anything off road or on. I also noticed that the men had slung automatic weapons over their shoulders as if they expected trouble. I wondered if the incident with Murad earlier today had put them on alert or if this was a regular occurrence for them?
Zero pointed at a gun. “I don’t suppose we get one of those?”
Salah laughed. “Why would you need one? I thought you came here looking for money?”
“We did,” said Zero. “But we’ve also been in a few scraps today and I certainly wouldn’t mind having some firepower to protect ourselves.”
Salah shook his head. “Trust me, you do not. If something happens, my men will take care of it. But if you were to shoot anyone here, there is nothing I could do to protect you. Between the police
and Murad’s men, you would vanish and no one would ever know where you or your brother was.” He laughed. “I mean, I do not even carry a gun myself. That should tell you something. I trust my men completely.”
Zero shot me a look and I shrugged. There was nothing we could do about it at the moment. Hopefully, we’d get to Nadi without an incident. If there was one, we’d have to play it as it came. To force the issue would have made us look suspicious or like we didn’t trust Salah. Neither one of those options would come out well for us.
We climbed into the back seats of the second Range Rover with Salah and waited as his men mounted up. Then the cars fired up and we slowly rolled out of the main gate and into the traffic.
I found it hard to believe that Salah wasn’t known by Murad. The compound clearly belonged to a wealthy individual and it would take no effort to put surveillance on it if they did suspect something. But again, I had no wish to insult Salah and frankly, if Murad had missed the opportunity to investigate, that was his problem and not mine. Our mission took priority over what an Egyptian intelligence officer was up to.
The lights of the city shone through the windows as we rolled down the street. Salah hummed a tune to himself and smiled at us as we threaded our way along. Two black Range Rovers weren’t exactly low profile, but it didn’t seem to bother Salah.
We passed a large mosque and Salah pointed at it. “Al-Hussein is there and Al-Azhar is across the street. They’re beautiful inside. If you get a chance while you’re here, you should stop and see them up close. Just be sure to take your shoes off before entering.”
Zero smiled. “I think, for obvious reasons, we should get out of Cairo as soon as our business is concluded. Don’t you?”
Salah chuckled. “Perhaps you are right. Save it for another time.”
Ahead of us, the street turned into a bridge and before I knew it, we were driving over what I assumed was the Nile River. I dislike bridges because of their lack of maneuverability. They were great places to stage an ambush because they only offered two exits - in front or behind. You couldn’t rip your car to the left or right without going over the edge. That limited mobility gave the attackers the upper hand. I felt my heart tick up a notch and I noticed Zero was sitting up more alert as well.
But then we passed over without contact and I allowed myself to relax a bit. We turned south off the bridge and for a while, we skirted the Nile which remained visible on our left. I could see the lights along the river and those of the homes we sped past. Here and there, boats still plied the waters and it felt surreal knowing the ancient history of the place being juxtaposed with the modern reality of why we were there in the first place.
We merged onto what I guessed was highway 75 further south and steered west. Wherever we were going, it didn’t seem to be in Cairo proper, which actually made me feel somewhat more secure. I expected Murad had most of his men stationed in the city itself, thinking we might be somewhere within the city limits. But we’d left it behind and now seemed to be heading someplace else. And that was fine with me.
“We’re in Giza now,” said Salah. “Do you know it, Billy? From your schoolwork?”
“I’ve heard of it,” I said. “The pyramids, right?”
Salah smiled. “Very good. Yes, the great pyramids are there. Have you ever seen them?”
“Only in pictures in my textbooks,” I said. I didn’t want Salah thinking I was just some dumb kid who’d gotten into terrorism for the romantic aspects of it. But I didn’t want him thinking I was a genius, either.
“Then tonight is your lucky night,” said Salah. “In addition to the money, perhaps you will leave my country having seen one of its greatest achievements.”
“Are we really going there?” asked Zero.
“Indeed,” said Salah. “That is our destination. Nadi is a bit of a romantic and likes things to be somewhat dramatic for his first meetings.” He waved a hand. “I told him he could simply come to my house, but he prefers to do things his way and so this is where we must go to.” Salah sighed. “He is my boss, after all, so I can’t deny his request.”
The cars began turning north now and I had a feeling that highway 75 curved around the great Cairo metropolis the way route 128 does back in Massachusetts. The landscape changed from heavy concentrations of built-up homes to a more spacious scene. And then all sign of residences fell away entirely as I spotted a trio of peaks looming up out of the landscape as we kept driving.
“There,” said Salah. “Look upon them, for there is no other sight as magnificent as these in the world. Certainly such was their impact in ages past.”
The pyramids grew out of the desert night as we sped toward them. They were just off to our eleven o’clock through the windshield and I couldn’t help but be struck by the sheer size. Lights at the base of the structures lit them up even at night and gave us a clear picture as we approached. Their sheer magnitude seemed to dwarf everything around us and I was mesmerized.
“Amazing,” I said.
“Indeed,” said Salah. “It is a view that I never get tired of seeing every time I come out here.”
“Is this were Nadi conducts all of his business?” asked Zero. “It seems an unusual location given the nature of what he does.”
“Not always,” said Salah. “But as I said, he does have an appreciation for the dramatic. Plus, I think he wanted you to be impressed with one of our nation’s most important highlights.”
“It is absolutely impressive,” said Zero. “I wish we had more time to explore them at length.”
Salah smiled in the darkness of the interior. “Well, maybe you’ll get your wish. Nadi has asked us to go directly to the base of Khufu and await his arrival there.”
“Which one is Khufu?” I asked.
“The tallest,” said Salah. “It overshadows both of the others in size and magnitude. It will grow even more awesome as we get closer to it.”
“And it’s just open like this?” I asked. “So anyone can drive up to it?”
Salah shrugged. “There are police around but they are easily handled with a few quick bribes. There will always be some sort of archaeological research going on, but probably not at this time of night. In other words, it’s not deserted, but neither is it bustling with activity as it is during the daylight hours. We should be fine to conduct our business without any sort of molestation from the authorities.”
“Good,” said Zero. “The sooner we get this done, the better off I think we’ll be. The last thing we need is Murad and his men tracking us down to some place like this.”
Salah chuckled. “If I know Murad, he probably has a half dozen nightclubs staked out all over Cairo thinking we would go to some place like that. He has seen far too many movies I think, and most of his thinking seems to derive from those fantastical worlds he sees on the big screen rather than his intellect itself.”
I frowned. That seemed a bit more dismissive of the man than I was comfortable with. Murad might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer - although I hadn’t seen any indication of his lack of smarts - but dismissing him outright like that didn’t seem particularly wise, either. Enemies always have a way of making you regret your assumptions.
The Range Rovers started slowing now as we approached an exit off the highway. We dipped down suddenly and then slid down the exit ramp toward a smaller, but well-paved double lane street that turned to our left and then directly in front of us stood the trio of pyramids.
My heart raced at the sight of them. It was hard to stay calm when these things were right in front of your eyes. The pyramids had always held a source of fascination for me since I was a child. How they’d been built and for what purpose had always captivated my imagination and to finally see them up close was truly spectacular.
I had to keep reminding myself that Zero and I were here to find and execute Nadi for his crimes against our people, but even so, I was finally seeing the pyramids for the first time.
I had to pinch myself to get my head r
ight. Zero was looking around with his eyes squinted slightly. He wanted to know what the ground around us looked like. If there was any chance Murad knew we were here, there was going to be trouble. And since we weren’t armed, I knew Zero wasn’t feeling as confident as he might have otherwise. I knew it, because I was feeling the exact same way. It was always preferable to have a gun and not have to use it than not have one and need it.
But this was the hand we’d been dealt, so we’d have to go with it. I was also feeling a little low on energy. We hadn’t had any juice since early this morning and I was starting to feel a bit more lethargic than I liked. Any time you go into a situation like this, you want to be as primed as possible. And we weren’t. We could survive without juice for about two days, but even still, we were both far from our optimal state.
Salah barked a few orders at his men and we started threading our way through the pyramid complex. I spotted a variety of large tents and signs directing traffic. A few people milled around, and we saw one or two security checkpoints, but by and large no one seemed to be particularly concerned with what everyone else was doing. It was just sort of…open.
No wonder Nadi had chosen this place. You could come and go without anyone harassing you and it offered a great deal of cover from scrutiny if you made sure to grease the right palms beforehand.
Salah pointed now. “There. Turn left there and then pull the cars into the dark area behind the lights.”
The driver did as he was told and we slowed to a stop. Salah cleared his throat and looked at us. “Well, gentlemen, are you ready?”
“Absolutely,” said Zero.
“Then let’s go meet Nadi and get your money,” said Salah.
11
It was much cooler as soon as we stepped outside of the vehicles. The desert night was clear overhead with a million stars twinkling from down above. In the distance, I could see the lights of Cairo staining the sky, but even a few miles removed from it as we were, the stars quickly reclaimed their prominence. A breeze blew around us, scaring up bits of sand that stung my face. I had to blink from taking an eye full of grit.