Cursed Days

by J. M. LeDuc

  Chloe smiled and briefly thought about warning Brent when he returned but quickly thought better of it. No one liked being on Joan’s bad side. It was a scary place to be, and she wasn’t about to take that chance. Chloe again wiped her eyes and then began reading the note:

  Hi Angel,

  I’m sure you were furious after the briefing when you heard my decision. I am writing this brief note, to help calm your fears. A squad raid is planned for tonight, but we have devised a plan that includes extensive pre-planning. This is going to allow both Seven and I from having to be in anyone’s line of fire inside Medinat al-mawta. I can’t give you any other specifics, but you can rest a bit easier knowing that at no time will we be in direct danger inside the walls of ‘The City of the Dead’. When you pray today say and extra prayer for Bishop Jessup. He’s been a bit flustered since we’ve been here and he is about to become a lot more so. Kiss my baby girl for me, and know that my love is pure,

  Brent.

  Ps. Seven said to tell Maddie that he desperately needs a foot rub, whatever that means.

  The letter helped Chloe feel better about the raid. As they walked towards Maddie’s office, Joan said. “I didn’t know that you found out you were having a girl, that’s awesome.”

  Chloe smiled and rubbed her ever growing belly. “We don’t know. Brent says that it’s his ‘male’ intuition.”

  “Oh, yeah,” said Joan, oozing in sarcasm, “and we know how intuitive the male members of our species are. When God gave women intuition, the men were standing in line waiting for a television remote.”

  The laughter reached the Director’s office before the girls did. “I guess you’re feeling better,” Maddie said, as the two of them entered her office.

  “Yeah, and you will too, as soon as you read this.”

  Chloe handed the picture frame over to Maddie and watched her eyes as she read the note. She could tell Maddie’s mind was going a hundred miles an hour as she read the blurb about the plan. As she read the last line, she blushed and then burst out with laughter.

  “I’m not even going to ask,” Joan said.

  “Good, because I’m not going to tell you,” Maddie replied.

  Once the giggling subsided, the ladies began to talk in earnest. “Is there anything we can do to help them?” Joan asked.

  “Not much I’m afraid,” Maddie said. “I had Joseph write down everything that went wrong with the mission he was involved in and I sent it to Brent’s phone. If I know him, he’ll check it every now and then to see if we’ve tried to communicate with him.”

  “I don’t understand why they cut off communication. That doesn’t sound like Brent,” Chloe said.

  “According to Joseph, it was a brilliant idea,” Maddie replied. “It seems the graveyard is not exactly as it appears. Inside one or more of the tombs, the terrorists have set up a very advanced communication system, complete with the latest in tracking and satellite technology. He said that’s how they knew what to expect when the SIA raid took place. They were able to intercept all communication.”

  “Yeah, but the squad’s sat phones are on a wavelength so low that it isn’t even on the charts.”

  “I know, Joan, but since we don’t have any idea how advanced their technology is, Brent’s idea of halting all communication is the safest approach.”

  “What about the message you sent from Joseph? Won’t the terrorists be able to intercept that?”

  “Probably, Chloe, that’s why it was sent in an encryption. . . well really a code that is only known to the Ambassadors. Here, have a look at what we sent.”

  Maddie slid a sheet of paper across her desk to the girls. Reading it, Maddie could tell that neither of them quite understood what they were looking at.

  “It’s a grocery list,” Joan said.

  “To you and me it is. To Brent every item represents something entirely different. I have no idea what it says, but Joseph assures me that Brent will know and that it will help the Covenant Team gain intel into ‘The City of the Dead’.”

  “What if something goes wrong?”

  “I thought of that too, Chloe. The note you just gave me makes me feel a little bit better, but you never know how these thing are going to unfold. I have alerted Q, and he says that he has access to a MH-60L DAP Blackhawk helicopter. It’s a gunship equipped to fly and attack at night. He said he would be able to stay outside the range of any intercepting device that the terrorists might have, but still be close enough to watch by radar what is taking place inside Medinat al-mawta. If anything goes wrong, he’ll be there. Other than that, all we can do is pray and wait for the colonel’s communication later tonight.”

  CHAPTER 20

  The team wasted no time putting Brent’s plan into motion. All afternoon Seven and the padre were gathering all the equipment that Brent asked for. Most of it was audio equipment easily found at any Radio Shack back home. Once they were able to find an equivalent, the Bishop had no problem accumulating what they needed.

  Seven spent most of his day in two of Cairo’s ‘outdoorsmen’ stores. There, he went about the task of gathering the best arrows he could find. Brent had told him to buy the heaviest steel shafted ones he could find. If he was asked any questions, he was to say that he and his buddies were leaving Cairo today and headed to Africa for a safari, but with all the new airport security, they were not allowed to pack their arrows.

  Seven was only questioned once and he responded by saying that they traveled by way of El Al. The Israeli airline is known to have the highest security in the world, so they would not even allow the arrows to be placed in the baggage hold. Seven knew that the Egyptians knew how El Al operated and wouldn’t question him any further.

  While all this was taking place, Brent was busy contacting the few Knights of the Endowment that were in the area. He specifically needed attractive young women in order to make his plan work. It took a great deal of convincing the father of these young women to allow his daughters anywhere in the vicinity of Medinat al-mawta. Eventually, Brent was able to assure him that The Ambassador himself would keep their daughters out of harm’s way.

  The team used the rest of the daylight hours to set up the audio equipment around the cemetery. Joseph’s text message helped Brent decide exactly where he needed to place the speakers and run the wiring.

  Just after nine o’clock that evening, everything was ready.

  Inside a public restroom, Brent and Seven emerged from the stalls in complete squad uniform. The Bishop was dressed in his vestments and in his hands he had a copy of The Bible and The Koran.

  Medinat al-mawta was known as a place where readers of the Koran commonly gathered. They were the only outsiders that were allowed to enter and leave the gates freely.

  The Bishop looked at himself in a mirror. “Are you sure this is absolutely necessary?” he asked.

  “We’ve been through all this before,” Brent said. “I’ve given you the choice to either be in or out. Either way, the raid takes place.”

  Brent took him by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. When the Bishop looked back, he saw—nothing. There was not even a speck of emotion in Brent’s demeanor. He could not spot a hint of humanity. Looking over at Seven, he saw the same—nothingness.

  “I can’t have you on the fence, padre. It’s like your faith, either you are totally committed, or you’re out. Which is it?”

  Bishop Jessup lowered his head and asked God for courage. Lifting his head back up, he looked at the two men he admired most. “I’m in.”

  Brent nodded. “Let’s move out. Seven I need you in position in ten minutes. We’ll be out of communication until you hear a voice over the loudspeakers. I expect you to be ready. Five minutes after that the girls should be approaching the main gate. That will give us a slight distraction to move around freely. Bishop, you’ll approach the gate exactly fifteen minutes la
ter. Any questions?” Brent didn’t wait for an answer. He just opened the door and walked out into the night.

  Ten minutes later, Brent was high in a eucalyptus tree on the east side of Medinat. He noticed the dried blood below the tree and said a quick prayer for the soul of the messenger. Seven was on the move, planting himself in a tree on the west side. All they could do was wait.

  From Brent’s vantage point he could see the sentries located on the east, north and part of the south side of the cemetery. Due to the happenings of last night, they were heavily armed and on high alert.

  Joseph’s intel became invaluable as Brent noticed that many of those guarding the perimeter of the cemetery were indeed young mothers, presumably, walking their children. From high in the tree, Brent blessed himself and said a silent prayer.

  Lord, I pray that the innocent have enough sense to run when the attack comes. If not, please give me the resolve to do what is necessary.

  Brent opened his eyes and blessed himself once more. Taking one last look around, he muttered, “Emotion will get you killed,” unaware that Seven was doing and saying the same thing on the opposite side of the grave yard.

  Music could now be heard coming from the north side. The side where the main gate was located. Peering through their night-vision goggles, both Brent and Seven could see three young women dancing slowly and seductively up to the gate. Behind them was an older gentleman carrying a boom box, blasting the music. The closer they approached the outside of the gate, the larger the crowd gathered on the inside. The girls reached the entrance and the music stopped.

  The gentleman carrying the boom box walked to the front. In his native tongue, he said in a loud and clear voice, “In honor of all that you do for our people, I have brought my daughters to dance for your leaders. Send someone to tell them that entertainment has come to Medinat al-mawta.”

  One of the men inside the gate whispered in a boy’s ear and off he ran. While everyone waited, the man inside the gate goaded the girls, trying to get them to continue.

  “We will continue when someone worthy of their beauty arrives,” the old man answered. His remarks angered the guard, so much so that he was about to unlock the gate and go out after him.

  He fumbled with the keys and yelled obscenities at the top of his lungs when a hand grabbed his arm from behind and spun him around. The arm belonged to the terrorist leader inside ‘The City of the Dead’. Turning the man to face him, he quickly drew a knife from his belt and slit the guard’s throat. “Any one quick to anger is of no use to me,” he said. It was more a warning to the others who were present than a declaration.

  Watching from his vantage point, Brent could not believe what he saw. It was not the death that shocked him. It was the one who wielded the blade. He knew the assassin because he was responsible for the scar that started at the man’s right ear and extended to his mouth. Known only as Anwar, he was a political and religious terrorist, third on Homeland Security’s most wanted list.

  Seven, I hope you see what I’m seeing. This definitely changes the complexion of the evening.

  Back at the gate, Anwar demanded to know what these girls were doing there. Again the gentleman said that he wanted to thank the men inside the ‘City’ for their protection, but since he was a simple man of little means, his girl’s dancing would have to take the place of any money he would like to donate.

  A sly, evil smile spread across Anwar’s face. Calling to his friends, soon four of the leaders of Medinat were seated just inside the gate. “You may let your girls begin, old man,” Anwar said. “If their dancing pleases me, I will give you money. If it doesn’t, you will pay with your life.” His expression did not change as he stared at the old man and violently clapped his hands together three times.

  As soon as Anwar gave the order to begin, the old man placed the boom box on the ground and turned on the music. This was the cue for Brent and Seven to begin the raid.

  Brent and Seven quietly and efficiently took out the lone sentry’s who were posted at the perimeter of the cemetery. Using their bows, they made sure their attack was silent. Hitting each target dead center in either the back or the front of the head, they made sure it was fatal. By the time the first song was finished, four of the guardsmen were disposed of. As soon as they took out the outer posts, they both dropped out of their prospective trees and made their way to the fence. Once up and over, they flattened themselves to the ground and waited for the next cue.

  Anwar was becoming disinterested and told the old man that unless his girls could dance better than that, they would be going home fatherless. The old man gathered the girls together and whispered in their ears. The music began again and the girls began to move in a way that was similar to the dance of seven veils. Their hip movement and gyrations were more than enough to get Anwar’s attention, not to mention his men.

  As the first veils began to fall, a larger crowd gathered on the inside of the fence. This gave Brent and Seven more freedom to take out sentry’s posted further in from the perimeter. These men were not heavily armed, therefore there was no need to use deadly force.

  They disposed of them using tranquilizer darts, bagged and gagged their prey and continued to move closer to what they knew was the hub of the cemetery. As the third veil fell a loud voice could be heard and a shadowy figure moved toward the gate. Brent soon saw Bishop Jessup calmly walk up to the gate holding the Bible and Koran overhead and yelling that this immorality must stop.

  Soon, others followed, screaming much of the same. An argument ensued between the Bishop and his followers and Anwar and his men. The girls and the old man were caught in the middle. The verbal fighting at the gate allowed Brent and Seven to move around freely. They continued to take out more of the men that were posted further in. As Brent emerged over a small hill, he saw a large mausoleum being guarded by at five armed guards. He knew what he had to do.

  At the same time, Seven approached from the other side and saw the same mausoleum. From his vantage point, he was able to see a man armed with a machinegun posted on the roof as well as three other heavily armed men. “Colonel, I hope you’re with me on this,” he mouthed. “As soon as you give the signal, all hell is gonna break lose.”

  Seven took cover behind a gravestone and waited. He took out his tobacco tin and packed his lower lip. A fresh dip calmed his nerves and made the waiting easier. His eyes momentarily broke from his intended target and roamed to the writing on the stone. He noticed a cross at the top of the gravestone he hid behind. Lowering his sight, he read,

  Here lays the earthly remains of Abdul Swerrawat, a believer in the Christ. Do not mourn his passing, but celebrate his rebirth.

  “I’m gonna take that as a sign. Lord, I pray I’m right,” Seven whispered.

  He spit the juice from the tobacco on the ground, drew back an arrow, and took aim at the gun tower. A moment later he heard the sound of a dove cooing. It was the sign from Brent. He let the arrow fly. By the time the twang of the bow string stopped reverberating in his ear, the arrow found its resting place in temple of the gunman. In a calm yet deceptively fast manner, Seven loaded another arrow and let it fly. Repeating this three times, he took out all the guards before they could react to the gunman falling off the top of the mausoleum.

  The men were quickly dragged to the back of the old stone structure where they couldn’t be seen from the front gate. He then made his way around the east side of the tomb. Peering around the corner of the structure, he saw Brent dragging the last of his five victims. Seeing his friend, the colonel pointed to his eyes and then to the opening of the mausoleum. He then held up four fingers, letting Seven know how many men he suspected to be inside.

  Seven nodded and pulled a hand grenade from his belt. It was a silent grenade filled with nerve gas. It would instantaneously paralyze anyone who breathed it in. Its effects were temporary with no residual effects to the victims once it wore off.
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  He and Brent put gas masks on before he pulled the pin and tossed it into the mouth of the grave. As the smoke began to clear, Brent and Seven descended down into the guts of the tomb. The tunnel was about thirty feet long and ended in a communication room. Slumped over the main computer was one of the men. His eyes were open and working. The colonel lifted his head. He could see the hate in the man’s eyes. The guard looked as if he was trying to move, but couldn’t. Brent lifted his head so he could look him straight in the eye.

  “Your brain has no connection to your body. The more you struggle, the longer the effects will last.”

  Seven moved from one body to the next, making sure that all men were conscious. All were quickly tied at the wrists and ankles and taped around the mouth. Brent took all the discs and paperwork he could find and stuffed them in his backpack. Seven placed an explosive on the mainframe along with a timer set for fifteen minutes. They spent the next five minutes carrying the men out of the tomb.

  Retreating from the mausoleum for the last time, both men disappeared into the blackness of night.

  Brent could hear the argument at the gate escalating. As the tension grew to a boiling point between both sides, Anwar drew his pistol and shot into the air. “The next bullet will be straight through your heart,” he said, aiming it at the Bishop.

  Brent removed a remote transmitter from his belt and spoke. “I don’t think so, my friend.”

  Anwar and his men quickly turned around trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. Brent was able to change the location of his voice to any of the twelve speakers set up around the perimeter of the cemetery.

  “All your guards are either dead or disarmed. You and your men at the gate are surrounded.”

  Anwar’s eyes became merely slits as his anger grew. Aiming his gun directly at Bishop Jessup, he pulled the trigger. Seven, seeing what was about to transpire, drew back his bow and loosed an arrow. It tore through the hand of Anwar just as he was about to kill the Bishop. The arrow caused Anwar to drop his weapon, but not before he fired an errant shot. The bullet missed the Bishop, but hit the leg of Isa, the father of the dancers.