Lethal Influence

by Susan Bohnet

  “I miss you, too. Talk to you soon.”

  Lincoln waited for him at a distance. One eyebrow was raised but he didn’t comment.

  Chapter Forty-three

  Kai stood on the edge of the ravine and stared out over the expanse of beige that surrounded him. For miles, all he could see was rocks and dirt and crooked horizons studded with small pockets of pale green or gray. How come, he mused, so many of the evil people in the world live in hot climates? His first mission with the rebels had led him to the damp heat of Africa. Now he stood in the arid heat of Afghanistan. The nights here could be cool, but the days were not. At least here he didn’t stick out quite so much.

  They had grown beards, letting the darkness of their facial hair help hide their pale skin. Trebladores could grow fine beards when they wanted to and Kai’s was surprisingly thick considering the short time he’d let it grow. Lincoln’s was even better than Kai’s, his already ruddy skin taking on a darker hue after three days in the sun. He looked like he was born here, striding around in his flowing robes as he accompanied Kai on this new rebel mission.

  Kai knew enough about Ahmad to know he was beyond help. He had set up and run several suicide camps, indoctrinating the youth of the area to agree to sacrifice themselves and anyone else who happened to be next to them for a cause. A cause that was all about the power of a few over the many and one that would result in the death of thousands of innocent men, women and children. Ahmad’s soldiers and suicide bombers had succeeded in killing again and again. He needed to be stopped.

  This was another man Kai had no uncertainty about. He was underhanded, deadly in his treatment of anyone who disagreed with him or his agenda. He ruled his camps with fear and he didn’t hesitate to kill anyone who opposed him. But he was going to be hard to get close to.

  The rebels who inhabited the area had a plan. Or at least, they said they did. Kai was forced to accept that and he hoped they knew what they were talking about … his own life hung in the balance.

  “What do you see out there that keeps you so engrossed?” It was Lincoln, his robes flapping in the breeze as he came to stand beside Kai.

  “Oh, I’m feeling just a little nervous,” Kai said. “I have to get into a camp filled with angry, American-hating, bomb-carrying young men who also have rifles in every hand. If I don’t get past the guards, I’ll be gunned down like so much garbage, it won’t even be funny.”

  Lincoln smiled, his lips almost hidden by the thick beard that covered his lower jaw. “Don’t worry, Kai. We have Amin and Rajiv; they’ll know what to do.”

  Kai glanced once at Lincoln, his left eyebrow raised. “I’m glad you have so much faith in them. But…”

  “Do you doubt your abilities? Even now?” Lincoln said.

  “No, it’s not my abilities I doubt. I know I can drop him once I meet his eyes. It’s getting close enough before I’m shot! These guys will shoot anything that moves the wrong way … and I move the wrong way.”

  Kai looked across the horizon again, seeing, this time, the rise of the smoke that heralded the location of the camp. Life was about to get a wee bit more interesting.

  ——<>——

  Dusk was just starting to settle over the area, bringing with it a cooler flow of air as the four men walked up to the gates of the compound. The guard on duty thrust his rifle into their faces and snarled something that Kai didn’t understand. Amin answered with a short, guttural bark of his own. The guard hesitated and then stepped back, letting the men push the wire gate out of the way and then stride through. Amin gestured to the others and they fell into a circle around Kai, their hands held loosely at their sides. Kai was the only one who couldn’t hang his hands at his sides … they were tied together in front of him with a thick yellow rope.

  Three men came out of a tent and Kai heard Amin give a short curse under his breath. He looked at Amin in question, but Amin had his eyes on the men. The men came forward. Amin stepped to the front, half hiding Kai. Kai saw that the men had noticed him, their eyes resting on the rope that held his hands together.

  One man, average height and weight, beard so dark it was almost blue, and wearing long, loose, flowing clothes stepped up to Kai and his group. He spoke again in a language Kai didn’t understand. Amin bowed to the stranger and stepped back, revealing Kai completely to the man who stood in front of him. The man looked at Kai with narrowed eyes. Kai felt a sharp stab between his shoulder blades as he met the man’s eyes. This was Ahmad. Kai knew it the moment he looked into the man’s soul. Nothing there but anger and fear and a burning desire to control everyone and everything around him. Not one spark of compassion. Not one hint of any kind of forgiveness. This was a lost soul indeed.

  Kai swallowed, lowering his eyes. He knew he couldn’t kill Ahmad here, when they were totally surrounded by men loyal to the cause. Even if those men didn’t think there was a link between Kai and Ahmad’s death, the aftermath could leave the Trebladores dead on the ground. He needed to be alone with Ahmad when he killed him.

  Ahmad made a rough gesture with his hands, scowling as he spoke. Amin reached over and grasped Kai by the forearm, jerking him forward. He pulled Kai against him for a fraction of a second and then shoved him ahead, pushing him past the small group of men. Rajiv stepped up in front of Kai, gave him a meaningful look, and turned to lead the way toward the tents, leaving Ahmad and his men behind. Kai felt the sweat run down his back and dared to glance over at Lincoln. Lincoln had his head down, eyes averted, shoulders hunched around the rifle he held in his hands. Kai could tell he was uncomfortable with the weapon and he hoped that discomfort had not been evident to Ahmad. Everything depended on Ahmad accepting that Lincoln was just another henchman.

  They continued past the tents until they came to a large opening in the side of a hill. Boxes of supplies were scattered about the entrance. As they entered the cave, he felt the first wave of cool air. Rajiv led the group deeper into the cave. It was lit by a series of bare light bulbs that had been staked to the roof. When they reached an alcove deep under the hill, Rajiv told Kai to stop. He pointed out a small stool beside the wall and told Kai to sit. He sat. Rajiv turned to Lincoln and motioned for him to take a spot to the right, beside several wooden boxes. He sent Amin to the other side. It was clear that they were to guard their prisoner until told to do otherwise. Despite the initial primitiveness of the place, the space closer to the front of the cave had tables with computers on them. Kai was obviously going to have to wait until Ahmad came to him.

  Kai thought of Ahmad’s men stationed around the perimeter of the camp. They were fierce fighters and each carried several weapons. Getting out of this place alive was going to be a miracle. Kai had to face the possibility that he might die on this mission. He wondered if his death would be worth it. Is it worth dying if you can stop someone who would lovingly kill hundreds of others? Kai thought it was, although it occurred to him that those saved wouldn’t even be aware of the fact that they were saved.

  Kai’s thoughts were interrupted when Lincoln straightened suddenly, his rifle held loosely in his hands. Amin had turned his head and was watching the front of the cave, although he still held his rifle across his bent knees. He made no effort to move. Kai saw Rajiv step forward quickly. Ahmad, followed by three other men, stalked into the cave. Kai sat hunched in his corner, not sure whether to look up or not. He was operating on instinct. Ahmad thought he was a captured American spy and the plan was that he would want to interrogate Kai … alone. That was his normal way of handling these situations. It was like he didn’t trust his own men to know what he found out.

  Kai watched Amin through half closed eyes, waiting to take his cues from the other Trebladores. The men with Ahmad paused at the cave entrance, looking like they were set to stay for the duration. Ahmad glanced once at Amin and then he gestured, a harsh, short, movement of his hand. Amin turned to Lincoln and then Rajiv and nodded. They both left their p
osts and moved to stand beside him. Ahmad, his sharp eyes meeting Lincoln’s and then Rajiv’s, nodded at them as well. Silent, Amin glanced once back at Kai before he turned and led Lincoln and Rajiv toward the cave entrance.

  Kai knew his moment was coming. He hoped Amin had some kind of plan for rescuing him when he fainted after killing Ahmad … and that the plan included a way out of the camp as well.

  “American,” Ahmad said and spat on the ground.

  Chapter Forty-four

  Kai’s head sprang up at the word. The man spoke English? He met Ahmad’s eyes, aware of the fact that while the Trebladores had exited the cave, the three men who accompanied Ahmad were still standing at the entrance. They were close enough to hear them and most importantly, could see anything that happened to Ahmad. How far away had the Trebladores gone? He couldn’t make his move yet.

  Ahmad stepped up to Kai. The depth of his hatred shone in his eyes. Kai sat transfixed as Ahmad bent over him, bringing his nose only inches from his. A scowl twitched his eyebrows. Kai didn’t see his hand rise, but Ahmad slapped him hard across the face. He flew off the stool with the force of the blow. He lay in a heap on the ground. The sharp sting radiated out from his cheek. Shocked by the pain, he folded his hands over his face. When he opened his eyes, he noted the men at the cave entrance. They had their backs to him and they were smoking, making a point of watching everywhere but in the cave. He shifted his gaze toward Ahmad. The man stood straight, his lips turned into a smirk. Kai coughed, spit out blood, and brought his bound hands to his face again, wiping at his lips. His nose was bleeding and he was pretty sure he had bitten his lip.

  Ahmad grabbed hold of him and yanked him up to his knees. Rajiv’s voice echoed at the cave entrance. He was trying to influence the others to move away from the opening, at least far enough away so they wouldn’t see Ahmad fall when Kai killed him.

  The familiar anger that presaged his killing force stirred and he let it rise through him, finding that he welcomed it. The pain in the side of his face throbbed, and silently Kai prayed that the other Trebladores could distract the men at the entrance. He shifted his body, bringing his hands down and raising his eyes to meet Ahmad’s. Green eyes met brown and the world shifted, slicing a fraction sideways before returning to its original form. Kai felt the sharp tingle run down his back. The other Trebladores would feel the same thing. He remained conscious long enough to see Ahmad stumble backward and then falter, crumbling to the cave floor. Kai didn’t have far to go himself and his body slumped to the ground as the darkness engulfed him.

  ——<>——

  “Kai! Kai! Wake up! We have to get out of here!” It was Lincoln hovering over him, hissing. Kai shook his head, something he immediately regretted. The room spun and his head felt like it was going to split open.

  “What happened?” he said.

  “You killed him.” Lincoln took out a knife and worked to cut the rope binding his hands. “The three men at the cave entrance were willing to follow a disturbance Amin created by the gate. Amin says they won’t want to interrupt your inquisition, anyway. But our time is running out.” The rope snapped. “They will look for Ahmad soon. We have no more than a few minutes to get out of here.”

  Kai was still lying on the cave floor. Ahmad’s body lay only a few feet away and Kai had to stifle a gasp; even in death there was no peace in this man. They had succeeded in killing the leader, but they were by no means out of danger. This place was crawling with men who would not hesitate to shoot either one of them if they thought they were responsible for Ahmad’s death. And every man here thought Kai was an American spy.

  “How are we going to get out of here?” he asked. “Someone will see us leave the cave. I killed him too soon. I wasn’t expecting him to beat me and I lost control.” Kai dropped his head in his hands. “I was supposed to wait until we had him alone and no one was watching.” Sweat ran down between his shoulder blades and he fought the trembling that swept through him.

  “You’re right. They’ll see us. We better hide and wait until full dark to make our attempt.” Lincoln’s voice shook. “If they find us, they’ll torture us before they kill us.”

  Kai shuddered and tried to stand. Lincoln took his arm and helped him up.

  “We should move Ahmad’s body,” Kai said, though the thought of touching the repulsive man made him recoil. “If anyone comes in the cave they might think he left. Come on. Help me.”

  “Good idea.”

  Lincoln grabbed him under the arms and Kai, still feeling lightheaded, summoned his strength and took the feet. Together they carried the body further back into the cave, setting it behind some large crates that were stacked against a dark wall.

  Just as they finished, Kai heard voices. He glanced at Lincoln and saw that he had heard them, too. He placed a hand over his mouth, trying to quiet his breathing, and motioned for Lincoln to follow him. Kai led the way past the crates and deeper into the cave. When would the cave end? It couldn’t be much further.

  Kai felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned to meet Lincoln’s eyes. Lincoln nodded and then led him to the right side. Cabinets were lying in a heap. Together they crawled over the cabinets and squeezed into two tiny spaces. Then they waited.

  It seemed like a long time before they heard the voices in the cave again. Lincoln wiped the sweat running profusely from his forehead and into his eyes. Kai recognized Amin’s voice. He was speaking to someone and Kai was pretty sure that someone wasn’t Rajiv. The two men came around the corner, and Kai strained to see in the dim light. He was right. A stranger stood beside Amin. Kai glanced at Lincoln. Kai held his breath as they neared the crates, praying that the stranger didn’t see Ahmad’s body.

  The two men stood in the center of the space and looked around, their eyes roving over every part of the cave. Amin was watching the stranger and when he turned, Amin spoke. It was in the guttural language used in the camp. The stranger responded and seemed to agree with whatever Amin had suggested as he nodded, turned, and left the cave. Amin followed him part way out but slowed enough to let the stranger stride well ahead of him before stopping. As soon as the stranger disappeared, Amin whirled around.

  “Where are you? Kai? Lincoln?”

  Kai and Lincoln rose slowly from their spots.

  “Thank heavens!” Amin looked around. “Where’s Ahmad?”

  Kai gestured to the crates and grimaced. “We thought if we hid him, anyone coming in might think he left on his own, taking me with him.”

  “Good thinking. But that’s only going to work for a while. We need a better hiding place and a way to get you out of here. Come with me.”

  Kai and Lincoln followed Amin toward the front of the cave. He stopped at a wooden crate and opened the lid. It was empty and it didn’t take long for Kai and Lincoln to crawl inside. There wasn’t much room, but it was better than where they had been.

  “Okay,” Amin said, as he closed the lid. “Stay here and stay silent. It will be dark enough soon and I’ll return. Then we can sneak you past the gate.” With that, the darkness enclosed them and Amin was gone.

  Chapter Forty-five

  The lights above Kai flickered suddenly. He ducked and then glanced up, eyebrows furrowed. The flickering stopped and Kai’s attention returned to the folder that lay open in his lap. He was in the hidden room of the Trebladore rebels’ house back in the States and his reflexes were still raw from the time he had been overseas. He found that it was taking him some time to readjust to being back in his own country, living among men and women who didn’t live by a ‘kill or be killed’ mentality.

  In Afghanistan, Kai and Lincoln had managed to escape the camp with a heart-stopping race, running in the dark, creeping out the partially open gate to sprint to the truck that waited down the road, sweat running in rivulets down their backs, their retreat hidden by the boulders strewn around the hilly area. The men at the camp had fail
ed to look for Ahmad before nightfall and Rajiv told them that Ahmad had often disappeared, especially when he had prisoners he wanted to “take care of”. That meant they were not searching for two foreigners and were not watching the gate so closely. And now Kai and Lincoln were back on home turf, waiting for the rebels to choose the next mission.

  The rebels were on the trail of the leaders of a mob-type organization, but Kai was intrigued by a mysterious killer everyone called The Strangler. He had claimed three victims in the past month and was suspected of an earlier unsolved death, as well, and it was all happening right in Kai’s own backyard. Who would The Strangler attack next? The only similarity in the killings was the way the bodies were found.

  Kai flipped the pages in The Strangler’s file. The first victim was a teenager. The boy’s eyes in the picture caught his gaze and held it. The photo was taken from a yearbook, the basketball team picture. The rest of the team was cropped out and there was only Dillon, magnified and smiling, with his blue and white jersey sharp against the red cinder block gym wall. Kai turned the plastic covered page slowly, knowing what the next page would reveal; Dillon lying in the dirt with broken legs and bruised neck, all life drained from his young body.

  Kai closed the file. He didn’t want to see the women’s faces. One in her twenties, the other in her forties. The college student, Sherry, was found just off campus strangled and with two broken legs. Her book bag was at her feet, a chemistry book lying beside the bag. The woman in her forties, Maria, worked in a grocery store, her grieving husband drove a truck. She was found just outside the loading ramp at the store, a place she’d never been as a cashier.

  They were all just normal people. Why had The Strangler chosen them? Kai felt they weren’t random acts of violence. Breaking their legs seemed especially symbolic of something, but what? Each endured the violence to their legs prior to strangulation and sometimes, such as in Dillon’s case, there was an extended period between the two events.