Juggernaut

The lead guy hammered at the cracked side window with the butt of his AK. Cracked ballistic glass began to bow inward.

Koell sobbed with fear. He tried to chew his way through the plastic cuffs.

The window broke. Koell closed his eyes and whimpered as a clawing hand reached inside and popped locks.

They cut Koell’s restraints and hauled him from the SUV. He clung to the wheel. He clung to his seat.

‘No,’ he sobbed, as they prised his fingers free and dragged him from the vehicle.

He lay in the street. He lost bladder control.

‘I’m important,’ he croaked. ‘I’m worth money.’

The leader crouched beside Koell. He smelled of cigarettes and talc.

‘You should not have come here, my friend.’

Lucy and Amanda ran down the deserted street. They could see sangar gun towers above the roof tops. A maple pennant hung from an antenna.

Garbage in the road. A stinking sewer trench. Locked doors and shuttered windows, like the locals were braced for a storm.

Amanda sagged with exhaustion.

‘Come on. Keep moving,’ said Lucy

She wrapped her arm round Amanda’s waist and helped her run.

They turned a corner. The QRF compound up ahead. High walls and guard towers. Entrance gate flanked by Hesco barriers and concrete bollards.

The gates pulled back. An armoured patrol rolled out in a haze of dust and diesel. Two Humvees and a Stryker eight-wheeled APC setting out on some kind of snatch operation.

Lucy blocked the street and flagged her arms. The vehicles braked. The turret .50 cal on the lead Humvee swivelled and took aim.

Troops ran from the APC. They took cover behind the lead Humvee, assault rifles trained on Lucy and Amanda.

Loud-hailer:

‘Stay where you are.’

Lucy tossed the pistol. Amanda dropped the bag.

They stood, hands raised.

‘We’re civilians,’ shouted Lucy.

‘Take off the coat. Lose the hat. Lift your shirts.’

Lucy shrugged off her prairie coat. Amanda threw her Stetson aside. They lifted their shirts and turned full circle. No suicide vest.

Lucy held up passports.

‘We are Canadian citizens. We got carjacked. My friend is hurt. She’s been shot in the leg. She needs medical attention.’

‘Kneel. Keep your hands where we can see them.’

They knelt, hands on heads.

Amanda sagged with exhaustion.

‘It’s all right, baby,’ murmured Lucy. ‘We made it. We made it home.’

TOP SECRET SPECIAL HANDLING NO FORM

Central Intelligence Agency

Directorate of Operations, Near East Division

Doc ID: 58h

Page 01/1

10/25/05

Partial transcript of hostage video released by an unknown Sadrist/Shia insurgent group thought to be linked to the Mahdi Army. Digital footage is poor quality, but appears to show Field Officer Robert Koell. Koell is wearing a red boiler suit. He is clean shaven. He has a dirt mark or bruise on his right temple. He sits in front of a white sheet backdrop and reads a prepared statement to camera. He speaks in a monotone. He appears disoriented, possibly sedated.

‘…The New Crusades have exposed the ugly face of the infidel West and its apostate agents in our Islamic region. This pact is led by the empire of evil and criminality, America. Their criminality has manifested itself in atrocities committed against our Islamic peoples in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine…

‘…We swear by Allah the Magnificent, who raised the sky without pillars, that neither America nor those who live in America shall have peace until all infidel armies have left the land of Muhammad, peace and prayers of Allah be upon him…’