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was losing even more face by not answering. “Russian roulette,” he blurted.
    â€œThat’s not a good game,” Pistachio said.
    Major Khan and Rapviz said nothing.
    â€œRapviz, what do you think?” Lieutenant Saeedi asked.
    â€œWhatever you guys want to do,” Rapviz said.
    Lieutenant Saeedi mocked Rapviz: “Whatever you guys want to do. You’re always so yellow-bellied, you never have a thought ofyour own.” Although many Quds Force commandos were more concerned with skill than rank, Lieutenant Saeedi took the ethos to the extreme. While running death squads in Iraq, he butted heads with an incompetent superior officer. The next day, the officer was found dead—the official report said the superior officer was killed in action, but most people believed Lieutenant Saeedi killed him. Saeedi never confirmed or denied the rumor. Because he was the son of a powerful general, officers were hesitant to investigate. If Saeedi had kept his nose clean, he would’ve been promoted to captain like Rapviz and Pistachio—a constant source of irritation for Lieutenant Saeedi, but even Lieutenant Saeedi’s powerful father couldn’t help his son get promoted.
    Pistachio put his hand on Lieutenant Saeedi’s shoulder. “Relax. Have a smoke and relax.”
    â€œI want to play Russian roulette. Are you going to play with me or not, Rapviz?”
    â€œWhatever you want,” Rapviz said.
    â€œI want to play Russian roulette.”
    â€œThis is crazy,” Pistachio said. “Don’t.”
    â€œHey, I’m not talking to you,” Lieutenant Saeedi snapped at Pistachio. “Rapviz is a grown man. He can speak for himself. Go get that revolver of yours, Rapviz.”
    Pistachio shook his head. “Don’t get your gun, Rapviz.”
    Rapviz left the room.
    Lieutenant Saeedi turned to Major Khan and said, “You going to play Russian roulette with us, sir?”
    Major Khan didn’t like the way he said “sir,” filled with envy and hate. They were friends, but now Lieutenant Saeedi was using Major Khan’s rank as a way to manipulate him into proving his friendship over rank, but it didn’t matter what Lieutenant Saeedi felt or said because Major Khan always did what he wanted to do anyway. Major Khan hated his own monster, hated himself, and in a rare moment of clarity, wanted to die. He verbally threw Saeedi’s rank back in hisface: “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all evening, Lieutenant. Of course I’d like to play Russian roulette.”
    â€œThat’s what I like about you,” Lieutenant Saeedi said nervously. “You always say what you think.” He said the words like he only half believed them. Of course, Major Khan knew the words were nonsense. Lieutenant Saeedi liked to hear only the things he agreed with, and Major Khan told him only a fraction of what was on his mind.
    Rapviz returned with the revolver—and a bullet.
    â€œOkay, let’s get this game started,” Lieutenant Saeedi said.
    Major Khan saw a slight tremble in the corner of Lieutenant Saeedi’s lips and smelled falseness in Saeedi’s bravado.
    â€œOkay, you’re all badasses,” Pistachio said. “Now put the gun away and let’s play Shelem.”
    â€œI’ll go first,” Rapviz said. “Major Khan will go second. Lieutenant Saeedi will go last. Then we’ll start again with me.”
    Major Khan calmly nodded.
    Lieutenant Saeedi paused before nodding.
    â€œThere are no winners in Russian roulette,” Pistachio said, trying to reason with them, but the boulder had already been pushed off the cliff and it was about to hit the ground.
    Rapviz slid the bullet into one of the six chambers and spun the cylinder. Then he pressed the barrel to the side of his head, turning his head so that if the bullet fired it wouldn’t exit the other side of his head and hit one of the