year old boy.
He’s not military.”
“He attacked us!”
“No, he didn’t!”
“He. Killed. My.
Friend.”
“No, he didn’t!” and Leah reached
out and grabbed Wlazlo’s gun.
Wolfgang held his breath. Leah
grabbed the weapon with both hands, keeping the barrel pointed away
from both of them. Wlazlo didn’t let go, but he didn’t fight her.
The two glared at each other across the deadly device. The
lieutenant colonel stood to the side of his officer, looking
unnerved.
“You said this gun makes you as
powerful as ten men,” Leah finally said.
“What of it?” Wlazlo replied. He
didn’t shout. Wolfgang finally let his breath out.
“Don’t shoot,” Leah commanded and
let go. She turned back down to the boy with his hands tied behind
his back. She grabbed his shirt with both hands, bringing his face
to hers and began yelling.
The boy cried again, repeating
‘no’ over and over. She let go of him with one hand and slapped him
in the face, then grabbed him again and yelled something
else.
The pain got the boy’s attention
and he nodded ‘yes’, slowly. Leah put him back on the
ground.
“He understands how dangerous you
are. He understands that when those he is with find him, if he
tells them which way we went and if they follow, you will kill all
of them. That you are heavily armed and trained assassins and it
will be easy to kill everyone. He understands if he ever wants to
see his mother again, he will do exactly as I say.”
Captain Thomas Wlazlo glared
defiantly at the young, Swiss girl, but then turned away and began
hiking up the trail that led up the mountainside. He didn’t say a
word. The lieutenant colonel followed.
Leah checked the boy’s bonds, then
tied his legs and gagged him. She searched his gear. He’d been
sitting in a sleeping bag and had several packs with him, trash
scattered around him. She went through the packs, found ammunition
for his rifle, and threw it down the hill. She also checked the
single action rifle, opened the bolt, and used her fingernail to
pry the bullet out. She tossed it down the hillside
also.
She spoke to the boy calmly now,
in Italian, her voice mild compared to the yelling she’d done
before. She touched his face gently.
Wolfgang wasn’t sure she’d made
the right decision. It was the humane decision, to let the boy
live, but he wasn’t sure a stern warning was enough. As soon as the
rest of his gang checked on him, undid the ropes that held him, and
slapped him around a little, he would tell them everything about
Leah, Wolfgang, and the two officers. Nothing would stop their
pursuit, and the followers would move a lot faster than Wolfgang
could.
Leaving the youth tied up was
foolishness, but Wolfgang didn’t think he could be responsible for
the boy’s death either. He admired Leah’s conviction.
He also hoped his own weakness,
his slowness, wouldn’t get her killed.
“Come, we must go now,” she said
to him in German, speaking gently. She helped Wolfgang stand and he
felt like the pack he carried weighed fifty kilos and his head
weighed a hundred. He looked down at the tied up boy and knew his
safety probably lay in the boy’s death, but he didn’t say that to
Leah. He’d take his chances with her decision.
“He’ll be fine,” Leah said to
Wolfgang, assuming his look meant concern about leaving the boy
tied up. “His friends will look for him when he doesn’t call them
on the radio and they will rescue him.”
Wolfgang knew that would happen,
but hoped it wouldn’t happen too quickly. He wanted to sprint up
the hill, to flee the boy and those who blew up the Army truck, but
his feet and his head refused. He began hiking slowly with Leah’s
help.
17
Eva sat with one booted foot up on
the dashboard, her Glock on the floor easily within reach, and
watched the desert roll by.
Normally, in the summer, they
would have baked in the heat, but gray, ugly clouds covered the sky
and she wore her long
He’s not military.”
“He attacked us!”
“No, he didn’t!”
“He. Killed. My.
Friend.”
“No, he didn’t!” and Leah reached
out and grabbed Wlazlo’s gun.
Wolfgang held his breath. Leah
grabbed the weapon with both hands, keeping the barrel pointed away
from both of them. Wlazlo didn’t let go, but he didn’t fight her.
The two glared at each other across the deadly device. The
lieutenant colonel stood to the side of his officer, looking
unnerved.
“You said this gun makes you as
powerful as ten men,” Leah finally said.
“What of it?” Wlazlo replied. He
didn’t shout. Wolfgang finally let his breath out.
“Don’t shoot,” Leah commanded and
let go. She turned back down to the boy with his hands tied behind
his back. She grabbed his shirt with both hands, bringing his face
to hers and began yelling.
The boy cried again, repeating
‘no’ over and over. She let go of him with one hand and slapped him
in the face, then grabbed him again and yelled something
else.
The pain got the boy’s attention
and he nodded ‘yes’, slowly. Leah put him back on the
ground.
“He understands how dangerous you
are. He understands that when those he is with find him, if he
tells them which way we went and if they follow, you will kill all
of them. That you are heavily armed and trained assassins and it
will be easy to kill everyone. He understands if he ever wants to
see his mother again, he will do exactly as I say.”
Captain Thomas Wlazlo glared
defiantly at the young, Swiss girl, but then turned away and began
hiking up the trail that led up the mountainside. He didn’t say a
word. The lieutenant colonel followed.
Leah checked the boy’s bonds, then
tied his legs and gagged him. She searched his gear. He’d been
sitting in a sleeping bag and had several packs with him, trash
scattered around him. She went through the packs, found ammunition
for his rifle, and threw it down the hill. She also checked the
single action rifle, opened the bolt, and used her fingernail to
pry the bullet out. She tossed it down the hillside
also.
She spoke to the boy calmly now,
in Italian, her voice mild compared to the yelling she’d done
before. She touched his face gently.
Wolfgang wasn’t sure she’d made
the right decision. It was the humane decision, to let the boy
live, but he wasn’t sure a stern warning was enough. As soon as the
rest of his gang checked on him, undid the ropes that held him, and
slapped him around a little, he would tell them everything about
Leah, Wolfgang, and the two officers. Nothing would stop their
pursuit, and the followers would move a lot faster than Wolfgang
could.
Leaving the youth tied up was
foolishness, but Wolfgang didn’t think he could be responsible for
the boy’s death either. He admired Leah’s conviction.
He also hoped his own weakness,
his slowness, wouldn’t get her killed.
“Come, we must go now,” she said
to him in German, speaking gently. She helped Wolfgang stand and he
felt like the pack he carried weighed fifty kilos and his head
weighed a hundred. He looked down at the tied up boy and knew his
safety probably lay in the boy’s death, but he didn’t say that to
Leah. He’d take his chances with her decision.
“He’ll be fine,” Leah said to
Wolfgang, assuming his look meant concern about leaving the boy
tied up. “His friends will look for him when he doesn’t call them
on the radio and they will rescue him.”
Wolfgang knew that would happen,
but hoped it wouldn’t happen too quickly. He wanted to sprint up
the hill, to flee the boy and those who blew up the Army truck, but
his feet and his head refused. He began hiking slowly with Leah’s
help.
17
Eva sat with one booted foot up on
the dashboard, her Glock on the floor easily within reach, and
watched the desert roll by.
Normally, in the summer, they
would have baked in the heat, but gray, ugly clouds covered the sky
and she wore her long
Similar Books
