Read Online Into Darkness by Richard Fox - Free Book Online

stood in the doorway. A beard, trimmed short but full enough to mask the jaw and cheeks, framed a wide and handsome face. Abu Ahmet felt his guts twist as the man’s honey-colored eyes cast an assessor’s gaze over him. Abu Ahmet and Theeb rose and averted their gaze.
    “Mukhtar, we’re…honored to see you.” Abu Ahmet did his best to keep his voice suitably pleasant. Showing deference to someone who was nearly twenty years his junior galled him, but a few kind words for the local emir of al-Qaeda were in order.
    Atif scurried out of his chair as Mukhtar swept around the desk and sat down. Theeb and Abu Ahmet returned to their seats, murmuring, “ Allah buhair, ” to invoke Allah’s blessing on the meeting as they sat down. Mukhtar nodded slightly and repeated the incantation with little effort. His lip service to local Iraqi customs was a source of indignation for many tribal leaders who dealt with him.
    Mukhtar smacked his lips and ran his fingers along the desk edge. “I owe you an apology for borrowing Samir. My last engineer—may Allah receive him—had an unfortunate accident, and I needed someone to finish the bombs. So I brought Samir in and kept it a secret. Security, you understand.” Mukhtar ended his words with a wink.
    “It was a mighty victory for the jihad,” Atif said.
    “Yes, a mighty victory,” Abu Ahmet added flatly. His lack of enthusiasm elicited a twitch from Mukhtar’s face. “But we have a saying in Iraq: ‘You never farm another man’s field.’ If the Americans find out Samir was involved, blame for the attack will fall on my tribe, and it will be our problem, not yours.”
    Mukhtar extended his arms to his side. “Abu Ahmet, we’re all on the same side, all fighting the same fight.” He made a raking motion with the hand closest to Atif. Atif grumbled and handed Mukhtar the stack of bills, now smeared with sweat. Mukhtar slid the bills across the table and relinquished them with a quick pat.
    Abu Ahmet swept the bills off the table with a poker dealer’s ease and handed the stack of bills to Theeb, who stashed them in a thigh pocket.
    Mukhtar snapped his fingers, and Atif scurried to open the safe. “Unfortunately, my new bomb maker is held up in Syria, and I have need of Samir for something very important very soon.” He smiled as Atif placed a stack of bills, the surrounding band promising “$10,000” within, in front of him.
    “Samir is an excellent bomb maker. Will he need help?” Theeb asked, glancing over Mukhtar’s shoulder and into the safe. Abu Ahmet could kiss Theeb for his quick thinking. The sight of more money on the table made Abu Ahmet’s mouth water.
    “Please, tell us about the task. We know Samir so well, and he isn’t the only one in the tribe who can make a bomb. Could you use more help?” Abu Ahmet’s smile widened.
    Mukhtar’s eyes flickered between Theeb and Abu Ahmet. “The Americans are like donkeys, predictable and stupid. I dangled a carrot before them, and now they’re planning an attack on the old power plant to the south.”
    Abu Ahmet glanced at Theeb, who shook his head. “We haven’t heard anything about this.”
    Mukhtar sneered. “Then you need better spies, my friend. I need Samir to finish the surprise I have waiting for them.” He held up a palm, and Atif placed a tight roll of bills in his hand. Mukhtar flicked an elastic band off the roll and peeled off three one-hundred-dollar bills. He placed them on top of the stack in front of him.
    “I need Samir and three of your fighters—”
    “Eight,” Abu Ahmet said.
    Mukhtar laid two more bills on the pile. “Three. Samir and three fighters will go to the power plant immediately. Hamsa will meet you there.” Mukhtar cocked his head slightly, waiting for a response.
    Abu Ahmet nodded and reached across the table for the bills in front of Mukhtar. Mukhtar placed his hand over the pile, blocking Abu Ahmet. Mukhtar shook his head and made a disobedient tsk-tsk sound.