Read Online The Abrupt Physics of Dying by Paul E. Hardisty - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Paul E. Hardisty
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Shams just one small asshole.’
Parnell smirked.
Clay turned to face Karila. ‘They stopped us near the Kamar-1 well, commandeered the vehicle. We drove for an hour, maybe more. It’s hard to tell.’
‘Where did they take you?’ barked Parnell. ‘Which direction?’ He looked up at the security man and grinned. ‘We’ve got the bastard, goddammit.’
Clay took a deep breath, remembering that piercing black eye, the intelligence cutting through the veil of fervour. He had a decision to make. ‘Problem is,’ he said, ‘I’m not sure.’
The room fell quiet. The call to prayer rose in the distance and echoed across the city, drifting in on the breeze.
Parnell stood and slammed the window shut, muffling the muezzin’s cries. ‘Whaddaya mean, not sure?’
Clay swallowed. ‘They blindfolded me.’
The room went quiet. Karila, Parnell and Zdravko stared at him.
‘What did you say?’ hissed Parnell.
Clay looked down at his hands. ‘I didn’t see a thing. I was blindfolded the whole time.’
Parnell stared at him for a moment and then pushed past towards the door. ‘Cocksucker,’ he muttered.
‘This man Islamic terrorist.’ Zdravko’s smile was gone.
‘Al Qaeda,’ said Parnell.
Clay’s stomach felt as if he had just jumped out into the void.
Parnell nodded.
‘The bastard uses religion to camouflage his greed. Same fucking hypocrites tried to blow up the World Trade Center last year.’
‘We’re not certain of that, Vance,’ said Karila meekly.
Parnell turned and glared at his lieutenant, eyes bulging, cheeks reddening. ‘The authorities have confirmed it,’ he spat. ‘This is the prick who blew Thierry Champard to pieces, goddammit.’ Parnell took a couple of steps backwards as if suddenly deflated. He reached back for the arm of the chair, and sank into the worn leather. He stared at the floor for a long time. Then he crossed himself, pinned the points of his elbows onto his knees and cradled his head in his hands. ‘Hardest thing I had to do ever, call Thierry’s wife and tell her he was dead,’ he said without looking up.
Karila looked down at his keyboard, tapped desultorily. Zdravko smirked, hid it with a cough.
‘Why did he kill Champard?’ asked Clay.
Parnell jerked his head up from his hands. His eyes looked like they were about to burst from their sockets. ‘What kind of a bullshit question is that?’
‘Why Thierry? Why there, in the middle of Aden?’
‘How the hell should I know, Straker? Maybe you should have asked him yourself. You’re the one who’s been having tea with him.’
‘Soft target,’ said Zdravko. ‘In Aden no protection.’
‘What the hell is wrong with you, Straker?’ said Parnell. ‘We’ve got a chance to nail this guy. Whose side are you on, for Chrissakes?’
‘I’m on Thierry’s side.’
Zdravko glanced at Parnell, back at Clay. He spat on the floor. ‘You lucky, Straker,’ he said. ‘Very lucky. Could have been you, very easy.’
Clay said nothing.
Parnell coughed, took a shallow breath, looked at Clay. ‘What about your driver? Did he get a glimpse?’
‘Abdulkader,’ said Clay. ‘His name is Abdulkader.’
‘Did your driver see anything?’
‘I don’t think so. Maybe.’
‘Well, get him in here so we can talk to him.’
Clay shuffled his feet. ‘Can’t do that,’ he said.
‘The hell you can’t,’ said Parnell, face reddening. ‘Get him in here, most pronto.’
‘I’m sure he’d be happy to,’ said Clay, boring a hole through the American’s forehead. ‘But he’s still there. They let me go, kept him.’
Parnell took a sharp breath.
Zdravko stretched an asylum grin. ‘This good. Very good.’
Karila stood and looked at the map spread across his desk. ‘Think about it, Vance. A hostage. This is a serious escalation, kidnapping Petro-Tex staff. We can push the government to act.’ He smiled at his boss and jabbed the map with his index finger. ‘Here,’ he said. ‘Kamar-1. It’s
Parnell smirked.
Clay turned to face Karila. ‘They stopped us near the Kamar-1 well, commandeered the vehicle. We drove for an hour, maybe more. It’s hard to tell.’
‘Where did they take you?’ barked Parnell. ‘Which direction?’ He looked up at the security man and grinned. ‘We’ve got the bastard, goddammit.’
Clay took a deep breath, remembering that piercing black eye, the intelligence cutting through the veil of fervour. He had a decision to make. ‘Problem is,’ he said, ‘I’m not sure.’
The room fell quiet. The call to prayer rose in the distance and echoed across the city, drifting in on the breeze.
Parnell stood and slammed the window shut, muffling the muezzin’s cries. ‘Whaddaya mean, not sure?’
Clay swallowed. ‘They blindfolded me.’
The room went quiet. Karila, Parnell and Zdravko stared at him.
‘What did you say?’ hissed Parnell.
Clay looked down at his hands. ‘I didn’t see a thing. I was blindfolded the whole time.’
Parnell stared at him for a moment and then pushed past towards the door. ‘Cocksucker,’ he muttered.
‘This man Islamic terrorist.’ Zdravko’s smile was gone.
‘Al Qaeda,’ said Parnell.
Clay’s stomach felt as if he had just jumped out into the void.
Parnell nodded.
‘The bastard uses religion to camouflage his greed. Same fucking hypocrites tried to blow up the World Trade Center last year.’
‘We’re not certain of that, Vance,’ said Karila meekly.
Parnell turned and glared at his lieutenant, eyes bulging, cheeks reddening. ‘The authorities have confirmed it,’ he spat. ‘This is the prick who blew Thierry Champard to pieces, goddammit.’ Parnell took a couple of steps backwards as if suddenly deflated. He reached back for the arm of the chair, and sank into the worn leather. He stared at the floor for a long time. Then he crossed himself, pinned the points of his elbows onto his knees and cradled his head in his hands. ‘Hardest thing I had to do ever, call Thierry’s wife and tell her he was dead,’ he said without looking up.
Karila looked down at his keyboard, tapped desultorily. Zdravko smirked, hid it with a cough.
‘Why did he kill Champard?’ asked Clay.
Parnell jerked his head up from his hands. His eyes looked like they were about to burst from their sockets. ‘What kind of a bullshit question is that?’
‘Why Thierry? Why there, in the middle of Aden?’
‘How the hell should I know, Straker? Maybe you should have asked him yourself. You’re the one who’s been having tea with him.’
‘Soft target,’ said Zdravko. ‘In Aden no protection.’
‘What the hell is wrong with you, Straker?’ said Parnell. ‘We’ve got a chance to nail this guy. Whose side are you on, for Chrissakes?’
‘I’m on Thierry’s side.’
Zdravko glanced at Parnell, back at Clay. He spat on the floor. ‘You lucky, Straker,’ he said. ‘Very lucky. Could have been you, very easy.’
Clay said nothing.
Parnell coughed, took a shallow breath, looked at Clay. ‘What about your driver? Did he get a glimpse?’
‘Abdulkader,’ said Clay. ‘His name is Abdulkader.’
‘Did your driver see anything?’
‘I don’t think so. Maybe.’
‘Well, get him in here so we can talk to him.’
Clay shuffled his feet. ‘Can’t do that,’ he said.
‘The hell you can’t,’ said Parnell, face reddening. ‘Get him in here, most pronto.’
‘I’m sure he’d be happy to,’ said Clay, boring a hole through the American’s forehead. ‘But he’s still there. They let me go, kept him.’
Parnell took a sharp breath.
Zdravko stretched an asylum grin. ‘This good. Very good.’
Karila stood and looked at the map spread across his desk. ‘Think about it, Vance. A hostage. This is a serious escalation, kidnapping Petro-Tex staff. We can push the government to act.’ He smiled at his boss and jabbed the map with his index finger. ‘Here,’ he said. ‘Kamar-1. It’s
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