The engine shut down but no doors opened. The bodyguards lifted their weapons and aimed at the vehicle. Before they could get off a shot, submachine guns opened up from the back of the truck. All five of the bodyguards went down. One moved and was drilled with six more rounds.
The doors opened and Badri came out, his own weapon still hot in his hands. Alexi watched him a moment then shrugged. “If you shoot me, I’m dead. So I don’t try to ran. Why have you killed my men? They were not going to hurt you.”
“Anybody who waves a gun at me better be ready to use it,” Badri said. “Old Iranian saying. I bring you a guest, the wife of the president of the United States, Mrs. Eleanor Hardesty.”
Two of the soldiers pushed her out of the vehicle. She glared at them, then turned toward the civilian.
“This is your home, I understand. I hope you have some decency left. These animals are not to be considered as humans. Right now I’m in serious need of a bathroom. Would you show me the way, please?”
Alexi nodded, held out his hand, and led the First Lady up a gravel path past an extensive formal English garden and toward the house. Badri ran ahead of them, opened the front door, and looked inside.
“I know you have only the five bodyguards, but some of your staff might try to be heroic. Warn them to go about their duties as usual, or I will shoot them.”
Alexi ignored the order. “The bath is the third door on the left down the hall, Mr. Hardesty.”
“So kind of you. Be careful with him.” She went down the hall and into the room.
Badri prodded Alexi with the muzzle of his weapon. “Yes, be careful. I could have killed you as well. You may be useful to me. What do you know about the diamond mines to the north?”
“So, you are here for the stones. The mine itself is not yet proved, and it is not yet in full production. They are making test runs to see where the best overburden is that might be the most productive. That’s all I know about them. I’m not a mining engineer.”
“Too bad,” Badri said. “I am.” He looked around theexpensively furnished main room. It was thirty feet long with a ten-foot ceiling and the walls glowed with original oil paintings and tapestries. Badri was impressed. “Hey, old man. I could sell all this junk in here and raise enough money to start my own army.”
“Looks like you have. You’re the Iranian officer in town to organize our nation’s army with your non-com officers, aren’t you? How did you get sidetracked into kidnapping?”
“None of your business.” He hurried down the hall and knocked on the bathroom door. It opened and Mrs. Hardesty came out. Her hair was combed and her face washed. She frowned at him.
“Now that we’re here, don’t you make some ransom demands or some threats? You brought the SATCOM radio with you, so you can talk directly with my husband.”
“Let him stew and fret for a while. I’m in no rush.”
“Good. Over dinner you’ll have to tell me about yourself. I’m always interested in violent transcultural personalities. I try to figure out why they do what they do.”
“Transcultural? What a good word. But the word and the idea are meaningless. Why should I tell you anything about myself?”
“An even trade. I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me.”
They walked into the main room and this time Mrs. Hardesty looked around. “Mr. Edwards, what a magnificent room.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Hardesty. I would have fixed it up more if I’d had any notice about a state visit.”
“Oh, this is unofficial. No protocol. Mr. Badri took care of that.”
One of the Iranian soldiers walked into the room with his submachine gun at the ready. Badri turned to Edwards and Mrs. Hardesty.
“You two stay here. I need to talk to the president about this package of his I have. It won’t take long.”
Badri left the house and went to the personnel carrier. He took out the SATCOM, turned it on, and dialed in the same
The doors opened and Badri came out, his own weapon still hot in his hands. Alexi watched him a moment then shrugged. “If you shoot me, I’m dead. So I don’t try to ran. Why have you killed my men? They were not going to hurt you.”
“Anybody who waves a gun at me better be ready to use it,” Badri said. “Old Iranian saying. I bring you a guest, the wife of the president of the United States, Mrs. Eleanor Hardesty.”
Two of the soldiers pushed her out of the vehicle. She glared at them, then turned toward the civilian.
“This is your home, I understand. I hope you have some decency left. These animals are not to be considered as humans. Right now I’m in serious need of a bathroom. Would you show me the way, please?”
Alexi nodded, held out his hand, and led the First Lady up a gravel path past an extensive formal English garden and toward the house. Badri ran ahead of them, opened the front door, and looked inside.
“I know you have only the five bodyguards, but some of your staff might try to be heroic. Warn them to go about their duties as usual, or I will shoot them.”
Alexi ignored the order. “The bath is the third door on the left down the hall, Mr. Hardesty.”
“So kind of you. Be careful with him.” She went down the hall and into the room.
Badri prodded Alexi with the muzzle of his weapon. “Yes, be careful. I could have killed you as well. You may be useful to me. What do you know about the diamond mines to the north?”
“So, you are here for the stones. The mine itself is not yet proved, and it is not yet in full production. They are making test runs to see where the best overburden is that might be the most productive. That’s all I know about them. I’m not a mining engineer.”
“Too bad,” Badri said. “I am.” He looked around theexpensively furnished main room. It was thirty feet long with a ten-foot ceiling and the walls glowed with original oil paintings and tapestries. Badri was impressed. “Hey, old man. I could sell all this junk in here and raise enough money to start my own army.”
“Looks like you have. You’re the Iranian officer in town to organize our nation’s army with your non-com officers, aren’t you? How did you get sidetracked into kidnapping?”
“None of your business.” He hurried down the hall and knocked on the bathroom door. It opened and Mrs. Hardesty came out. Her hair was combed and her face washed. She frowned at him.
“Now that we’re here, don’t you make some ransom demands or some threats? You brought the SATCOM radio with you, so you can talk directly with my husband.”
“Let him stew and fret for a while. I’m in no rush.”
“Good. Over dinner you’ll have to tell me about yourself. I’m always interested in violent transcultural personalities. I try to figure out why they do what they do.”
“Transcultural? What a good word. But the word and the idea are meaningless. Why should I tell you anything about myself?”
“An even trade. I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me.”
They walked into the main room and this time Mrs. Hardesty looked around. “Mr. Edwards, what a magnificent room.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Hardesty. I would have fixed it up more if I’d had any notice about a state visit.”
“Oh, this is unofficial. No protocol. Mr. Badri took care of that.”
One of the Iranian soldiers walked into the room with his submachine gun at the ready. Badri turned to Edwards and Mrs. Hardesty.
“You two stay here. I need to talk to the president about this package of his I have. It won’t take long.”
Badri left the house and went to the personnel carrier. He took out the SATCOM, turned it on, and dialed in the same
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