Hyena Road Page #4

accepts a gift

without knowing

what it's for."

There is a legendary warrior,

a mujahideen in the Jihad

against the Soviets.

He was called

the Lion of the Desert.

He says

he's heard of this man.

The word is that he's back.

He's once again mujahid.

Have you heard anything

about these rumours?

May I ask where you're from?

He says his village is called

Abdullah Jan.

Ah. So you're Pakistani.

I have been Pakistani

for many years,

a Muslim for 1,400

and a Pashtun for 5,000.

I understand.

If you hear anything

about the Lion...

I would greatly appreciate it.

So he's Pakistani?

No.

No, that was just

a kind of test.

Abdullah Jan is just the ruins

of some village

across the border

from Spin Boldak.

Nobody's really lived there

for a couple hundred years,

least of all him.

So he's not just some guy

from a village.

No, he's not.

He's the Lion of the Desert.

That's what his people call him.

But the Russians,

they called him the Ghost

'cause they couldn't kill him.

They shot him four times,

they blew him up twice.

And each time, his guys would

get him up over the mountains

and into the Red Cross tents

in Pakistan.

And they'd get him stitched up

and he'd be back out there

blowing Russians out of the sky.

We just met a very big gun,

like a Rommel or a Patton.

This guy beat the Red Army

and he was a kid when he did it.

When the Russians pulled out,

he cut a deal with the Talibans,

"I'm going back to my grape

fields, I don't want any part

of your stupid civil war.

Just leave me alone."

Which they did,

which was kind of weird,

'cause generally speaking,

the Talis went after anybody

who stood against them.

But him, for some reason,

they just left him alone.

- But now he's back.

- He's back,

and I gotta figure out why.

A guy like him,

with his influence,

he could prob--

We got multiple bombers,

vehicle-borne and coordinated.

Reporting civilian casualties,

multiple civ KIA, city centre...

Got a VBIED

southwest Kandahar City.

Multiple casualties.

A&A reports taking fire,

I-route 1 and Alpha 7-5.

Must have hit

the engine block.

- Goddamnit.

- Peter, where's the convoy?

- We lost the convoy.

- Alright...

Zero, Golf Niner Whisky, uh...

I have contact. Over.

Zero, acknowledged.

Yeah, Golf Niner Whisky,

we have contact

at grid Quebec Romeo 232-129.

We have no mil casualties.

I have mobility kill. Over.

Zero, roger. Be advised

we have reports

of multiple SBVIED in vicinity

of police headquarters.

More to follow.

- Golf Niner Whisky, send.

- Yeah, it looks like

the Talis are at it again.

It's a sh*t storm out there.

I advise you try and exit city,

move to Camp Nathan Smith,

ride this one out.

Golf Niner Whisky.

Wilco. Out.

There's another

explosion! Let's go!

We're gonna have to move.

Heading north.

Goddamnit, can't get the radio.

Forget the radio,

we'll use my MBITR.

Let's go! We gotta move!

- I'm gonna have to blow it.

- Walid?

- Yeah.

- Come! Behind the car.

Frag out!

Mitchell, grab Walid.

Punch up to that corner.

Cover my 6.

Roger. Stay with me.

Clear.

Dick.

Let's go.

They're moving

on the f***ing rooftops.

Clear, let's go.

RPG!

You good?

Yeah, good.

- Can you shoot?

- Me? F*** no, I'm intel.

Zero, Golf Niner Whisky.

I have PID on multiple hostiles,

40 metres east of last position.

Engaging. Wait out.

Zero, roger.

- Moving!

- Covering.

Tali at one o'clock!

- Ah!

- Target down!

Mitchell, come up to me!

Move it, go, go, go!

Hold up.

I need you to punch left,

down that alleyway.

I'll cover you.

You good?

Yeah, good to go.

Standby.

Go!

Clear.

Clear.

This is bad.

You piss

with the dick you got.

Moving.

- Changing mags, cover me.

- Alright.

Moving.

Rooftop, 9 o'clock!

Clear.

- Shoot him.

- I don't shoot kids.

Clear.

Clear.

Bomber! Ah!

It's my guy, it's my guy,

it's the Cleaner!

Go, go, go, go!

Haji, where did you get

this truck?

My uncle!

Of course!

I hung around,

you never know in this city!

I heard the gunfire, came

looking for you! We got lucky!

F***, yeah!

Zero, this is Golf Niner

Whisky, we're heading out.

Zero, acknowledged.

Goddamn!

That was balls out, flat out,

f***ing insanity!

Five suicide bombers,

a rack of RPGs,

17 dead and 37 wounded.

I gotta get a coffee.

Do we know

what they were after?

Yeah. Police headquarters.

We just got caught up in it.

That is Kandahar karma,

baby, that's what that is.

But I gotta say,

you handle your rifle

like you got ice in your veins.

Well, those Talis

were using AKs,

which is great weapons

if you're in a phone booth.

You work the city a lot?

A fair bit, yeah.

- You got a weird job.

- Oh, yeah...

And you... and you don't?

Me? No!

No, everybody knows the rules.

You pick up an AK, an RPG,

you're gonna hear about it.

There's no gray area.

Well, except back home,

where they think what you do

is a little too... I don't

know... premeditated.

But my sh*t? Hearts and Minds?

They lap that stuff up

'cause it's got

a moral ring to it,

even if it's mostly just PR.

You believe that?

These people here...

they got no use

for what we have on offer.

They don't want Justin Bieber

and Tom Jefferson

and our f***ing pornography.

They just want our money

and a little bit of stability.

- So how do we win?

- There is no winning.

There's just an end state

and that's gonna get laid down

by foreign policy, not by us.

You're a cynical man.

Not about this country,

I'm not.

Not about these people.

Me neither.

And I gotta believe

that if I put a $6 round,

just one bullet

in the right place,

I could change everything.

You may be right.

- You gonna stick around Sper?

- No.

I'm gonna hop a flight.

Should grab my gear.

I'll be in touch.

I'll be around.

Don't say anything, just listen.

I know our situation,

I know it doesn't make sense,

but you need to hear this

from me.

I love you.

Right down to the bone,

right down to the goddamned

f***ing marrow.

You need to know that.

Ditto. All of it.

- Haji, what are you doing?

- Cleaning the chairs.

- It's not your job.

- Whose job is it?

Well, it's nobody's.

This is why you have

dirty chairs!

I need some tea. Come on.

Why would he even agree

to a meeting

if he has absolutely nothing

to say?

Maybe he just wants the

Coalition to know he's back.

Maybe, but for what?

We need to know

who's in that village.

Can you get

into the Tazkera Registry,

find out who lives there?

I have an uncle, he works

in the Governor's palace.

God, how many uncles

do you have?

Pff. Many.

Tell me...

What do you think of my hair?

I've been using the shampoo.

It looks silky smooth

and very manageable.

- Ah! And my hands?

- Hmm...

Soft, like a baby's bum.

You're the best.

Hey there, Chewey,

I need a favour.

I'm looking at a village

at this grid marker.

Any events in the last,

I don't know,

say the last six months?

Come on, Pete-

- I know I should go through Armstrong,

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