“That’s Duong,” Sanders said in a low tone. “Not like him to be away from the crowd and out in front.”

“We must have clipped someone pretty high up for him to be out here all by his lonesome.” Rick scanned the area, but he saw no other evidence of activity.

Rick could practically hear the shrug in his friend’s whispered reply. “We took out a truckload back there. Think they’re alone?”

“One way to find out,” Rick said. He pulled down the bandanna that covered his mouth and, in French, yelled, “Let the woman go!”

Duong screamed back, “I will kill her!”

In English, Rick quietly asked Sanders, “You got him?”

Sanders focused, aimed, and calmly brought Duong into his sights. The hostage considerably complicated his odds of a clean shot. “Not so much,” he drawled. “Maybe keep him entertained until Maguire can show him the money?”

“Help me help you,” Rick murmured.

Keeping his right hand on the pistol grip of his M4 carbine and his finger on the trigger, Sanders dropped his left hand and surreptitiously signaled for the sniper team to take the shot as soon as they safely could.

Rick yelled, “Sure you will, Duong. You’re a killer. So you kill her, then I’ll kill you. Where will you be then?”

“Laughing, because then your doctor would be dead. And we both know you need her.”

Rick’s blood froze as Duong cocked the pistol. Doctor Myers wouldn’t get out of this situation alive if Duong got his way. He needed to stall.

“Let’s play this out without any more bluffing, Duong. You kill her, then I kill you slowly. See, I’m a killer too. Trained by the very best.”

“No shot,” Sanders whispered.

Rick made no sign that he had heard. “There’re medical supplies here. We’ll revive you just to kill you some more. I promise you, Duong, it will hurt the entire time you’re dying. For days. Understand? Or you let her go right now, then maybe you live. Or maybe I make it quick and painless.”

In truth, Rick would never torture anyone. But he had also seen what the men in this warlord militia would do to entire villages. He needed Duong to hesitate, so he needed him to feel some fear.

“No shot,” Sanders whispered again.

Rick nodded and shouted, “So think it through and make your choice.”

Duong yelled back, “I’m dead either way. At least I take her with—”

Even knowing it was coming, Rick failed to hear the suppressed subsonic sniper round when McBride fired. Duong went down, and the doctor came through it with nothing worse than a stain on her shirt.

“Jerry, you had me at hello,” Sanders said as he and Rick rose from their crouch.