Siddiq snatched it, dropped it on the ground, and smashed it to pieces with the butt of the AK-47. He looked down at Ahmet.

“You never should have had that.”

He turned away from Ahmet and faced the girl. He turned the rifle around and placed the barrel against her temple. She closed her eyes. She was trembling.

“You’re a pretty girl,” Siddiq said to her in Arabic.

Ahmet shook his head. Of course she wouldn’t understand a word the man was saying. Siddiq probably didn’t even care.

“We should have kept you, used you for ourselves, and then sold you into slavery.”

Tragedy upon tragedy. Ahmet’s entire family was dead. Now Siddiq was going to kill the girl. Once the Americans knew the girl was dead, they would kill all the mujahideen on this mountain. Some of the Americans would die. Oaths of revenge would be taken on both sides. The cycle would begin again.

The girl.

The girl. Her death would lead to the deaths of thousands. It would rain fire on innocents everywhere.

More oaths. More revenge. More dead girls.

Where Ahmet had fallen, there was a large chunk of broken rock. He reached his hand to it. He could barely get his fingers to grip it. It was solid, with sharp edges. Yes. He picked it up.

Silently, he worked his way to his feet. He was scorched by pain. Siddiq had broken his bones. There must be internal bleeding.

Siddiq still held the gun to the girl Elizabeth’s head. He was still taunting her in a language she couldn’t understand. His back was to Ahmet.

“Goodbye, American dog,” Siddiq said.

Ahmet raised the chunk of stone and slammed it across the back of Siddiq’s head. One hit cracked the man’s head open. Siddiq turned slowly around. His eyes were large and already vacant. His mouth hung open.

Ahmet smashed him across the face. Teeth flew.

Siddiq fell to the floor, making no attempt to slow his fall. His head bounced off the hard ground.

Ahmet went to where the girl’s chain was driven into the wall. He gathered himself for a great effort. It was going to hurt, he knew that. Still, he would do it. He would force himself.

He yanked on the heavy chain, a test pull.

The spike slid easily out from the wall and clattered to the floor. Just like that. A child could have pulled it free.

He looked at the girl and shook his head. Then he laughed.

* * *

Elizabeth could hardly make sense of what was happening.

“Run,” Ahmet said. “Go west, toward the last of the sunlight.”

Elizabeth nodded. “West, okay.”