“No. I’m not even a soldier. I got kidnapped and escaped.”

Jahan said, “You don’t even know where to go?”

“Do you know where the US base is?”

“Fenty? It’s about eight kilometers south of us. We can hear their helicopters as they fly over sometimes.”

“How often do they fly over?”

“Maybe once or twice a day. It would be a huge risk if you ran out there hoping that one might fly over right now. And that you would be able to get their attention.”

The girl looked out the window again and said, “They are three houses away from us now.”

I couldn’t argue any longer. And I couldn’t risk them. I thanked them all again, then darted out the back door. I crouched, then did a low walk away from the house to make sure no one saw where I came from. On the next street, I heard someone shout. Somehow, without turning around, I knew they had seen me and were shouting about me.

I stood up and started to jog. Then I broke into a run. For some reason I was headed back toward the column of smoke that marked where the burning Peugeot had been hit by the missile. It almost felt like a beacon, drawing me near.

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

After a couple of quick turns, I found myself in a rough, garbage-filled alley with sprigs of grass mixed in with hardy weeds behind a row of houses. Chunks of cement and building debris made a wiry pattern in the ground. It didn’t seem like anyone was chasing me. At least no one obvious.

Then I heard a shout and only an instant later a gunshot. The bullet struck the dirt right next to me. I fired a round from my pistol, hoping to scare whoever shot at me. I didn’t even see them.

As I ran, I noticed a proper cement wall at the end of the alley. I didn’t know what it was protecting or keeping out but there was no way I’d get over it without someone seeing me. I looked to each side, hoping there’d be a hole in the fence or a way to move laterally, where the men pursuing me wouldn’t see me.

When I was only about twenty-five feet from the wall, I realized I’d run into a dead end. I had made the worst possible choice while escaping. Now my exit was blocked by armed men and I couldn’t fight back effectively.

I turned and saw there were four men in a rough skirmish line walking toward me slowly. One of them raised a rifle. I fired again, then dropped into the weeds.