OUTCAST Ops: African Firestorm

EPILOGUE

Bakir Riyad awoke slowly, pain thrumming through his body. He cranked open his left eye, the right one refusing to respond. All he could see was a blur of gray. He blinked several times, trying to sharpen his focus, without results. When he tried to raise his hand to wipe his eye, a strong grip stopped him.

"Easy sir," a familiar voice said.

It took all of Riyad’s strength to turn his head. New pain coursed through him and he groaned, but continued turning his head until a blurry image came into view. "Y-Yasir?"

"Yes, sir," Yasir Ilshu replied. "Don't move, sir. Allah has spared your life for the time being, but you had best not move."

Ilshu reached for something out of Riyad's sight. His sight was still blurry, but he could see Ilshu bringing something toward him. "Here is some water. Sip it slowly."

With his free hand, Ilshu lifted his superior just enough to sip from the cup. The water was brackish with a metallic aftertaste, but it was the sweetest water Riyad had ever drank. After a few labored sips, Riyad shook his head and Ilshu lowered him back into the bunk.

"Where are we?"

"The Pharaoh's Pride. Captain Arazad says we are a day and a half from Dubai. We will get you to a trusted doctor."

Riyad grimaced. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"A week."

A week… Riyad struggled to process this in flabbergasted silence. Although part of him was afraid to know, at length he managed, "What happened?"

"The Americans destroyed the ship with ballistic missiles. I was on the forward deck, starboard side, and was thrown overboard, but I managed to dive cleanly into the water. You were also thrown into the water, but it is only by Allah's will that you survived the impact. I found you and hung onto you until the Pharaoh's Pride arrived and rescued us. You and I are the only survivors."

"The…” Riyad struggled to recall the name of the ship. “…Northstar Venture?"

"Yes. The Americans are claiming they seized the ship from 'Somali pirates'. Its engines were disabled during the seizure, and it's being towed to Tanzania for inspection and possible repairs."

"The warheads?"

"I fear the Americans have them."

Riyad moved to sit up, but Ilshu easily pushed him back down. "You are very seriously injured, sir," he said in a pressing tone. "You have second and third degree burns on most of the right side of your body, including your face, and you have broken many bones. You are heavily sedated at the moment. You must rest and recover."

Riyad did his best to relax. "You are right, my friend. I will concentrate on getting well first. Then we will show the Americans the folly of their actions."