The Key

108

Hyde spotted the Ghost as the Cobra descended to the compound. He was sorely tempted to open up with the chain gun just to see him ripped to bloody pieces, but he doubted he would be able to persuade the military pilot to oblige. He had to return the girl alive anyway and the gun was a bit too lively to risk it. Besides, he didn’t want to take out Dr. Harzan — not until he’d been paid, at least.

The skids touched down and the guards hustled the prisoners over. Hyde would take particular pleasure in killing the Ghost. For so long he’d had the impression that the insurgent looked down on him. He wondered if he would feel the same way after he had dropped him in the middle of the Syrian Desert and shot him in both legs. Gabriel he would merely shoot in the head: he felt no animosity towards him, he was just a job.

The three prisoners arrived at the chopper and were bundled inside by two guards who kept their sidearms trained on them. Hyde gave the pilot the thumbs up and they lifted off. The Cobra would take them back to the main compound then return to base. The rest of the journey would be made in the company chopper and, as the pilot was on the payroll, he would be a lot less squeamish about the unscheduled stops Hyde planned to make. He would fly to Turkey via the most inhospitable, godforsaken piece of desert he could find and make sure, once and for all, that the Ghost finally lived up to his name.