They Disappeared

30

Somewhere in New York City

As Cole’s death sentence was read out the gunman pressed the muzzle against Cole’s head.

Cole shook as he cried. His eyes found Sarah’s.

She screamed and fought against the captors.

“This execution is the result of failure,” the man with the gun told Sarah.

“No! He’s just a boy, an innocent boy!”

“It is a result of your husband’s failure to return our property-” the man raised his voice “-the failure of your government and all governments to-”

A boot kicked the man’s hand, sending the gun scraping across the floor.

A larger group of men had materialized and overtook the others. Cole was released, Sarah was released. She scurried to Cole, held him tight and calmed him as they watched.

The men of the execution effort were punched and kicked by the others who then hauled them before a line of men brandishing guns.

The beaten men were forced to their knees.

All attention went to one man. Sarah had not seen him before.

His head was shaved clean. He had a bushy black beard and a commanding presence, as if he were supreme leader.

He stood a few inches over six feet. He had a muscular build that strained his New York Yankees T-shirt. The grip of a pistol was visible from his shoulder holster. He wore blue jeans and an ice-cold expression as he looked down upon the man who was going to kill Cole.

“Tell me, Zama,” the new leader said in clear English to the ringleader. “Was it not your responsibility to secure the component?”

“Yes, Bulat, but-”

“Stop. Your job was to secure the component and help with the setup, correct?”

“Yes, but circumstances changed.”

“Stop. I am informed that your courier picked up the wrong bag at LaGuardia, is that not a fact, Zama?”

“Yes, as we reported. But we terminated him and took corrective action, sir. Immediate corrective action.”

“Corrective action? Is that what you call it?” He threw the printed pages of an online news article at Zama’s face. “You’ve alerted U.S. law enforcement to our presence! This changes everything! But that is not all, Zama. Is it?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t because you’ve proven yourself a fool.”

“I am dedicated to the mission.”

“You have jeopardized our entire operation!”

“No.”

“It changes everything!”

“I should never have allowed our sponsors to convince me that you should be part of our brigade.”

After a long silence, Bulat lowered himself, looked the frightened ringleader in the face and adjusted his fury to a whisper.

“All of the dying, the souls of our children and martyrs, all are now at risk of being meaningless because of you, Zama.”

“That is not so. I give my life to our mission.”

“No, Zama, like your courier, you are a liability.”

“Please.”

“Don’t worry. I need you.”

“Thank you.”

“We are now forced to scramble to change our operation completely in order to salvage it. But I still need you.”

“Thank you, Bulat.”

Zama tried to show his gratitude by kissing the back of Bulat’s hand but the leader withdrew it.

“I need you to be an example to others that fuckups like you will be erased.”

Bulat unholstered his pistol, took one second to prepare it for firing, drilled the gun into Zama’s skull. The sound-like an enormous firecracker-was deafening. Sarah and Cole flinched.

The body fell forward to the filthy floor.

Bulat regarded Sarah and Cole for several seconds before stepping over the corpse and lowering himself to face them. Their chains chimed softly as they trembled.

Bulat inhaled deeply and let his breath out slowly.

“It is futile to fear what is inevitable.” He tapped the still-warm muzzle of his gun on Cole’s head. Then he tapped it on Sarah’s head. “Sooner or later, we all must die.”