Chapter Four
Massoud ended the call and contemplated his next move. He was unusually tall and wore a long beard as well as traditional tribal robes, not unlike his onetime hero Osama bin Laden.
Stupid fool, allowing the Americans to kill him like that!
He had one eye, after a shell splinter cost him his left eye. He left the ruined socket uncovered, believing it made him appear fiercer to his men, and to his enemies.
Since Osama's death, the Taliban's fortunes had dwindled, and although he acknowledged Allah, he only worshipped one God. The God you could stash in an offshore account or in a well-protected safe.
He shouted, "Hassan, get in here."
His second-in-command opened the door and entered. Unlike Massoud, he wore Western jeans and a black bomber style jacket. He was unbearded and sported a neat mustache, like a thirties movie star. He was short, his foxy face emblazoned with a knife scar. He had a large automatic tucked in his belt, and his twitchy hands constantly touched the butt, his mustache, smoothed his greased back hair, and then back to the gun butt. His nose had been broken in the past, and despite his attempt to emulate some fictional movie hero, his face was warped and ugly.
"What is it, Massoud?"
"Our operation up on the hillside, someone attacked our men and killed them. Yousef just called. He's on his way back."
"The crop?"
"Thankfully, there's no damage. I'll dispatch more men to go up there and take care of it. All they did was kill the men we had up there guarding the crop."
"Thanks be to Allah. Do we know who did it?"
"Yousef said two men came in a black Jeep Wrangler."
"Stoner."
"Yes, Stoner. I imagine he is coming here to collect the government reward on my head. Fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money. I'm only surprised more haven't attempted to kill me."
Hassan grimaced. "They prefer to live, Massoud. Any man foolish enough to enter the Torgan Valley knows it's a one-way trip. If that is Stoner's intention, we'll have to explain how it works. A 7.62mm explanation."
"Yes. Alert the men. If Stoner tries to enter this valley, shoot him dead, and anyone who comes with him. Contact our people in Ghazni and tell them to dispatch a team to the hillside and to guard my crop with their lives."
"Like the others did, Massoud?"
"Exactly."
Both men dissolved into roars of laughter. It was no loss. He'd divide the men's money between himself and a small percentage for Hassan. There were always plenty of new recruits.