Midnight Sun (136 page)

“
It
feels
like
he
’
s
baiting
us,
”
Mike
hissed
.

Marcus
nodded.
They
heard
the
sound of the
Persian
crashing
through
twisted
tangles
of willow, alder,
devil's
club
,
and
ferns.
In
the
distance
,
Ship
Creek
roared
in
a
deep
valley,
echoing
the
power
of millions of gallons of fast moving water pounding
against
the
hard
rock
walls
of
the
mountainous
terrain.
They
followed
the
trail
for
a
couple
hundred
yards
, then
Marcus
stopped
in
his
tracks.
Mike
dropped
to
one
knee
,
weapon
raised,
then
crouch
-
walked
to
the
right
,
covering
Marcus
’
s
flank,
getting
a
different
angle
on
the
target.

Kharzai
stood
thirty
yards
ahead
in
a
wide
meadow
of
waist
-
high
wild
flowers
,
facing
them,
a
wide
expanse
behind
him,
the
darkness
of
the
spruce
forest
beyond
that.
He
showed
no
weapons,
just
stood
among
the
white
cow
parsnip,
yellow
trollius,
purple
geranium,
red
columbine
,
and
pink
wild
roses
,
wait
ing
.
Marcus
closed
to
within
twenty
yards. At that distance
,
he saw the dog standing next to Kharzai, tail wagging, looking up at him
, the dog’s expression seemingly
in expectation of something fun. The dog
caught the sound or scent of the intruders
and turned, letting out a warning bark.

“
Close
enough
,
Mojo,
”
Kharzai
said.
“
I
might
have
a
bomb.
”

Marcus
hesitated
.
Kharzai
’
s
hands
were
out
of
sight,
hidden
within
the
flowery
burst
of
color
around
him.

“
Stop
there
and
you'll
live,
”
Kharzai
said
.
“
A
ny
closer
,
and
…
no
guarantees.
”

He
looked
toward
Mike
who was stalking up from the bushes on his right
.
“
You
too
,
preacher
man.
Don
’
t
need
your
death
on
my
conscience
too
—that’d
probably
lose
me
some
serious
score
upstairs.
Of
course
,
that
may
be
a
moot
point
now.
”

He
had
an
odd
look
on
his
face.
Marcus
remembered
him
as
being
unrealistically
happy
all
the
time.
Now
he
looked
tired,
worn
out,
like
he
was
dying
inside
—maybe
had already died.

“
Whose
side
are
you
on,
Kharzai?
”
Marcus
asked
.

“
Mine,
”
he
replied,
his
voice
tinged
with
dark
emotion
.
“
I'm
done
with
the
whole
USA
vs.
the
w
orld
thing.
We're
no
better
than
anyone
else
,
and
I'm
not
playing
anymore.
”

“
Look,
we
know
you
helped
us
set
up
Farrah,
”
Mike
said.
“
It
was
you
who
booby-trapped
those
mortars
,
wasn't
it
?
I heard them explode, no mistaking what it was.
”

“
You
won't
be
in
trouble,
”
Marcus
said.
“
J
ust
turn
yourself
in.
”

“
You
don't
get
it
,
do
you
,
Mojo,
”
Kharzai
said,
raising
his
voice.
“
I
really
am
finished.
Done.
Desisted,
v
almiiden,
g
otowy,
g
esz,
f
ärdigt,
f
ini,
k
aput.
Tell
the
boys
at
the
Company
that
they
need
to
forget
me,
forever.
”