The Book of Spies

71

Khost Province, Afghanistan
SYED ULLAH met the Pakistani reporter and cameraman at the mosque and drove them out to the edge of the sleeping town. Parking near the remains of mud-brick huts, the three got out, bundled in long down coats against the night's cold. Ullah sniffed, smelling the strong scent of animal manure.
"Please turn around, General," the reporter said.
The cameraman motioned him into position. The two were from the respected Pakistan Television Corporation, the country's national TV broadcaster, whose news was regularly picked up by wire services and media around the globe.
"This is Asif Badri." The reporter held a mike and looked solemnly into the camera. "Tonight I am in Khost province, Afghanistan. With me is the esteemed general Syed Ullah, a legendary mujahideen hero of the war against the Soviets. Tell us what is in the distance, General."
The camera focused on Ullah. Putting on his gravest expression, he spoke into the reporter's mike and pointed with his AK-47. "That is a secret American military base. About five hundred soldiers." He paused, considering. He did not want to completely insult American listeners, especially since he planned to make a lot of money from Chapman. Phrasing his words carefully, he continued, "They are here to clear out illegal activity and are generally well behaved. Unfortunately, there is a serious problem."
The camera panned over to the military base with its massive lights glowing in and around it, captured beneath the special netting that stretched in a great canopy far beyond the walls. Above the netting was black night; below it, bright daylight. It was a dramatic picture, showing the infidels' technical ingenuity and their awful ability to fool the world.
"Does your national government know about the base?" the reporter asked.
"Kabul is completely ignorant," the warlord lied.
"You mentioned a serious problem. Tell us about it."
"It is a sad story," Ullah intoned, embracing his rifle. "The Americans complain about our tribal differences while they have their own. Sports, politics, religion--and business. Remember, their murder rate is among the highest in the world. One of my people overheard an American soldier talking to another in a town governed by another general. They, too, have a secret base in the mountains. Those soldiers are very angry at our soldiers. I am sorry to tell you all of them are smuggling drugs and exporting heroin. As you know, it is very lucrative." He shook his head sadly. "The other soldiers are planning to murder the soldiers here tonight because they have been poaching their business."
"Have you informed Kabul?"
"What can they do? I am in charge, and another general is in charge of the other town. We are helpless against the Americans' far superior weapons. I am left only with being able to tell the world in hopes this will never happen again." He sighed. "It is a tragedy."
The reporter turned off his microphone. "Did you get it all, Ali?"
The cameraman nodded. "When do we go to the base?"
Ullah looked into the hills and pointed with his AK-47 at two sets of headlights. His son Jasim was in the lead vehicle with Hamid Qadeer, who spoke perfect Americanized English.
"They are coming out of the mountains now," he told them. "Those are two American Humvees. My informant said there would be a total of about two hundred soldiers. The arrival of the Humvees means the rest are now in place nearby. Once the Humvees get inside the base, their plan is to silently kill the soldiers in the guard tower and open the gates. The rest is inevitable. Get into my car. I will drive you closer. We must go slow and without headlights. You will be able to film the action outside, and after it is over, you will be the first to record the results of the horrible massacre."