Desh paused and gathered himself. “Intel had finally located the leader of a terror group, Khalid Abdul-Malik. He was responsible for a series of bombings of churches and synagogues around the world, all timed during religious services to maximize casualties. He was headquartered just outside of Sanandaj, on Iran’s western border. We were sent in to capture him if possible, kill him if not. Our insertion was flawless.”
Desh tilted his head, remembering. “Satellites had picked up Abdul-Malik and some of his key lieutenants on the move, headed toward the nearby town of Mahabad, and we planned an ambush.” He shook his head, a tormented expression on his face. “But we were ambushed instead,” he said sullenly. He fell silent for several long seconds and then added, “They had been expecting us.”
“You were set up?”
“No question about it. I have no idea how.” Desh turned away from Kira and kept his gaze focused steadily on the road ahead, bracing himself to continue. “We were all taken prisoners, me and the three other members of my team. Since I was team commander, the terrorists decided to punish me by torturing my men to death in front of me—men who I loved as brothers.” He looked as if he might vomit. “My head was tied in position and my eyes were pried open. I couldn’t turn my head and I couldn’t look away.” He shuddered. “There are tortures beyond the imaginings of the most gifted horror writer,” he whispered.
There was a long silence as Kira waited for him to continue.
“I won’t describe what happened next,” he said finally. “I wouldn’t do that to anybody. Suffice it to say they were tortured and then butchered.” Hatred welled up in his eyes. “And these sick bastards enjoyed every minute of it, too.”
“How did you escape?” asked Kira softly.
“They had finished with my men,” said Desh, his voice now dead and emotionless. “I was next. There were three guards with me at the time. While one of them was peeing out back, one of them slipped on a pool of blood and fell. A man has only six quarts of blood in his body. Six quarts doesn’t seem like a lot until you’re covered in it, and you see the rest spilled on the ground. Eighteen quarts is hard to imagine.”
Kira shuddered from the mental picture he had painted.
“I was tied to a chair,” continued Desh. “But after the guard fell I gave him a face-full of chair-leg. I dove on the other guard, chair and all, to prevent him from using his gun, but he managed to stab me several times with his knife before I was able to head-butt him into unconsciousness. I escaped and eventually made it across the border to Iraq.”
“I do remember this part,” said Kira. “I read the soldiers who found you in Iraq couldn’t believe you had made it so far in the condition you were in. They were astonished by your stamina and force of will.”
Desh grimaced. “I should have died with my men,” he whispered. “In the Special Forces, we take the code of leaving no man behind very seriously.” His eyes moistened and he shook his head sadly. “The truth is that my men had been so badly butchered there wasn’t enough left of their bodies to bring back, even if I could have.”
31
Desh accelerated onto the Interstate 95 onramp and merged with highway traffic.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Kira helplessly.
“There’s nothing to say. Seems that we’ve both had our share of bad luck and battle scars. When the stakes are high, the penalties can be high,” he said.
They drove on for several minutes until Kira finally broke the silence, deciding a change in subject was in order. “Look, David,” she said hesitantly, “at the risk of sounding like a drug pusher, I’d like you to take one of my gellcaps.”
Desh eyed her with interest. “Why?” he said simply.
“I appreciate you agreeing to become my ally, but we both know you still don’t trust me a hundred percent. How can you? There’s been so much going on and so many complexities to this story that only a fool would fail to harbor at least a little doubt. And you're anything but a fool. In the recesses of your mind, you still can’t help but wonder if I’m just a great actress and this is all some kind of diabolical plan of mine.”
“You’re right,” he said. “I won’t deny it. But the doubt has shrunk from a hundred percent to about five percent, if that makes you feel any better.”
“It does. But taking a gellcap will eliminate any remaining reservations. Sure, you might believe intellectually that I’ve succeeded in radically transforming the human brain, but for you to really trust that all of this is real, you have to experience it for yourself. I could tell you more about what it’s like, but until you’ve experienced it yourself no description I could offer could do it justice. Once you’ve been enhanced you’ll know that everything I’ve told you is true. Down to the last detail.”
Desh pursed his lips. “I don’t know, Kira,” he said reluctantly. “I’m not sure I like the idea of altering the architecture of my brain.”
“After everything I told you, I don’t blame you. But I promise the effect will only last about an hour. After that, you’ll be the exact same David Desh as always.”