chapter-51

If the missile launchers were indeed coming, Ahmed was determined to have them, one way or another. He studied the ridge through his British binoculars. It was nearly dusk. All his dispositions had been made to ambush the ambushers. But something strange was happening on the ridge.

Off to his right, a slim man in Kurdish clothing had worked his way slowly down to behind the men lying in wait. Then, without a shot being fired, many of the Revolutionary Guards had thrown their hands in the air and walked down to the trail. Another man, a larger man, also dressed like a Kurd, then crossed from the upper side of the trail to the lower side.

Ahmed kept the glasses trained on the larger man. It was something to see. He moved like a shadow from rock to rock. In the blink of an eye he could be lost. The larger man had just gained a position behind the Revolutionary Guards on the left side of the trail when the small Kurd opened up on them with an automatic weapon from the abandoned position on the right side of the trail.

The rest was over very quickly. The bigger man used the distraction of the automatic weapon to move and fire from behind the Revolutionary Guards. After several bursts from an M-16 and the detonation of two grenades, what was left of the Guards threw down their arms and gave up.

This called for a change of plan. Ahmed turned and signaled the men nearest him to ride up and see what had happened. He detailed ten men to remain in place as a rear guard. The remainder, with Yasin, rode with him behind the advance screen.