Cliff Ryder - Black Widow

"You have men."

"I do, and there's not one of them who wouldn't put an end to this if it would do any good."

"What do you mean?"

Ivan rubbed his whiskers with his fingers. The slight rasping barely reached Ajza's ears. "Destroying this camp would only make these men move to another location. To do any good, we must cut off the head. I was told you were sent here to do that." He nodded toward the camp. "Knowing the location of this place makes these men vulnerable. And we can take pictures of the women being trained here. Once they are moved, if we can act quickly enough, they can be picked up before they carry explosives into the city."

"How do you stop them?" Ajza asked.

"Sometimes we simply pick them up and relocate them. Unfortunately this is not always possible."

Ajza looked at the man but didn't ask the question that preyed on her mind.

"When we have to," Ivan said, "we kill them before they are able to be used as human bombs."

Another wave of sickness assaulted Ajza. She wondered about the trail of unmarked graves that undoubtedly wound through the hilly terrain.

"This is war," Ivan stated quietly. "Those women and the terrorists they represent don't reflect true Chechen nationalist interests. We are willing to fight for our freedom and trust that God will watch over us, but will not make war on innocents."

"Those women are innocent," Ajza said.

"Some of them, yes. And that is sad."

Ajza turned her attention back to the field glasses and watched the site again. A door opened on one of the houses and a woman brought out a four-or five-year-old boy. Although she was too far away for Ajza to hear the conversation or read lips, it was apparent the woman had brought the small boy out to attend a call of nature.

"There are children here," Ajza whispered. Although she'd seen the information in the files she'd received, the fact hadn't caught her attention.

"Sometimes," Ivan replied. "Many times the families of the dead husbands claim the children. Then they sell or give away the women. No one wants to support them. But a strong grandson? They hope that one day he might grow up to support them or die fighting the Russians as his father did."

One of the guards approached the woman and the boy and yelled at her. She stood protectively in front of her son while he clung to her legs. The guard slapped the woman, rocking her head back, and she prostrated herself on the ground. After a final exchange, the guard walked away. The woman quieted her son, got him to finish his business, and herded him back into the building.

"Those children," Ivan said, "are another reason that attacking this place is difficult. It has been done in the past. Many women and children were killed. So you see the problem?"

Ajza nodded.

"Cut off the head of the snake," Ivan repeated. "That is what we must do. Then strike quickly before another head grows back." He paused to study the terrorist camp a little longer. "Come. You need to rest before we sell you to the slaver who deals with these men."

Silently Ajza slipped back into the forest. Images of what might happen to her in the hands of the terrorists filled her mind. Her stomach knotted and her hands shook, but she made herself go on. The cache of weapons was en route now.

And, possibly, Ilyas's murderer was out there somewhere. That kept her going.

* * *

"Are you sure you are all right with this?" Ivan asked.

Ajza met the gruff man's gaze without flinching. "I'm not happy about it." She sat in the back of an ancient jeep as it trundled along a narrow mountain road.

The night made it impossible to see the depths that lay on the right side of the road. A hulking wall of stone filled the left side. The weak yellow headlights jarred constantly across the rough terrain.

Ivan shrugged. "If we try to fake this, Achmed will see through the subterfuge. No good will come of that."

"I know." Keeping her voice to a monotone almost drained Ajza. She welcomed the exhaustion and used it to go numb.

Ivan hesitated. "Once I leave you, you will be on your own. And you will be in dire straits."

"I know that, too." Ajza's voice tightened in her throat, but she didn't think it came out sounding that way. She hoped not.

"I do not like doing this."

Ajza looked at the man, knowing he could call off the op at any moment. She wouldn't be able to proceed effectively without him.

"I will not dishonor you like that," Ivan said. "Your courage shames my own."

"What you're doing," Ajza said, then paused. "I know it's hard. But you have to trust me. I'm good at what I do."

"People believe that right up until they are trapped or dead," Ivan said.

"We're going to cut off the snake's head. Keep that in mind."

"You are a brave — or foolish — young woman."

"Maybe it takes both."

With a nod Ivan sighed. "Then we will be careful and be hopeful. I will pray that God watches over you."

"I thought you made it a policy not to care about people you brought in."

"I do. But you have gotten on my good side. It was unexpected and is now most distressing."

Ajza smiled. "You have children."

"I do. My weakness." Ivan leaned forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder, then commanded him to stop.

After the jeep came to a halt in the middle of the road, Ajza clambered out and stood at the roadside. She'd changed clothing, now wearing garments more suitable to a female Muslim. The robes were black and worn, showing hard times. The heavy cloth pulled at Ajza, promising problems if she had to move quickly, but they blocked the wind.

Ivan looked at her with sorrowful eyes. "You have until we turn you over to Achmed to change your mind."

"I won't," she said firmly.

Ivan nodded. "Very well." He took a set of heavy-duty handcuffs from his coat. "Turn around, please."

Controlling her fear, Ajza turned and presented her wrists behind her back. Ivan clamped the cuffs around her wrists gently, but she was still handcuffed and potentially helpless.

* * *

The men remained invisible until they stepped from the shadows draping the mountainous foothills. Black robes covered them from head to toe. They all carried firearms, a mixture of Russian and Chinese weapons, AK-47 assault rifles and bolt-action rifles.

One of the men stepped forward and held up a hand.

Ivan leaned toward Ajza. "You are ready for this?"

"No," Ajza said. The cuffs on her wrists made her arms feel heavy. "But I'm going to do it."

"Achmed is a dangerous man. Never forget that."

"I won't."

"If he kills you, I will avenge you."

Ajza looked at Ivan. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

Ivan shrugged. "It is the best I have to offer."

"Thank you," Ajza said.

"You are welcome. I do not make promises like that lightly." Ivan's eyes shone cold and hard in the reflected headlights. "Do not meet his eyes."

After Ivan's whispered command, his hand rested against the back of Ajza's head and pushed it forward. Resistance came naturally to her and she fought to squelch it. She stared at the ground a few feet ahead of her, so she saw the man's combat boots before she saw him.

"You only have one?" the harsh voice asked.

"This is the only one that survived," Ivan replied. "As you know, the Russian soldiers have pushed hard into the mountains of late. We were forced to move very fast."

Achmed grunted and spat a foul curse about the ancestral heritage of the Russians. A rough hand cupped Azja's chin and lifted her face. She kept her eyes downcast and let her peripheral vision survey the outlaw. She refused to recognize him as either Chechen or rebel because she knew he was only an opportunist. Nationalism didn't matter to him. The files she'd studied bore that out.