Payback - John Hayes Series 06 (2020), стр. 34
The moon broke free from the cloud cover, and for the first time, John could see the river they had crossed. Twin beams of light from a vehicle traced the road on the Turkish side, and in the distance, he could just make out the black silhouette of the Zagros Mountain Range. Turning back to the track, he continued walking, eager to get out of sight of the road. The men crested the rise and followed the track as it divided plowed fields. Once out of sight of the road, John stopped and waited for the others to catch up.
“Let’s rest up here until first light.” He nodded to the side of the track. Stepping carefully between the plowed furrows he led the way to a small clump of trees about fifty meters from the track.
Easing off his backpack, he smoothed out a patch of ground with the toe of his boot and sat down, Steve and Mansur doing the same. John unfastened the top flap of his pack, pulled out a flask of coffee he had brought from the hotel, and unscrewed the top before taking a sip and passing it on. It was only lukewarm, but it would have to do. He tilted his wrist and peered at the luminous face of his G-Shock.
“We’ve got about two hours. Why don’t you get your heads down and rest? I’ll take the first watch. Mansur, I’ll wake you in forty minutes.”
Mansur whispered his agreement and stretched out on the ground, using his arm as a pillow. Almost immediately, his breath slowed and deepened as he fell asleep.
Steve remained sitting.
“Not sleepy?”
“Nuh.”
John peered at him through the moonlight. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah... no, not really.” Steve exhaled, “I’ve still not heard from Mia.”
“You sent the text?”
“Yup.”
“It’s still too early. Don’t worry, Steve. She’ll be asleep now. You should, too.”
“I can’t mate.” He jerked his head toward Mansur. “I wish I could be as relaxed as this guy.”
“Huh.” John smiled in the darkness. “He does seem pretty chilled.” John stowed the flask back in his pack. “Maybe it’s his faith?”
“Inshallah?”
“Yeah. If God wills it.” John made a face. “It seems to work... for him at least. No need to worry because it’s all God’s will.”
“Hmmm.”
John heard the cynicism. “You don’t believe?”
“No.” Steve paused. “I don’t think so. I see Maadhavi praying in the morning to that one with the elephant head...”
“Ganesha.”
“Ah, yeah. Well, anyway, it seems to give her peace, but no, not for me.”
“Well, it’s certainly giving Mansur some peace.”
“Yeah, the bugger is cool as a cucumber. How about you, John? What do you believe?”
“Me?” John shook his head. “No, I don’t think there’s a god. There’s too much shit going on in the world.” He sighed and shifted, so he could remove a pebble from under his thigh. “I think people just want a reason for their problems. What if there’s no reason?”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“Who knows? But one thing’s for sure. If we sit around here, waiting for God to help us, we will be disappointed. It’s up to us and good people like our friend Mansur here.” John smiled in the darkness, “Anyway, better get some rest, Steve. It’s going to be a long day.”
“Yeah, I’ll try.” Steve stretched out, resting his head on his pack. “See you in a bit.”
John nodded, forgetting Steve couldn’t really see him. Staring across the field, he thought about what he’d said. He meant it. Sitting around, hoping some greater being would help them rescue Mia and her daughter was a fool’s errand. When he looked back over all the things he had experienced in his life—danger, loss, death—it was his own will-power and determination that got him through... and good people. John believed in good people. Mansur and Steve were good people, and he liked to think Hemin was another one. He had been so far, but time would tell. In life, as long as you met more good people than bad people, you were ahead. God had nothing to do with it.
51
John’s eyes were beginning to droop when his watch pinged. He reached over and shook Mansur, the Bedouin waking immediately. He sat up, nodded at John, and looked around.
“Anything?”
“All quiet.”
“Good. Sleep now.”
“I will.” John stretched out, adjusted the pack under his head, and within seconds, he was fast asleep.
It seemed like only a minute later when he felt a hand on his arm. Opening his eyes, he looked up to see Steve kneeling beside him.
“It’s time.”
John sat up and looked across the fields. The sky had lightened, turning grey as the sun began its appearance. He spotted movement and saw a rabbit dart from beneath a tree and bound across the furrows before disappearing into the ground. An owl hooted from the branches, and elsewhere, birds began their early morning chorus. John sensed Mansur stirring and looked over and smiled. Reaching behind him, he pulled his pack forward and removed the flask, taking a swig before passing it on.
“Cold, but the caffeine will help.”
He got to his feet and bent forward, hearing the pops and cracks of his spine, then twisted side to side and shook his legs out. Steve passed the flask back, and John stowed it away, before hoisting the pack onto his shoulders. He retrieved his phone and sent a quick text to Adriana. All okay. In Syria. Heading to Idlib. See you soon. Slipping the phone back in his pocket, he looked at Steve and Mansur.
“Ready?”
The two men nodded, and John led the way across the field toward the track, the going much easier now they could see. They headed along the track toward the rising sun, the sky turning from grey