'But how will I get to the city?'

'You'll fly, of course.' Jason pointed to the chopper.

While the twenty-eight light infantry troops of the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Division Expeditionary Force, busily pitched camp, Jason convened with Colonel Bryce Crawford in the makeshift Bedouin command tent. Before he set out to brief the colonel on what had transpired, Jason requested Crawford to loan out his chopper for a critical fact-finding mission. It took some convincing, but Jason was a consummate diplomat. Jason then summoned Hazo inside.

'Make it fast,' Crawford warned Hazo. 'No goofing around out there.'

Jason could tell that the forty-something, no-nonsense Texan - nothing but muscle dressed in crisp fatigues and a soft cap - intimidated Hazo. The Kurd cowered from the colonel's tough, grey eyes and jutting square cleft chin.

'Yes Colonel,' Hazo replied sheepishly. 'I promise to work quickly.'

'Then why are you still standing here? Get moving!' Crawford barked.

Jason watched Hazo scramble out from the tent, down the hill to the chopper.

'A Kurd?' Crawford grumbled, shaking his head with severe incredulity. 'You sure he's on our side, Sergeant?'

'Hazo's been thoroughly vetted. We'd be dead in the water without him.'

'You guys really do march to a different drummer. If he f.u.c.ks up, it's on your head, Yaeger. Not mine. Got it?'

Jason nodded.

Crawford pummelled agitatedly to the Blackhawk pilot that the request had been granted.

They watched as the copilot helped Hazo into the fuselage jumpseat and secure his flight helmet. Then the copilot took his place in the c.o.c.kpit. The rotors wound up and the chopper lifted into the air, spinning sand in its wash.

The colonel frowned as he scanned the inside of the tent. 'Christ. How long you been living like this?'

'Six months, give or take.'

's.h.i.t, cavemen had it better.'

'We specialize in dirty work,' Jason subtly reminded him.

'Don't play the martyr, Yaeger,' he warned. 'We're all in the trenches in this s.h.i.thole.'

Jason let the comment roll.

'So tell me what we've got. I see a lot of blood and meat out there. Any of it ours?'

Jason shook his head. 'No, sir. Four kills on the hill, eight more on the road. Five more holed up in that cave.' Then he took a breath and dropped the bomb: 'And we suspect that Fahim Al-Zahrani is in there with them.'

Crawford's eyebrows tipped up. 'Is that right,' he said with a sardonic grin. 'You expect me to believe that?'

'See for yourself,' Jason said, moving over to Meat's laptop and bringing up the side-by-side pictures. 'Took these myself. Ran facial rec on them. Perfect match.'

Crawford sat rigidly in the chair and gave each image a critical, dismantling stare, his sharp chin protruding outward. Finally, he said, 'Well f.u.c.k my mother. This raghead is supposed to be in Afghanistan.'

'They were trying to move him through the mountains.'

'Sure they were. Slippery b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are probably trying to bring him over the border to his buddies in Iran. s.h.i.t.' He exhaled heavily. 'Heard you called in an air strike. You sure some of that gunk smeared over those rocks isn't him?'

'Negative. Called off the strike on his position. I saw Al-Zahrani run into the cave. I've got video of that too.'

'And he's not buried under all that stone?'

'Already pushed a Snake through the rubble. All clear on the other side. So far, we've seen no blood or bodies. And one of the hostiles managed to smash the camera. We're pretty sure they're all still trapped in there.'

Crawford nodded. 'All right, Yaeger.' His covetous eyes stayed glued to Al-Zahrani's digital portrait. 'I need this f.u.c.ker alive.'

And there it was, thought Jason - the colonel's subtle jockeying for claiming the prize as his own.

Then in the reflection of the computer monitor, Jason caught Crawford staring sideways at the cracked-open ID badge casing and its extracted chip which Meat had left beside the laptop. He swore he saw the colonel's eyes go wide with alarm. It lasted only a fraction of a second.

'You should know that that's no ordinary cave up there,' Jason said.

Crawford stood up, squared his shoulders and crossed his arms tight across his chest. 'How so?'

Jason told him about the blown-out security door and the strange images carved into the entry tunnel's wall. For now, he refrained from telling him about the ID badge they'd found - a calculated, risky move.

Crawford took fifteen seconds to mull the facts. Then he said, 'All right, Yaeger. I get it. So what do you say we go ahead and plunge this toilet?'

13.

Thirty kilometres south of the cave, the Blackhawk glided over a lush plain framed by the Goyzha, Azmir, Glazarda and Piramagrun mountains. Hazo peered out the fuselage window to Kurdistan's economic hub, As Sulaymaniyah. The city was a dense wheel of three- and four-storey buildings, spoked with roadways. He mused how from the air, he could see satellite dishes on practically every rooftop. Kurds loved their television, he thought.

Instead of heading for the international airport a few kilometres to the west, the pilot eased to a hover along Highway 4 and set the chopper down in a vacant parking lot. At the far end of the lot, Hazo spotted the Humvee escort the copilot had arranged while en route. Two severe-looking US marines in desert fatigues and mirrored sungla.s.ses stood in wait, each clutching an M-16.

The pilot killed the turbine and the blades wound down.

The copilot a.s.sisted Hazo out from the chopper. As he escorted him to the Humvee, he asked, 'How long will you be in Suly?'

'Maybe forty minutes,' Hazo yelled.

'We'll wait here.' A thumbs-up and the copilot trotted back to the Blackhawk.

Hazo jumped into the Humvee with his two chaperones and provided them with the name of a restaurant located in the city centre, off Sulaymaniyah Circle. Hazo was not surprised that the marines knew its precise location. The restaurant was a hotspot for tourists and US military, thanks in part to its central location and fine Middle Eastern cuisine, but more so for its immaculate bathrooms and chic Arabian decor, which appealed to finicky Americans and Europeans. The marines got chummy when Hazo told them that the jovial proprietor and restaurant's namesake, Karsaz, was his cousin.

The Humvee zoomed through the busy streets, its ma.s.sive tyres humming along the potholed pavement. The marines gave Hazo some moist towelettes so he could scrub his grungy face and hands, and blot the blood spatter off his sleeve. He did his best to pat the sand and dirt from his pants.

Hazo was delivered to the restaurant's doorstep in less than ten minutes. He hopped out and made his way into the foyer, where he was immediately overtaken by the heavenly redolence of c.u.min, mint, frankincense and rich tobacco. From behind a podium, a pretty hostess in a shiny taffeta dress glanced out the door to the idling Humvee then gave his attire a disapproving once-over. She offered a cautious greeting.

Hazo told her he'd come to speak with his cousin. She perked up and rounded the podium. Threading her arm through his, she proceeded to take him through a pointed archway leading off the main dining room and into the sumptuous hookah lounge.

Arabian-style arches set atop honey marble columns separated a dozen cosy seating areas adorned with Persian rugs, silk ceiling swags, and ornate Moroccan lamps set to a warm glow. Patrons lounged on plush floor cushions, puffing dreamily from hookah pipes. This was their safe zone, he thought - the womb where war and economic chaos had no place. Towards the rear of the lounge, they found Karsaz among a group of young Americans in business suits, talking in his animated, mayoral style.

The hostess led him to the service bar at the room's centre. 'Just a moment. I will tell him you are here.'

She walked over to Karsaz and waited patiently with hands folded behind her back until the rotund, moustached owner addressed her. She pointed in Hazo's direction. When Karsaz made eye contact with Hazo, his face brightened. After telling the waitress to bring his guests a complimentary dessert, he hurried over to Hazo with hands spread wide.

'Choni!' Karsaz greeted him with delight. He came up and wrapped his thick arms around Hazo, gave a big squeeze.

'Bash'm supas, ey to?' Hazo replied.

'Things are good, thank G.o.d,' he boasted. 'My cousin, why do you wait so long to come and see me! Are we not family?'

Hazo gave a boyish shrug.

'You look like h.e.l.l,' Karsaz teased.

'And you still need to lose weight,' Hazo jabbed back.

Karsaz burst out laughing. 'This is true! So true! My wife, she tells me this every day.' He hooked a heavy arm over Hazo's shoulder and held him tight. He swept his hand over the lounge. 'How do you like this, eh? Finally we finished the renovations.'

'It's beautiful,' Hazo replied truthfully. 'You are a blessed man.'

'Yes. I'm very happy with this.' He gave another affectionate squeeze with his arm. 'Come, let us sit and talk.'

Karsaz kept the arm around Hazo's shoulder and towed him into the bustling dining room, stopping twice to introduce his cousin to some of the regulars. Finally, they settled into a booth set off in a quiet corner, and Karsaz asked the waitress to bring some coffee.

Under the bright light, Karsaz contemplated Hazo's languid appearance. 'Really, Hazo ... you're not looking so good. Makes me think you're still patrolling the mountains with those American mercenaries.'

Hazo flashed a guilty smile.

Karsaz tsked in disapproval. 'I worry for you, cousin. Outsiders don't understand this place. And these foolish Americans? They think terrorism can be found on a map,' Karsaz said, 'even though it is but a few men drifting like ghosts around the world. Why do you bother with them?'

'I try to explain things to them, help them, so that innocent lives may be spared,' Hazo explained. 'It was you who said, "See with your mind, but hear with your heart."'

Karsaz chuckled. 'Ah, cousin! Remember: I also told you, "Do not shoot the arrow which will return against you."' He reached across the table and clasped the side of Hazo's neck with his meaty right hand. 'Perhaps your cause is a n.o.ble one,' he appeased. 'Though being a Christian in Iraq, I wonder if I I understand anything that goes on here.' understand anything that goes on here.'

They had a good laugh and Karsaz pulled back his hand.

The waitress returned and set down a saucer and mug for each of them. Hazo immediately sipped the Turkish coffee, or qahwa qahwa, savouring the spicy cardamom.

'I suppose no one can ever proclaim to understand our people,' Karsaz warned. He fingered his mug and sipped some coffee. 'So many conflicts. So many old scores yet to be settled. War is in our blood, is it not?'

Hazo nodded.

'We'll never cooperate,' Karsaz lamented. 'Maybe it's not so bad that you don't have a family of your own. Less grief and worry.'

The comment stung Hazo, but he managed a tight smile before moving on to business: 'I don't mean to rush, but I have little time,' he eased in. 'The reason I am here ... I was hoping you might help me.'

Tilting his head, Karsaz replied, 'I do do have a family, so I trust you won't put me in harm's way. You know what they do to informants?' he said in a low voice. have a family, so I trust you won't put me in harm's way. You know what they do to informants?' he said in a low voice.

'I understand.' From his pocket, Hazo pulled out the photos. 'Please, if you could take a look at these pictures.' He began with the headshot of the female scientist. 'This woman was here a few years back. Perhaps with others. Do you recognize her?' If he was really lucky, the woman - like most tourists - would have walked through Karsaz's doors.

'Many, many people walk through these doors ...' Karsaz replied with obvious scepticism. Retrieving a pair of bifocals from his suit jacket pocket, he put them on and gave the photo a cursory glance. A surprised look came over him. 'Ah ... yes.' He held up an index finger and tapped it at the air. 'Yes, I remember this one. Years ago. She wore shorts and a teeshirt. Ooh, what a sight, I'll tell you,' he confided. 'The legs, the ...' Midway through the vision, he cupped a hand over his chest and gave the memory a cold shower. 'Anyway, as you might imagine, the women were not pleased. The men weren't kind, either. Dangerous for such a very pretty woman who has no shame. I actually mentioned these things to her, you know, to help her. It's the way I am ...' he said, tapping his hands to his chest.

'Of course.'

'She did eat here a few times. Very friendly, polite. Always left generous tips. Those Americans and their tips. When will they learn?' He shook his head.

'Do you remember when she was here?'

'Not long after the Texas cowboy blew up Baghdad.'

'Was she alone?'

'No, there were others too, I'm sure of it.' He took a long moment to juice the memory. 'The others were all men. Five, maybe six. Some military men, yes ... and two wearing Levi jeans. I'd like a pair of those,' he confessed. 'I'd look like John Wayne ... or maybe James Dean, no?'

Hazo smiled. 'Do you remember why why they were here?' they were here?'

Karsaz shrugged. 'Lots of soldiers back then. Reporters too. Nothing unusual.'

'Do you remember any talk of them going up into the mountains, excavating perhaps?'

This confused Karsaz. 'I'm sure the only digging they did was for Saddam and Osama.'

'I mean digging for artifacts.'

A look of confusion preceded another shrug.

Hazo moved on to pictures from inside the cave. 'And these ... Any idea what these images might mean?'

'What is this?' Karsaz said to himself, as he studied the haunting images. 'Looks like something one might find over the mountains in Persepolis. Or maybe in the temple ruins of Babylon ... or Ur, perhaps. You remember? Back in school we saw things like this on our trips, yes? Saddam was rebuilding the old empire in hopes of inciting the Jews and Christians to scream Armageddon. Thought he was the new Hitler. Brought a new Holocaust to our people. That evil man.'

Hazo tried to keep him on track. 'These etchings are different from anything I've ever seen in Babylon. See this woman?' He tapped the picture. 'This G.o.ddess figure is highly unusual.'

'Maybe it is Ishtar?' Karsaz guessed.

The a.s.syrian G.o.ddess of s.e.x and war? Hazo considered, contemplating the picture again. 'It's possible.'

'What is this she carries in her hands?' Karsaz said, scrunching his eyes. 'And why does it glow like this?'

'I thought you might know, cousin.'

Karsaz shook his head. 'This is like nothing I have ever seen.' He studied the images a few moments longer, considering the connection to the American woman. 'The woman in the photo ... did she find these things in the mountains?'

Perceptive, as always, thought Hazo. 'It would be best that I not say too much about it.'

'I see,' Karsaz said. 'There are many secrets in those mountains. I suppose if anyone were to know about them, it would be the monks. The Chaldeans know many secrets. After all, they profess to be direct descendants of the ancient Mesopotamians who once inhabited those mountains.'