Pandemic

"They will not — they cannot — negotiate with us," Sabri said as he walked to the trunk to grab his small knapsack. "We will have to release the infected martyrs upon them." Sabri slung the pack over his shoulder and started walking toward the door of the complex, but he stopped halfway and turned back to Kabaal. "You are prepared for that eventuality, are you not?"

There was no deference in Sabri's tone. Kabaal knew it wasn't even a question. Before he could respond, Dr. Anwar Aziz burst out of the front door of the complex.

"There is news," the fat microbiologist panted, leaning forward to catch his breath.

"What news?" Kabaal asked.

"The Americans," Aziz wheezed. "Come, come. You must see." He took one last gulp of air and then turned and rushed back into the building.

Kabaal and Sabri followed the scientist into his ground-floor office. They crowded around his computer screen. When Aziz tapped the keyboard, a TV news video clip popped up on the screen. Inside the video box, the American President stood at a podium in front of a single microphone. The quality of the image was poor and the action was slightly discordant with the sound, so the President's mouth and gestures lagged a moment behind his words.

"Good evening," he said in a businesslike tone. "No doubt, every one of you is aware of The Brotherhood of One Nation's threat to dispatch terrorists infected with the Gansu Flu across our country if their demands are not met. Their deadline is less than thirty-six hours hence.

"After consultation with members of my cabinet, I am announcing that in the next twenty-four hours the United States will begin to withdraw our troops from bases within the Arabian Peninsula." He cleared his throat. "Once the redeployment from the Gulf States is complete, we will begin a similar process in Afghanistan, to be followed by Iraq and all other sovereign Islamic nations. Such mass troop and equipment transport is a colossal logistic endeavor. However, we will undertake to complete the withdrawals as rapidly as we can in an orderly fashion."

The President's jaw set in a pained expression. "While it is our policy to never negotiate with terrorists, I believe that the extreme circumstances and cataclysmic potential of not cooperating outweigh the principle. While highly regrettable, I believe this option will serve to protect millions of Americans and is the only course of action my conscience allows me to pursue. As your President, I accept full responsibility for this decision."

The President offered the camera a long, determined stare before he added, "Good night and God Bless America." Then he stepped away from the podium.

Kabaal turned to Aziz, wrapped his arms around the scientist's flabby midsection, and gave him a congratulatory hug. "God is great!" Kabaal said happily, before releasing Aziz from his grip.

"Yes, yes, Abu Lahab," Aziz said. He stumbled a step back and then flushed with a mix of joy and embarrassment. "Well done, Abu Lahab. Well done. Allah be praised."

"See, Major, I told you the Americans would see the light!" Kabaal said and turned to Sabri.

Instead of elation, Kabaal saw the opposite on the ex-army officer's face. Sabri's light blue eyes glared at the computer screen and the comer of his lip curled into a snarl. "Can you not see what they are doing?" Sabri asked.

"Acquiescing to our demands?"

Sabri snorted. "They are stalling."

Aziz dabbed his brow and asked Sabri, "How do you know, Major?"

"Because, Doctor, it is exactly what I would do if I were in their shoes," Sabri said. "There is no military consequence of withdrawing troops from Kuwait. None. But it will buy them time to come looking for us."

Kabaal ran a hand through his hair. He studied Sabri, guardedly. "Abdul, I am beginning to suspect you had hoped the Americans would turn down our ultimatum."

"What I wanted or hoped for is not the point, Hazzir," Sabri said coolly. "There was no chance they were going to comply in good faith with our demands."

"How do you know?" Kabaal's hands shook in front of him.

"For David to fell Goliath, he needed a large stone. All that we have slung at the Americans so far are pebbles."

"So what are you suggesting?" Kabaal smoothed back his hair. "That we proceed with our threat, even though the President just agreed to our demands in front of the world."

Sabri's eyelids lowered to half-mast. "I suggest we flush out their true motives"

"How?" "We give the Americans a very specific timetable for troop pullouts. Set in terms of hours — at most days — but definitely not weeks."

"Is that realistic, Major?"

Sabri shrugged. "Do you remember Iraq? If they can invade a country in days, then they can withdraw in the same time."

Though Kabaal questioned Sabri's motives, he could think of no reason not to embrace the suggestion. He nodded. "We will send them another message."

"I will make the arrangements." Sabri said. Then he glanced from Aziz to Kabaal, his face blank but his eyes ablaze. "And I will ready the martyrs."

CHAPTER 29