Midnight Sun (38 page)

A
voice
echoed
up
from
the
stairwell
in
the
tiny
room.
Marcus
caught
a
brief
glimpse
of
the
top
of
a
man
’
s
head
as
he
climbed
the
steps
,
stopped,
and
shouted
back
down
the
tunnel.

“
It
’
s
in
the
boot
of
the
car.”

Mike
looked
at
Marcus
with
a
quizzical
expression.
While
Marcus
had
understood
what
the
man
said,
it
took
a
moment
for his mind to register
that
the words the man had spoken were not
English.
In
the
Marines,
Marcus
had
been
trained
as
a
linguist,
as
well
as
a
sniper.
He was f
luent
in
four
languages
before
enlisting,
and
the
Corps
decided
during
the
Yugoslav
conflict
of
the
nineties
that
he
needed
one
more.
That
language
was
the
one
he
heard
now,
Albanian.

The
Albanian
speaker
continued
up
the
stairs
toward
the
door.
The
two
men
quietly hustled around
the
side
of
the
building
as
the
door
swung
open.

Feet crunched on the gravel out of sight behind the building. Mike tapped Mojo on the shoulder and hissed.
“
Someone’s coming
around
the
other
side,
”

They
took several quick steps and
moved
between
two
of
the
large
white
fuel
tanks
as
the
guard
came
around
the
building.
Farrah
walked
out
the
door
and
toward
the
car.
As
he
opened
the
trunk,
one of the port security
guards
rounded
the
building
and
called
out.

“
Mr.
Farrah,
how
’
s
it
going
down
there?
”

“
Coming
along,
George,
coming
along.
”

“
You
guys
gonna
be
long
tonight?
”

“
Leka
and
Kreshnik
will
be
a
few
hours,
”
Farrah
reached in the trunk and picked up a box.
“
I
’
m
leaving
soon,
though.
Why?
”

“
Just
checking
so
I
can
let
the
next
shift
know.
”

“
Yes,
the
cousins
will
be
here
most
of
the
night.
Lots
of
upgrades
to
do,
”
Farrah
shut
the
trunk
and
moved
back
toward
the
building.

“Well then, I'll let you get back to work so you don't get stuck here too long. H
ave
a
good
one,
sir.
”

“
You
too,
George.
”

The
door
shut
and
the
guard
spoke
into
his
radio
as
he
passed
near
Marcus
and
Mike's
hiding
place.
The
pair
held
stood
completely
still,
not
even
letting
a
breath
escape
with
the
slightest
sound
as
the
man
moved
by.

“
They
’
re
going
to
be
working
all
night,
Farrah
says.
Just
the
twins,
though.
He
’
s
leaving
in
a
bit.
”

“
They
’
re
cousins,
not
twins,
”
came
the
reply
over
the
radio.

“
Whatever.
They
look
a
lot
alike,
they
talk
the
same,
and
I
can
’
t
understand
a
word
either
one
of
them
says.
”

“
Anyway,
get
back
over
here.
I
need
to
take
a
break,
”
said
the
voice
on
the
other
end.