Midnight Sun (70 page)

“
Do
you
think
we
have
enough
time
to
complete
the
mission?
” Farrah was now truly concerned. He'd never been caught before, never even been cornered. He had no intention of failing now.

“
The
big
guy
is
supposed
to
arrive
in
a
couple
of
days,
”
Kharzai
said
.
“
As
long
as
we
keep
the
pace
and
don
’
t
do
anything
else
stupid
,
we
should
be
fine.
”

“
Iron
Giant
left
me
an
email
with
an
updated
agenda,
”
said
Farrah
.
“
W
e
should
still
be
on
target.
But
perhaps
we
should
find
another
residence.
”

“
Iron
Giant,
”
Kharzai
said
with
a
mocking
tone.
“
Why
do
they
always
have
to
use
such
masculine
code
names?
The
man
is
selling
out
his
country
to
the
enemy
for
money.
That
tells
me
the bastard
is
a
greedy
little
coward.
His
codename
should
be
more
like
P
r
issy Prick
,
or
Tepid
Turd
.
”
H
is
voice
dropped
to
purely
derisive
.
“
Iron
Giant
…
pffft.
”

“
A
man
that
high
in
the
government
is
most
likely
to
see
himself
with
powerful
imagery,
”
Farrah
said
.
“
And
besides
,
we
don
’
t
know
if
he
is
a
he
at
all.
He
may
be
a
she.
”

“
O
kay,
I
will
go
with
a
female
name
then.
Hmmm,
feline
perhaps.
”
Kharzai
put
his
fingers
to
his
black
-
bearded
chin
in
contemplation.
“Parsimonius
Pussy.
”

Farrah
shook
his
head
.
“
Whoever
they
are,
we
are
getting
what
we
want.
And
that
is
all
that
matters.
”

Chapter
1
4

Fuel
Pipeline
Tunnel

Under
Anchorage
’
s
Park
Strip

11:45
a
.
m
.

“
Okay,
this
city
has
entirely
too
many
underground
tunnels
for
its
size,
”
Tonia
said
.
“
I
feel
like
we've
gone
through
fifty
miles
of
labyrinth.
”

“
Yeah,
why
couldn't
they
have
golf
carts
or
those
S
egway
things
or
something
down
here
?
”
Tomer
wiped sweat from his forhead,flicking it from his hand, the droplets splashing against the wall
.
“
Maybe
we
should
get
one
requisitioned.
You
think
these
halls
are
wide
enough?
What
are
they
,
about
eight
feet
wide
,
maybe?
”

He
made
a
gesture
of
measuring
the
width
of
the
tunnel
with
outstretched
arms.

“
You
two
need
to
get
in
better
shape,
”
Warner
said
.
“
In
Afghanistan
,
my
company
marched
thirty
miles
in
one
day
in
hundred
-
degree
heat
and
then
had
to
fight
a
battle
with
the
Taliban
before
we
could
get
any
rest.
”
Sweat
ran
in
rivulets
from
his
forehead
falling in heavy drops
from
his
chin
and
the
tip
of
his
nose.