Free The Hand of Christ by Joseph Nagle Page A

fallen.
    A second mission to Ahaggar was more successful; there were two objectives on that day. A series of Tomahawk cruise missiles not so subtly destroyed the camp, a clear and very loud message to the Armed Islamic Group. The first objective was successful; the second objective was next. Michael led a second Special Operations team back into the mountainside to retrieve the bodies of the fallen team members.
    Before joining the CIA, one never to be forgotten lesson that Michael learned during his training to become an Army Ranger was that a Ranger never – not ever – leaves a man behind.
    He brought this lesson to the CIA.
    Michael was physically separated from his section chief whilst screaming at him to authorize the mission to go back. He told the chief in not so cryptic of a fashion that he would cut off his testicles and shove them down his throat if he didn’t approve the mission to retrieve the bodies of the fallen men.
    Michael received a Commendation of Valor (Classified) for carrying his fallen comrades out of the mountain and a promotion. Last Michael had heard the section chief was pulling duty at a one-man listening post outside of Anchorage.
    Much like his teammate’s death from a bullet to the liver, Yousef died the same way, too.
    Yousef was dead.
    Michael closed Yousef’s eyes.

Chapter Seven
    Umayyad Mosque
    Damascus, Syria
     
    A blast nearby cracked violently through the air and forcibly snapped Michael’s thoughts back to the situation at hand. The concussion from a second and even closer detonation was created by the explosion of a 3.6 kilogram warhead tipped, Iranian made, Toophan round and threw Michael violently against the wall of the great room; pieces of ceiling were falling around him.
    The brief concussive effects were abating, but had spun him into a short-lived fit of painful vertigo. The room spinning around him, Michael jumped awkwardly to his feet having forgotten that his right thigh still had a few small fragments of grenade buried beneath his skin.
    Persistent shelling could be heard amidst the sounds of small arms fire, and was occasionally interrupted by the distinct sound of a fifty-caliber machine gun; it was a weapon so large it would certainly be mounted upon a vehicle’s framing and capable of putting a ten-inch hole through six inches of solid concrete.
    This was no disorganized attack by a small force or splinter cell, but an all out coordinated and controlled attack on the diplomats of each nation. The talks were supposed to be held in secret.
    How did they know? Michael thought.
    Confused by what was happening, and fully unprepared for a military assault, Michael shoved the ancient book into the waist of his pants and staggered through the smoke filled corridor of the Grand Mosque of Damascus.
    The decision to hold the negotiations between Syria, Israel, the US, and Lebanon at Umayyad was partly out of geographic pragmatism, but mostly because of the comforting significance of the location. The talks between the four countries were in progress for some time, for generations really. This time there seemed to be real and palpable headway being made.
    Unannounced to the rest of the world, the talks had to be held in secret. Few in the room had reason to trust one another or the outcome, but were putting forth a real attempt at a solution.
    Unfortunately, the concepts of social evolution taught by Sir James Frasier of magic leading to myth, which in turn led to religion were widely ignored throughout the world, including the Middle East. Had they not, a solution might have come long ago, but the twisting of certain fundamental aspects of religion by religious leaders had long worked to discourage peace in the Middle East. All religions were culpable of social manipulation; the only real difference was that one had a head start over the other.
    Much like fighting for your political candidate, Yousef caucused hard amongst the delegations to have the talks at Umayyad. The