Free The Forgotten Land by Keith McArdle Page A

forced to flee her career, but she will be safe here. The
Kurdish Army has kept the Iraqis at bay and we have seen no violence here yet.”
    Scott
nodded. The Kurdish Army, he thought to himself. The situation was far worse
than the UN realised. The Kurds' only intention was to murder Iraqis on mass.
    “Do
you think you could spare a cigarette?” asked Scott.
    “But
of course, my friend,” responded Adil, reaching inside his clothing.
    Will’s
finger took the first trigger pressure gently as he watched the Iraqi reach
into his robe. The hand came out holding a packet of cigarettes and Will
released the pressure on the trigger.
    Scott
pulled a cigarette from the packet and placed it in his mouth.
    “Have
you got a light?” he asked.
    Scott
had a lighter on him, but it was one he had bought in Perth and had English
writing on it. He was not willing to risk being compromised should the Kurd see
the foreign words even in the dim light. Adil held out a lighter and ignited
the cigarette. Scott nodded his thanks and took a long drag. It was the first
cigarette he had smoked in a while. He inhaled deeply and stopped himself from
coughing. It was the worst cigarette he had ever tasted. But he opted for the
bright side, it was a cigarette nevertheless.
    “I've
heard that we’re not the only ones to have arrived,” spoke
    Scott.
“Apparently thousands are fleeing from the cities.”
    “You
are correct in this,” replied Adil. “I know of four different families who have
joined our community in the last month alone.” Adil became animated. “And we
have a celebrity joining our town! An officer in the Kurdish Army has been sent
here for protection, away from our Iraqi enemies.” Adil leaned conspiratorially
towards Scott. “I am one of his guards.” Adil pointed behind his house. “He’s
staying just around the corner from my home!”
    “You
must be honoured to be hand chosen for such a task,” responded Scott. “It must
be pleasing to be the guard chosen for this great officer.”
    “No,
no, it is not just myself. There are thirty others.”
    “I
wouldn’t mind meeting this man before I leave. I depart in a week, do you think
I will get a chance to see him?” Scott inquired.
    “Oh
yes, of course. If what we have been told is correct, he should be arriving
sometime later in the morning or this afternoon. We are all very excited to see
him.”
    “Yes
I’m sure you are,” Scott replied.
    The
men continued to talk for almost ten minutes while Will lay on the cold ground,
his crosshair never leaving the Kurd's chest. Adil eventually bid the man he knew
as Ahmad Dhabi goodbye and disappeared into his house. Scott walked on and
moved around the side of the house, following the road east towards the target
building which, Will knew, would now be in Scott’s sight. He continued to lie
there for another five minutes, making sure the Kurd did not reappear. Having
decided the man had gone to bed he rose silently. His weapon was trained on the
entrance to the dwelling and his finger on the trigger. Moving quietly past
Adil’s entrance, he turned eastward, following Scott. After he covered another
twenty metres, Will stopped, scanning his surroundings. On the other side of
the road, crouched in the shadow of the houses was Scott, who now had his
weapon in hand and was wearing his night vision goggles. He was staring back at
Will. With his left hand, Scott pointed at a house directly in front of them.
It was a mansion that stood almost one hundred metres distant and was situated
on a slight rise. The house was built in such a position that the road came to
an abrupt halt at the front door. It looked new and well built, obviously
constructed with the comfort of someone important in mind. As far as the
intelligence they had been given was concerned, it was intended for General
Hazareen. Will nodded and the soldiers slowly rose and moved forward
deliberately and carefully.
    They
stopped regularly but briefly, to look and