“Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
That evening, the group met in the massive office at Sheikh Sahib’s house. Roddy was taking notes, and Shahzad was munching on the nuts from a bowl on the desk. Zeina sat opposite him and gave him company with the nuts while she tried to know him better. He seemed to be pretty well informed about the region. Rafiq, Phil, and Ismail were looking over the detailed map set out on the table in front of them, making amendments to the route plan. Sheikh Sahib was expediting calls to confirm his people were in place. He was ordering and planning supplies of equipment and food that would be carried by his men for the trekkers in the mountain.
Everyone carried guns here, so it would be easy to arm the group. The search and rescue party were going into a no man’s land; there was no shop around the corner to buy things they needed. They would wear local clothes so as not to draw attention and would sleep in caves or whatever shelter they found along the way. It was going to be a rigorous trek, and Sheikh Sahib wondered if they were up to it.
“I don’t think I’m cut out to go hiking,” Zeina muttered, trying her best not to sound too anxious and hoping the boys would let her stay without a fuss. “I’d be lost without a roof over my head.”
She saw Ismail and Phil glancing at each other. Zeina could sense their discomfort at leaving her alone. It was an excellent time to lay out her plan.
“Someone is needed to do the work here. We can’t afford to all concentrate on one thing. We’ll be in constant contact. I plan to go with Aisha to the hospital and the market. We’re going to recruit workers at these places to also distribute the flyers. In fact, from now on, we should each carry flyers of Ahmad and Rebecca to hand out wherever we go. You never know when you might get lucky.”
“That’s a good idea, Zeina,” they all agreed and brainstormed places to visit, such as shops, cafes and restaurants, schools and all the mosques. Zeina would reach out to people in social media too. Then Zeina told them about her plan for the home school, which was well-received.
“It’s not directly related to finding Rebecca or Ahmad, but it does support the chief’s drive to build a greater sense of community,” Phil confirmed. “We came to help find Rebecca, but we can’t forget our goals and our roles supporting the Borders agenda.”
“And besides, Zeina, you’ll get more acclimatized with the locals as you interact with them,” Ismail added.
“Which won’t hurt, right? Thanks, Phil and Ismail,” Zeina praised warmly. “I plan to get the school started; I hope to convince Wafa’s father to let her attend since it’ll be free, and she can bring the little one with her. Since Rafiq Bhai isn’t going on the mission, he has kindly offered to drive me around, so don’t worry.”
Rafiq had proven to be a very reliable and responsible friend so far and was quick to suggest valuable solutions. As all eyes turned on him, he bowed down and gave a salute to Zeina.
“It does sound like a good plan for you to stay here,” Ismail added. “But how many days do you think we’ll be away, Shahzad?”
“We should plan for at least 10 days. That might change depending on the progress. The distances and the terrain are demanding.”
“Roddy, you’ll join us?” Phil asked after noticing that he was quieter than usual.
“I’d like to, but what worries me is the danger. If something happens up there, we’ll be on our own with no support or backup.”
“That’s the chance we will have to take. I think my father would be relieved to have you with us so that you can stop us from making wrong decisions,” Shahzad teased.
“You’ll remain connected, Roddy,” Sheikh Sahib assured. “At no time will you be in danger or be expected to engage. If you spot the target, hide and inform us. Our trained crew will move in to finish the job! This office will be the base camp since we’ve all the necessary technology for communicating right here.”
“Okay, let’s go over the leads; why do we think we have a good chance now?” Roddy inquired.
“Four leads in the last two months need to be followed up,” Shahzad encouraged confidently. “Aisha found someone who thought he saw Ahmad, and they gave a destination. Second, a villager received a note and he gave it to the Lashkar. The place mentioned in the note was checked and found deserted; we could still assess the neighborhood and get some clues from people around. Third, there was a recent sighting of a woman who looked like a foreigner. And lastly, there was some talk about a camp as people have seen smoke at the place. This place is of significance because it’s close to the sighting of the foreigner.”
“Since we have two clues for one position, we should hit the last two first. How far is that place?” Ismail requested, who was taking notes on his phone.
“It would be about a five days hike,” Shahzad advised.
Roddy stood up to peer at the map as Rafiq followed the path with his finger, then pointed, “Roughly here.”
“And why aren’t we taking a vehicle?” Mr. Rodriguez retorted.
“The terrain doesn’t allow for a vehicle unless it’s a cycle or motorbike. There are usually people keeping a lookout, so if we want to keep the element of surprise, being on foot is our best bet.”
“Yes, makes sense,” Ismail concurred.
“Are you still going under the guise of an expedition to map the mountains?” Zeina inquired.
“Yes, that will cover our wandering in that area,” Roddy responded.
“Wow, there are a lot of mountains, between here and there,” Zeina specified. “One, two, three…,” she counted. “Almost nine. Is there a path around them, or do you have to go up and down?”
“Usually, there’s a path, but we’ll need to climb at least two,” Shahzad recommended, pointing to the map.
“I bet it’s stunning there,” Ismail mused.
“Yes,” Rafiq proudly agreed. “The beauty of those mountains cannot be compared. The Kurram River flows through these two mountains, and it follows the path here.”
“Okay, let’s do it, Roddy. Let us at least follow the trail to the first stop, and then based on our progress, we can decide the next step,” Phil consented. Roddy nodded in agreement.
Zeina was glad she was not going and couldn’t understand the guys’ excitement.
Men! They love harsh challenges, she thought. For me, the school will be my test, daunting but very doable and just as worthwhile!
She was glad to see the glow on Phil’s face. He would, at last, be able to do something concrete to get closer to Rebecca.
“I’ve been worried about the flyers,” Zeina admitted. “While they may help us locate Rebecca and Ahmad through public awareness, they could also come into the hands of their abductors and alert them that the search has intensified.”
“They know the search for the missing persons will remain on; all the government agencies know about it, and the word must have gotten back to them,” Roddy predicted. “What they don’t know is that we’re coming for them!”
“We haven’t yet identified the spy in our midst,” Zeina said. “The infiltrator could be divulging our plans to the concerned terrorists as we speak!”
“It’s a risky business, Zeina,” Ismail cautioned. “But we have no alternative but to go in.”
“Once you find Rebecca and Ahmad, do you think they’ll be handed over just like that?” Zeina asked.
“All very valid considerations, Zeina Bibi,” Sheikh Sahib admitted. “When they locate the hostages, Roddy will message Naseer Sahib, and forces will move in and take over.”
“I’m playing the devil’s advocate; you and I know they’d blow the hostages and themselves up rather than surrender!” she replied.
Phil paled at the thought of his actions, posing a threat to Rebecca.
“I believed the matter would be handled well by the military forces, who have been reoriented to deal with such situations,” Shahzad stated.
“Reoriented?” a puzzled Ismail asked.
“Ours used to be a conventional army; it was trained and equipped for regular warfare against other similar forces, not against rebel guerrilla units. We made changes, and they’ve managed well enough.”
“What kind of changes?” asked Ismail, recalling his army training. “Soldiers are very rigid; they’re programmed to follow orders.”
“Well, the soldiers that were to deal with the region had to be reoriented or reprogrammed. The fight against the militants forced the army to change the mindset of the soldiers who felt it was wrong to fight their Muslim brothers,” Rafiq explained. “The next change in tactics required the use of religious symbolism to gather local support and to encourage local tribesmen to rise against the militants and thus isolate them. The objective of the operationwas to wrest the Islamic ground from the insurgents by claiming to act in the name of the true faith.”
“And this worked?” Ismail wanted to know.
“It did. Gradually, the soldiers adjusted to the new reality,” Shahzad remembered when he wanted to join the army before his father refused to allow this. “They began to isolate militants by separating them from the civilian population and eliminating them while limiting collateral damage. People caught in the clashes were taken care of with food and medical aid.”
“Amazing how different tactics work for different people,” Zeina said.
“Another effective tactic that I know the army uses is this,” Rafiqadded, glad to share his knowledge of their life here. “The army allows the insurgents to ‘escape,’ giving them a false sense of safety. They’re then permitted to remain in fixed locations so that their activities can be monitored and managed. If they cause a problem, ground troops and aircraft move in to obliterate the insurgents and their campsites. It’s a long, hard road, and we still haven’t quite got to the end. As far as this internal problem goes, the army has been ‘learning on the job’; the rules of the game change with changes in commanders and circumstances. We’ve found that the best approach to domestic terrorism is a combination of civilian and military security forces working together, and coordination mechanisms have been set up in the border region.”
“Isn’t that a dangerous game? After all, you are putting lots of power on the people who might not know the best,” Phil frowned, not quite understanding how so many people can work on their own with shifting strategies.
Rafiq just shrugged. No one seemed to have the right answer to that. The mood became quiet and solemn, and tea and refreshments were called for to break the intensity of the moment.
“My father said we need to take someone from the Lashkar with us,” Shahzad advised. “Do we have any preferences?”
“How does the Lashkar operate? Do the soldiers all work under your father?” Ismail asked.
“There are seven leaders who run the Lashkar. My father is one of them,” Shahzad emphasized. “The way he explains is to think of the leaders as the seven main parts of the body, working jointly to fight against terrorist activity in our area. Mohsin Ayubi, who’s the oldest and most experienced leader, is the brain. No one moves without his approval. He coordinates with everyone, and his son, who’s his shadow, helps him. He can work with the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with tribal leaders, and if needed, with some factions of the Taliban.
“My father is the heart. He’s responsible for getting more members to join their revolution. Abba has been successful in getting many villages to join our cause for peace, and our reach has widened in the last few years. Malik Rehman, who lost his life recently, was the hands; he’ll be hard to replace. The youngest among the lot is Yousef Ahmadzai, who’s theeyes. He’s my friend, and I think he’d be a good person to accompany us; I believe Abba will ask him. Though Yousef is barely 25-years old, once you see him, you’ll understand why no one else is needed.”
“Then there’s the mouth, Faraz Mohammed; the ears, Aminullah Durrani; and the legs, Noor Khan from Afghanistan. Recently, Abba and Faraz Mohammed, who was once a militant, have been able to induct selected reformed convicts into the Lashkar. He pays them well and makes sure they work hard to keep them away from falling into old ways. They do double duty, working in the farms in the area. That has worked well. Abba is known as the heart of the group for a reason. He’s very good at judging people and understands the circumstances that drive them to crime. He believes there’s a need in the area for giving repentant offenders another chance.”
“That sounds interesting. I do agree that some people find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, and someone needs to set things right for them,” Ismail admitted.
Everyone was quiet for some time, each trying to digest what was said and trying to think of anything that needed discussing.
“So, let us hope Yousef agrees to come with us, and if everything goes according to plan, we’ll leave in two days,” Shahzad summarized.
“This is a well-planned operation,” Sheikh Sahib praised. “Once it’s on the go, your movements will be closely monitored by local and international agencies, which will be in constant contact with concerned parties. We’ll all do our best; the rest is in the hands of Allah!”