The Chosen One

6:21 P.M., OCTOBER 27

ODA 6333, CHARLIE COMPANY, 3RD BATTALION, 6TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP (AIRBORNE)

IN THE WINE CELLAR, THE HOTEL LOURAINE

CAIRO

Charlie Sanders relit the candle. He glanced at his watch. The dinner hour had arrived. He looked at Reena. She made no attempt to pretend to be sleeping.

He reached into his rucksack, withdrawing the final packet of MREs. He opened it and got out his canteen. The evening meal was soon ready.

Sanders helped her into a sitting position, with only a modicum of pain involved. As he’d done at every meal for the past four days, he handed her the food. She looked at him and smiled. Reena was certain he hadn’t eaten in all that time. She held the food up, indicating she wished for him to share. Yet, as at each previous meal, he declined her offer. She couldn’t comprehend his generosity. Even though she’d attempted to kill him, he’d done nothing but treat her with kindness and dignity since. He’d given her all the remaining food, turning down even a single morsel. For ninety-six hours he’d gone without. He held up the canvas bag so she could see it was empty.

“That’s the last of it, Reena. I’ve stretched it as far as I can. There’s none in my rucksack and I’ve searched this place from top to bottom. There’s no food in the hotel.”

She looked at him while she ate. His strange words meant nothing.

“I wish I knew what’s going on. The last time I went into the kitchen for water I didn’t hear anything remotely sounding like gunfire. I guess the city’s surrendered and is under Mourad’s control. All of Egypt’s probably fallen. It’s possible most of his army moved on days ago and are hundreds of miles from here. I’m thinking about a trip outside the hotel to see if I can find something to eat. It’d be real dangerous, but maybe late tonight I’ll sneak out and take a quick look around. To be honest, I know it’s not a very good idea. Even if most are gone, Mourad’s bound to have a few guys hanging around. And I’d probably be spotted no matter how cautious I was. Besides, I really wouldn’t know where to look. I’m willing to bet when they left, his soldiers cleaned out every kitchen and food stall within fifty miles of this place.”

She continued to eat the final meal. He watched as she consumed the last of the MREs. She returned his gaze, the hostility in her eyes a distant memory.

“God, Reena, you’re even beautiful when you’re eating. I don’t think I could stand watching while you starve to death. I’d have to do something. But let’s face it, we both know a trip outside the hotel would be plain stupid. And my mother didn’t raise a stupid child.”

Reena continued looking at him. A pleasant look came to her face.

“Look, I didn’t want to bring this up, but I know of a plentiful food supply well within reach. I’ve waited to mention it until I absolutely had to. There’s lots and lots to eat right over our heads. The kitchen’s only a few feet away. And it’s full of big, fat rats there for the taking. It wouldn’t take much to kill a few. The only problem is we won’t be able to build a fire down here, so we’d have to eat them raw. I know that probably doesn’t sound too good when your belly’s full. But wait a day or two. After a while you won’t care what you’re putting into your mouth. I ate worse things while going through Special Forces training. And it isn’t so bad when you’re as hungry as I am right now. Look . . . I’ll tell you what. I can hold out a little longer. Let’s wait a bit before I start catching them. That way you’ll be good and hungry. How’s that sound?”

Her expression never changed.

“All right, it’s a deal. I won’t go outside the hotel until it’s totally necessary. Instead, I’ll catch our meal each night at the top of these stairs. That should work for quite some time.”

She took the last bite of food and slowly chewed it.

“Looks like you’re about done; time to extinguish the candle.”

The flickering light was soon perched in front of his lips. As he prepared to blow it out, she motioned for him to stop. For whatever reason, she didn’t want him to douse the light. He didn’t have the slightest idea why. She struggled to her feet, signaling for him to stay where he was. Reena leaned against the wine racks and stepped toward where he was sitting. It wasn’t long before she was standing over him.

“Reena, what in the world are you doing? You need to sit back down.”

She smiled at him. Surprisingly, she bent over and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. A grin came to his face. It soon turned into a devouring smile. She dropped to the floor and moved around until she was next to her captor. She returned his smile. Scooting up close to him, she took his arm and placed it around her uninjured shoulder. She reached over and blew out the candle.

Sanders’s dream of a marvelous life with the beautiful Arab girl was taking form.

49

9:15 A.M., OCTOBER 28

4TH PLATOON, ALPHA TROOP, 1ST BATTALION, 5TH CAVALRY REGIMENT, 1ST HEAVY BRIGADE COMBAT

(IRONHORSE), 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION

DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA

Walton and Sanchez stood near the busy docks. They were watching the cargo ships unload one armored vehicle after another. The 1st Cavalry Division’s remaining brigades were coming ashore. By midafternoon, the entire Texas division would be on dry ground.

The fifteen thousand soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division, with their three hundred Abrams tanks, an equal number of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and scores of Strikers, already had unloaded. Along with the 25th were stretching lines of artillery pieces, attack and transport helicopters, air defense weapons, and ordnance and support elements of every kind. The first of the arriving divisions was moving to its designated staging area.

By sunset, the 101st Airborne Division would also be ashore.

Sanchez spotted someone he knew from the 1st Cavalry Division’s 3rd Brigade. The cavalryman was sitting in the open commander’s hatch of an M-1 Abrams easing past their position.

“Hey, Smitty!” he yelled. “Sure took you long enough to get here. Where the hell you guys been? Did you figure 1st Brigade could whip the Iraqis and Iranians all by ourselves so there was no need to hurry?”

“What we heard was you guys were sitting on the beach getting a tan while the 3rd Infantry did all the dirty work. So we took our own sweet time. Didn’t want to cut short you 1st Brigade prima donnas’ leisure time.” The tank commander laughed.

Sanchez raised his middle finger to indicate his displeasure with the snide comment. “You wish. I’ve killed

more tanks than the entire Army did during Desert Storm and the second Iraq war. I’m told the enemy’s so afraid of me that when they want their children to behave, they just mention my name.”

“Or show them a picture of that ugly face of yours. That would scare the hell out of anyone.” The M-1 drove away before Sanchez could respond to this latest good-natured barb.

Walton burst into laughter. “He’s got you there, Miguel.”

“Forget him, Sarge. He’s just some second-rate tanker who couldn’t hit a T-72 with a water pistol from three feet away. Besides, I know what you’re doing. And it won’t work. You’re trying to change the subject so you won’t have to admit my information was right all along. What’d I tell ya? Our division’s unloading. The 25th’s already here, and see those ships offshore? The 101st is in those. Three divisions, like I said.”

“You were right, Miguel. I don’t know why I ever doubted you.”

“Two days and we head north for our top secret mission to destroy the Iraqis and Iranians.”

“Seems to me you first told me about this so-called plan on our last night outside Sakakah. After more than a week of fighting, I thought you’d lost what little was left of your mind. Some wild idea about a top secret mission. It sounded so crazy. But with your recent batting average, I’ll bet you were right even then. Looks like your info’s coming to pass. I’ve been ordered to assemble the platoon in the staging area this afternoon to outfit our Bradleys for combat. There’s a battalion briefing for all platoon leaders and platoon sergeants set for three. We should know for sure after that.”