"Baber don't be a baby, just do what he asked" Jasim groaned.
"No! He might miss! Besides, we need to escape!" Baber complained.
Aazim shook his head. "He won't miss, just hold it by the chain away from the door so the bullet doesn't ricochet off the wall."
Aarif rolled his eyes. "Both of you be quiet. I can shoot the lock off without anyone's help. Everyone just stand back."
Aarif then positioned himself along the side of the burglar bars, carefully placing the barrel of the rifle downward and away fro any hard surface where the bullet could get deflected. He then lined the front sight on the lock, concentrating on a shot that would blow the lock off with one bullet.
As his eyes focused on the lock, he saw the door swing open. He tried to turn around but was stunned by a hard jolt to his temple. The next second Aarif was looking up at the sky.
The other three had stood back to avoid any ricochets so they weren't close enough to stop the American. Even if they were close enough they were too surprised to do anything other than stare in disbelief.
Aarif sat up, rubbing the left side of his head, which was numb and throbbing. He looked around for his rifle so he could make the American pay, and he couldn't find it. He looked at the ground, then at his friends who were still dumbfounded by what just happened.
"What happened? Where's my gun?" he mumbled.
Jasim, silent, pointed towards the door.
Baber, who had kept back before the American snatched the rifle, took a few more steps back as he saw the shame and rage contort Aarif's face. Someone was going to pay and pay dearly.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Alec listened to the exchange outside while pressed against the wall next to the door. The voices grew louder and louder as the argument accelerated. All the while he clutched the rifle he snatched from the thug outside.
"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!!" he said to himself.
"Alec?!" Laila called out to him from the bathroom, "What's going on?!"
"Just stay inside and get on the floor! We got a situa-"his voice was downed out by a volley of bullets tearing through the door into the living room's concrete wall. He shut his eyes and covered himself with the rifle as he felt splinters land on his arms, hair and neck.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Outside, Aarif pulled back the bolt and checked the chamber for jams; the magazine was empty.
Aazim reached out for his gun, but Aarif wouldn't return it. He then tried ordering Aarif, "Give me back my gun!"
"Get me more ammunition!" he snapped back. "I need more bullets! Where are they!?"
"Don't you talk to me like that!" Aazim responded.
"I'll talk to you the way you deserve! Now give me another fucking magazine!"
"They're in the trunk. Get them yourself!"
"Why didn't you bring an extra clip?!"
"How was I supposed to know you'd let the American steal your gun?" Aazim fired back.
"How was I supposed to know he'd do this?! When you grabbed him off the street he came quietly enough! Why didn't you know he'd do something like this?! This was your clever plan! Why didn't you plan for this?!"
"Shut up! I'm not the one who let that weakling make a fool of me! And don't you dare tell me what I should and shouldn't know!!"
"Please friends!" Baber pleaded. "We should move away from the door, he might shoot at us!"
"Please Baber!" Aarif sneered. "He's an aid worker! He probably doesn't know one end of the gun from the oth—"
Aarif suddenly jerked forward as a five-round volley of bullets ripped through the door and hit him twice The first round went through his left shoulder, exiting his upper chest in a red spray that caught Baber and Aazim in the face. The second round hit him squarely in the back.
Aazim swore and ducked down. Baber squealed and ran away. Jasim, however, sprang into action. In his mind he always pictured how he would react. A team of heavily armed American commandos would be facing him. They would raise their rifles but he'd be too fast for them. In one quick, fluid motion, he'd draw his pistol from his waistband, cock the hammer, aim and fire. Instead, he grabbed his pistol, cocked the hammer, fired, and drew the gun from his waistband. He collapsed next to Aarif's body stunned by the burning pain in his thigh. Aazim crawled to Aarif's motionless body and looked over the body at Jasim who was clutching his leg and screaming himself hoarse.
"What happened!!?" he yelled to Jasim.
Jasim paused for a moment, "The bastard got me!"
Aazim looked around frantically. "Where's Baber?"
Jasim looked behind to the street, "He was right behind me a second ago."
Aazim swore then ran back to the car, unlocked the trunk and grabbed three ammo magazines and loaded one into one of the assault rifles. He then ran back to the house to settle the score with the American.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Alec looked through the peep hole to see the result of his attack. Two of the men were down, tow ran away. He ran back to the bathroom thinking he heard Laila call him.
As he called out he realized he could barely hear his own voice. "Oh shit that was loud!" he said to himself.
Opening the bathroom door he saw her crouching in the bathtub with her bath robe rapped around her. "Laila are you alright?" he repeated.
"Of course I'm alright!" she shouted. "Didn't you hear me screaming? What's the matter with you?"
"What?!"
She then rolled her eyes and groaned. "Allah!"
She then reached out and began searching his clothing. "You are not hurt?"
"Great! And don't worry, I'm not hurt either."
She stared at him for a moment trying to keep her patience. "I'm relieved."
