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“Well, my friend, then which one am I?” Hakim continued his search of the sky, now turning back toward Key West.
“You are not nervous?” Karim asked with concern.
“No. Not in the least.”
“Why do you tempt fate like this? You know you shouldn’t say such things.”
Hakim laughed. “I am excited. Why aren’t you excited? This is what we have been working for. This is a great day.” Hakim pointed toward the spit of land on the horizon. “There, my friend, is the great Satan. In a few minutes we will fire up these engines, and we will penetrate their defenses. Defenses they have spent billions on, and there is nothing they can do to stop us.”
Karim frowned. “You are assuming they will not stop us.”
“Yes, I am.” Hakim lowered the binoculars. “When will you begin to have faith in your destiny? I have been telling you for years that this is what awaits you.” Again he pointed toward the shore of America.
“Allah prefers us to be humble.”
“Then you can be humble, but I will be excited. This is something they will write about. In a few days the entire Arab world will be talking about these new lions of al-Qaeda and their leader, the great Karim Nour al-Din, who have struck at the heart of America.”
“We have done nothing yet.”
“Is it wrong to hope?”
Karim made a brooding face and finally said, “I suppose not.”
“And think of the faces those old women will make when the news finally reaches them in the mountain hideouts. Zawahiri will be furious that he and his millionaire boyfriend do not receive the credit.”
“Do not speak of him that way,” Karim said angrily.
“I’m sorry, but you know I think Zawahiri has poisoned him.”
“He still deserves our respect.” Karim was disgusted with the al-Qaeda leadership, but his fellow Saudi Arabian did not deserve to be spoken of in such a manner. “So,” Karim said, “tell me of your grand plan. Do you really think we will just sail ashore and unload your drugs?”
“That all depends on the Coast Guard.”
“And if they show up?”
“We will outrun them.”
“What if it is a helicopter? Like you mentioned last night.”
“You keep going straight, and I will worry about the helicopter.”
“That is it? That is the extent of your grand plan?”
Hakim showed off his bright white smile. “No, I have a few tricks.”
“Ahmed?”
“Yes, he is one of them, in fact now is the perfect time to show him the present I brought along for him.” Hakim climbed around the windscreen and went below deck. A moment later he appeared with a long, black rectangular case. He looked into the other boat and said, “Ahmed, I have something for you.”
The twenty-four-year-old Moroccan hopped from one boat into the other as the others came to the edge. Hakim set the case on the flat cushion just aft of the cockpit and popped the clasps. He swung the case open to reveal a very large gun.
Ahmed gasped as he said, “A Barrett fifty-caliber. I have dreamt of shooting such a gun.”
“Can you handle it?” Hakim asked.
“Of course,” Ahmed said enthusiastically. “Where did you get it?”
“Nashville, Tennessee.”
