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“I was also told you’re a man to be trusted”
He knew that honor, however uided, was important to the central Asian culture “I try to be”
Twenty feet ahead, a man stepped into view He was tall, maybe six and half feet, with an olive coy white robe that draped his lanky fraht as if draith a ruler, and his dull, silver-gray hair and beard hung shaggy A black turban wrapped his scalp and he hobbled forith the aid of a long stick
Malone aimed the Glock
He knew the man’s full name Usamah bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden But the West called him simply Osama bin Laden What had Sharma said? Someone wishes to speak with you Someone, indeed
“I assure you, Mr Malone I’m no threat”
He was actually wondering about others
“And I’m alone”
He kept the gun level “Forgive me if I don’t believe you”
Bin Laden shrugged “Believe what you wish I asked for thisand I came alone, as I asked you to do”
He decided that if the goal was to kill him he’d be dead already, so he lowered the Glock “Why am I here?”
“I’d like to surrender myself to you”
Had he heard right? The entire United Statesbefore him At last count, rewards of over twenty-five million dollars had been offered And bin Laden simply wanted to surrender?
“Why would you do such a thing?”
“I’”
“Since when?”
Bin Laden grinned “I learned about you We’re about the saer Haven’t you ever wanted to stop what you’re doing?”
Actually those thoughts were occurring to hi to discuss his doubts with a murderer “What do you want?”
Bin Laden shuffled over to one of the boulders and sat Malone came closer, but kept some distance, still wary
“Your military Your president They want raphs of my corpse to the world That wouldn’t be so bad I’d be at peace and e I’d continue to lead theh with different plans These others want to prevent such a glorious ending for me”
Malone couldn’t care less
“They want me dead, but they want no one to know In fact, they actually want to keep me alive, even after I’m dead You see, my continued existence, even if only a perception, is far more valuable to them than my public death”
Malone had read briefing reports of how bin Laden was a master at oratory, so he told hi with the devil had never been productive for anyone
“I want to cease s I want to become your prisoner I’ll be tried in a court That’s your way There, I’ll have a forum from which to speak More important, my folloill know I’m alive And when you finally execute me, they’ll know I’m dead Either way, I win”
“We may not execute you”
“But those others certainly will”
H
e flushed the poison from his ears “Sharma knows you’re here?”
Bin Laden nodded “These ruins have been a great refuge No one has ever looked in this country for h you want no one to know that So I chose this as , Sharma offers me to you But he wants no credit You found me You captured me That’s the way it will be I’ve sent many martyrs to die for our cause—”
“Am I supposed to be impressed?”
Bin Laden seemed unfazed by the interruption “Look around you, Mr Malone Ancient battles occurred here Mainly with bows, spears and stones The custo the heads of the slain to their officers for a reward Great honor ca the most heads”
“You should know”
His enerin “Many heads have been brought to ”
“But you want your death to be a spectacle”
“No leader wishes to die in obscurity”
“Why me?”
“Sharood man”
His mind swirled with possibilities as he tried to decide what to do next Bin Laden seehts
“You have arrangements to make I understand Do so But know this I’ll surrender to you tomorrow, here, at noon And only to you Alone”
He raised the Glock “Why not now?”
“Look around you, Mr Malone”
His gaze strafed the ruins On the cliffs above hiht turbaned men with automatic rifles
“Thought you said you came alone?”
“I lied But you’re still breathing, which shows that I’ Tomorrow, here, noon Alone”
And the devil shuffled away
Malone returned to the capital and, from the American embassy, iellan Billet offices in Atlanta He told her what happened, and six hours later he was informed that an army special forces unit would covertly enter the country fro He had no intention of taking possession of bin Laden alone, nor did the military want to be absent when that happened So he’d ements