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JoeKurt tried to think

If theyup, he would look for a stone to scoop up It would be risky to try to grab soround, but there was no way he and Joe could keep running er

Before either of those things happened, the SUV turned south and approached a group of parked vehicles It rolled to a stop, and both Kurt and Joe fell to the ground

Lying on the sand, trying to catch his breath, Kurt saw Jinn and several of hisbeside what looked like an old abandoned well

Jinn walked over Heon the well “Thirsty?” he asked

Kurt said nothing

Jinn leaned close “You don’t know theof thirst until you’ve crossed a desert in search of the smallest oasis Your throat closes up Your eyes feel like they’re boiling dry inside your head Your body can’t sweat because it has no ive That is the life of a Bedouin And he would not fall after a mile or two in the desert”

“I’ed by a truck,” Kurt rasped

Jinn turned to histhem to the well”

The guards untied Kurt and Joe and hauled the the, Kurt realized they wouldn’t be getting a drink The smell of death rose up from below

He turned and kicked one of the guards, shattering theinto action at al the man to his left

The speed of the assault seeuards by surprise These men had been denied food and water for the entire day They’d been beaten and dragged through the desert They’d looked all but dead lying on the sand only moments before

Four of Jinn’s ht like spinning inds For each man who landed a punch, another took a blow to the face, a kick to the knee or an elbow to the gut

One guard tried to tackle Kurt, but Kurt dodged and tripped hiuard As those two crashed into the sand, Kurt jued for it But like a football player diving for a fumble, he was i for the gun

It discharged, and one of Jinn’s ers blown off But before Kurt could fire it again, a heavy blow hit the back of his head, and the gun was ripped frorasp