"What happened?" I asked curiously.

Ahmed looked at me, and there was more than worry in his eyes, even fear. It's a state I haven't seen with him before. Even when we were in the hardest time, he didn't worry and fear so much, not only did he have the mind to joke or joke from time to time.

"Say it! What's going on? I asked.

"I..." Ahmed seemed speechless, and after a moment of hesitation, he quickly said, "I see Ashraf." “

Ahmed's answer made me feel even more strange, what are you afraid of when you meet Ashraf? Isn't that right? Wrong! See you here? At this moment, I noticed the movement from time to time outside, and I immediately realized what the problem was.

"Ashraf in the hands of the TLB forces?" I asked.

"Yes!" Ahmed nodded quickly, "Ashraf was caught by them. ”

I'm a little confused. What does it mean to be caught? Didn't Ashraf and our people leave with TLB in the first place? What does it mean to be caught by them? I understand that there is a problem?

"Caught? What do you mean? I looked at Ahmet and asked, "He's not an American, he's unarmed, he's not an enemy or a foreigner, so he's caught?" “

"I don't know... Ahmet shook his head, "But he and the two foreigners, presumably the Yankees, were tied up." Now it is at the edge of the village. “

"What will TLB do to them?" I asked.

Ahmed was clearly reluctant to mention this, and he made a quick gesture around his neck. The meaning is obvious, it is beheading.

Seeing this action, I immediately leaned against the wall and tried to stand up. Ahmed looked at me and immediately said, "What are you doing?" “

"Do what?" I felt the strength of my legs while standing up hard, and my legs seemed to be a little soft at the moment, and my muscles seemed to be unable to exert myself for a while, but walking and simple movement should not be too much of a problem, of course, the wound was still relatively painful.

After standing firm, I looked at Ahmed and said quickly, "We now have two options, one, you convince the TLB fighters, such as Kadibi, to let him go. Are you sure? ”

"No... I'm not sure. I don't even know what he's done right now. Ahmed shook his head anxiously.

"Good! That's it. You call Sadat first. Fast! I said.

Ahmed looked at me, hesitated for a moment, and then quickly went to the door and called Sadat in, who was outside. When I saw the two of them coming, I immediately said, "Let Sadat inquire about what Ashraf has done and see if there is a chance to release him." In the meantime, let him see how many TLB armed people there are here. Go for it. ”

Ahmed quickly explained to Sadat, and Sadat quickly ran out after saying that he understood. Immediately after he left, I looked at Ahmed and said, "If we can't convince the TLB people to release Ashraf, then we'll have to do it ourselves." ”

"Do it?" Ahmed looked a little surprised, "You're going to do it with TLB?" “

"Yes. If it doesn't make sense, that's the only way to go. I said.

Ahmet nodded when I said this, but quickly shook his head and said, "But we don't even have guns." The previous gun was thrown long ago. ”

"Uh... Don't the villagers here have any guns? In this era of war and chaos, no one has a gun? I asked.

"Guns? It depends on what kind of gun it is. If you want to have an AK-47 casually, it's definitely not possible. These TLBs themselves still want, although they are fighting but weapons, but they will be collected as rulers. Ahmed said.

"Uh... All right. "I did think a little bit of a simplistic thing about weapons, I thought it would be easier to get weapons in this messy place than to find food. It seems that I was wrong, but it is not.

I looked at Ahmed and whispered, "If this doesn't work." Then you can only snatch it from the hands of TLB. I said and gestured, "There are no guns, there should always be knives, right?" “

"This one has." Ahmed nodded and said, "You have to use a knife to chop wood and kill sheep." ”

"Take two, you and I." I spoke.

"And you're going to kill one or two of the TLBs with your knives and take the weapons from them?" Ahmed said with some disapproval: "There are more than a few of them. What will we do when we two get our weapons? “

"That's why I asked Sadat to take a look. After seeing it, I thought I would be able to see the outside with my own eyes. I said and looked at Ahmed, "What are you hesitating about?" Is there any other way you can do it? “

Just as Ahmed hesitated, Sadat ran in from outside. As soon as he came in, he looked at us and said a few words. Judging from the expressions of these two people, it is obvious that the news brought back by Sadat is not very good.

Ahmed spoke, after listening, "He said. . . He inquired with one of the TLB forces. The man told him that Ashraf was accused of being a traitor. Because when they caught Ashraf, he was with the Yankees, acting as a guide and interpreter for them. ”

"Wait... Translation? Does Ashraf speak English? I asked.

Ahmed shook his head and said, "He won't. No one had taught him at all. He knows Russian except for Pashto here. They must have been mistaken. ”

"No, no, no." I waved my hand and said, "There is another possibility." Remember the mountain master we met? What do they say? They say that a mercenary will enter the mountains. Am I not mistaken? “

"Are you saying that Ashraf is up against a bunch of mercenaries? And then the reason why these people can speak Russian? Ahmed asked.

"Yes. That's what I mean. I don't think TLB can be mistaken. Because Ashraf shouldn't have been caught with the so-called Yankees anyway. I said.

"Okay." Ahmet nodded, and suddenly looked at me as if he had made up his mind, "Then what do you think we should do?" “

"First of all, ask Sadat, have you heard that they are going to take Ashraf, what will they do? Also How many people are there in the TLB outside now? I looked at Ahmed and said.

Ahmed spoke after a brief exchange with Sadat: "He said that the TLB was going to execute these people. In front of the villagers. Now there are seven or eight people here at TLB. The guy named Kadibi was there, too. “

"Seven or eight people... Are they all with rifles? ak-47？ I asked.

After Ahmed translated my words to Sadat, Sadat nodded and said yes.

"Let's go out and have a look. Help me dress up. Let's go out and have a look first. I pointed outside.

(End of chapter)