“Looks like things have changed since the last time we were here.” Mike glanced over at Tom.

Eyes on the compound, Tom grunted.

“Let’s get down to the others.”

Mike shimmied down the rear side of the mound. The farther from the crest, the faster he moved, joining Julia and Al at the bottom.

“This is the place,” Mike said.

“It’s changed.” Tom shook off the puzzled look and shrugged.

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing?” Mike sat close to Julia and Al. “It used to be a series of mostly smaller buildings surrounding the main wall. The main house was inside the wall.”

“Now,” Tom said, “it’s a lot bigger, a lot more fortress-looking.”

“The place is about five or six times the area it used to be, and it’s all surrounded by a twelve-foot high mud wall. Each corner has a guard tower with two guards and a machine gun. There’s another guard tower in the center, where the main building is. It's higher up than the others, with guards and a machine gun.”

The sun crested the mountains behind them. There would be no more hiding in the early morning twilight.

“We’ve had our eyes on the compound for about an hour now. The guards are taking their jobs seriously. No one is sleeping. They’re watchful. A guard moves from post to post along the wall every few minutes.”

“Do you think he’s still there?” Julia said.

Mike lifted his hands palms forward. “I don’t think he would have left.”

“If he’s not there,” Tom said, “we can go back to where we hid the truck and take off. But I’m with Mike. He’s probably there.”

“Why?”

Mike cleared his throat. “He told us this land had been in his family for generations. He would never leave, and he’d fight anyone who tried to take it.” Mike looked back in the direction they’d driven from. The road had been behind the high ground and out of sight of the guards. It then turned straight into the open land between the hills and Cpt—Amadulah’s fortress.

Between the fortress and where the road came into sight of the compound sat an unmanned guard shack. Beyond the guard post, the road to the compound serpentined left and right. Handmade berms ran along both sides of the road. The open area to the left and right of the road rock walls extended out from the berms and surrounded the property.

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Outside the fortress wall was open standoff. It gave the guards clear fields of fire for about four hundred meters. Some of the open area was natural, from what Mike remembered. Parts of the standoff had been pushed back toward the hills. The mound they sat behind was one of only a few spots that didn’t allow the guards clear 365-degree vision. Perhaps it had been too big or too much trouble to move. Mike didn’t know but was grateful it was there.

“My guess is someone is trying to take this land from Amadulah.” Mike pointed to the east. “That river is the primary water source in this area. It irrigates all the crops grown in this region. The source is in the mountains farther east, where he also maintains loose control. Cpt. Amadulah commands the whole river and collects taxes from everyone living near it. By the look of the war footing the fortress is on, I’d say someone wants control of the river.”

“Great,” Al said. “We’re walking into someone else’s war.”

“Yeah.” Mike looked at the other three. “I don’t see how we have any other choice. The truck’s running on E, we have no supplies, and we’re done in. We don’t have any way to contact the rear. The OPCEN knows we’re out here, but this thing was so secret they don’t know where we are or when we’ll be back. We can’t move forward, and we can’t move back without help.” He rested his forearms across his knees. “I’m open to suggestions?”

No one replied. Mike shrugged his shoulders. He had his answer.

“Al, you and Julia, stay here.” Mike stood. “Tom and I will leave our AKs with you. We’ll walk out to the road and call attention to ourselves.”

“That sounds like a good way to get shot,” Tom said.

He reached down and pulled Tom to his feet. “Again, I’m open to suggestions.”

Tom shook his head. “And why am I going again?”

“We’ll walk out there hands up, attract their attention, and try to get an invite in. Some of them may remember us. That’s what I’m hoping for. Once we’re inside, we’ll send for Al and Julia.” Mike turned to Al. “If you hear a bunch of shooting inside or we don’t return, that probably means you’re on your own.”

“Al.” Tom reached down and pulled him up. “If I get killed, make sure my ex-wife doesn’t find out. She’ll laugh herself silly.”

“You got it, buddy.” Al hesitated. “Which ex-wife?”

“It’s best if none of them knows.”

Mike helped Julia up.

“You know I’m no soldier, but this does seem a little risky.”

“Yeah, well…” Mike tapped Tom on the arm. “Ready?”

“No, but let’s get this over with.”

“Take these.” Mike handed Al his AK.

Tom frowned but held his AK out.

“Going out there unarmed is one reason not to shoot us on sight. I hope.”

“Is there another reason,” Tom asked.

“We’re Americans and not the Afghani’s who they’re fighting.”

“Hmm.” Tom rolled his eyes.

“It’s a stretch, I know. The way we look, out here in the middle of nowhere, it’ll give them cause to wonder before they start shooting.”

“Stop trying to build up my confidence. Let’s do it.”

They turned, put their hands in the air, and walked toward the road from behind the mound.

“Mike, did I ever tell you that sometimes I don’t like you.”

Almost immediately as they cleared the mound, a shout rang out from a guard tower. The rest of the guards followed the first man’s example and shot a round into the air. A metal-on-metal clanging alarm sounded from inside the fortress.