Dumb Luck

Terri Ali sat in the yellow minivan with one of his countries enemy by his side. Trying for all the world to look like a bored workers. The setting sun blasting heat into the cabin. His mission delivered, planned and executed within the past last week. It seemed such a waste, he was progressing in his original objective, only a few more months. Well orders are orders. He regretted his brag to the designated contact. Obviously they paid attention and maybe knew more than he did.

They were parked just a few hundred meters from the target. The plan was simple. Spot the mark, drive into the lobby and BLAM. Of course he was to get out before the action started. The very carefully constructed IED sat between them wedged into 500kg of mixed fertiliser and diesel in the back. He new they would not be stopped at any of the three road blocks they had crossed to get this far.

He went through the instructions again. “Drive up, you must be in first, keep moving. Hit the switch when the front wheels are on the concourse”. Mohamed was in a distant place and appeared not to listen. “repeat the instruction”. Mohamed acted out driving, down shifting to first and then actually hit the switch. “Fuck!”, Terri blurted in english, grabbing at the device, fumbled, regained his grip and flung it out of his window. Blam, 2 kg of high explosive detonated on the verge beside the van.

Terri regained consciousness with the barrels of three guns and one camera in his face.