Lee breathed a sigh of relief when the glow on the horizon became the glow of streetlights and window lamps. Maybe they'd make it after all. The sun had come up a little over an hour ago and the temperature was already climbing. The cold night of the desert was quickly being replaced by the parched furnace that was daytime in the Sahara. Lee had noticed, but not really registered in his haste, a blustery inconsistent wind picking up in the east and blowing at their backs.
The city was surprisingly awake for so soon after sunrise. The streets were crowded with Peugeots, Citroens, Volkswagens, and motor scooters. Men, women, and even youngish children pedaled bicycles in and out of the bumper-to-bumper traffic. Rickshaw style carts drove along both the streets and the sidewalks, scattering pedestrians who yelled curses in 4 different languages. Street vendors had already set up for the day and were doing a brisk business. Lee couldn't imagine where they were all going. But figuring out where the completely oblivious population of Vakesh was headed to on a morning like this wasn't Lee Stetson's primary concern. He had to figure out how he was going to stop Christophe. The jeep bumped over a curb and slipped on the sandy street, and then quickly regained traction and Lee aimed the beat up car in the direction of the Mareki parliament building. The traffic was moving, but he knew he could get out and run faster.
Sensing his urge to jump out of the car, Amanda grabbed his forearm, "Lee, you aren't going to get there any faster on foot."
It had always amazed him that she could read his mind. It didn't make him any less impatient today. "Hundreds of people are going to die if we, if I, don't get them out of that building."
"I know that Lee."
He inched the jeep forward again, hitting the horn in angry little bursts. Aside from dirty looks, that action got him nowhere. When Amanda's head snapped up, Lee turned his full attention to her. "What is it?"
"I don't know…"
"Oh Amanda…" His frustration was barely concealed.
She held her finger in the air shushing him, "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what? All I hear are c…"
"It sounds like an airplane. A small airplane." She turned to face Lee, "Christophe's plane is a small plane."
"Yeah, it is. Come on." Lee slammed the car into park and jumped out. Amanda looked around, surprised, and then followed him. Instinctively reaching for her hand, his long fingers closed around hers, and he ran down the middle of the street almost dragging her. Cars behind them beeped angrily. People swore at them in more than one language, none of which Amanda had to speak to understand their meaning.
The heat was oppressive as Lee sprinted down the packed street pulling Amanda behind him. The parliament building was up ahead. He could see it from where they were. "Come on Amanda. It's just up ahead." The buzzing from the small planes engine warbled in the inconsistent wind.
The large marble building shimmered in the heat. Yellow and black striped plastic tape surrounded the building. It was tied to metal and concrete barriers, keeping the public a safe distance from the building. At every open point two guards stood posted with automatic weapons. They didn't look pleased to be pulling guard duty on a scorching summer morning.
They were brought up short by an angry looking guard with an AR-15. "What is your business here?" He leveled the automatic pistol at the two agents.
"My name is Lee Stetson; I work for the American government..."
"What is your business here? The American government has noting to do with the Parliament of Mareki. You will have to leave this area."
"This building is going to be destroyed." Lee fumbled for his ID and finally fishing it out of his pocket, handed it to the guard, silently thankful that Christophe hadn't bothered to take it when he took his gun.
The man opened his mouth to respond and Lee cut him off. "Look, I don't have time to argue with you. A man named Jean Christophe, he's a member of the MSA. He has plans to blow up the Mareki parliament building. That's his plane coming in over there. We don't have time to argue…"
The tall African, whose name was Turoro, held up a hand to silence Lee. He listened over the angry horns and shouts of the stranded motorists. The buzz of the plane was closer now. Instead of shifting in and out on the inconsistent wind, the insectile drone was clear and moving ever closer.
Lee listened as Turoro called into his superiors and an order to take out the plane at all costs was issued. Turoro turned to the agents. "There is a sandstorm coming, you should take shelter. The Mareki Army will take care of the MSA threat."
"With all due respect, we need to get people away from this building." Lee knew hundreds of people stood to die if Christophe managed to get through the army lines.
"In that respect, sir, you are right. Starting with you. Please back away from the building."
Lee took Amanda's hand and walked back outside the metal and concrete boundaries. He shielded his eyes with one hand and watched as army trucks raced to the boundary. The plane glinted in the bright sunlight as it neared the city limits.
"Lee, look." Amanda pointed into the distance as a rocket launched from a truck with a hollow fwump. The dark cylinder streaked skywards made a sharp left and slammed into the Cessna. The plane exploded into a bright orange fireball and bits of the fuselage floated back to earth on the quickening breeze. Two smaller, muffled explosions came from behind Lee and he spun to face the Parliament building. He watched in horror as puffs of smoke, dust, and debris lifted into the air. More explosions rocked the building and Lee pushed Amanda to the ground as the Mareki Parliament building collapsed behind them.
Marble dust coated everything as Lee pushed himself, coughing to his feet and helped Amanda to her feet. She stared at the building. The shouts and honks of the motorists had stopped and people stood around staring at the collapsed building. "Oh my gosh, Lee, they shot him down. I saw the plane explode…he never had a chance to launch the bombs."
Lee continued to stare at the remains of the building. "Christophe must have had a back up plan. Billy's gonna kill me, Amanda."