Mac missed Jack's permanent palaver. He concentrated on the bomb but the silence in his earwig echoed loud inside his head. It was unbearable. Mac tipped at his ear and a soft click showed him that the communication system worked. It was only that nobody talked to him. Why not? Most of the OMT's thought that they would unnecessarily distract their bomb nerds. Thanks to Jack Mac was used to exact the opposite. He noticed how much he missed the voice of the Texan. Should he ask Lewis if he could tell him something? But Mac decided against that idea. That would have confused the man only even more, he was overstrained with Mac right now. On the platform of the truck laid already three highly complicated and totally dissembled IED's and now he worked on a fourth, similar explosive device. He needed to inform his comrades about the technique as soon as they were back. It was clearly a professional who built these bombs and knew exactly what he did.

"Done."
Mac straightened up, heard a relieved sigh from his overwatch and stood up totally. He tapped the dust from his clothes, than he grabbed all pieces of the bomb. With full hands he came back to the truck. The vehicle stood in the shadow of a warehouse at the outskirts of a town. Mac loaded the harmless package on the loading space. He made sure, that the single components of the different IED's didn't mix. When he looked up he saw a woman at the end of the road who went into a small store. From the approach Mac remembered that this shop was abandoned. What did the woman want there? Maybe she had something to do with the constructor of the new complicated bombs? Lewis wasn't to be seen until now, so Mac told him where he intended to go.
"Be careful, Mac. I see an ominous group of young men here. They're coming to your position and if I leave my place now, we're both without protection."
"Understood. I just look what the woman does and come back to the truck."
"Okay."

Mac went into the direction of the shop. He tried to look inside through a dirty window, but the glass was masked with papers. Very carefully Mac opened the slightly hanging wooden door. There were no wires or other traps. The inner room was dark and dusty. Pale sunlight entered in small stripes the abandoned shop and lighted up a few shelves, counter and a cash desk area. Everywhere was thick dust, sand and dirt. For a long time there was no one here for shopping. Nevertheless a broad way from boots and shoes between two shelves drew a way to the back. Mac felt his heart racing and hammering against his chest. With a few controlled breaths he slowed his circulation down and suppressed his nervousness. Close to a shelf he sneaked his way into the room. From a hallway he suddenly heard agitated voices. Voices of different men. Maybe he could see more when he looked around the corner. He made a few steps more, pressed himself against the wall and risked a look into the corridor.

"Mac, go out! I think we found a hideout of this group."
Very quietly the voice of Lewis whispered in his ear. But that wasn't all he had to tell.
"I think the woman you saw came back onto the street. She placed another explosive device. I took her out before she could activate that thing. But the others will notice it soon. By then we need to be very far away. Come back to the truck now!"
The voice was insistent and Mac clearly saw enough. In the hallway stood at least twenty people who were clearly members of this group. Mac withdrew. Totally silent he set his steps back. When he had a safe distance to the people around the corner, he whispered back: "It could be their main quarter. Here are so many of them. I come out now. Start the engine and I hop on."
He turned around and stared into the barrels of four guns.

Without hesitation he held his hands up, showed that he was unarmed. One of the men turned down his rifle and rammed the shaft hard into Mac's stomach. He doubled over. Another one pulled his arms back and closed heavy iron shackles around his wrists. Then he put a rough rope around his neck, pulled the sling tight and pushed Mac forward. Mac could barely breathe, he rattled and stumbled. The other men still aimed with their guns at him. They screamed in a dialect he didn't understand. From the hallway behind came many more people. A big man with a beard and bright dark eyes stepped in front of him. The rope around his neck was still too tight so he couldn't breathe properly. He felt his skin rub raw by the fibers. Soundly and strenuous breathing Mac stood the keen gaze. The man lifted his hand, laid it at Mac's head and suddenly grabbed his hair. The other hand fisted and beat against Mac's cheek. Mac moaned loud. He got dizzy and his vision was sprinkled with stars. His head blared.
The hand holding him left his hair. Finally when Mac's vision cleared the bearded man was nowhere to see. Some rifles hit his back and pushed him forward. The rope was loosened a bit and he tumbled with them. The men pulled him to the door through which he entered the abandoned store what felt a lifetime ago. He was shoved across the street to a waiting Pick-up.

"Mac! Dammit!"
Mac didn't react to Lewis scared cry. He didn't want to indicate still being connected to his unit. He heard Lewis calling for backup. The man was panicking. Mac was thrown onto the loading area of the Pick-up, he wanted to sit up but heavy boots all over his back pressed him down to the ground. Carefully he fingered to the lock of his shackles. Appeased he noticed that they weren't difficult to open. The vehicle started moving. Mac still followed the chaotic conversation over his comms.