Deep Cover

It’s about three in the afternoon, the middle of the work week. Earlier in the week, we had driven by the office building with the large sign "Zeus International Supply Company, LLC" painted on one of several store fronts. It’s a typical business practice, to have several businesses sharing the same store front, the Zeus International Supply Company is the end one, to the left as we face the building. I can easily pick out a weasel standing not far from Mardoc’s office. He has the distinctive bulges under his thobe, he is obviously carrying a weapon. I look around and find a second one about 20 yards away, both are bored to death, watching a store front, probably half asleep on their feet.

"Jan, would you like to take care of the one on the left, while I get the one on the right. I have a flash bang with a timer set for 60 seconds. We can drive by the front of the stores, drop our flash bang near the store that’s opposite Mardoc’s, drive around and park on the street, when the flash bang goes off, we get out and walk up to the guards, who I believe will be intent on the area of the flash bang, we pop them at about the same time, grab the needles and return to the car. Is that simple enough?" She says, "It sounds like a good plan Allen, I’m ready."

Our simple plan works perfectly, the bright flash and noise of the bang, captures the complete attention of our guards. We are able to walk up behind them, getting within about 3 feet when we pop them in the neck, in both cases, the guards don’t appear to feel anything because they don’t even reach up and touch the dart. After a few seconds they drop in their tracks. We retrieve the needle. I casually walk back to the car and Jan does her Saudi women’s walk back to the car and we drive off. We don’t stick around to watch the show, if there is a show.

I look at Jan and say, "Ready for another stop?" She smiles, nods her head and says, "Lets do it again." Our next stop is Mardoc’s home, we had already identified where it was located and what it looks like. We know there is a guard stationed across the street, we also know there is access behind him. I park down the street from Mardoc’s house. Jan waits in the car for about five minutes, giving me the time for me to get around behind the guard. Jan gets out of the car, doing her Saudi women walk, head down, slightly dragging her feet, ending up in front of the guard. She stops, looks directly at him and asks, speaking in Arabic, "If it would please you Sir, can you give me directions to the home of Mr. Mardoc Al Khyayaban?" She has his complete attention, while I pop him in the neck with a needle and syringe full of the crazy stuff. After maybe five seconds I see him drop like a bag of seed, I bend down, retrieve the needle, step around him and we make our way back to the car walking slowly like any Saudi couple would walk, Jan about three feet behind me.