57...58...59...60.... There were no more images of the summer executions in Mosul. He was certain now that this was no coincidence. Whoever had inserted Digital Image No. 56 had counted much on Ari's integrity, not to mention his ability to cull an individual's identity from the mayhem. Having fallen off the wagon the night before, he had difficulty focusing. He wasn't taking the situation seriously, and fully comprehended the death wish in his behavior. He checked the time. It was almost 10 AM. Abu Jasim would already be on the road. Traffic in the Northeast Corridor was notoriously variable, especially on Mondays. It would take between twelve and fourteen hours for him to get to Richmond. If he was stopped at Customs and his van stripped down, Abu Jasim would not be arriving at all. The guns would be discovered and Ari’s Saddam Hussein lookalike friend would land in jail. Ari had once tried to convince him to use the ‘Samir Salman route’ through Vermont, but Abu Jasim protested that this would add half a day to his journey.
