Globusz^® Publishing 

Henry was speeding down the western road toward Azerbaijan and was very pleased with his decision to abandon the police car in favor of the speedy motorcycle. He was able to cruise at an average of eighty miles per hour and was hopefully gaining on the slow moving military jeep driven by Tafar Rasulon. The cool air was buffeting his face hard, helping him to stay alert, and the leather jacket and gloves were keeping his hands and body reasonably warm. The slow moving farm vehicles and horse-pulled carts that he passed would have cost him precious time if he were giving chase in his car.

He didn’t have a lot to go on, it was pure hope and instinct that told Henry that Rasulon was on his way back to Azerbaijan, and that he took the most direct route. Regardless, he had to meet Hoskins in Baku anyway, provided of course that he didn’t kill himself on the fast moving motorcycle.

After a quick stop for fuel in Telavi, he was on the road again for less than twenty minutes when he had to check through the border gate in Lagodekhi Georgia.

Henry parked the motorcycle and easily checked through the Georgian customs office that he found were far too lax for a country that just provided the means for a lot of deadly bombs. The border guards checked visas, but were very negligent in keeping a log of individuals who crossed the border. Henry checked what records they had, shook his head incredulously, and pushed his motorcycle over to the Azerbaijani border gate.

He was greatly relieved when they make him fill out a form indicating that they did keep records on all people entering and exiting their country. After he finished processing through, he questioned the Azerbaijani guards about Tafar Rasulon and the jeep he was driving. In the midst of his inquiry with the guards, Henry turned around and was face to face with a burly customs officer.

“What you are asking for is privileged information, if you’ve finished processing, be on your way.”

“It is of utmost importance that I find out if a man passed through here earlier today, I could have checked your logs three times already by myself.”

“As you could see, we are very busy here,” the customs officer said as he pointed out the office window to the long line of vehicles that were waiting to cross the border.

“I just need you to check your log book for his name and I promise to get out of your way,” Henry said to the annoyed officer.

I have nothing to tell you, now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do,” the custom officer said as he tried to get away from Henry by walking into his office.

Henry followed him into the office and the man turned around ready for the confrontation with Henry.

“I need to know if a man dressed in a camouflage military uniform, driving a jeep, came through here today,” Henry said sternly.

The officer fussed with some unrelated paperwork on his desk and said, “I’m sure a lot of men fitting that description traveled through here today.”

That may or may not be true, but the one that I’m looking for is complicit in terrorist activities that could result in the deaths of many innocent people,” Henry said as he browsed around the man’s office.

“Well, I certainly can’t do anything about that, so what do you want from me?”

Henry took a seat in front of the officer’s desk and said, “I want the names of every man fitting that description in front of me in the next five minutes, I’ve wasted enough time here already.”

The officer walked out from behind his desk and said, “Who the hell do you think you are coming in here and demanding information?” He started walking toward his office door.

Henry turned sideways in his chair, kicked the door closed before the man could reach it, and looked up at him.

“We could do this the easy way, or the hard way, but I assure you, one way or the other, I’m going to get that list.”

“I have four armed guards out there, and you’re threatening me,” the officer said with a smirk on his face.

That’s right, and because of your reluctance to help me, I suspect that the man I’m chasing may have bribed you or one of your guards. If I find that this is the case, I’m going to shut down this gate and hold you and your guards under arrest until your replacements get here.”

The officer stood there staring at Henry, thinking that he is either someone you do not want to fool with, or he is just plain crazy, either way, the results of a confrontation with this man may not be good.

“I strongly recommend that you get on that phone and have one of your men bring me your record book now,” Henry said as he looked at his watch, “You only have four minutes left.”

The officer stared incredulously at Henry as he slowly walked back around his desk and picked up the phone. Henry reached down and pulled a small pistol from his leg holster and set it harmlessly on the desk.

“What I originally wanted was some simple information, now I’m sitting here looking for a reason not to kill you for wasting my time. If you do anything stupid, I promise that you’ll be dead long before any of your men get through that door.”

The officer nervously made the call to a clerk out front and within a minute there was a knock on the door.

The officer stood up from his chair and looked at Henry for permission to answer the door.

Henry nodded to the officer who slowly walked over and opened the door. He took the logbook from the clerk, closed the door, and laid it on the desk in front of Henry.

“Now that wasn’t very difficult now was it?” Henry said as he scanned the list of names on the sheet and saw that Tafar Rasulon passed through the gate two hours ago. He politely thanked the officer like nothing ever happened and within minutes he was back on the motorcycle passing over the border into Azerbaijan.