the_taliban_shuffle_-_kim_barker

something. It’s very sensitive.”
I wanted to say yes. I knew I couldn’t.
“I can’t,” I said. “Lunch?”
I didn’t tell Sean I had a man in my hotel room because I didn’t want
to mix the two men. Sean would be ne, but Dave would be jealous.
Sean invited me to the Gandamack. As soon as the waiter took our
order of chicken salads, Sean looked from side to side and leaned in
closer.
“So, I have to ask you about something,” he started, vaguely.
“Yes?”
“I have an opportunity. An invitation to go meet someone. Someone
important. But it could be dicult. I’m wondering if you think I should
go.”
“Tango?” I said. By now, I slipped easily into his conspiracy lingo.
“Not Tango. Someone senior. I can’t tell you.”
“Hekmatyar?” I said, naming the renegade leader of Hezb-i-Islami,
the militant group in the east.
“No. Let me nish. I have been invited to meet a senior commander
who’s very important. But the meeting would be over the border, in the
tribal areas of Pakistan. What do you think?”
I didn’t have to think long. “I think you’re a fucking idiot and you’re
going to get kidnapped.”
“They promised me security,” Sean said.
“I think you’re a fucking idiot and you’re going to get kidnapped,” I
repeated.
“Keep your voice down,” he said. “You know, I’m a little worried. I
was supposed to meet the contact a few days ago, but Sami didn’t have
everything together and it felt weird, so we canceled. And our contact
said, ‘No problem, we can reschedule.’ That seemed strange. Normally
you have to push and push to get these guys to talk to you.”
I sighed. Sean knew everything I was telling him. His translator, Sami,
knew everything. They knew this was a bad idea, but Sean still wanted
his fix.
“Tango in Pakistan is not like Tango in Afghanistan,” I said, knowing
that Sean knew this. “The ISI’s involved. You can’t just walk into the
tribal areas without them knowing. You’re probably in more danger
from the ISI than from the militants.”