Page 30 of What Remains

John cut him off. “We have enough vehicles if one of us takes a load now.”

“What? Don’t be absurd. There’s notime,” Mac said. “It’s a six-hour trip, one way. You’d never get back to the airport and then back here before the last transport is wheels’ up?—”

“You’re thinking in straight lines,” John said. “If this were a movie, I’d say you’re displaying two-dimensional thinking.”

“I know that movie,” Flowers said at the same time that Mac, frowning, said, “What? What kind of nonsense is?—”

Flowers cut him off. “Man, it’s the old riddle. That fox, goose, and bag of beans puzzle, right?”

Mac’s eyebrows met above his nose. “Whatpuzzle?”

“Kid’s game,” Meeks put in.

“Yeah, more like a mental puzzle. If you’ve got a fox, goose, and bag of beans on one side of the river and you can only take one across at a time,” Flowers said, “how do you get everything over without the fox eating the goose or the goose eating the beans?”

“I still don’t understand,” Mac said.

“Ido.” Driver had stopped pacing, though his eyes were still just a little too bright. “It’s not quite the same but close enough. One of us takes a full load of kids halfway.”

“While an empty transport leaves Kabul and we meet at the halfway point,” John said. “They bring more fuel so the person who takes them has enough if he has any kind of emergency.”

“Like hiding.” Meeks spread his palms. “Sorry, man, but that’s why we drove here at night. Too dangerous during the day.”

“Do we have any choices that do not involve leaving a bunch of kids?” John shot back. After a moment’s silence which noone filled, he continued, “We transfer the kids into the empty transport and then our guy turns around and comes back here.”

“By which time, Shahida and Musa will be back,” Flowers said.

John watched Driver’s men and Mac all look at one another and then Driver said, “Okay, let’s plan for the worst-case scenario, the max we think Shahida would bring back.”

Before the others could answer, Mac said, “I know how many.”

“You do?” John asked and then he got it. “That’s what you were arguing about when we got here. She wanted to go out for one more truckload, only you nixed it.”

“Yes.” Mac’s tone was dry. “As you can see, my words had great effect.”

“So, how many?” Driver’s lower jaw unhinged when Mac held up both hands.“Ten?”

“I’m afraid so.” To John: “This would mean taking ten boys in one vehicle.”

“Sit on laps?” As the men all swapped looks, Roni said, “Oh, for God’s sake, didn’t any of you ever go partying?”

“Youdid?” John was astonished. Somehow he’d never figured Roni as the party-girl type. “When?”

“High school. I wallowed in teenage angst and booze swiped from parents.”

“You’re lucky your car didn’t end up wrapped around a telephone pole.”

“This was in the mountains. We were more in danger of running off a cliff,” Roni said, her tone dry. “Except I was always the designated driver. So, not really. Anyway, my point is we select ten kids. Five can fit on the seats and five in their laps.”

“That would do it.” Flowers, again. “Then even if Shahida brings in ten more, wedohave enough room to get everyoneout.” He looked at John. “Good thinking out of the box, man. So, who goes?”

“I can do it,” Mac said and then when Driver started shaking his head, the other man scowled. “Why not?”

“You’re in charge,” Driver said. “I was going to say that you’re the only person Shahida might listen to, but I think the point’s moot.”

“Oh, I can do a bit of damage,” Mac said. “Later, though. We still need a driver.”

“I think you just nominated me,” Driver said.

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