To Remember You

To Remember You

By Tom Corizzi

“If you can guess what I have in my pocket, you can have it.”

Tony looked into the eyes of his old adversary and wondered what game he was playing. In the years since his first confrontation with this man in Afghanistan, they had played cat and mouse. Amir was always one step ahead and always disappeared just as Tony was about to capture him.

Tony was a retired Army Ranger. It was only a coincidence that he had been on a subway heading to visit the new Freedom Tower when he saw Amir and followed him to this deserted mosk three blocks from the Tower. Tony knew whatever Amir was planning it was not good and also knew that Amir would not be alone in the mosk, but he entered anyway and was immediately greeted by three men pointing pistols at his head. He stood still as Amir came out of an office off the entrance.

“What is going on?” Amir said.

Seeing Tony, Amir’s face went from annoyance to recognition, shock and then fear. Amir then said something in Farsi that Tony did not understand but resulted in two of the men taking a step back from Tony, but also strengthening the grip on their pistols. The third man opened the door and looked around outside, he told Amir there was no one else in sight.

Amir’s expression lightened as he said, “Hello old friend. I have missed our little game. How is it you are here?”

“I heard you were in town and thought I’d drop by and say hello,” Tony quipped.

Amir smiled, knowing he would not get much more from Tony. Amir had learned the hard way that torture only made this man angry. Many of Amir’s men had died at Tony’s hand and it was only by running that Amir was alive.

Amir knew he should simply kill Tony, something he had tried to do unsuccessfully in the past. But he could not help playing the game one more time before he did.

“So, can you guess what it is? What I have carried in my pocket all these years to remember you by?”

Tony knew.

Amir was too far away to attack. Tony would surely be shot in the back before he could reach him. Instead, Tony spun to his rear, aligning himself with the man behind him. Tony grabbed the man’s neck with his left hand and the hand holding the gun with his right. Tony manipulated the nerves in the man’s neck, paralyzing him in place. Tony then moved the man so he became a shield to attack from his left while pointing the man’s gun hand at the guard to his right. Squeezing the man’s hand harder, the man pulled the trigger of his pistol and the guard to Tony’s right went down. The man on Tony’s left took a shot, but only accomplished shooting Tony’s shield.

Tony then forced the man he was holding, to point his gun at the guard on the left and again, forced him to pull the trigger. The guard on the left went down.

Amir was stock still while this all occurred. Coming to his senses, he turned to do what he did best, he ran.

Tony charged after. Amir had only taken two steps when Tony dove to tackle him. Tony, caught Amir by the waist of his pants with his right hand and Amir’s pocket with his left, which ripped off allowing the contents to fall to the floor.

Tony landed on top of Amir. As Amir tried to get up, Tony hit Amir with a hammer-fist to the back of the neck, knocking Amir unconscious. Tony stood and reached down to pick up what had fallen from Amir’s ripped pocket. It was his own dog tags taken from him ten years ago during one of his confrontations with Amir.

Tony checked the three guards, they were all dead. Tony then secured Amir leaving him tied up “hog style” and left the Mosque looking for a pay phone. Tony’s knew his old drill Sergeant was working for Homeland Security and Tony was going to call and have him collect Amir. As a final touch, Tony left his dog tags hanging around Amir’s neck.