"Safe enough. He is under tight security at the presidential palace in Baabda, just outside Beirut. Now you know all that I know. Probably a great deal more. Zoraya will be able to fill you in, I'm sure. Is there anything else?"
"Yeah, there is, Captain." Bolan's voice warmed. "Good work. Your Uncle Yakov sends his greetings."
Herzi started to grin and say something above the din of warfare around them, but at that instant a piercing whistle needled through the other noise.
"Incoming," Bolan snarled. His right arm propelled Yakov's nephew down roughly but effectively.
"Get ready to move!" Bolan punched off the Fiat's headlight and accelerated, veering.
Too late.
The world exploded in a deafening clap.
The Fiat, escaping a direct hit, caught enough of the blast to be lifted up and over. For several heartbeats, reality existed to Bolan as a tumbling kaleidoscope, crunching car metal and shattering glass.
When the vehicle stopped its roll, Bolan felt relief that his body responded to the mental command ordering it to seek cover well away from the car. He experienced another surge at the sight of his companion scrambling from the opposite side of the Fiat as approaching footfalls came up on them. In the arcing glow of overhead flares, Bolan counted four men, civvies-clad snipers wearing the red armband of the Shiite militia.
Bolan and Herzi sought the cover of darkness and undergrowth beyond the road.
The soldiers approached, laughing among themselves.
One of them carried a grenade launcher. They all toted Soviet-made Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles.
Then one of them spotted Herzi, who had not sought cover fast enough. The militiamen opened fire on the Israeli.
Bolan saw Herzi dive away from the line of fire an instant before two of the Shiite gunmen opened up on him.
Bolan straightarmed the mighty .44 AutoMag and triggered a couple of hammering rounds that blew apart two gunners' heads, pitching their corpses backward. Then The Executioner tracked on the third sniper, who was bringing up his AK in Bolan's direction.