Chapter 279: Crossing the Border
Alex found himself standing in the hot sun of the middle east. Which might be a worse fate than hell to most people, but Alex had grown up in a similar environment, and because of this, he was actually immune to the heat and it’s horrifying effects on an otherwise normal human being’s body.
In all honesty, Alex had very little to go on regarding the whereabouts of the Iranian backed militias in Iraq. All he had was a map of territory currently held by them. The relationship between Iraq and these Iranian backed militias was a complicated one.
While these groups had fought alongside the Iraqi Government Forces, and the Peshmerga against ISIS during their hayday, they had stayed around longer than they were welcome for. And had even begun to seize their own territory, where they were effectively the law of the land within.
Which was normally something Alex could work with, if it were not for the fact that the current geo-political climate of the region was tense. Very tense after Israel and Hamas started their most recent conflict with one another.
Because of this, the United States was now bombing these Iranian backed militias which existed throughout the middle east. Meaning that Alex was potentially walking straight into a kill zone. One which could have his life taken away at any given moment by a US drone, or worse, a strategic bomber…
It was only now that he thought about these things that Alex realized his entire plan was not only incredibly reckless, but borderline suicidal. Despite this, Alex still managed to purchase a pickup truck, and drive himself towards one of the areas that was occupied by a group known as Kata’ib Hezbollah.
This particular paramilitary organization had been around since the days of the Iraq War. One that Alex grew up in his past life watching on the internet. During those days, Alex would have considered these militants to be the enemy.
But now he himself was at odds with the United States government, or more specifically, the wealthy elites who were truly in charge behind the scenes. There was an old saying that came to mind when Alex thought about this. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Judging by the look of these men, they were not some twitchy recruits fresh out of training, but were battle-hardened veterans. The look in their eyes were those of men who had been through enough shit, to the point where they were all but relaxed when stopping Alex’s truck.
Alex rolled down the window, where a man wearing a cap approached him. Judging by the fact that he was the only one of these men not wearing a ballistic helmet, Alex could assume this man was an officer. The officer was in the middle of smoking, where he let out a large plume of smoke before asking Alex for identification.
“My friend, I’m going to need to see some identification, please?”
Alex’s hands were on the wheel, with his passport in hand. He knew enough how to interact with authorities when one was stopped by them, and thus he slowly, and visibly, handed the man the passport, along with other forms of ID.
Which once the man had thoroughly checked them, he was quick to ask why Alex had pulled up at their stop.
“My friend… What are you doing all the way out here?”
Alex was quick to speak of his intentions with a calm and collected demeanor.
“I’m here specifically to speak with you… I have some information that the Iranian defense ministry might find interesting. I need to cross the border, and I was hoping you could help with that…”
The moment Alex mentioned Iran, and having some information they might want, the Officer became suddenly stern, as his voice lowered into a serious, and grave tone, all while he motioned for his men to surround Alex’s vehicle.
“What kind of information do you possess, exactly?”
Alex remained calm, despite the fact that several heavily armed men were surrounding his position. His tone was completely stoic as he answered this question honestly.
“The kind that will help them finish their nuclear research…. I may not look like it, but I studied in the United States, and have a degree in nuclear engineering. If you let me pass, I can help your benefactors accomplish their goals…”
Alex was still well within his disguise as a local Iraqi. And because of this, the militiamen were far less hostile than they would have been if he showed up as some white boy making such absurd requests.
Of course, the men behaved exactly as Alex expected them to, with the officer immediately ordering Alex to step out of the car.
“Sir… Step out of the car please… My men are going to detain you, and search your vehicle while I make a call. Please to not give us any trouble, or my men will open fire on you….”
Alex nodded his head, fully understanding the severity of his situation as he stepped out of the car and obeyed the orders he had been given. He was quickly patted down by the militia men while they investigated his vehicle. Obviously, there was nothing alarming about him, and instead he was simply detained. All the while, the officer spoke in Farsi with someone on a cell phone.
Luckily for Alex, his [Master of Disguise] ability not only gave him the proper identification, such as a passport, but every single ounce of bullshit he made up about his own identity, was rewritten into this worlds information systems, allowing the Iranian Intelligence Agencies to “verify his identity.”
After Iran was able to confirm Alex’s identity as a “certified nuclear engineer of Iraqi descent” the Militia officer returned and handed Alex his papers before rushing him through the checkpoint.
“Your identity has been confirmed, and my benefactors wish to speak with you… My men will escort you across the border, where you will be transferred into the custody of Iranian Security Forces. I wish you luck in your endeavors, as we appear to have the same enemies.”
Alex nodded his head and thanked the men for their assistance, before doing exactly as they said. His truck was impounded, and most likely used for their operations, while he was driven off in a different covert vehicle, towards the Iranian border.
No doubt, things were going to be very precarious soon enough, especially since Alex was aware that US and Israeli intelligence had a tendency to assassinate those individuals working as a part of the Iranian Nuclear Program.