Morales didn't put down the binoculars. He watched as the gray boats drifted farther away, getting smaller and smaller, until they turned into indistinct dots on the horizon.
He turned around and picked up the satellite phone.
"Connect me to the 'Feathered Serpent Temple.'
The phone rang twice, and the call was answered. It wasn't Victor, it was Bramo.
"Fleet Commander, the Leader is waiting for your update."
Morales took a deep breath.
"Tell the Leader, the Squid Man has withdrawn. The Iranians have bombed Jerusalem. The Americans are coming in."
Bramo paused for a second.
"The Leader says—let the bullets fly for a while."
The call ended.
Morales stood there, looking at the sea, which was starting to darken. The sun was setting in the west, turning the Mediterranean into a crimson sea. In the distance, on the Squid coastline, the flicker of explosions was still visible.
He remembered Victor's last words.
Let the bullets fly for a while.
