“What are you doing here?” Hamid asked in Arabic, giving his voice an authoritative tone. The boys looked at each other, trembling. Finally, the taller one said, “We… we were exploring. Just having fun. No big deal.” Hamid waved his pistol toward the entrance. “Get out! The Americans are coming, and you’re going to be killed if they find you here!” The boys needed no further encouragement. They raced past him without looking back. Hamid wasn’t sure if it was the pistol or the threat of the American soldiers, but he knew they wouldn’t return. After the footsteps died away, Hamid turned on his
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