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Shaking Tail

If you have a good team trying to tail someone, then you are prepared to deal with the unexpected. Changes of direction, stops, starts, those are expected. But unexpectedly changing modes of transportation. That calls for a flexibility that most amateurs don’t have. I saw the bus pulling up to the bus stop just ahead of me. I jumped on just as the door was closing. A few coins handed to the driver and we were on our way. I found a window seat and watched as olive drab tried to catch up. As he stopped his sleeve was up to his mouth again.

I knew that in a minute or two, maybe less, they would have transitioned to an automobile tail. My goal was to make the best use of that minute.

Several hundred yards down the road I signaled to be let off. The driver looked a little confused as I got off and ran down one of the cross streets. A quick search found a taxi cab, and I took it.

“To the green zone” I told the driver in Arabic. And we were off.

They weren’t as good a team as they needed to be.

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