The Commander and His One Soldier
ALI SWORE ALOUD WHEN HE saw four police cars coming toward the building that housed the lawyers’ office. He immediately calculated that there should be around eight officers to deal with now and more force would be ready to respond if the call went out for backup. “Act quickly. What to do with Kelly?” said Ali aloud to himself. He had to make sure that Kelly escaped safely.
Ali and Kelly had hardly reached the door when they realized that the police officers were approaching the door. Ali was in the lead and he pushed Kelly back into the lobby. He asked her to run away, saying that it was a trap and they had been set up. Kelly was reluctant to go but Ali was not ready to listen to any arguments. “Go on and get out of here!” he shouted at her. “It is a trap! Under no circumstances do you shoot at the police. If you feel you will be caught, make sure that the weapon is not found on you. Understood?”
Ali was like a commander issuing instructions to his army. The ability to think clearly, even at the moment of crisis, was something that had no doubt kept Ali alive in many, many dangerous situations. He didn’t wait for an answer from Kelly. He turned and fired at the door leading to the first floor. He kicked the door open and ran up the stairs. The commander expected his soldiers to follow orders, even if there was only one soldier.