In the streets of Baghdad, when it comes to fighting, there's no hesitation—absolutely none. And such matters don't even make it to the local news, let alone be known to the whole world unless Baghdad becomes a borough of New York.
However, probably, maybe, even if Baghdad were to be moved to New York, a gunfight that killed a person or two might still not make the news.
Gao Guang had actually grown accustomed to the sudden onset of gunfights, but the combination of machine guns, rocket launchers, and hand grenades still managed to unsettle him.
Fortunately, after Ali took a detour, they didn't hear any more gunshots for the rest of the ride, which turned a half-hour drive into fifty-five minutes.
Gao Guang didn't know the exact location they were headed to because Moussa and Ali certainly wouldn't be speaking English when naming places.