Title: Don't Drink The Water, Chapter Three
Archive: Not without Permission of the Author
Disclaimer: "Over There" and all its characters belong to FX Networks and other entities that may have been involved with its production. No infringement of copyright is intended. This story was written for personal enjoyment and to share with other "Over There" fans.
Summary: Suspicions confirm that there's a traitor in their midst; Scream and His Squad fight to save a friends life.
Warning: This story is rated NC-17 for coarse language and sexual situations. Be warned that this story does include depictions of war; and while not over graphic, they may cause some readers discomfort. Please read at your own risk.
Camp Freedom
Captain Baron's Command Tent
0200 Hours
"I want to know what the FUCK happened out there!" Captain James Baron screamed at those assembled in his command tent. They were dirty, sweaty, and bloodied from their attempts to keep the Baqubah Mosque out of KAOS's hands, but had been unsuccessful. Now, at 0:200 hours, Baron was beyond upset. He was enraged, and no one could ever remember seeing their commanding officer so angry.
"Sonaofa-….What the FUCK happened out there!" Baron screamed at the assembled officers and NCOs, so angrily that he was incapable of completing words. "No one is leaving this ga -goddamned tent until I. GET. SOME. ANSWERS!"
"They knew we were coming, sir." Lieutenant Hunter answered, while the rest of the tents' inhabitants quickly dropped their heads, averted their eyes, swallowed hard, and braced for the assault.
"They knew we were coming! NO? You think so Lieutenant Hunter?" Baron yelled,
his voice thick with sarcasm and the veins in his neck sticking out all too prominently. "What gave you that idea? Christ! I'd call you an idiot Lieutenant, but it'd be an insult to stupid people!"
Hunter quickly looked down at his lap as though he'd found something of infinite interest there, and pressed his lips tightly together as if doing so would prevent him from speaking again.
"Lieutenant Lapus?" Baron asked in a raspy voice. Perhaps you have an idea of what exactly transpired from your position?"
Lapus stood up; he was wearing gauze wrapped around a head wound he had received when he was struck with flying debris and it was apparent that it was still bleeding, as there was a slight trickle of blood down his left cheek.
"Sir, my team and that of Lieutenant Howell's were placed on either side of the road into Baqubah as ordered and on Lieutenant Howell's suggestion, we posted several men along the road just above the small village noted on the map; we were thinking we might catch anyone escaping the village when teams three and four did their door to door search. But we never saw anyone on the road sir, going into the village or out of it! When we saw the explosion in the village, I sent a few men in to see if they could assist them, but……" He trailed off, his chin dropped down onto his chest. "They were already dead, or severely injured. Sir."
Baron nodded. "Sergeant Hutchinson left on a medevac sometime ago and I was unable to speak with him due to the severity of his injuries. However, one of his men who was in fair condition, has informed me that the village was empty; it was apparently a ruse to keep our troops away from their intended point of penetration to the south of Baqubah! The little I have from EOD says that most of the explosion was due to recycled landmines and IEDs."
Baron sat back on his 'desk', and waited several moments to collect his thoughts. "Sergeant Silas."
Silas cleared his throat. "Yes, sir, Captain, "he replied, making to stand up, but Baron waved him down with a sharp 'at ease,' so he sat back down. " Sir, the enemy
appears to have buried several old style landmines around the mosque that were simply hidden in such a way as to preclude us from noting their presence. The explosion was set off by PFC Downy, who triggered it when he leaned against a column. The explosive was imbedded in the concrete piling and when he stepped on it….." His voice trailed off.
"We were busy trying to get Downy to safety and put out the fire when the enemy came at us from the South, which we did not expect. Despite our being prepared for any eventuality…what we believed was any eventuality, we were unable to save the Mosque. Sir."
"We lost Downy, didn't we Sergeant?"
"Yes sir. "
"We lost Howell and nine of his and Hutchinson's squad. This in unacceptable! "Baron said angrily as he stood up and began to pace. " We have a problem here gentlemen. And you all know what I am speaking of! I've spoken to each and everyone in this room and despite what you are all telling me, it seems apparent that we most definitely have someone in our midst who is leaking information! And I WILL FIND HIM! And when I do……………."
Baron clenched his fists and walked around to the opposite side of his 'desk' angrily dropping into his chair. "They'll be a memorial for Lieutenant Howell, PFC Downy and the rest of Unit 3 & 4 tomorrow at 0:1500 hours. Now get out!"
Sulayman Abu Mazul al-Fallujah smiled and offered up a silent prayer to Allah, thanking him for finding him worthy of fighting for the holy cause.
Several weeks ago he had come to be sitting in his brother's home eating a light dinner of lamb and vegetables and talking to several other men of his brothers' acquaintance. The men were members of an insurgent group that protested the newly formed interim Iraqi government. The group used its talents to disrupt and destroy symbols of the new government, and when necessary, they perpetrated acts that were foul, but meant only to call their Iraqi brethren to arms. Sulayman was shocked to learn they were behind the plan to attack the Baqubah mosque; to defile a mosque was abhorrent to Allah and to Mohammed, Praise be unto him. But his brother explained it a different way.
"It has already been defiled, by the Americans, by their presence alone, my dear brother; they have entered our holy city and stood on our hallowed ground. They are Kafir! They must be cast out!" said Harun, pointing to the door, while the other men nodded and made noises of assent.
"Sulayman," began a short, chubby man in the traditional 3-piece head cover with a white summer gutrah. Surprisingly he wore a pair of khaki utility paints under his
light colored dishdashah . "You must understand. Peaceful attempts to take back our country will never be successful." He picked up a dish of khiyar salata in his right hand and placed it down in front of him, serving himself a generous portion, before passing it on.
"Yes, you are right, Rustam! "
"Because, you see, Sulayman," Rustam continued in a syrupy sweet voice. "Our own people have become weak. Just recently we held an American journalist captive in exchange for the release of our woman who are held captive by the Americans; they allowed her to go free even when their demands were not met. In that way we have been perceived as being weak too many times. Our threats hold no fear. No, "he said. "The time has come for deal-making to be over. If we truly want to defend our country, to stop this illegal dangerous and deadly occupation we must strike fear in them."
Sulayman nodded, mesmerized by Rustam's tone and demeanor. "Yes, yes. "He said nodding. "You are right. I see it every day at my work how it is with them." He placed a bit of the spit-roasted lamb on his plate and passed the dish to the man on his other side.
"Aiyee!" Harun yelled suddenly, causing the other men to jump. "Allah Akbar! God is great! Sulayman, my brother! You can help us defeat the infidel."
"I understand you work in the American ARMY camp." The second man who'd been silent for much of the conversation up until then, finally said. "I am Rahman. I am the leader of the movement known to the American soldiers as KAOS. With your help we shall drive them from our midst. "But," he continued, "let us forget all of this for now and finish our meal. It will soon be time to make salat. "
Later on in the small curtained off area in his brothers' home which had become his sleeping area, Sulayman sat on several pillows whose lumpy padding had become so thin and compacted he might as well be sitting on bare earth, and considered what would be his part in the war against the Americans. He was shocked to learn that Rahman was the leader of KAOS, or that his brother, a mild mannered man who had never spoken out about the American occupation before, was a part of the insurgent group, and one with such a high profile.
He himself was a worker contracted by K.B.R, set up to work for six months at the U.S base. Many workers were brought in from Iran and India and Malaysia, and only a special few were placed in jobs in the camp laundry or mess hall or doing manual labor. The fact that he'd lied and said he was from Turkey, had helped. It would be easy enough to "over hear" information at Camp Freedom and report to KAOS; sometimes the soldiers were not careful and spoke right in front of him and many of the other workers.
They had explained in detail all he needed to do, and it was really quite simple. He was to keep his eyes and ears open and report back to his brother. Should he be caught sneaking information out of the camp, or eavesdropping, he was to tell the Americans that he was simply the go-between, that someone else in the camp told him what information to report. He even had a good idea of who the "pigeon", would be.
They told him he was being given a rare opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of Allah. Should he die in the attempt he would depart this world as a Martyr; He would permitted to enter a Paradise where gardens watered by running streams, wine, fruits, wealth, and beautiful virgins were in abundance.
gutrah – part of the three-piece headwear worn by muslim men, usually a white or red checked kerchief held in place with a large ring,
dishdashah - Traditional long muslim shirt
khiyar salata - Cucmber salad
Allah Akbar! - God is great!