Title: Don't Drink The Water, Chapter Nine
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.
Camp Freedom
Sergeant Silas's Tent
0500 That Same Day
At first the sound was annoying, like that of a buzzing insect that droned in his ear and would not leave no matter how many times he swatted at it. Groggy and very disoriented, he rolled over onto his back and when the droning began for a second time, he angrily flung his arm out and he heard a loud "WHAP!" He'd have smiled if the movement hadn't made him feel instantly nauseated.
"What the Fuck!" Lapus yelped as Silas's right hand connected with his left cheek and nose.
"HUH?" Silas said sitting up quickly. It was a bad move. He quickly slid back down on the bed.
"You jerk! You just hit me!"
"Oh. Shit. Sorry, I thought you were an insect or something annoying the fuck outta me."
"Very nice. I just wanted to see how you were feeling. Shaver says you have a mild concussion." Lapus said standing up. "Also, you should know I talked to that kid Fazul and got a shit load of information out of him. I'll talk to Baron tonight about it. If you want in on it I'll send someone to get you."
Silas rolled on his side and sat up, his legs hanging over the side of his bunk." Baron's not back yet?"
"Soon. I'll keep you posted. I'm not too worried though. Anyone tries to screw around with Baron; Mitchell'll probably kill 'em."
"Yeah." Silas said, lying back down and falling back to sleep.
Camp Freedom
Captain Baron's Command tent
0700 That Same Day
Captain James Baron leaned back in his chair and looked incredulously at Lapus for the tenth time in the past two hours. "What exactly does it mean when you say the prisoner incapacitated Lieutenant Hunter and the Sergeant?"
"Sir, he was still restrained to the chair when he jumped at Lieutenant Hunter and struck him in the chest. He had one hand free and Silas tried to hold it behind him, but the prisoner shoved the chair back into him and he got hit in the head pretty hard with the chair, sir. He has a mild concussion, but he seems okay. The medical report from Corporal Shaver is on your desk, sir."
Baron picked up the paper Lapus had indicated and read it. "He back in his quarters?"
"Yes, sir. I spoke to him a while ago, just groggy and has a bad headache; but he has a hard head sir, he should be fine."
Baron looked up. "That he does. And Hunter?" He picked up the report but didn't read it.
"Resting comfortably in his quarters, Sir. He's supposed to stay off his feet for a few more hours and keep icing the injury."
"For a chest injury?"
"Well- Not exactly sir."
Baron let out an exasperated sigh. "Lieutenant Lapus, could you please just say whatever it is you know about Lieutenant Hunter's injury!"
"He got kicked in the crotch, sir."
Baron looked up." What?" He whispered.
"Once the prisoner was untied from the chair, we pulled him off the lieutenant, but before we could that, he kneed Hunter pretty hard in the nuts, Sir. I mean, really hard. I think we all felt it."
"Thank You, Lieutenant," trying his best to stifle the laugh that threatened to escape the side of his mouth.
"Yes sir."
It was at that moment that Lieutenant Hunter requested and was given entrance into the tent. Lapus, being a gentleman, stood up and moved his chair toward Hunter, gesturing him to sit, and got himself another chair. Hunter glared at him, but Lapus stared him down.
"Lieutenant? You're feeling up to discussing our current prisoner situation?"
"Of course, sir."
" Good. While you and the sergeant were being treated, Lieutenant Lapus here spoke to the second prisoner, a Fazul Aljameer."
Hunter immediately turned toward Lapus and glared even harder.
" I figured the sooner we found out anything, the better we could secure the camp and secure any possible targets from insurgent forces these two were involved in, " Lapus responded. " I also thought it might help us get some info out of Sulayman since you know how cooperative he is."
"Meaning?" Hunter pressed, assuming the other man was attempting to call attention to the manner in which he had been injured.
"Meaning, he doesn't seem to want to help himself," Lapus retorted. "I say what I mean to say Lieutenant Hunter, nothing implied. " He looked Hunter square in the face, until the older man looked away from the force of his stare
Good for you! Baron thought to himself. Then to Lapus," Why don't you fill us in on what Fazul told you."
"The kids sixteen years old, he's got no real family, just a nine year old sister, and an elderly mother. He got involved with a group, not KAOS, but a group that called themselves patriots; said it was a group of people that claimed to be interested in strengthening the Iraqi people and the new government, more like patriots then insurgents. But some of these people were radicals and it was this handful of radical folks who formed KAOS and got him involved with them."
"Like Sulayman," Hunter asked.
"Yes, but no."
"Explain that please?" Baron asked.
"The leader of KAOS is setting Sulayman up. They don't really care if he gets sacrificed, he's a dupe, and they just used him for his ability to get inside the camp. They have him thinking that he is going to redeem himself in the eyes of Allah and die a martyr, etc, etc, but they don't care what happens to him."
"Fazul is an intelligent, well-spoken kid and they told him that they could use someone like him to help them, help them spread the word and speak to his people.
Then they moved him into the inner circle and he learned all about their plans- by then he was so involved, that when he tried to get out it was too late. They said they'd kill him."
"He said? You believe him?" Hunter asked.
"He told me that he was ordered to kill Sulayman if it looked like he might turn on them, and that Sulayman was told to do the same to him. They'd kill him and his family."
Baron shook his head. "Do we know how they came to be in possession of classified documents?" he asked, rustling the papers in front of him.
Lapus nodded. "Fazul can tell us. I couldn't get any more out of him. They were bringing Sulayman back into his cell and Fazul clammed up. He's scared. But he did tell me that KAOS hopes to squash our attempts to control the insurgent activity and eventually destroy most of the military installations, then take over the interim government."
Baron nodded. "Corporal St Claire."
"Yes sir!"
"Tell Harris I want a full detail to bring the prisoner Fazul up here at 0800 hours. I want to get a full statement from him and I want it on tape. Get a Video crew here as well."
"Yes sir," St Claire responded and left the tent to tend to his orders.
Camp Freedom
Stockade
Sunrise the Following Day
Fazul turned his body toward the first glimmers of sunlight. He hadn't expected them to permit him to leave the cell in order to complete his religious obligations, but the officer in charge had been courteous and stated firmly that as long as there was no 'mischief' he could pray outdoors with two guards present.
He had already performed his ablutions back in his cell with a pitcher of water, a bowl and towel that the MP was kind enough to give him and now he closed his eyes and imagined that he could hear the sound of the of the muezzin, calling the faithful to Adhan . This was the young mans favorite part of the day, when the world was first coming awake; it was then that he felt as though he could enter into a state of oneness with the world and only then did he have a full awareness of all the things which God had created.
He stood, hands raised above him. " Allahu akbar" (God is the greatest)
"Bismillah ar-rahmaan ar-raheem "(In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful)
Bowing at the waist he repeated three times "Subhaana rabbiy al-'azheem" (Glory be to my Lord, the Supreme.)
Then down onto the small reed mat which did nothing to soften the hard packed earth of the small exercise area; but he had no complaints as leaned forward to press his forehead, nose, hands, knees, and toes on the ground. "Subhaana rabbiy al-alaa" (Glory to my Lord the Most High)
From his prostrate position he sensed the presence of another body and heard a grunt of discomfort as Sulayman fell to his knees beside him. The young man immediately began to panic. He had been promised that he would be protected, that Sulayman would not find out that he had given them any information. Was this a trap? He had cooperated and they had promised to help him. He carefully inched over and continued his prayers in earnest, begging Allah to hear his pleas.
When they had both risen, Fazul, following the custom of Muslims and concluded the prayer by first turning toward his right and then toward his left, each time saying "As-salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah." (Peace be on you and the mercy of God)
"Peace be on me, you traitor?" Sulayman whispered coldly slowly stepping toward the younger man. " You dare to bend your knee before Allah and say the words sacred to our people when everything you have done is a sin against Allah! Your people, your country? Infidel!" he shouted. "Kafir! Die with the rest of the infidels!" He pulled a long piece of metal out from under his dishdashah and before Fazul could speak, he drove the pointed end into the other mans abdomen with all his strength.
Fazul looked down in disbelief as blood began to spill out of the wound. He gasped
in pain as Sulayman grabbed the flat metal bar out with both hands and yanked it out, bits of gore clinging to it. Holding it high above his head Sulayman drove it downward, stabbing him with the pointed end yet again, this time in the chest, hearing bone and cartillage crack. He pulled it out again, meaning to stab the young man for a third time, when Fazul fell to the ground and forced a strangled cry from his throat, the blood spewing from his mouth and running down his neck and chest in dark rivulets.
"Jesus! Somebody get a medic!" The MP yelled as he and his fellow guard bolted into the yard and grabbed Sulayman from behind and tackled him to the ground, but not before Sulayman had thrown himself ontop of Fazul and reaching into his mouth, attempted to cut out the mans tongue.
A third MP ran right to Fazul. "Get a blanket out here!" he screamed. Fazul vomited and the bright red blood spewed out of his mouth staining the other mans shirt.
"Someone better get Baron over here ASAP! I mean now! And don't touch that!" Harris, the senior officer snapped at a younger man who was about to pick up the piece of metal. "Get an evidence bag and don't touch it with your hands!"
He walked over to where the officer knelt beside Fazul, the blanket that covered him was stained with blood. He was deathly pale and his eyelids flickered one, twice, and then not at all. "Damn it!" He got up and moved aside as the medics moved in, but he knew that it was hopeless.
His eyes then fell on Sulayman. "Get this piece of shit back in that friggin cell now!" That was all the other MPs needed to hear, as they grabbed and dragged the other bloodspattered man back to his cell.