Beyond the Checkpoint

by Addison M. Conley

  Two more American guards rushed in with their M-16s drawn. The one standing next to Ali said something in Dari that sounded harsh, and the Afghan man said something back at a more rapid pace. No one put their guns down. Ali was frozen with fear. One wrong move and everything is going to hell.

  The guard who spoke Dari said, “Ms. Clairmont, can you positively identify this woman.”

  “She is Ziba, the nanny and servant of Rafia Shirzai.”

  “That’s good.”

  The guard spoke more Dari and waved the tip of his gun. The Afghan man finally lowered his gun and motioned to Ziba. She grabbed the briefcase and walked it over to the American as another MRAP rumbled up.

  “Ms. Clairmont. Get to the MRAP. Don’t say anything until we’re back at base.”

  Ali quickly moved but stopped at the rear door to look back. One guard carried the briefcase towards the convoy while the other guards were walking backward with their guns still pointed at Ziba and the Afghans. Ali took a seat, and a soldier handed her a water.

  “You’ll feel better.”

  “Where’s Dalton and Ratcliffe?”

  “In another MRAP. It’s over. We’ll get you back on base soon.”

  Chapter 30

  Tomorrow before dawn, they would leave for Kabul and then home for more interviews. Until then, a guard trailed Ali wherever she went.

  “I’m going to dinner,” she shouted over the plywood wall.

  Outside, the setting sun painted rosy shades over the mountains. It was about the only thing she’d miss. Her chest ached. She rubbed her forehead and the bridge of her nose and tightly squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being violated. Why couldn’t they tell me from the beginning?

  In the chow hall, the smell of sweet peppers, onions, and sausage drifted in the air. Probably not the wisest thing to eat before bed, but it was one of her favorites. Definitely not as hot as the curry chicken. The chefs here were some of the best and cooked a variety of American dishes. It was especially delicious when they had fresh ingredients.

  “May I please have the broccoli and cheddar soup and celery and carrots as well.”

  “Yes, miss.”

  The Sri Lankan server smiled, and Ali slightly pressed her palms together, in front of her chest, and slightly bowed her head. The expression of gratitude went a long way. Most of the soldiers didn’t seem to understand that and just pointed.

  In the sitting area, a small group that she and Dan used to sit with were off to the right. Turning on her heels, she headed in the other direction and found an empty section. OMG, this soup is wonderful.

  “Congratulations. I didn’t expect the mission to go this smoothly.” Evans strolled up, sat his tray down, and popped the top on an energy drink.

  Ali snapped the celery stick in two and slowly swirled a piece in her broccoli and cheddar soup. She took her time, crunching and savoring, then sipped her apple juice. I’m not going to let spooky Evans ruin this. He buttered his bread, looking at her with a sadistic smile.

  “Evans, you of all people should know the chow hall is not the place to discuss this.” And wipe that mocking grin off your face, Mr. Tech Weirdo. Damn, what was the name of that old movie? The one with a Baldwin brother having secret surveillance cameras and mics in people’s apartments. He looks just like that guy. “And, I don’t remember inviting you to dinner.”

  “No one’s around, and I don’t intend to mention anything I shouldn’t. However, I must say that the major played you well.” He took a bite of his sandwich. The corners of his mouth still held a sneer.

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean? She did her job. Yes, I was upset that I was not told at the beginning, but she was following orders.”

  “Was she?”

  They both paused when a worker walked by.

  “Say your piece and go on your merry way.”

  “Was she following orders when taking you as a lover?” He took a spoonful of tomato soup.

  Ali wanted to flip over her tray and spill her dinner all over Evans’s tidy uniform but calmly said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh dear, Ms. Clairmont. It’s no secret that you two were an item on your first deployment. Why do you think Washington picked the major in the first place? They wanted her to cozy up to you and regain your trust, but sleeping with you was her idea. That was the fastest way to use you, and it worked. A magnificent one, I might add.”

  Ali talked herself off the ledge of causing a scene in the dining facility. “You’re a prick, Evans. Get out of my face and don’t spread any untrue rumors.”

  “Why? Don’t want to see your girlfriend get punished?” He leaned toward her. “There was no family emergency with the prior JETT commander. Oh, and by the way,” he raised his finger and showed his gleaming teeth, “it should be lieutenant colonel soon. I hear that was a big motivation for agreeing to take the case. Although, I’m sure getting in your pants was also a plus.” He leaned back, and his eyes roamed and focused on her chest. “You do have a nice body.”

  The chair fell over as Ali jumped up. “Get out!” Several soldiers, rows away, turned to look at the commotion, and she signaled that she could handle the situation. Her face felt hot. Get out before I wring your fucking neck. “I think it’s time for you to leave.”

  Evans picked up his tray. “I’m sorry. I was insensitive.” He lowered his voice. “I know that you’re a lesbian, but I have a soft spot for beautiful women.”

  I bet you do. Asshole.

  “You are truly stunning. I couldn’t let you go without telling you about how Major Stewart bragged that it was so easy to convince you. I wanted you to know the real story. Her motivation was greed to get promoted and get a choice assignment. Sadly, you meant nothing to her. Your motivation was truly for love of country. I hope you can go on with your life. I’m sorry things didn’t work out as you expected.”

  “I’ll give you credit for one thing. You know how to lay it on thick.” Ali’s voice was only loud enough for him to hear.

  She leered at him walking away. The guard rounded the corner, and the two nearly collided.

  “I go to the bathroom for a minute, and he shows up. What did he want?”

  “Don’t worry. He had nothing of importance to say. Seems to be a habit with him.” Ali took her tray to the waste bin.

  She pushed open the door and turned up her collar. Leaning into the bite of the cold wind, she trudged ahead, her feet wobbling on the larger clumps of gravel.

  A rumble of a convoy caught her attention. Ali ran in front, not flinching at the blare of the horn and shouts from the occupants. That should put some distance between the guard and me.

  With Evans’s words lingering in Ali’s mind like a thousand bee stings, she headed to Lynn’s. Ali told herself that Evans had to be lying, but she had to hear it from Lynn herself.

  Lynn picked up the promotion papers. She only filled them out at the insistence of Admiral Kent. Yet, she was sure Blair was going to bury her by the end. Powerful guys like that don’t forget people like me. Yep, I pissed in his cornflakes, and I’m toast.

  The door flew open with a bang as it smacked against the makeshift nightstand, and Lynn spilled her drink on herself and the papers. She tossed the papers down and whirled around. “Ali, what are you doing here? Are you okay?”

  “Sorry. I just ran into Evans at chow.” One arm rested on her hip, and her eyes moved from Lynn to the bed.

  Lynn’s eyes momentarily cast down towards the pile. The visual scene—belongings stacked on the bed—was so similar to their departure from the last deployment. She swallowed down the painful memory.

  “I guess this op should be a nice feather in your cap.” Ali’s voice was low.

  “Yes. We both did well.”

  “You’re up for promotion.” Ali pointed to the application.

  The guard bolted in. “No talking. Orders were that you were to remain apart until Washington could conduct interviews. Ms
. Clairmont, I’m going to ignore that you showed up in the major’s quarters. The flight to Bagram is at 0500. Not much opportunity for packing and sleep.” She tugged on Ali’s sleeve. “Let’s go. And please watch the convoys. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  Lynn stepped closer to her. “Ali, I know this has been a tough assignment. We can talk when this is all over.”

  Ali wet her lips and swallowed. “Guess I’ll leave you now.”

  She walked out without saying goodbye, and Lynn started to follow, but the guard stopped her.

  “Better finish packing.” The guard shut Lynn’s door.

  Chapter 31

  December 2010 – Maryland

  Lynn tossed her coat and keys on the foyer table and kicked off her shoes. Nothing felt right anymore. Even the two weeks around the Thanksgiving holiday with her family felt like going through the motions.

  After heating up leftovers, she grabbed a bottle of wine and headed for the living room. She sunk into her recliner and channel surfed. “Ah, a Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe movie.” Clicking on the info tab, she read the blurb. “Body of Lies…a CIA agent hunts down a powerful terrorist leader while being caught between the unclear intentions of his American supervisors…”

  She punched the off button and threw the remote onto the coffee table. It clattered across the surface and the battery compartment lid popped off.

  Kent’s last words echoed in her brain. “Be proud. We couldn’t have done it without you two being the tip of the spear.” Yeah, thanks, Kent. I’ll never forget those closing remarks. Lynn rubbed her head. And the anger on Ali’s face back in Afghanistan when she said, ‘Ah, you mean bait.’ We honorably served our country but were nothing more than pawns.

  NSA had told her and Ali the bare minimum when the mission concluded. Captain Dalton was charged with espionage but wasn’t talking. Ratcliffe was fully cooperating, and the thumb drive he gave to Arman Shirzai only contained a list of school and medical supplies stuck in Pakistan. Five others had been arrested on espionage and murder charges.

  There had been an enormous corps of investigators and computer forensics behind the scenes, and she and Ali were told to step back, let the proper authorities handle matters, and wait for the time to testify. I want nothing more to do with covert operations. I can serve on other projects.

  Lynn pulled up messages on her smartphone and reread the only text Ali had sent. Hi, I’ve been swamped at work and busy with the family. I hope you’re doing well! Best wishes, Ali. It didn’t sound like Ali was having difficulty fitting back into work and life.

  Lynn swiped the screen and hit the photos button. Her favorite was one she had snapped on a Nikon Coolpix at the combat outpost during the game night before the mortar attack. Ali was pointing to the goodies in her bandana like Vanna White on TV.

  “I miss you, Ali. I wish you’d answer my calls and emails.”

  Lynn put her phone in her pocket, grabbed the bottle, and shuffled back to the kitchen. She poured the wine down the drain and stood at the sink for several seconds, looking out the window.

  “I can’t do this alone.”

  She snatched her wallet from her pocket but couldn’t find what she was looking for. “Fraking mess!” She turned the wallet upside down, shaking everything out. As her fingers spread the pile out, the therapist’s business card settled on top. She picked it up and twirled it in her fingers, then made the call.

  Chapter 32

  December 2010 – NGA Headquarters, Springfield, Virginia

  Ali stood in the lunch-counter line as some guy hashed out a grievance with the cashier. She stared at her food on the tray. Guess this is the last meal before the firing squad.

  A weird feeling, like she just didn’t belong anymore, had haunted her since being home. The neat, orderly world she had left was predictable, boring, and was about as mentally stimulating as watching reality TV reruns. She never said this to anyone, especially the agency therapist during mandatory post-deployment screening. The culture of the business was to look picture-perfect.

  Home wasn’t a relief. Her family’s attempts to drag her to family dinners and engage her in small talk were annoying. Denise had even tried to fix her up with some chick.

  Ali gazed at the chocolates shaped like Santa and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Christ, how am I going to survive Christmas? I’m not shopping. I’ll give cards with a check.

  “Hi, Ali.”

  “Nathan! Wow, it’s been ages.” Ali plastered on the fake smile that had become all too easy to pull off. “How’s Charlottesville? Tired of working with the Army so soon?”

  “Had to come up for a couple of days.” Although close to her age, time hadn’t been kind to him. He was nearly bald and had a small beer belly. “Shall we have lunch together?”

  “Sure.” They found a small empty table in the bustling atrium.

  “Do you like working here, Ali? I mean, the campus is gorgeous, but headquarters is massive. Everyone’s so formal, and the traffic in the area is maddening.”

  She shrugged. “It’s the people that make the job. I could work anywhere really if the team is decent.” At least that’s the way it used to be. Everything is dull nowadays.

  “How was deployment?”

  Chewing her food meticulously, Ali thought for a split second about telling the truth. “Just another day at the office.” He’s not a deployer. He wouldn’t understand. “Tell me about your family and Charlottesville.” Nathan started spinning his fork in the mashed potatoes. Shit, I hope he’s not going through a divorce.

  He dropped the fork and put on a smile that seemed forced. “Teenagers. Youngest is thirteen and wants to be an artist, the oldest is nineteen and attends the University of Virginia, and the twins are fifteen, and live and breathe sports.”

  “Wow, UVA is one of the best in the country. Impressive.”

  Now his smile was broad. “She’s always been the studious one.”

  “How does she feel about being so close to home?”

  The sparkle in his eyes dimmed. “I’m sorry, but I need to get going. It’s been wonderful to see you.” Nathan came around and met her halfway for a hug and lingered a bit. “I wish you all the best Ali.”

  “Ditto.” She watched him dump his trash. He glanced over his shoulder and waved.

  She checked the time and groaned. With minutes to spare, she trudged up the stairs to the sixth floor.

  As she entered the agency’s executive suite, NGA Deputy Director Andrews stepped out with a wide grin and held the door for her. She smiled back while dreading what was inevitably coming. He motioned to the sofa and asked her about her holiday.

  “Thanksgiving was full of kids running around. I have two nieces and three nephews.”

  “Super.”

  Ali had only met Mr. Andrews a couple of times during official duties. Others said he was a fair man. This was her first time in his office. She tried to calm herself as he offered her a cup of coffee or tea.

  “Ali, your willingness to put yourself in the line of fire during the sting operation was beyond the call of duty and appreciated. Everyone agrees it would have dragged on longer without your help.”

  “Thank you, sir.” She accepted the china cup and took a sip, not even remembering what she had asked for. Ah, Earl Grey. Ali wondered why Andrews was stalling. Surely, sooner or later, the agency would punish her, even if it was only a verbal reprimand. Apparently, now was the time. Why else had they called her to Mr. Andrew’s office?

  “I know you’ve expressed interest in the ongoing investigation, but the initial mission was way beyond the agency’s charter. We only allowed you to continue because CIA felt you were in a short-term position to help. We had no idea how dangerous things would get.” He crossed his legs. “Mr. Dan Galvarino was respected throughout the community and will be missed.”

  Clenching her jaw and holding her breath, she nodded and turned towards the window. The sky was gray as a cold front blew through.

&n
bsp; Not wanting to give the impression of being fragile, she straightened her spine. “Dan was a dear friend. I can honor him by dedicating myself to our community work.”

  “Further assistance won’t be needed until Captain Dalton’s court-martial sometime in late 2011.”

  When is he going to get around to the point? “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. We’ve been pleased with your overall coordination with the military, NSA, and CIA, but it’s time to move on. And while you’ve gained a lot of management skills, your forte has always been analysis and software.” She nodded. “Regarding you and Major Stewart…” he stammered.

  Now, we get to the heart of the matter. “Sir, as I told the military—”

  He waved his hand. “All the military mess is drama. We’re not concerned about your personal life. Although, it should be outside of working hours.” He got up to refill his cup and seemed a bit embarrassed.

  He’s read my file and my response to all of the military investigations. “I’m sorry, sir. I know a war zone is considered working 24/7. It won’t happen again. It was entirely my fault. I’ve told the military that our relationship is over.” Dammit, why did I say relationship?

  “It’s a minor issue in our opinion. To ease your mind, I’ve been told the matter is leaning in favor of Major Stewart and should be settled soon.” He cleared his throat. “Your account as to what happened seems to have satisfied them. However, that’s not why I called you.” He sat back down, and his eyes bored into her. Over the rim of the cup, he said, “Would you be open to working away from headquarters and far away from your family and Major Stewart?” After taking a sip, he sat patiently, waiting for a reply.

  Blinking several times, she said, “Far? What are you proposing?”

  “The Australians want us to expand our footprint at the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation in Canberra. They are specifically asking for a senior analyst with a strong scientific background who has experience in the field.” He put down the cup. “I won’t fib. Your name came up in a long list, and we didn’t want to throw you into the fire so quickly. However, we have a problem.” He wet his lips. “It seems there are only two NGA employees with experience working with the Aussies on their technology upgrades. You’re one.”