by Shane Crosby
After the assault was over, we only had a few hours left before dawn. It was time to pack up and leave before the morning sun gave us away.
MORE TO COME
Trevor, Mase, Scott
Trevor
Before we could finish packing our gear, Scott notices something on the ground.
“Hey guys look.”
Me and Mase turned to look back toward the facility. The behavior of those below was frenzied and going at a feverish pace.
“Is that a helicopter?”
“Oh shoot! Let’s hide.”
In case the enemy has additional eyes, every solider knows to have a good place to hide. We hid amongst trees and the foliage around us. It was still dark, we were dressed in camouflage even with a helicopter they wouldn’t be able to see us.
“Trev, can you see what’s going on down there?”
“Wait. I see it. What the heck are they doing?”
The helicopter flew by and then turned around. The closer we looked we could see this wasn’t just an average helicopter. It was equipped with missiles.
“Oh no! Do you see those? Are you two seeing the same thing?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Damn it! They’re going to lite this area up.”
“We need to get our stuff and get the hell out of here right now!”
We started grabbing our things. Scott was keeping watch on the helicopter.
“Okay, guys let’s hit it. He’s circling getting into position.”
Before we could turn in the opposite direction, we heard the first explosion. It completely rocked the entire area. It was so strong it jerked us backward a few feet from where we were initially standing.
“Hey is everyone ok?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m good.”
As we were picking ourselves up off the ground he was turning to make another pass. We managed to get to our feet and started to run. There was another explosion and then another. I saw Scott turning cartwheels in midair. Mase and I were thrown up into the air so violently it blew my boot off.
“Hey man, we don’t have time for field medicine. We have to go.”
“My shoe.”
“We’ll buy you another one.”
“Damn man! I liked those boots.”
“What would you rather be looking for, your boots or your feet?”
“I see your point.”
We limped back to the car and drove back to the hotel.
Psakov
Don & Dub
It didn’t take us long after setting up to figure out that this was where they were bringing the women. We’d put together another piece of their operation. They were bringing the women from different parts of the region. Some would be brought in by boat and others in different ways, but eventually, some would end up here. I was pretty confident; the rest of our brothers were seeing the same thing.
We’d been at this location for several hours. As things begin to slow down, we decided it was time to leave. And, the sun was due to make its appearance in a couple hours. We needed to be out of this area before that happened.
“Don, I think we’d better start packing it in before the sun comes up. We have a long walk back to our transportation.”
“Good deal.”
“What’s going on down there?”
“I don’t know. Something’s happened. Where’s the night vision glasses. I have the binoculars. Don’t know where you put the goggles.”
“Never mind, I got ‘em.”
“I don’t know what happened. The way they’re acting, it must be major. “
“Sure is.”
The activity had slowed a bit. Suddenly, everyone was hurriedly going from place to place packing everything putting it into the trucks. After removing all of the equipment out of each building, they locked the doors. The men sat down on crates and at tables around the area. Several of the men used their satellite phones to make calls. The others drove the all-terrain vehicles onto trucks. It appeared as though the night was over and they were preparing to pack things up and call it quits. We were about to do the same when Don noticed something in the distance.
“Hey Dub, hold that thought.”
“Why?”
“Something’s up.”
“What you see?”
“See for yourself.”
He handed me the binoculars. Looking through the tiny windows of the binoculars, I see tanker trucks pulling up to the area.
“What’s going on now?”
To share my view, Don grabbed the additional pair of binoculars we had.
“It can’t be more women.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
We waited and watched as the tankers drove up to the buildings. The men all got up and started helping to guide them into position. The workers started directing them as they backed up closer to the buildings. When the tractor trailer was approximately an inch or two from the building, ground workers climbed up the ladder on the back of the truck, pulled out a hose and attached it to a vent. While the men were securing the hose to the vent, others were on the ground putting some sort of material at the bottom, on the doors, windows and a bag over the pipe sticking out of the roof. When each group had completed their assigned task, they gave the driver the “okay” and climbed down. There were a total of two buildings and four trucks. Two trucks to each building and this process of the hose being attached was repeated for each building on both sides. The drivers got out and started to converse with the men on the ground. Eventually, they all went off into separate directions. Some at the tables, some in chairs and others stood talking, laughing like it was a fun time for all.
“What do you think they’re doing?”
“I’m more concerned about what’s in those trucks, this look familiar.”
“Familiar? How so? I could say the same thing considering that’s all we see daily on base are a bunch of trucks pulling in delivering fuel, food, etc.”
“Oh my God, Don; that’s it. I remember where I’ve seen this before. We were assigned to capture or kill a warlord in Tanzania. He was a particularly brutal bastard. Cut the breasts off a woman because she didn’t want to have sex with him. Blinded a man because when he approached him, he didn’t look down. He looked him eye to eye. He didn’t think he respected him so he was teaching him respect. I hated that son of a bitch and was glad to kill him. He knew the US was on the hunt for him. I mean, he was preparing for the day it could happen; smart bastard. We didn’t know it, but a part of that preparation was keeping several hundred people hostage. To him, this was his bargaining chip to get away. He’d distract us with negotiations and he’d be busy flying out of there to some island somewhere. Little did he know we don’t bargain. When they send us in, it’s too late to bargain. All you have time to do is pray and quickly. When he realized there was no bargain to be made, this demented fuck, had trucks with sarin gas on standby. He used the gas to murder the people inside. Man, it was horrific hearing people banging on the door trying to escape. Screaming for help.”
“You didn’t save them?”
“Don, our mission was to rid the world of a murdering dictator and that’s what we did. Those people were causalities of war.”
“Damn! How in the hell do you sleep at night? I couldn’t do your job.”
“Soundly. That’s why you’re you and I’m me.”
“Jesus! You think that’s what’s going on down there?”
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say, I know it is.”
“Maybe not.”
“Don, you’re a soldier. Stop acting like a civilian; afraid to face what’s right in front of you.”
“I know. You’re right. I just hate to think about it.”
“Don’t think about it, just get ready to do something about it when the time comes.”
To remain in hiding and undetected, Don and I lay there as still as trees in a petrified forest. I didn’t let my little brother know it, but I wanted to
leave. It was difficult to maintain my position. I’d seen this movie before and I wasn’t interested in seeing the sequel. Like the first version of this bad ass movie, the coughs, gags and retching began from the people trapped inside. I’d stopped being there with my brother and was transported back to that day in Tanzania. The helplessness we all felt that day while we listened to the screams, please and pounding on the door for help could never be described with mere words. All I can think is, here I am again, on a different countries soil, but dealing with the same level of brutality; having to sacrifice the lives of the innocent for the opportunity to end the life of the person or persons behind this reign of terror.
After they were satisfied the buildings were full of gas; they didn’t wait for the women to die. Several of the men started pouring a substance around each building and onto the buildings. They poured a trail several feet away from the building and put a match to it. When the substance was lit, the fire moved rapidly down the path the man had poured just moments before. It reminded me of the Pac Man game. How the Pac man moves down the line greedily gobbling up each dot in its path. The fire moved with precision expeditiously following a path of destruction. The buildings were soon engulfed in flames. As the flames continued to ravage each building, I witnessed something others will probably never see; the will to survive. It’s stronger than anything I’ve ever encountered. Despite all that’s been done to them, there were still some who were fighting to survive. I heard their screams. I know if we could hear them, God could. They were asking for God to please help them. Begging for Him to come save them. Their screams had to be loud enough for every angel in Heaven to hear. Where are you God? There can’t be anyone in this world who needs your help more than these women do right now tonight. The worst part was knowing they weren’t just screaming to be released from a certain death, but from being burned from the fire. Watching your skin peel away from your own body and hearing the sizzling as you’re being burned alive is unimaginable. Now, I thought, these women are going through something others wouldn’t face even in their nightmares.
With the gas being pumped inside, it didn’t take long for both buildings to burn down leaving nothing but a pile of debris and bodies. More drivers arrived in tanker trucks. Some of the men started to put on medical waste suits and began to move the bodies around like you would coals in your grill. Then they sprayed them with what Don and I surmised was jet fuel. After they covered them completely with the fuel, they set them on fire again. For the next several hours, they continued to spray the bodies with fuel until they were nothing but ashes. After this was done, they brought additional heavy equipment in to bury and distribute the ashes. What stuck with me throughout this abominable atrocity was the behavior of the men. The entire time they laughed joked, played cards and board games. While people were screaming and dying five feet away, oblivious to the suffering they were causing. There’s not much that can make me feel emotional, but what’s happened tonight definitely came close.
ASTONISHMENT
BACK AT THE HOTEL
Dub
We drove back to the hotel in a shroud of disbelief. I knew Popovich was a sadist, but it’s different when you see it with your own eyes. All I could think about was how could we put a stop to him? How has he been allowed to get away with the morbid, inhumane activities that he’s been orchestrating for the past eight months? I’m at a loss of words and thoughts about this. Someone has to do something. Since no one knows what’s going on except myself and my brothers, I guess I’m talking to myself.
We hadn’t walked into our hotel room five minutes when Mase, Scott and Trevor walked in with wide open mouths and eyes.
“You won’t believe this!”
“I bet we will.”
“Go on.”
“Look. We’re at the location in Karzhi, right? Everything was going fine, well, maybe that’s not a good choice of words.”
“Considering they’re selling women for sex, I’d say that’s a safe assumption.”
“Sorry.”
“Go on Mase.”
“They were busy little worker bees. We decided to pack up and leave before the sun comes up. As we’re packing up our gear all of a sudden the activity down there picked up. They started moving out. And, then it was the biggest explosion I’ve seen since we invaded Iraq. Man, the sky lit up like it used to in Kabul.”
“You’re crazy.”
“But, he’s right. And, to top it off the worst thing is there were truckloads of women inside the building. We counted eight trucks bringing in women tonight. Not one woman was brought out of that building.”
“I know you won’t believe us when we tell you we watched them gas and burn alive two buildings full of women.”
“What?”
“Yes. You heard us.”
“I’m sorry you had to witness that. I know that was past horrible.”
“Seeing stuff like this makes me wonder if there is a God.”
“I was thinking the same thing. If there is, where was He tonight?”
“Could the God our mom taught us to praise and worship stand by, watch and listen to innocent human beings scream and beg Him to save them?”
“You know what mom would say, all things happen for a reason.”
“Yes, but what the hell could’ve been the reason hundreds of innocent people had to be burned alive?”
“I don’t have the answers, Dub. Let’s just focus on bringing the people responsible to justice.”
“What about the justice for the families?”
“We can get them justice.”
“But, they’ll never have peace.”
Dub’s cellphone dings. There’s a new voicemail.
Dub, it’s J. I’ve been trying to call you all night. The money in the account has been returned. I don’t know if they’ve found it yet, but they will. Do not, I repeat do not go to another meeting. Man, I hope you get this. Call me back.
I hung up the phone and called my little brother back. I got his voice mail. I thought fine I’ll get some rest and call him tomorrow. By then, he would’ve probably called me.
THE UNIMAGINABLE
RUSSIA
Dub
I was deep in thought regarding last night’s events. The auctions, missing people, the Nazi, the kid, what was the connection? I feel like a baker in the process of baking a wedding cake. In the middle of gathering all of the ingredients, I realize I don’t have any eggs. The Attorney General carefully gathered each ingredient, but he was interrupted before he was able to blend it all together. What’s it all mean? Where is he leading us?
The ringing of my phone interrupted my thoughts. The ring was different today. It was ringing with a determination that kind of scared me. For whatever reason, I had a bad feeling about answering it. With hesitation, I grabbed it and pressed the little green button....”hello.” Fear of the unknown could be heard from the voice on the other end. When I heard him speak, it felt like a burning hot spear piercing down deep inside me; into emotional areas of my psyche I wasn’t even aware existed. My entire world started to spin out of control. I felt like I was having a stroke or heart attack rolled into one gut wrenching pain. It was my little brother.
“It’s me, J. I'm sor.......” I heard someone jerk the phone.
“He's sorry for getting himself and rest the of you killed.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, really! I want my two million dollars.”
“Who is this? Don't bother, I already know; a dead man.”
“I guess it takes one to know one.”
“If you hurt him I swear to God there won't be anywhere you or anyone in your family could hide. Even your friends are dead.”
“Tsk, tsk promises, promises. Enough with the impotent threats. Now, you owe us two million dollars. It works the same anywhere else as it does in that shit hole you call home, America. If you use a service, you must pay for it.”
“I wasn’t happy with the service. In America, you can
cancel before your free trial is up. They didn’t teach you that in the cave you grew up in?”
“Very funny, but I assure you, he isn’t laughing. You can continue with the jokes and listen to him choke on his own blood or you can give us our money. The choice is yours.”
“This has nothing to do with him, I’ll take his place.”
“A real American cowboy! Look at that ready to step up and be the hero. Oh no maybe you’re Captain America or John Wayne, huh?”
He laughs arrogantly because he knows he has the upper hand.
“So noble. You Americans, like you’re so good. You’re so brave. Offering yourself in place of him. You’re not shit. You’re all good at pretending you’re humane, caring, loving. Where’s all that humanity when you’re bombing babies in other countries? You don’t give a shit about anyone else, think your people are so much better than anyone else. Ha! We’ll see.”
“I’m not pretending. I’m going to kill you. So, I was actually admiring your bravery. You sound pretty courageous yourself. You know, facing your own mortality and all. And, I will speak with the military about their bad shot. Obviously, they missed when you were a baby.”
“Wise ass, huh? I wonder what baby brother will think of those jokes when he’s pulling his dick out of his own ass. Just like you Americans, always think you’re superior. Well let’s just see how your superiority helps you now. We want our money or he dies and horribly.”
“Kidnapping and torture. What’s wrong? Mommy didn’t give you enough hugs when you were growing up? What happened? She made you watch while she was turning tricks?”
“Smart talk for someone who is about to get the deputy director of the CIA back in pieces. Say another word and I’ll put a bullet in his head right now!”
“You’re not going to hurt him because you know it’ll be detrimental to your mother’s health. Even though you can’t stand to see that whore of a mother, you still send her money each month right? What about your little kids? I assure you this time, I’ll be behind the missile and I have perfect aim. And, you know, you’ll never get your money if he’s dead.”
I could hear J in the background scream out in horrible pain.