My eyes fluttered open. Slowly my neck turned towards the digital clock that sat on the night stand. 5:44AM. Always a minute before the a alarm
I was already awake before the chief came into our room. I always woke up a minute before the action. Don't know why it happens, it just does. I guess it gives me a minute to calm myself and get ready. "Move move move" the chief yelled, "We have bogeys on the left flank of the building. Suit up"
I swung my legs out of the covers. Without showering, I slipped into a navy blue jumpsuit that had the words Waste Manage management emblazoned on the back. Twenty minutes later I was step away from entering the one of San Paro's largest garages. It help dump trucks and construction vehicles.
"You are late Carter" a bald man sneered. His name was Barry, but everyone called him Barry the Bastard. He ran things here and took pride in harassing his employees. Being the only African American here, I got extra attention.
"Only by 5 minutes, its not like you always make the best efforts to get here on time" I replied without glancing his now livid face.
"Watch that tone boy" he quickly said.
"Alright boys huddle up. Latest Intel reports that we have a WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) site 7 kilometers away from here. The building is..." The chief's voice trailed off. My eyes and ears averted to a woman nearby. She wasn't covering her self up like the other women here. She was most probably one of those woman's rights supporters of the area. Moments later she was confronted my a group of men. They pointed at her clothing and yelled at her. They most probably though it too provocative, and it didn't help that a company of American soldiers were nearby. They grabbed here and dragged here away into some alleyway. I didn't feel the need to help her, that's what Iraq did to you.
"Carter...Carter!" the chief shouted.
"Yes sir?" I replied out of habit.
"Were you paying attention to the briefing at all?" He asked accusingly. Some of the guys shook their heads in disappointment, others let out sighs towards me.
"What's the point sir? It's not like we are going to find anything there. Just like every other site we have hit" I said to him darkly. They all knew it was true and there "brave" marines were too insecure to address it. No one looked at me anymore, rather they waited for the chief's reaction to my outburst. He slowly walked up to my and grabbed me by my vest. Our faces were about ywo inches apart.
"We are the U.S. marines here in Baghdad to protect our country. We will search every site that Langley gives us without hesitation. None of us will stop until the president gives us the order to stop. And don't you ever talk to me in that tone Carter"
My hand hovered above the clock machine. As I was about to check out I heard, "Carter get in here". Reluctantly I walked into the small office. The desk was strewn with papers, maps, and blueprints. Barry the Bastard didn't even offer me a seat.
"Apparently one of these crazy gangs hauled a load of dead bodies into one of our trucks. Go find which one has them. " He said. He was asking me to go through all eight dump trucks of the Waterfront district to find corpses among the waste of thousands of people. It was revolting.
"I cant do that. Get someone else to" I said turning my back heading for the door.
"I'm getting you to do it"
"I am not doing it"
"I am your boss and you have no right to disobey me you dumb fuck"
"We are here to capture him not kill". The chief's words kept replaying over and over. Here he was, the target, screaming in Arabic at two of my comrades and me. I could hear distant shouts in English. Our company was getting closer, but they still had a lot of rooms to search. We were bargaining tools for the insurgent's escape. The three of us were getting shoved from room after room. Until finally out boys caught up. They killed the insurgents guards and told him to lower his weapon. But he wasn't a dumb ass. He killed the two men next to me and then I felt his barrel close in on my head. Before he could shoot the chief shot him in the knee. A minute later I was un gagged and untied. A large pool of blood had started to form in the room. It originated from the heads of my comrades who now lay dead. Both of them were on of the few that actually spoke to me, showed me the closest thing to kindness ever since we came to this barren country. The insurgent's pistol lay at my feet. He was sitting in the corner tied and gagged like a was minutes ago. The rest of the company were regrouping in the other room. I picked up the gun and unloaded the whole clip into the insurgent's head.
"What that fuck did you do that for Carter!" The chief screamed as he rushed into the room. He grabbed the gun out my hand and tackled me to the ground.
"You just fucked up this whole mission. Four of our men died now for nothing. How the hell are we going to get information from him know. Shit Carter, what part of 'capture not kill' do you not understand?! How dare you disobey an order like that!"
I took off my gloves and threw them at Barry. I had enough I wasn't going take this bullshit from him. In a second he leapt from his desk and jumped me.
"Where do you think you are going Carter, You think you can just leave now? Who else is going hire your uneducated, worthless ass." He asked as he sat on my back. My face was on the floor and I couldn't respond, but I don't think I would have even if I could. He raised me up by my collar and shoved me to the door.
"Don't come around here when you can't find a job. You ain't welcome here"
I was standing in a humid room with a ceiling fan that barely worked. A man sat in front and began to sign off some papers. He handed me my passport and a ticket to San Paro International airport. He then pointed to a box beside him.
"Here are all your personal belongings before you entered the service" I muttered without looking up at me. Then he stamped a folder with red ink and handed it to me. "Robert Jeremiah Carter, you have been dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Marines. You are no longer welcome here" I said darkly and left the room.
I felt the pistol weigh heavier and heavier in the pocket of my jumpsuit. I stared at Barry for what seemed like eternity.
"Leave Carter" He said.
Every instinct told me to not to do it. But I couldn't resist. He deserved it just like the insurgent back in Iraq. I pulled out the pistol and unloaded the clip into Barry's head.
I was already awake before the chief came into our room. I always woke up a minute before the action. Don't know why it happens, it just does. I guess it gives me a minute to calm myself and get ready. "Move move move" the chief yelled, "We have bogeys on the left flank of the building. Suit up"
I swung my legs out of the covers. Without showering, I slipped into a navy blue jumpsuit that had the words Waste Manage management emblazoned on the back. Twenty minutes later I was step away from entering the one of San Paro's largest garages. It help dump trucks and construction vehicles.
"You are late Carter" a bald man sneered. His name was Barry, but everyone called him Barry the Bastard. He ran things here and took pride in harassing his employees. Being the only African American here, I got extra attention.
"Only by 5 minutes, its not like you always make the best efforts to get here on time" I replied without glancing his now livid face.
"Watch that tone boy" he quickly said.
"Alright boys huddle up. Latest Intel reports that we have a WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) site 7 kilometers away from here. The building is..." The chief's voice trailed off. My eyes and ears averted to a woman nearby. She wasn't covering her self up like the other women here. She was most probably one of those woman's rights supporters of the area. Moments later she was confronted my a group of men. They pointed at her clothing and yelled at her. They most probably though it too provocative, and it didn't help that a company of American soldiers were nearby. They grabbed here and dragged here away into some alleyway. I didn't feel the need to help her, that's what Iraq did to you.
"Carter...Carter!" the chief shouted.
"Yes sir?" I replied out of habit.
"Were you paying attention to the briefing at all?" He asked accusingly. Some of the guys shook their heads in disappointment, others let out sighs towards me.
"What's the point sir? It's not like we are going to find anything there. Just like every other site we have hit" I said to him darkly. They all knew it was true and there "brave" marines were too insecure to address it. No one looked at me anymore, rather they waited for the chief's reaction to my outburst. He slowly walked up to my and grabbed me by my vest. Our faces were about ywo inches apart.
"We are the U.S. marines here in Baghdad to protect our country. We will search every site that Langley gives us without hesitation. None of us will stop until the president gives us the order to stop. And don't you ever talk to me in that tone Carter"
My hand hovered above the clock machine. As I was about to check out I heard, "Carter get in here". Reluctantly I walked into the small office. The desk was strewn with papers, maps, and blueprints. Barry the Bastard didn't even offer me a seat.
"Apparently one of these crazy gangs hauled a load of dead bodies into one of our trucks. Go find which one has them. " He said. He was asking me to go through all eight dump trucks of the Waterfront district to find corpses among the waste of thousands of people. It was revolting.
"I cant do that. Get someone else to" I said turning my back heading for the door.
"I'm getting you to do it"
"I am not doing it"
"I am your boss and you have no right to disobey me you dumb fuck"
"We are here to capture him not kill". The chief's words kept replaying over and over. Here he was, the target, screaming in Arabic at two of my comrades and me. I could hear distant shouts in English. Our company was getting closer, but they still had a lot of rooms to search. We were bargaining tools for the insurgent's escape. The three of us were getting shoved from room after room. Until finally out boys caught up. They killed the insurgents guards and told him to lower his weapon. But he wasn't a dumb ass. He killed the two men next to me and then I felt his barrel close in on my head. Before he could shoot the chief shot him in the knee. A minute later I was un gagged and untied. A large pool of blood had started to form in the room. It originated from the heads of my comrades who now lay dead. Both of them were on of the few that actually spoke to me, showed me the closest thing to kindness ever since we came to this barren country. The insurgent's pistol lay at my feet. He was sitting in the corner tied and gagged like a was minutes ago. The rest of the company were regrouping in the other room. I picked up the gun and unloaded the whole clip into the insurgent's head.
"What that fuck did you do that for Carter!" The chief screamed as he rushed into the room. He grabbed the gun out my hand and tackled me to the ground.
"You just fucked up this whole mission. Four of our men died now for nothing. How the hell are we going to get information from him know. Shit Carter, what part of 'capture not kill' do you not understand?! How dare you disobey an order like that!"
I took off my gloves and threw them at Barry. I had enough I wasn't going take this bullshit from him. In a second he leapt from his desk and jumped me.
"Where do you think you are going Carter, You think you can just leave now? Who else is going hire your uneducated, worthless ass." He asked as he sat on my back. My face was on the floor and I couldn't respond, but I don't think I would have even if I could. He raised me up by my collar and shoved me to the door.
"Don't come around here when you can't find a job. You ain't welcome here"
I was standing in a humid room with a ceiling fan that barely worked. A man sat in front and began to sign off some papers. He handed me my passport and a ticket to San Paro International airport. He then pointed to a box beside him.
"Here are all your personal belongings before you entered the service" I muttered without looking up at me. Then he stamped a folder with red ink and handed it to me. "Robert Jeremiah Carter, you have been dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Marines. You are no longer welcome here" I said darkly and left the room.
I felt the pistol weigh heavier and heavier in the pocket of my jumpsuit. I stared at Barry for what seemed like eternity.
"Leave Carter" He said.
Every instinct told me to not to do it. But I couldn't resist. He deserved it just like the insurgent back in Iraq. I pulled out the pistol and unloaded the clip into Barry's head.
