your Chad is in the same Phillies Baseball Fan Club as my friends? He likes baseball! I prefer cricket myself, but baseball is close. Now, Dr. Banks…you have a beautiful home in Doylestown, on Bergstrom Road, no? I saw the photos. It must be very close to the Country Club and Golf Course. Does Brittany still take tennis lessons there? I read one of her posts on your wall. It sounded like tennis lessons to me.”
Banks began to panic. He felt nauseated as his mind wandered through a million possibilities over what could happen to his family.
“Okay, stop…stop! I’ll do what you want.”
“We’re going to film a little video for your family, Dr. Banks. My friends will gladly post it on Chad’s wall, if you like, or Brittany’s. You do this surgery, and if the commander’s wife lives…then we will drop you off on a road by Thunder, just as I promised. Refuse to perform this surgery, or if the commander’s wife doesn’t make it through the surgery…then neither will you. So think of this as possibly a ‘goodbye’ video, or possibly not. But the only way that Chad, Brittany and your wife Peggy will ever see your thespian skills depends on how you act now. Don’t be stupid, Dr. Banks, and don’t be sloppy.”
Banks swallowed hard and said a quick prayer.
“One final thing, Dr. Banks…if this doesn’t go well, and go well quickly…my friends will be visiting your house tomorrow morning, while everyone is asleep in that four-bedroom, three-bath house of yours on Bergstrom Road. But I promise you that Brittany will live…she will certainly be able to please a man, don’t you think?”
Kazi put two sheets of scribbled English on the table in front of the knife.
“Read them, Dr. Banks…and sound convincing. This is the performance of your life.”
Paktya Regional Hospital
FOB Thunder, 203rd Corps, Afghanistan
U S Navy Captain “Camp” Campbell, Billy Finn and Captain Henry walked through the main entry doors and into the Paktya Regional Hospital. The Afghan day workers stood and greeted the trio with the same morning ritual. Miriam was 10 feet behind just as she had been for almost five years. Five other American medics were in the main lobby as well as three more interpreters from Terp Village.
“Geez, looks like a Shriner’s convention in here. Where’s Mahmoud?” Camp asked in no mood for small talk, hot tea or cultural pleasantries.
Miriam yelled out the Captain’s question in Pashtu, as she removed the solitary bead from her necklace and put it in the glass vase on her desk.
“Dr. Mahmoud is down in the emergency room, Captain Campbell. I can take you down there now,” said Miriam as she entered the long fluorescent-lit corridor that led down to the ER.
“He’s back to work already?” Camp muttered to no one in particular.
Mahmoud was restocking bandages and wraps in the first-aid cabinet as the three Americans and Miriam walked into the ER. Captain Henry walked over to Mahmoud as Camp and Finn examined the layout of the ER, especially the ambulance access doors.
“ Salam, Dr. Mahmoud.”
“ Salam, Captain Henry. Who are your friends?”
“Dr. Mahmoud, this is US Navy Captain Campbell and Bill Finn from ISAF in Kabul.”
Mahmoud covered his heart with his right hand and lowered his eyes in respect.
“Is there any news on Major Banks?” Mahmoud asked.
“Nothing yet,” Camp said.
“I’m sure this was a very traumatic event for you, Dr. Mahmoud,” Finn questioned.
“I came close to death, Mr. Finn. Allah was faithful, and I was spared another day.”
Camp walked over to Mahmoud and stood right in front of him. “Captain Henry says that when he and Miriam returned from starting the IV antibiotics for your tularemia patients, they found you bound and gagged on the gurney.”
“That is correct, Captain Campbell. After they hit Major Banks over the head, he fell onto the woman. She got up immediately and covered his mouth with duct tape. They rolled one table out
Banks began to panic. He felt nauseated as his mind wandered through a million possibilities over what could happen to his family.
“Okay, stop…stop! I’ll do what you want.”
“We’re going to film a little video for your family, Dr. Banks. My friends will gladly post it on Chad’s wall, if you like, or Brittany’s. You do this surgery, and if the commander’s wife lives…then we will drop you off on a road by Thunder, just as I promised. Refuse to perform this surgery, or if the commander’s wife doesn’t make it through the surgery…then neither will you. So think of this as possibly a ‘goodbye’ video, or possibly not. But the only way that Chad, Brittany and your wife Peggy will ever see your thespian skills depends on how you act now. Don’t be stupid, Dr. Banks, and don’t be sloppy.”
Banks swallowed hard and said a quick prayer.
“One final thing, Dr. Banks…if this doesn’t go well, and go well quickly…my friends will be visiting your house tomorrow morning, while everyone is asleep in that four-bedroom, three-bath house of yours on Bergstrom Road. But I promise you that Brittany will live…she will certainly be able to please a man, don’t you think?”
Kazi put two sheets of scribbled English on the table in front of the knife.
“Read them, Dr. Banks…and sound convincing. This is the performance of your life.”
Paktya Regional Hospital
FOB Thunder, 203rd Corps, Afghanistan
U S Navy Captain “Camp” Campbell, Billy Finn and Captain Henry walked through the main entry doors and into the Paktya Regional Hospital. The Afghan day workers stood and greeted the trio with the same morning ritual. Miriam was 10 feet behind just as she had been for almost five years. Five other American medics were in the main lobby as well as three more interpreters from Terp Village.
“Geez, looks like a Shriner’s convention in here. Where’s Mahmoud?” Camp asked in no mood for small talk, hot tea or cultural pleasantries.
Miriam yelled out the Captain’s question in Pashtu, as she removed the solitary bead from her necklace and put it in the glass vase on her desk.
“Dr. Mahmoud is down in the emergency room, Captain Campbell. I can take you down there now,” said Miriam as she entered the long fluorescent-lit corridor that led down to the ER.
“He’s back to work already?” Camp muttered to no one in particular.
Mahmoud was restocking bandages and wraps in the first-aid cabinet as the three Americans and Miriam walked into the ER. Captain Henry walked over to Mahmoud as Camp and Finn examined the layout of the ER, especially the ambulance access doors.
“ Salam, Dr. Mahmoud.”
“ Salam, Captain Henry. Who are your friends?”
“Dr. Mahmoud, this is US Navy Captain Campbell and Bill Finn from ISAF in Kabul.”
Mahmoud covered his heart with his right hand and lowered his eyes in respect.
“Is there any news on Major Banks?” Mahmoud asked.
“Nothing yet,” Camp said.
“I’m sure this was a very traumatic event for you, Dr. Mahmoud,” Finn questioned.
“I came close to death, Mr. Finn. Allah was faithful, and I was spared another day.”
Camp walked over to Mahmoud and stood right in front of him. “Captain Henry says that when he and Miriam returned from starting the IV antibiotics for your tularemia patients, they found you bound and gagged on the gurney.”
“That is correct, Captain Campbell. After they hit Major Banks over the head, he fell onto the woman. She got up immediately and covered his mouth with duct tape. They rolled one table out
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