Read Online The Kills: Sutler, the Massive, the Kill, and the Hit by Richard House - Free Book Online
Authors: Richard House
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them to accompany him on a visit to the Royal Palm Hotel in Bahrain. Whenever Howell needed to leave Iraq on his own business he took a group with him, partly for security, and partly to make an impression. Under this simple fact lay the itch of another story. ‘Once or twice,’ Pakosta explained, ‘that’s all it was.’ On these trips the men were provided with military uniforms. ‘As far as we knew this wasn’t a problem. He told us to wear them.’ There were gifts involved. Watches, whisky, cash.
Parson asked if the civil contractor Stephen Sutler had ever accompanied them on these trips and the men shrugged (although they were not men, but boys aged nineteen and twenty-one). Sutler had attended one or two of these excursions, he came with them to Bahrain, but not Kuwait. Even when he did go he wasn’t much of a participant. Clark supposed he was at the bar. Pakosta said he was too involved to care about what Sutler was doing.
Parson changed direction. ‘What can you tell me about the Massive?’
‘What did we know? We didn’t know anything. He had us digging holes, putting up posts, and putting them back up when they blew over. Before Sutler our job was to manage the burn pits and keep the road open for the oil tankers and the convoys. That was our job. That’s what we were there for.’
‘Then why did you impersonate security?’
‘I said, already. I explained. Howell wanted security for his trips. It was good money. He paid in cash. He provided uniforms. He said there wasn’t any problem with it.’
Parson turned his attention to Clark. ‘What do you know?’
Clark sat upright, hands open in front of him. ‘I know there were plans to build a new facility, and we were helping with that. There were plans for a whole city. It didn’t make much sense, there’s nothing but sand. He was looking at bringing in water, he was blocking out where everything would go.’
Parson returned to his notes. ‘You accompanied Stephen Sutler to Southern-CIPA. You were with him on the flight from Camp Liberty to Amrah City. Did he talk about going somewhere else? Did he ever talk about what he would do when he was done in Iraq? Did he say anything about what he planned to do?’
Pakosta shook his head, and Clark said no.
‘Did he speak with anyone else?’
‘Kiprowski. They spent a lot of time together.’ Both men agreed.
‘He never spoke about home? Did he ever mention his family? Did he ever mention that he was married?’
Clark tucked his hands under his thighs and sat forward. ‘He never spoke about much of anything. Not to me. Maybe to Kiprowski, you’d have to ask him. I don’t remember him talking about anything except the project. That’s all he was interested in.’
Parson read a list of names. The other men at Camp Liberty with Clark and Pakosta: Hernandez, Watts, Samuels, Gunnersen, Chimeno, Kiprowski. ‘That morning at Amrah City, did you see him into the building?’
‘We were outside,’ Pakosta answered for them both. ‘Neither of us went inside.’ Pakosta’s head tipped sideways, slow and with meaning, and Parson asked himself if this intended threat or irritation – if this indicated that he was lying.
‘And Kiprowski? Where did he come from?’
Clark looked to Parson, puzzled by his use of the past tense. ‘He’s from Chicago. He’s from the north side.’
‘I meant that morning. Why did Sutler choose Kiprowski? Was there any reason for this?’
A nervous Clark continued shaking his head. Pakosta paused, then answered. ‘Maybe he just liked Kiprowski more.’
Parson queried the statement. Exactly what did Pakosta mean?
‘He had us digging holes in the sand. The only person who didn’t dig was Kiprowski.’ Pakosta shrugged. ‘Kiprowski ran after him like a dog. When there was real work he always found something else for him. Some other business.’
‘And on other occasions?’
‘You mean visits to CIPA? That was it. There weren’t any other occasions. That
Parson asked if the civil contractor Stephen Sutler had ever accompanied them on these trips and the men shrugged (although they were not men, but boys aged nineteen and twenty-one). Sutler had attended one or two of these excursions, he came with them to Bahrain, but not Kuwait. Even when he did go he wasn’t much of a participant. Clark supposed he was at the bar. Pakosta said he was too involved to care about what Sutler was doing.
Parson changed direction. ‘What can you tell me about the Massive?’
‘What did we know? We didn’t know anything. He had us digging holes, putting up posts, and putting them back up when they blew over. Before Sutler our job was to manage the burn pits and keep the road open for the oil tankers and the convoys. That was our job. That’s what we were there for.’
‘Then why did you impersonate security?’
‘I said, already. I explained. Howell wanted security for his trips. It was good money. He paid in cash. He provided uniforms. He said there wasn’t any problem with it.’
Parson turned his attention to Clark. ‘What do you know?’
Clark sat upright, hands open in front of him. ‘I know there were plans to build a new facility, and we were helping with that. There were plans for a whole city. It didn’t make much sense, there’s nothing but sand. He was looking at bringing in water, he was blocking out where everything would go.’
Parson returned to his notes. ‘You accompanied Stephen Sutler to Southern-CIPA. You were with him on the flight from Camp Liberty to Amrah City. Did he talk about going somewhere else? Did he ever talk about what he would do when he was done in Iraq? Did he say anything about what he planned to do?’
Pakosta shook his head, and Clark said no.
‘Did he speak with anyone else?’
‘Kiprowski. They spent a lot of time together.’ Both men agreed.
‘He never spoke about home? Did he ever mention his family? Did he ever mention that he was married?’
Clark tucked his hands under his thighs and sat forward. ‘He never spoke about much of anything. Not to me. Maybe to Kiprowski, you’d have to ask him. I don’t remember him talking about anything except the project. That’s all he was interested in.’
Parson read a list of names. The other men at Camp Liberty with Clark and Pakosta: Hernandez, Watts, Samuels, Gunnersen, Chimeno, Kiprowski. ‘That morning at Amrah City, did you see him into the building?’
‘We were outside,’ Pakosta answered for them both. ‘Neither of us went inside.’ Pakosta’s head tipped sideways, slow and with meaning, and Parson asked himself if this intended threat or irritation – if this indicated that he was lying.
‘And Kiprowski? Where did he come from?’
Clark looked to Parson, puzzled by his use of the past tense. ‘He’s from Chicago. He’s from the north side.’
‘I meant that morning. Why did Sutler choose Kiprowski? Was there any reason for this?’
A nervous Clark continued shaking his head. Pakosta paused, then answered. ‘Maybe he just liked Kiprowski more.’
Parson queried the statement. Exactly what did Pakosta mean?
‘He had us digging holes in the sand. The only person who didn’t dig was Kiprowski.’ Pakosta shrugged. ‘Kiprowski ran after him like a dog. When there was real work he always found something else for him. Some other business.’
‘And on other occasions?’
‘You mean visits to CIPA? That was it. There weren’t any other occasions. That
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