Read Online Warlord: Dervish by Tony Monchinski - Free Book Online
Authors: Tony Monchinski
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behavior.”
“I’m serious…” Jason’s words slurred and he didn’t understand why. “You let me out of this chair…I’ll kill you.”
“Yes, Jason,” the doctor was inattentive. “I know, I know, I know. You will kill me. Let me tell you something, Jason…” As Kaku spoke, his words seemed to slow down “…we will see that letter again, you and I…”
Jason felt sluggish.
“…something you do not know then, mmm ?”
His exhalation seemed to take forever.
“…after—you—kill—me?”
He felt like he weighed a thousand pounds.
Kaku’s mouth moved but the sound only reached Jason after what seemed an eternity.
After you kill me …
A million pounds
…you will shoot yourself .
“You’re crazy,” Jason turned his head from Kaku, facing the dark.
“They’re all crazy, love,” the woman with the clipped British accent commented, unseen.
“Who’s that?” Jason called out into the passageway. He could talk.
“There were never any weapons of mass destruction and they knew it.”
He didn’t know how he was with Kaku one moment then back in his cell the next. He didn’t know where he was anymore. “Yeah, well…” what mattered, Jason thought, was that he was here, now . “What about 9-11 then?”
“9-11 gave these guys an excuse, Jason. Let me ask you, you’re military. Where were you stationed?”
“Iraq.”
“Iraq. Jason, why do you think you were in Iraq?”
“You’re going to say the oil, right?”
“Well, if Iraq’s main resource was cantaloupe, you and I both know you wouldn’t have been there, don’t we? But it’s not about owning the oil, Jason, it’s about maintaining access to the oil.”
“What about Bin Laden?”
“ Bin Laden ? Jason, sixteen of the nineteen suicide bombers on September 11th were Saudi nationals. What about Bin Laden? What about Saudi Arabia then? What about Pakistan and Musharref? Or Karzai and his brother?”
“I don’t know if I follow you…”
“Certainly you do, Jason. The U.S. is never going to attack a country that might actually beat it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Think about it Jason. When were you born?”
“Late 1970s.”
“The late 1970s. Let’s see. Angola. Nicaragua. El Salvador. Grenada. Panama. Iraq. Kosovo. Sudan. Iraq again. And again. Do you see a pattern? Do I need to continue?”
“I know it sounds stupid,” Jason admitted, “but I just want to go home.”
“It’s a revolving door, Jason, between big business and big government. Look at the vice president.”
“What about him?”
“Sabian was on the board of how many corporations that these wars have made rich?”
“I don’t know…”
“He still collects a paycheck from Diogenes for god’s sake.”
“That’s not good…” Jason remarked, looking down at the ground in the passageway, trying to think happy thoughts.
“Let me tell you how it works, Jason. These companies are publicly subsidized—they get their R&D money from taxpayers—but they enjoy private profits…”
He closed his eyes and imagined that the cold stone under his feet was the cool sand of the beach. “I don’t know…”
“What don’t you know?” her voice was fading. “Companies like KBR, Lockheed, Diogenes…”
I know it sounds stupid …
I want you to know. They were walking side by side, hand in hand. A year had passed since they’d met. Jason had graduated college and was living in North Carolina.
Aspen looked at him expectantly.
I want you to know, he told her, I love you. I’ll always love you. When I’m not with you, you’re all I can think about.
The stars shone overhead.
I want you to be able to talk to me, he continued, to be able to talk to me about anything, okay? I don’t want—I never want any drama between us. If something’s bothering you, talk to me, please ? I know it sounds stupid…
They were on the beach where they had met.
It doesn’t sound stupid, she smiled back at him. You’re too
“I’m serious…” Jason’s words slurred and he didn’t understand why. “You let me out of this chair…I’ll kill you.”
“Yes, Jason,” the doctor was inattentive. “I know, I know, I know. You will kill me. Let me tell you something, Jason…” As Kaku spoke, his words seemed to slow down “…we will see that letter again, you and I…”
Jason felt sluggish.
“…something you do not know then, mmm ?”
His exhalation seemed to take forever.
“…after—you—kill—me?”
He felt like he weighed a thousand pounds.
Kaku’s mouth moved but the sound only reached Jason after what seemed an eternity.
After you kill me …
A million pounds
…you will shoot yourself .
“You’re crazy,” Jason turned his head from Kaku, facing the dark.
“They’re all crazy, love,” the woman with the clipped British accent commented, unseen.
“Who’s that?” Jason called out into the passageway. He could talk.
“There were never any weapons of mass destruction and they knew it.”
He didn’t know how he was with Kaku one moment then back in his cell the next. He didn’t know where he was anymore. “Yeah, well…” what mattered, Jason thought, was that he was here, now . “What about 9-11 then?”
“9-11 gave these guys an excuse, Jason. Let me ask you, you’re military. Where were you stationed?”
“Iraq.”
“Iraq. Jason, why do you think you were in Iraq?”
“You’re going to say the oil, right?”
“Well, if Iraq’s main resource was cantaloupe, you and I both know you wouldn’t have been there, don’t we? But it’s not about owning the oil, Jason, it’s about maintaining access to the oil.”
“What about Bin Laden?”
“ Bin Laden ? Jason, sixteen of the nineteen suicide bombers on September 11th were Saudi nationals. What about Bin Laden? What about Saudi Arabia then? What about Pakistan and Musharref? Or Karzai and his brother?”
“I don’t know if I follow you…”
“Certainly you do, Jason. The U.S. is never going to attack a country that might actually beat it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Think about it Jason. When were you born?”
“Late 1970s.”
“The late 1970s. Let’s see. Angola. Nicaragua. El Salvador. Grenada. Panama. Iraq. Kosovo. Sudan. Iraq again. And again. Do you see a pattern? Do I need to continue?”
“I know it sounds stupid,” Jason admitted, “but I just want to go home.”
“It’s a revolving door, Jason, between big business and big government. Look at the vice president.”
“What about him?”
“Sabian was on the board of how many corporations that these wars have made rich?”
“I don’t know…”
“He still collects a paycheck from Diogenes for god’s sake.”
“That’s not good…” Jason remarked, looking down at the ground in the passageway, trying to think happy thoughts.
“Let me tell you how it works, Jason. These companies are publicly subsidized—they get their R&D money from taxpayers—but they enjoy private profits…”
He closed his eyes and imagined that the cold stone under his feet was the cool sand of the beach. “I don’t know…”
“What don’t you know?” her voice was fading. “Companies like KBR, Lockheed, Diogenes…”
I know it sounds stupid …
I want you to know. They were walking side by side, hand in hand. A year had passed since they’d met. Jason had graduated college and was living in North Carolina.
Aspen looked at him expectantly.
I want you to know, he told her, I love you. I’ll always love you. When I’m not with you, you’re all I can think about.
The stars shone overhead.
I want you to be able to talk to me, he continued, to be able to talk to me about anything, okay? I don’t want—I never want any drama between us. If something’s bothering you, talk to me, please ? I know it sounds stupid…
They were on the beach where they had met.
It doesn’t sound stupid, she smiled back at him. You’re too
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