[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
As they continued the convoy further into Iraq, fear took a stronger hold of them. As strong as they thought they were back in the States, all they could think about now was the fact that they were Pop Stars, who didn’t really have much experience in the real world, much less a world of war. Who in the world would have ever thought that they would be there, in Iraq, about to learn how to shoot and weapon, that would ultimately be used to shoot someone? Would they really be expected to kill people? Could they actually do it?

After eight hours of almost silent riding, they felt the truck come to a halt. Brian opened his eyes and looked around. It appeared that they were in some type of city. There were multiple buildings around, and a few street lights. However, there were barriers around the buildings, and all of the signs were in English. He hoped that they were there. He didn’t know how much longer he would be able to stay calm. Inside his heart had been beating so fast, that he thought at any moment he could have a heart attack. He tried to keep his mind off of the things going on around him by focusing on his family. He smiled again as he recalled one of the last family outings they enjoyed before he left.

****

‘Brian packed the car with the necessary items for their trip. They weren’t going too far, but they would be gone for the weekend, so it would require a bit of planning. He was taking his family to Wilmington, NC. It was supposed to be the Nations birth place or something, but more importantly there was a Busch Gardens there, and a new underground water park that he thought Baylee would enjoy. He even rented a time share, which he wouldn’t have normally done, but he didn’t want to be cooped up in a hotel room, and the time share he got was a full condo.

Looking back up at his house, he smiled as Leigh Anne walked out with Baylee and the last of the supplied for the trip. Man he was really going to miss his family. He watched as Leigh Anne made sure that Baylee was properly putting his seatbelt on before coming around to the back of the car. She ran her fingers through his hair and leaned over and gently kissed his cheek.

“Do we have everything?” She asked as she looked into the trunk.

“Yea, I think so.” Brian replied looking down at everything. He looked back over a Leigh Anne who was returning the gaze. “Let’s try not to think about anything else other than having a good time, okay?”

Leigh Anne simply nodded.

“I know that is a hard thing to do, but I want to have a great weekend for Baylee. I want him to remember this as a small get away weekend when his parents took him to Busch Gardens. I don’t want it to be about me leaving.”

Leigh Anne reached up and wiped a few stray tears from off of her face. “Your right. We need to stop dwelling on it. It is going to happen, and we need to enjoy the time we have left before you have to go. We are going to have a great weekend!” She said smiling. She had meant it too. She wanted Brian to leave with as many happy memories as possible, and she wanted to have those memories to hold on to while he was gone.

The two of them hopped into the car and looked back at Baylee. Brian made a goofy face and in his best Donald Duck impression is said. “Is Everybody Ready?”

Baylee laughed at his dad’s goofiness before answering that he was ready to go. Brian smiled at his son before asking what he wanted to listen too, and then rolled his eyes when he choose ‘High School Musical’. “Does this stuff ever get old?” he asked Leigh Anne. “I mean it has been out for years now, you would think kids would have moved on to something different.”

“Really? What do you think Backstreet Boy fans would say to somebody if they asked the same thing about your music, more importantly you older stuff?”

“But we are different. We still make new music. This stuff here is old, and there isn’t anything new coming out by the kids. Hell they couldn’t even do anymore, because they already graduated high school in the third one.” Brian said knowingly. Baylee made him watch all of them on more than one occasion, but they never seemed to get old to him. However, if Brian had to hear “Fabulous” one more time he was going to…
“It’s out with the old…” Baylee sang out loud along with the song. Brian gritted his teeth through his smile and reminded himself that this weekend was about Baylee and about him having a good time. So being Brian he joined right it.

“Goodbye clouds of Gray, hello skies of blue
A dip in the pool, a trip to the spa
Endless days in my chaise
The whole world according to moi
Excuse Me Thank You
Iced tea imported from England,
Lifeguards imported from Spain,
Towels imported from Turkey,
Turkey imported from Maine….”

Brian sang along with his best Sharpay impressions. Baylee laughed out loud at his dad. Leigh Anne smiled as she thought about how much she loved Brian. She loved everything about him, but most of all she loved the type of husband and father he was. Finally she shook off all of the sadness in her, and laughed along with her favorite people in the world. They were going to have a great weekend.’

********

Just as Brian was getting deep into the memory he was shaken back into the real world by Nick. He looked over at him kind of pissed to be disturbed. “What is it?” He asked annoyed.

“Dude, you were giggling like a school girl. I didn’t want everyone to hear you. What were you dreaming about?”

“I wasn’t dreaming I was awake; however I was thinking about a trip we took a couple of weeks ago to North Carolina. We had a great time.” Brian said as he attempted to go back to the memory.

“I’d love to hear about it sometime.” Nick continued. “Did y’all go to the Busch Gardens up there?”

“Yea, it was a lot of fun.”

Just then the back of the truck opened and a guy yelled up for everyone to grab their bags and get off. “Welcome to your new home boys!” he yelled in an all too enthusiastic way.

Everyone scrambled to get all of their things and then one by one jumped out of the back of the truck. Looking around it was obvious that this was not home, but little did they know that not long from now that would be exactly what they considered it. “A home away from home.”

“Well quit standing around like idiots, I need names….” The sergeant yelled.

As they waited their turn they looked around and noticed that there was an American Flag flying as well as an Iraqi one. They were standing in a parking lot of what appeared to be a hospital or a clinic of some sort, because there were big red crosses painted on them. There was also a long line of humvee’s with the red cross on them also. They assumed that was ambulances. Once they gave their name they were ushered into a building across the street.

The building was practically all stone, the walls the floors the ceiling everything, except for the doors. “This is your berthing. You will probably be in a room with three or more other people, and space will be a little limited. However, there is air-conditioning and little refrigerators in each room. This building does not have bathrooms, there are port-a-potty’s right outside for your use, and there are also shower trailers across the compound that have toilets and showers in them. However, you are not allowed to go there at night without a buddy with you, and most people are going to be pretty pissed if you wake them up to take a piss in the middle of the night.”

“Where are we at?” someone finally asked.

“You are at Camp Fallujah. This used to be one of Sadam Hussein's training camps. We took over when we first invaded Iraq in 2003.”

“So are we actually in Fallujah? I mean isn’t Fallujah still hostile?”

“Yes, we are in Fallujah, and no Fallujah is not hostile. There are still some insurgents roaming the streets of the city, but generally it is safe for us in the compound. It isn’t easy to get past our walls on foot, and they don’t exactly have many RPG’s or Rockets left. Plus, this fight isn’t with them anymore, this fight is with Iran. Iraqis are fighting with us now, not against us.”

Everyone seemed satisfied with the information and waited for further instruction. “I am not going to dictate where you guys sleep. I figure you know each other better than I do, so you choose who you room with. I am sure that as responsible adults you will be able to handle that?”

“Yes, sir.” Everyone said at once.

“Don’t call me sir, I work for a living. The name is Ard, Sergeant Ard.” He replied as he turned and started back towards the entrance. Once he reached the door he turned around. “Oh yea, breakfast starts at 6 am and last till 9 am. You don’t have to go. Also you don’t have to report tomorrow, take the day to get to know the compound.”

Once Sgt. Ard left, everyone stood around for a moment silently. It probably would have been easier if they would have just assigned rooms. Finally couple of guys started moving about, looking into the rooms. Nick exchanged looks with Brian and AJ and then started browsing also, soon they found that all of the rooms were about the same. The smaller ones had fewer beds and the bigger ones had more beds. The guys decided to just get in a room, so that they could get the spots they wanted. It didn’t matter what room they chose.

They chose a room that had two sets of bunk beds in it. That meant that only one other person would be in the room with them. They definitely liked the idea of that. Just then Barrin popped his head in the room “Hey guys, do you mind if I take the extra bunk in here?”
The guys looked and one another and shrugged their shoulders. At least they already knew him. “No problem man, come on in.” AJ answered waving him in.

Barrin looked somewhat relieved. “Thanks, I really didn’t feel like wading through all of the rooms until I found some of my friends. Plus, I don’t know too many people this time. It is a lot of draftee’s. I am still active duty, even though I shouldn’t be.”

“What do you mean you shouldn’t be?”

“I was supposed to get out two years ago, but I was stop lossed.”

“So basically it is like you were forced to stay in?”

“Yep.”

“Man that is so messed up shit!”

“Yea, well they were trying to get around having to reinstate the draft, so they were reusing us. I mean it makes sense. We are already trained and stuff, but after a while there were too many of us going AWOL, so they didn’t really have a choice.”

“Why didn’t you bolt?” asked Nick curiously.

“Well, at first it was because I really believed in what we were doing. That was when we were still trying to stabilize Iraq, but now that we have gone on to start fighting with Iran and North Korea, it is because I really think that if we don’t stand up to them, then the rest of the world won’t either, and as tired as a I of fighting this war, it is inevitable. Still some days I just want to hall ass and get the hell out of dodge.”

“I bet.”

A comfortable silence fell across the room as the four guys started to organize their things. After getting everything out of the middle of the floor, they all lay down on their beds and stared at the ceiling. Brian, Nick and AJ were all thinking the same thing. Could they be stop lossed? Even if they weren’t active duty, when their six months was over out here, could they be forced to stay longer? It was a question they we all too afraid to ask.