The End of the Beginning

by Eichholz, Zachary

  Even though it was getting very late and another early morning start was tomorrow, William took his rental bicycle as if he were in the Tour de France and made his way to the rescue officer barracks near his own quarters to find his wasteful team member. Each of the barracks was made from prefabricated modular two person rooms. They were four stories tall, had white walls, a clear window for each room, blue doors, and gray grated open-air walkways to reach them.

  William doubled-stepped up the open stairs to the fourth floor where the Mamedov brother’s room was at the west end of the east, west running building. Windows were all mostly dark and except for the squeaking and creaking of some tree frogs and bugs the area was quiet. This quietness made it easier for William to hear the shouts coming from the Mamedov’s room as he drew closer. Light was coming from the window but the curtains were drawn. The shouting was not that of an argument but something more violent. Banging added to William’s concern for what could have been happening behind the blue door. William knocked. No answer. The shouting got worse, with more bangs and the sounds of things falling.

  William knocked louder and said, “This is Captain Emerson, please open the door!” Still no answer and more shouting, yelling, bangs. “Open the door now! This is an order!” Again nothing, nothing except a bang on the door from the inside and yelling in Russian. “If you do not open the door I will use my master code to open the door!”

  As a senior officer he had a master code given to him so that he could manually override certain biometric locks depending on the locks security level; this one being at the barracks he would have no problem entering. William questioned whether or not to alert ISAF to the situation first but by the time they got there whatever was going on inside could already be over in a bloody way.

  “I am coming in! Stand back!”

  He typed in his code on a small keypad underneath the thumbprint scanner. The door clicked open. Inside were two beds on the left and right sides of the long, narrow room with connecting desk at the back wall. A mini-fridge was in the right front corner below the window and shelving was over both beds, some of which was knocked down. The door was at the front left corner of the room. William had to force it open as a dresser had been tipped over to block it.

  Samir was holding Sergey down by the throat on the left bed; in his hand was an uncapped pen. Sergey was trying to desperately call for help in Russian, grabbing at Samir's face to get him off. Both men were sweating and both looked to be hurt, with bruises and scratches on their necks and faces. Sergey’s nose was bleeding. William rushed over to grab Samir’s pen-wielding hand.

  “Samir, get off him!” shouted William, lunging over to break up the altercation. Combat training kicked in from his Air Force days. William grabbed Samir’s arm and threw him off the bed, yanking the pen from him, putting him flat on the floor face down.

  “What the hell are you doing, rescue officer? What are you doing? Get a hold of yourself!”

  Samir did not fight back but William took no chances and restrained Samir’s arms behind his back as he crouched down on top of him. Curses in Russian were all that were coming from his mouth as he looked up at his frightened brother in the doorway.

  William saw Sergey and shouted, “What the hell happened? Why was he attacking you?”

  Sergey stuttered in Russian at first, with his head looking away from the room.

  “Rescue Officer, Mamedov, what the hell happened? After seeing this ISAF is coming no matter what so you either talk to them or me first!”

  Sergey gave his testament emotionally. “I was sitting at my desk and we were talking about him and not helping or caring or doing anything. Then he just attacked me. He threw me to the bed and started hitting me and yelling. I tried to call for help but he threw my earpiece away and ripped my glass tag off.”

  “He just attacked you? Samir, is this true?”

  Samir was still on the ground underneath William, staring at Sergey with a look of anger that consumed his face in a cloak of rage.

  “Yes, sir, it is true,” said Samir surprisingly calmly over the rage, never taking his eyes off his brother.

  William did not expect him to confess so quickly.

  “Listen to me, both of you, but especially you, Samir. This is really the last straw for you. I need to report this to my superiors and ISAF. This is ridiculous. Sergey, stay outside till ISAF gets here, please. Samir, sit up on the bed. You’ll be lucky if you’re here by the end of the week.”

  William picked Samir up off the floor and let him sit on the bed. He showed no rage or fear anymore and stared at the wall, face blank. Sergey started to enter the room again to reach for something under the fallen dresser but William saw him and told him to get out.

  With the situation finally under some kind of control William called ISAF over his earpiece, “ISAF.”

  Seconds later, “This is ISAF HQ, go ahead please, Captain Emerson.”

  “Yeah, can I get security over to rescue officer barrack six, room 403, please? I got a fight that needs to be taken care of. At least one participant of altercation is to be considered dangerous and hostile to themselves and others.”

  “Roger, sir, assistance will be there shortly.”

  “Thank you.”

  William sat across from Samir and shook his head. “Samir, what the hell have you done? You could have had a chance with all this. This could have been an opportunity of a lifetime for you and now… this. I wanted to help you but now I don't know what I can do.”

  “Captain, ISAF just arrived,” Sergey shouted from outside.

  “Thank you, Sergey. When they get up here tell them everything. Don't make any of this more difficult.”

  “Yes, sir. I am truly sorry about all this, sir.”

  “It's okay, rescue officer, it wasn't your fault. Just stay outside, okay.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  From down the open walkway through the door William heard the heavy boots of approaching guardsmen. William heard them address Sergey, asking him what had transpired; then one entered the room, heavily armed with a P90, wearing white body armor and black padding. He was holding zip tie handcuffs.

  In a sadden address, William told them everything that he had seen and what he had had to do. The guardsman recorded it all on his glass tablet. Another guardsman came in to handcuff Samir, tending to his wounds afterwards on the bed. Through the talking in the room William heard another set of boots walking towards the room and to his dismay it was the boots of Major Hansen.

  “What the hell is going on in here, Emerson? I get a call from ISAF about a disturbance with some members of Delta Group and then I walk into a sausage fest. What happened?”

  William apprised him of the situation, Hansen getting redder and redder the more he was told. At the end of it he walked over to Samir and made him look up to his red face.

  “Rescue Officer Samir Mamedov,” he said, “I hope you're happy with yourself, mate, because by tomorrow this bed will be occupied by someone else and your ass will be on a jet back to Russia. Your actions since your arrival with UNIRO are not indicative of the kind of people we want working here. You’ll be fixed up and will sleep in the brig tonight while your things are collected for you.”

  “In ISAF Headquarters?” whispered Samir.

  “Where else?” sassed Hansen.

  Samir did not say anything. A look of fear returned to him. Hansen motioned for the guardsmen to remove him from the room.

  “Get him outta here. He needs to get some sleep. His plane leaves at oh nine hundred. Rescue Officer Sergey Mamedov, get this room spotless for your new bed buddy. Your captain here will make sure that happens and will come back and check.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Sergey obediently.

  Everyone left the room. Major Hansen went first, then William, then the two ISAF guardsmen. One guided Samir out with his hand on his shoulder. Samir’s hands were cuffed in front of him. Samir kept his head down, looking at the grated floor. Sergey remained behind th
em all, standing near his rooms open door, watching his brother be taken away, not knowing how long it would be till he saw him again. William knew their parents, if they could see this, would be devastated. Suddenly, Samir abruptly stopped. He looked up to William in front of him.

  “Captain Emerson,” he said faintly.

  Everyone stopped when he said this. The guardsman still had his hand on Samir’s shoulder. William and Hansen and the other guardsman were no more than six feet in front of Samir. LED light bars overhead illuminated them all in a kind of back alley feel, like gangs meeting to settle a score or start a turf war.

  To everyone’s shock, Samir started chuckling and he grinned, almost with happiness. “Captain, I wish I could have been a member of your team, I really do. But know this, you are helping. You have rescued me.”

  “Excuse me?” William said, perplexed.

  “You said you wished to help and you have, thank you. Thank you,” Samir nodded.

  “What are you talking about, Rescue Officer?” asked Hansen.

  “I don't want to do it anymore. No matter what you may think of me sir, I am a good person. I know I am. I was forced to do wrong. I was forced, facing punishments worse than death from them. And now, I see I won’t be able to escape those punishments. There is no place to go to get away from them...”

  Hansen was growing very frustrated with Samir’s behavior now. “What the hell are you tal - ”

  “Wait, stop. Let him finish,” cut off William, not even realizing who he had cut off in the moment.

  “They are already here, Captain. Soon, more will come.”

  “Calm down, Rescue Officer, calm down. Who is coming?” William asked.

  “I’m sorry. This is all I can do.”

  Samir nodded his head, looking at peace. It was all so bizarre. Hansen and William slowly started to approach him. Samir took his elbow and jammed it into the ISAF guardsman’s abdomen and shoved him into the wall. Still handcuffed, he awkwardly made his way over the handrailing of the walkway, throwing one leg over at a time until he was sitting on the bar.

  “Nooo! Stop! Wait, wait Samir!” shouted William running over.

  Samir slid off the edge but William grabbed his clasped hands before he fell.

  “I’m not letting you go. You hear me, Samir?” gritted William. “I’m not letting go.”

  Samir looked up through his outstretched arms and zip tied hands into William’s straining eyes. William’s torso was being crushed into the handrailing holding Samir’s weight. Hansen grabbed onto William’s jacket. The two men groaned.

  “Use this, sir,” Samir whispered peacefully. “Find what needs to be found. This is only the end of the beginning.”

  Samir thrust his hands free of William’s and fell, four stories to the concrete ground.

  CHAPTER 39: More Of Who

  It all had happened in seconds. Sergey ran to the handrail and looked at his brother. His body was already dead on the pavement below, mangled in an unnatural position.

  “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Why did you do that?” Sergey asked, speaking to his brother four stories below. “Samir, why did you do that?”

  William, Major Hansen, and the guardsmen could not do anything.

  “Ah Shit,” muttered Hansen.

  It had been a long time since William had encountered death and it made him remember how much he hated it. Cradling his face in his hands, leaning over the handrail, he did not know what to do. Sergey started to cry and pushed everyone aside as he made his way down to the ground floor, somehow hoping his brother was still alive when he got down there.

  Major Hansen looked at William and said the nicest thing William had ever heard him say, “Captain, I’m sorry.”

  The guardsmen radioed in for a medical team and more guards to cordon off the area.

  “If… you would like I can tell his family.”

  “No, Major, I’ll do it. He was under my command, my squadron.”

  “Very well.”

  Boots pounding away, the major left to go downstairs with the two guardsmen, leaving the stunned captain alone on the walkway…

  Why did he just do that? Why? I’ve lost an officer. I let him go. What made him jump? Who was he talking about? They. Who are they? They’re coming. They’re coming. Thou art amongst traitors. They’re co- Terra Nova…”

  William stood there looking down until a UNIRO Medical team arrived, along with ten more guardsmen. Two were stationed at the Mamedov’s room, the rest were down below. Caution tape soon surrounded the small plaza around the barracks. ISAF investigators began taking photos.

  A crowd of other rescue officers had grown on the open walkways, who were also looking down at what was now effectively a crime scene. Major Hansen noticed this. He grabbed a megaphone from his Blazer and screamed, “Everyone back to your rooms, now! Training ain’t stopping for this. Get some sleep. If any of you are late because of this tomorrow cause you overslept, and I hear about it, you’ll end up in worse shape than what you’re looking at now!”

  Chief Hernandez drove up. Hammond and her escorts arrived seconds later. The time was 11:57 p.m. Hernandez caught sight of William watching over the scene. He whistled loudly, catching William’s attention. He motioned for him to come down.

  “Chief,” panted William as he jogged towards Hernandez. “Chief, I don’t know how this could have happened. There was a fight and then Sa - ”

  “Okay amigo, slow down. From the beginning, please.”

  “I came here to…” William stopped when Hammond walked up beside Hernandez. He felt deep animosity for her now and his glare at her showed it.

  “I believe, Captain, you are supposed to come to attention in the presence of a superior officer,” she said.

  William reluctantly drew himself to attention. “Ma’am.”

  “At ease. Please, continue. Give us every detail.”

  “Samir just killed himself,” William screamed in Hammond’s face. “What more detail do you need? He just killed himself because… Because…”

  Hammond wasn’t phased by the screaming. Her face was stoic. “Because what, Captain?”

  “Because he knew something, something he thought was going to hurt him. He said that they were here and that more were coming.”

  “More of who?”

  William looked at Hernandez, trying to calm down. Hernandez lightly shook his head just out of Hammond’s sight.

  “More of who?” demanded Hammond.

  “Perhaps now is not the time, Commander,” said Hernandez, stepping in between William and Hammond. “There will be time for interrogations where we will more accurately learn what happened tonight. ISAF will do a full and thorough investigation being that this happened on base. All press will be directed through me. No UNIRO personnel should be allowed to comment about what happened so as to prevent rumors and a misinterpretation of events.”

  “We have sixty-eight days left ‘til we open this organization,” stated Hammond resolutely. “This will not get in the way of that fact. You have sixty-eight days to get this investigation finished and on my desk and to UNIRO Command in San Francisco. Is that understood, Chief?”

  “To be proper and thorough this investigation may take more than sixty-eight days ma’am. We must exercise patience and - ”

  “Sixty-eight days, Chief,” Hammond insisted one final time before walking back to her vehicle with her escorts. As she got in, she stood up on the doorstep and shouted back, “Captain, never speak to me like that again. Training your mouth is just as important as training your body. Don’t bloody forget it.”

  “I hate her,” muttered William so that only Hernandez could hear.

  “Don’t hate,” said Hernandez with an equally small of voice, “cooperate. That is all you can do at this point. It’s all you should do. Your team will be looking to you in this difficult time. Be there for them and not drifting to find something that may not even be there. Do not take yourself away from them. Leave this investigation to ISAF and
me. Please Will.”

  “But she - ”

  “No, Captain. No. You have done more than enough already. Go home. Get some rest. Please. I will keep you apprised of every development. You have my word.”

  William shook his head, sighing deeply. He looked over at Samir’s now covered body. He had not felt this infuriated in years. The exhaustion of the day though was hitting him.

  “Fine,” breathed William. “Fine.”

  “Okay, amigo. I will see you soon. Okay?”

  “Yeah. Sure. Thank you, Chief.”

  They shook hands, then Hernandez walked away towards Samir and the investigators. But William did not move from where he stood. He was in too much shock. Witnessing this suicide made him cringe at the thought that at one time he wanted to do the exact same thing. What a waste. A month into training and he was already down a team member. Fixated on his thoughts he was startled when John came up behind him.

  “Hey, Will.”

  “Ahh, Doc, you scared me again.”

  “Sorry, Will. I was called to take a look at Samir and I saw you here. I just thought you would like some company. Are you okay?”

  “It's dumb Doc, really freaking dumb. He should have come to me sooner for help. He should have talked to someone. He shouldn’t have jumped… He shouldn’t have felt alone.”

  “It's frustrating, isn't it? Shows you why I felt so strongly about a certain someone I know who was doing the same thing…” John gave William a nudge of his elbow. William chuckled for just a second.

  “Yeah, I feel your pain now. But you saved me from my proverbial fall. I didn’t save him. I’ve already messed up.”

  “It wasn’t your fault, Will. No one could have seen this happening. Not even his brother it seems.”

  “Doc, it was crazy. He thanked me…”

  “What did he thank you for?”

  “That's the thing, I don't know. He appeared, happy, to jump and get away from, someone. He kept saying they. They were coming. He was also sorry, sorry for helping whoever they are. Right before he jumped he said to use this. It was like he wanted me to find something, to search for something. I think he was thanking me because I gave him a chance to jump.”