The Unexpected

Chapter 3

Jack turned to the two people in the backseat and reminded them again of what they could and couldn't do once they reached the market.

 "So remember, no filming any people or businesses without their permission. And under no circumstances do you speak to any of the women in the market, the culture here is different and you could get them killed if you do. Speak to the men only." He looked back and forth between the well known tv journalist and his cameraman from The UK. "If any of us, " Jack motioned to the 2 other RAF personel that were with them, "gives you an order, you follow it immediately. Disregard for orders puts us all in jeopardy and that doesn't sit well with me. Are we understood?"

The men nodded their understanding as The Warthog turned onto the crowded street. A large crowd of civilians were mingling and moving back and forth between the little shops and produce carts that were set up under canvas tarps to keep the sun off of them. The narrow market street was walled by plain, plaster like buildings that were tall enough to provide some shade from the late morning sun.  The odd car or mule driven cart came towards them and they managed to squeeze past one another without hitting anyone's cart or any people. To Jack it was old hat, but the news man and his co-worker were looking out the windows in amazement of the controled chaos that unfolded around their armoured vehicle.

 The vehicle pulled over towards the end of the street where the crowd was much thinner and there was some room to park near a tall wooden fence. Jack got out of the passenger seat where he'd been sitting, and quickly closed the door before opening the rear one. Another service man jumped out of the back followed by the TV anchor and the camera guy. "Keep the lense of that camera pointed at the ground when you're not filming," Jack reminded him. Looking through to the driver, he added, "We'll be back at 1300 hours." The driver nodded his understanding and Jack turned to lead the media visitors into the market; the other service man brought up the rear and they both kept their rifles pointed down but their hands remained in position, ready to respond if they needed to.

His tension rose as they got into the thick of the crowd and merchants began to push their goods on the group of men. The noise of the market always had Jack on high alert, he had trouble hearing info coming through his earpiece here, which only added to the tension . The Pashto that was spoken  here he didn't comprehend, and the eager manner that they used to sell their wares made Jack focus on body language and facial expressions to look for signs of aggression.

He led them through the maze of stands where people sold everything from baked goods to handmade clothing. Pushing through the crowds, they walked through an arched dorrway that was cut into one of the sand colored walls towards the back of the marketplace. Only a colourful sheet that hung in the doorway seperated them from the bustle of the outside world.

The allied forces always took the media to civilians that had been pre-screened for safety. It wasn't that they didn't want the truth to be revealed, but hostage takings and executions of visiting dignitaries, journalists and governement workers only caused more problems and fueled the debate on the controversial war. They had more important things to deal with than calming the world's nerves and anger because of some extremist's rash actions.

 Jack made sure to keep his focus on the male merchant and not the young veiled woman that sat behind the counter of the empty shop. Jack greeted the man with a "Good morning" in Farsi. The merchant nodded at Jack and he could finally hear the conversation between his driver and the command center that was monitoring their excursion. He stepped aside  to allow the journalist and cameraman to do their job, while his counterpart manned the door outside.

The merchant called to the back when the TV journalist asked him his first question. Jack watched, at the ready, as a young man emerged from the back. He stopped in the door when he saw Jack, and without taking his eyes off of him, he spoke to the older man. When the older man responded, the young man's expression relaxed slightly as he turned to the journalist and said in fairly good English, "You have questions for my father?"