Day 12: Australian Afghan Herb Research Centre, Kandahar Province - Afghanistan, Late Evening.
There was a crash and then dragging sounds from down the hall and Sallay was instantly on his feet and running toward the visitors room of the Bunker. He nearly knocked Russ over as Russ burst from the kitchen then fell in behind Sallay. Allison came out carrying the kitchens fire extinguisher, always a handy weapon in an emergency.
Sallay stopped in the doorway and Russ stuck his head over Sallay’s right shoulder. Allison stood behind them turning occasionally and checking back up the corridor, just in case.
“Who is he,” asked Sallay without turning his head. “A Deepwater contract truck driver, Leroy Harris of the US of A, and that’s all!”
“Doesn’t look like a truck driver to me,” added Sallay as Russ finally got a clear view into the room. The cot was empty and turned over on it’s side with the underside facing the open door. The small bedside set of drawers had been dragged behind the bed to help prop it up and Russ could just make out part of Harris’s right shoulder, left hand and tufts of bedraggled hair behind the dresser as Harris tried to keep hidden.
“It’s all right son, we’ve been looking after you. You’re safe here!” Sallay said quietly with as much care as he could project into his voice.
“Fuck off! I ain’t no genies play thing. You try your medical experiments on me and your dead meat!”
“What the f….” began Russ but Sallay cut him off. “We’re an Ag Station son, nothing medical here other than first aid. You’re safe! No terrorists, no genies, just us dull, boring farmers!”
Russ saw the shoulder disappear and the hand move to the side of the dresser as the tufts of hair slowly rose up followed by the haggard face he’d last seen soft in sleep. Now it was contorted with fear and stained with dust from under the dresser and his tears.
Leroy looked furtively around the room as if something or someone would grab him at any moment. “You got any weapons here?”
“A couple of rifles and shotguns for farm work that’s all. We don’t need the military here! The locals respect us and take care of that side of things!”
“Yeah, bullshit! The locals are fucked, this countries fucked, we’re all fucked!” He quickly scanned the room again but his movements were less furtive, less panicked.
“Ya hungry mate?” asked Russ still looking over Sallay’s shoulder, “and I’d offer you coffee but this bloke here puts chili in it. Doesn’t always burn your tongue off but close, depending on what mood he’s in!”
Leroy turned and stared at Russ, “you aussie?” “Yeah mate, we all are. Australian Afghan Ag Research Station, why?”
“Cause I never met an aussie who wasn’t fucked in the head somehow and I never met one I didn’t like.” He stood up slowly then leant quickly on the dresser. Russ pushed passed Sallay ignoring Allison’s warning and rushed over to help Leroy.
“Ya right mate,” Leroy looked up with tears streaming down his face, “does it look it mother fucker. Where’s this shit coffee?”
Russ helped him stand then Leroy brushed his help aside, then nearly fell over again. Sallay and Allison pulled the cot upright and pushing the dresser out of the way they helped Leroy to sit on the cot.
“Fuckin’ headache man. It’s like someones put my old engineering workshop inside me head!” Leroy put both hands to his head as Russ squatted down in front of him. “The med bloke I spoke to said it’s best to sleep off the headaches that happen after an Incarna encounter. I reckon give the coffee a miss and let me slip you some pills instead!”
Leroy slowly lift his head and managed a smile, “ha, I’m one of those poor bastards that coffee helps sleep, so walk me to your poison I feel like I’ve been locked in a box for weeks!”
Russ didn’t know whether that was the truth or an attempt at some form of humour. He helped Leroy to his feet and this time Leroy steadied himself leaning on Russ’s shoulder as they walked slowly to the kitchen.
“Ya’ll really just farmers?” he asked as he sat slowly at their kitchen table.
“Ag researchers really. I’ve a botany degree, Allison here is an ag historian and writer come tech head. And this is Sallay whose grandad came from this area and now he’s come back to Kandahar to help with reconstruction.
Leroy smiled a thanks as Sallay poured him a small cup of the fragrant dark black coffee. He bathed his face in the steam rising off the cup and smiled. He sipped it and grinned, “yeah, fucked in the head all you aussies!” He sipped the pungent brew again then took a long slow breath.
“And ya got no Deepwater boys involved here?” Russ looked at Sallay who shrugged. “We don’t like them,” cut in Allison, “too full of themselves and never interested in listening to the locals. You have to listen if you want to teach!”
Leroy turned to her, “you folks don’t need a driver and engineer by any chance do ya? I reckon I could do with a less risky job!”
“What, you wanna stay here after being a hostage for three months and then go through an Incarna intervention …” blurted out Russ.
“Well, that’d make me fucked in the head then too hey! Kinda like an honorary aussie huh?”
They all laughed at this and Russ went to slap Leroy on the shoulder but Allison grabbed his hand, “yeah sorry!”
“Yeah now I can sleep! Do me a favour though don’t let Deepwater take me away. I’ve seen what they do to anyone they’re interested in. They’ll take samples of every organ in my body and put me under obs for three months.”
Sallay turned to him and with a serious expression, “I have an aussie security friend who owes me a favour now, what about them debriefing you, here, with us?”
Leroy nodded slowly and stood even slower, “yeah reckon I could do that, but ah need to sleep now!”
They helped him back to his cot and watched him crash as soon as his head hit the pillow. Russ turned to Sallay. “So you’re not going home now?” Sallay pulled a face and tilted his head from side to side a few times.
“Things just got interesting, and I want to see how Barden will cope with this. Kinda like, White Queen takes Black Kings Rook and check!”
“You smart arsed bastard Sarlie!” Sallay ushered them out of the visitors room and pushed the door to. “If he likes my coffee, he must be good bloke, and I’ve decided I want to find out what these Incarna are!”