Pakosta drew in breath, a ball of energy stuck on a desert road, a vast stretch of night surrounding him.
‘So, these brothers. These psychos, playing normal in their French farm, see this announcement in the papers that whoever killed this first person probably also killed this second person — which isn’t true, right, we know this. But they learn about this, because the whole thing has everyone interested, and they realize, fuck, we didn’t kill no woman. Uh uh. Not us. So what do they do?’
Pakosta held his arms open, turned about, offered the question to the others.
‘Come on. What do they do? What would you do? They’re up for two killings not one. So, they only go back to the same city, right when this film is being made because, I forgot to say, because it’s all based in fact, and pick up a woman, completely random, and kill her. Because they’ve already been accused of a second murder anyway.’
Watts slowly shook his head. Kiprowski stood with his arms folded over his chest, and Rem, who at least had seen the film, decided not to speak.
Pakosta looked about for support, confirmation. ‘It’s out now. Just before we came here. Look it up. Go online. What I’m telling you is true. They were making this film about these brothers and while they were making it they came back and they killed someone.’
Everyone agreed that this was publicity.
Rem looked out to the desert anticipating stars, a horizon, a suggestion of life through some hint of light. Instead the moon blotted the sky black, kept the land dense, undiscoverable. Nothing out there to be seen.
* * *
JONNIEWATTS92: did you hear about the samuels?
CATHYGUNNERS: Doug?
JONNIEWATTS92: doug & marsha right they were in a fight someone didn’t like a sticker on their car —- totalled
…
…
CATHYGUNNERS: When was this? How did you hear?
JONNIEWATTS92: he was online a couple of days ago i wondered if you’d heard
CATHYGUNNERS: They stopped writing. I haven’t heard any of this.
JONNIEWATTS92: last week drove into the local Dominics with an i-heart-our-troops sticker i don’t know maybe jesus-hearts-iraq and some loon rammed them and knocked them one side of the parking lot to the other
CATHYGUNNERS: No?
JONNIEWATTS92: seriously!!!!
CATHYGUNNERS: Because of the bumper sticker?
JONNIEWATTS92: supposedly i wouldn’t put it past the old man to have given some verbal
CATHYGUNNERS: Because of a bumper sticker?
JONNIEWATTS92: that’s not the worst of it they smacked the car two or three times — Doug Samuels managed to jump out and the person kept ramming the car with his wife still in it, all he could do was watch
CATHYGUNNERS: I can’t believe it. Who did this?
JONNIEWATTS92: god’s truth someone who’d come out of wholefoods — a woman — just saw the bumper sticker and went postal — thing is, Marsha Samuels has some kind of dementia — no clue what was going on
JONNIEWATTS92: apparently she’s ok — shaken up but ok
CATHYGUNNERS: Just awful.
…
…
JONNIEWATTS92: i don’t tell anyone about paul — no one’s business
CATHYGUNNERS: You don’t talk about your brother?
JONNIEWATTS92: not worth the grief
CATHYGUNNERS: I’m sorry to hear that. Is this among friends?
JONNIEWATTS92: work friends everyone just about
JONNIEWATTS92: not worth the trouble
can’t handle it
his wife’s pregnant
…
…
CATHYGUNNERS: Because it makes life easier?
JONNIEWATTS92: even family
JONNIEWATTS92: easier?
JONNIEWATTS92: they don’t like the idea of him being there
CATHYGUNNERS: In Iraq?
…
JONNIEWATTS92: pretty much
JONNIEWATTS92: not worth the trouble
JONNIEWATTS92: what about you? how does your family handle this
CATHYGUNNERS: There’s only my family. Rem’s family are in Europe. My sister just married. I don’t know what she really thinks. It all came out of the blue. It doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t know.
JONNIEWATTS92: so …
JONNIEWATTS92: … he just went?
CATHYGUNNERS: Pretty much
JONNIEWATTS92: … and you don’t want him there?
CATHYGUNNERS: It’s not easy to answer that.
…
…
CATHYGUNNERS: It’s different for me. Rem’s parents aren’t alive, his brothers and sisters are in Europe. His family is big and they all do different things. I don’t know if it would matter if they had a problem with it. I don’t think that would be an issue.
JONNIEWATTS92: but you don’t want him there?
CATHYGUNNERS: I guess I don’t
…
…
…
…
CATHYGUNNERS: What about you? What about Paul?
…
…
CATHYGUNNERS: I don’t mean to upset you.
CATHYGUNNERS: This is just how I feel about it.
[JONNIEWATTS92 has left the chatroom]
…
…
[CATHYGUNNERS has left the chatroom]
* * *
On the second day a message came through from Southern-CIPA that Highway 80 was now open for traffic heading north. Markland sounded blasé. They would see the results in about three hours. If they kept to their post until then, an army vehicle would bring the last convoy through.
As always with CIPA another message arrived within the hour. The final convoy from Kuwait would arrive at Camp Liberty at 02:00 Zulu, and they would need volunteers to accompany the drivers as there was no security.
* * *
The traffic stopped two hours after the notification of the convoy. Both Kiprowski and Chimeno waited at the compound entrance.
Rem took the opportunity to speak with Amer Hassan.
Hassan answered the door and stepped aside for Rem to enter. The two beds, both made, both tidy, and so close that once they sat down their legs interlocked. Rem found himself embarrassed, uncertain how he should start the discussion.
‘I have made a decision. I have no choice. I have to leave. I was recognized. The men in the car will tell everyone I am working for the Americans.’ Hassan paused, looked quickly at Rem. ‘At Southern-CIPA I always covered my face. Then, one day, they said that the interpreters cannot cover their faces any more. They killed two interpreters. The same day. My wife and children are in Britain. My son is very sick. My father and my brothers are here. I should not have come. I have placed my family in very serious trouble.’
‘We can help.’
‘You cannot help.’ Hassan briskly shook his head. ‘There is nothing you can do.’ He looked up. ‘Everything makes trouble. You give our names to the Ministry of Finance, who sell this information to anyone. Anyone can find our names. Sooner or later.’
‘You could stay here?’
‘And what about my family?’