Gitmo 47: Drive-by

I could hardly keep myself from falling over. So we got the truck. I used the PA on the truck. “Hamdi, Mustafa, exit your homes, now. You’re going to walk to the Sheriff’s office, turn yourselves in. The alternative is that I call in the Army to escort you. I’m in no mood to fuck around.”

Mustafa came out first, with his hands up. “You’re a dumb ass,” I told him, and he put down his hands, and hung his head.

Hamdi waited. He wanted me to have to call him a second time. Instead, I keyed the PA at the same time as my radio to the TOC. “This is the Sheriff, calling in to Fort Gates, we’ve got a sit-” and with that Hamdi scurried out onto the sidewalk. “Situation’s normal at the moment, but if it gets all fucked up, I’ll let you know.”

Hamdi and Mustafa started to march. I kept the Bronco crawling behind them. When they arrived at the station, I flashed my brights at them and they stopped. Monty got out of the passenger side and unlocked the door. He kept his distance behind them, and the shotgun between.

I parked the Bronco and get inside quick as I could move. Per my instruction, Monty had waited to put them in the cell with the others until I arrived. Once I was there to cover him, Monty unlocked the cell door. “Y’all stand back; I been itching for some trigger practice.”

They stood back, but he was shaking. Mustafa walked in without a word. 

“You look like you’re about to fall over,” Hamdi said with a smile.

“You at all familiar with the spread pattern of a shotgun at this distance?” I asked him. “For you, it’d be like I shoved both my hands through your chest; for them,” I pointed to the men in the cell, “well, all manner of pain and disfigurement. I would gladly and kindly shoot you, without an ounce of remorse; but I would feel badly about them back-stopping my shot. For me, it’d be a regrettable necessity, but for you it’d be avoidable stupidity, verging on hubris.” His smile faded.

“I was, merely concerned for your well-being.”

“Given you’re responsible for the deplorable state of my well-being, I kind of doubt it. But if it means you ain’t going to try and get yourself killed and these other men shot, then I am happy as I can be, under the circumstances.”

Hamdi stepped inside, and Monty got the door latched behind him. I felt safer already.