Free Battlecraft (2006) by Jack - Seals 03 Terral Page A

mission.
    The previously defiant mujahideen, after being caught in the murderous cross fire of a cleverly laid ambush, were crestfallen and frightened. They hadn't even had time to kill any of the enemy before the paratroop detachment opened up on them. What was supposed to have been a quick but bright victory had turned into a noisy scene of death as bursts of automatic-weapons fire plowed into them. They had been stunned into inaction by the unexpected onslaught.
    No food or water was provided for the prisoners during the first twenty-four hours of confinement, and the police had begun to pull them out of the cell one by one for interrogation. Mike knew the reason behind this method; a comfortable prisoner can be a defiant prisoner under even rigorous interrogation. But someone who is stunned, hungry, and thirsty is aware of the power his captors have over him. It gives the captive a feeling of isolation and hopelessness.
    Each of these periods of questioning had gone on for close to an hour, and when the captives were dragged back to the cell, they showed signs of additional mistreatment above and beyond that which they had already endured. Mike was the last, and when they pushed him out of the cell block, he fervently hoped the cops had expended most of their energy beating his predecessors.
    He was wrong.
    The two guards who had fetched him shoved him into the interrogation room, sat him down in a chair, tied him to it, then took turns punching him in the face. They didn't hit him hard enough to break his jaw or nose, but when they finished smacking him around, blood poured from his nostrils and his face was badly bruised. The initiation process didn't stop until an officer entered the room. He walked to a spot in front of the prisoner and glared at him with all the hatred he had for the foreign troublemakers in his country.
    "Where are you from?" he asked in Arabic.
    Mike knew he would never be able to pass as a citizen of an Arab country, so he quickly spoke up, saying, "I from America."
    The Pakistani sneered. " Hakkan --truly?" Then he asked in English. "Where in America are you from?"
    "New York," Mike replied, using his cover story. "I lived in Buffalo."
    The Pakistani's eyes opened wide. "By Allah! You are an American!"
    "Yes, sir."
    The Pakistani laughed loudly. "So you are what they call a Johnny Jihad, eh? Well, my fine fellow, we have special instructions on what to do when we get our hands on a Johnny Jihad." He spoke over Mike's head to the two policemen. They also roared with laughter, and one slapped him hard across the back of his head.
    "Is it really necessary to punch me so much?" Mike asked.
    "Of course it is," the Pakistani said. "We will turn you over to the American Embassy and you can go home where they will coddle you and read you your rights, then put you in a nice comfortable American penitentiary with color television. We hear they even bring in whores for the convicts' enjoyment." He scowled. "But until you get there, we'll make your miserable life a hell on earth."
    It took all of Mike Assad's inner strength and self-control to bear up under the beating that followed. He could tell they weren't hitting him hard enough to cause permanent damage, but it hurt worse than if they were trying to really kick his ass bad. He wasn't going to faint or pass out under open-handed slaps and kicks to his shins.
    The three Pakistanis wore themselves out after twenty fun-filled minutes, and Mike was untied and dragged to another part of the jail to be thrown into solitary confinement.

    Chapter 5.
    PATROL BOAT 22
    SOUTH CHINA SEA
    VICINITY OF 7deg NORTH AND 110deg EAST
    25 SEPTEMBER
    1600 HOURS LOCAL
    COMMANDER Carlos Batanza sat on the bridge of Patrol Boat 22 waiting patiently for the expected contact with the SS Jakarta and its arms shipment. He leisurely smoked a cigarette as his executive officer supervised the watch on duty.
    Batanza was proud of his vessel even though she was a third-hand purchase by