Interdiction, W.Addison Gast [room on the broom read aloud .txt] 📗

street beggar but look at his djellabas.”
“What about it?” Asked Raj now standing only inches away from Haydar’s face.
“He is not as he would want us to think. He is not a beggar I will assure you. His clothes are pure white and appear to be flattened with the hot plate.”
“It is called an iron Haydar. It is used on laundry in the western world and in the business world of our larger cities.”
At this, Raj smiled and motioned with his arm to come with him back to the van.
As the two returned to the van, the students were still assembled close to the door waiting to get on and sit once again in the air conditioning. As Raj came around the back of the van with Haydar only a few feet behind him he reached down and took the hand of the beggar who now stood up straight as a board and smiled at Raj. He was no old man he was young, athletic and trim.
“All of you. Come here and listen.” Raj commanded of the group.
“What can you tell me Conjari of this group here?” He asked of the beggar.
“Very talkative young men Raj, my brother. Very talkative indeed.
This one—they call Goat, he dislikes the water they bring from the well at the camp. This one, called Punji, longs to hear from his mother in Baghdad and has been away for a year and a half. He wants to back to Baghdad before he goes to America. I could tell you what the others said as well but it is the same. If this was to be a secret journey or where you are from or going, it would be useless. I know all about you and your group.” With a wave of the hand the beggar was gone.
The group stood motionless in fear after hearing the beggar.
“Idiots. All of you. Simple brainless, non observant stupid fools. Only the engineer here was observant enough to question this man the beggar. You all have much to learn yet to be considered worthy of a mission assignment.”
There was very little conversation in the van the remainder of the trip to the city.
The van pulled into a covered area between two buildings and sat for a moment. Raj left the van and instructed the group to stay seated and not talk while he was gone. After a bit the drivers hand radio crackled and he turned and instructed the group to leave the van and enter the house through the door that was only inches away from the side of the van. The van door was slide open and the house door opened immediately disclosing a large room with very little furniture. Raj was standing in the darkness of the room next to the large room and motioning the group forward. There was a small cellar door and stairs leading to a room beneath the house. A dim light provided only enough light to see the steps on the stairs. One by one the students dropped down to the darkened room only to find that it was not a room after all. It was the opening to a long tunnel that appeared to go under the street in front of the house. After walking with their heads lowered beneath the low overhead, the group came to a large room that was lighted and had three other people sitting at tables and in chairs. There were maps on the wall at one end and two computers on desks at the side. Several files were stacked on the one desk and several automatic weapons and a case of fragment grenades was in the corner .Hanging from a large rack in a small room like a closet, Haydar could see several RPG launchers and ammo.
“Engineer. Come sit with Umar here and learn the code.” Instructed Raj.
It was a very advanced computer and large monitor being used by the man called Umar. He was talking on the internet on a chat room and the dialogue was rolling by as the participants posted their talk/
Spitface-why do you think your school is the only one that has produced three professional quarterbacks in Texas?
Sarah has a big butt(different conversation by another person in the chat room to another)
Biker-do you have the disk for the dungeon game from vimar?(different conversation yet)
Skunkbreath-Name any other school that has that record in the last ten years in Texas or any state
It was endless chatter and to any adult meaningless. Just teens talking. It was an international room and several languages were being used but it was mostly American and English.
The operator then switched rooms and went to a Pakistani chat room-also for teenagers but the talk was different and in Pashto Suddenly, the operator behind the computer that was with Haydar wheeled around in his chair and informed the others in the room;
“Rat is online. He is in this chat room on schedule. Start the log for this session” The others in the room came over to the computer and almost pushed Haydar away in their excitement.
Rat-good to see you we have not talked for some time. Posted the technician on the computer by Haydar
I am pleased you are there skateboard. I wanted to tell you that my uncle finally got me my pet and he will bring it to me this coming week.
That is good news Rat. Will we ever get to see it? Will you be coming to our city to visit your relatives in the near future?
I have to make sure that my Uncle gets the pet then I will let you know Skateboard. I must go now. I am at the library and it costs money.
The entire transmission was in Pashto as were most of the other posts on the room
“He does not sound confident that he will have it by next week. I wonder why the delay?” Asked the operator of the other technicians.
“They must be very careful how they transport it I’m sure.” Responded the other technician.

Raj called for Haydar and the goat to join him by the map on the wall across the room. The others were told to observe the other technicians working on the computers and how to send and receive text messages on their cell phones. Raj pulled a large curtain across a wire strung in front of the map on the wall. The three were now sitting in front of the map and Raj started his briefing.
“This is a map of the Metropolitan Water district in Los Angeles California in the United States.” Began Raj
As he pointed to the top part of the map he explained how the entire population of Los Angeles depended on the water from the Colorado River to survive. The water was used for industry and most importantly, for consumption by the population of nearly three million people within a one hundred fifty mile radius of the city of L.A. On the map locations of the pumping stations and distribution stations were shown as small red squares. Each red square had a number beside it and another number in a circle. Raj then explained the mission that Goat and engineer had been trained for over the past five years. They were tasked with the responsibility of injecting into the water distribution system of this large American city, an element that would strike terror in the hearts and minds of every American infidel. They were to do this simultaneously with their other brothers doing similar work in other cities of the United States. The mission would make the September 11 attack on the world trade center look like a small undertaking.
“We have some more training to accomplish before we send you on this mission and you both will need to get located in your “cover” identities. Engineer, you and Goat are being “transferred” to the University of Texas in San Marcos Texas to continue your studies. You will learn how to blend in with the student population and become as “Americanized” as you possibly can so when you travel to the Los Angeles mission, you will not attract attention. You will be two foreign students traveling to see places in that country.”
Raj continued to explain how the two were to travel to the United States within the next month and start their preparations for the attack. They would not be able to talk to mullahs or enter any mosque while they are on this mission as that would draw attention.
Raj was interrupted by one of the technicians asking which of the students was to be first in taking the watch on the roof. The man who was sitting by the clothesline needed a relief.
“Brief these two here—engineer and goat and then rotate the others over the next four hours so that each has a turn at the duty.” Commanded Raj to the technician. With that, the man took Haydar and goat to the rooftop and instructed them what the duties of this sentry were. Stay observant of any and all movement around the building and alert the technicians if there was an American patrol or anything suspicious going on in the neighborhood. The man that had been standing the duty handed Haydar his weapon and went down the stairs to join the others in a cooler place to get time for a nap. Haydar and Goat were now alone on the rooftop.
“We have been assigned a very important mission Haydar. This accomplishment will make our families so very proud of us.”
“Yes Goat. This will be a large undertaking on our part but as Raj explained, we will have the support of our brothers who are already in place in America. This mission will not require for us to give our lives for the cause so we will be able to do things like this again to strike terror in the American population. No longer will they take our threats and promises lightly when we send them to the American media. There is a possibility that we may get to meet the supreme leader before we disembark. Raj told me that if he is in this area, it will happen.” Haydar then expressed to his friend the Goat what was also on his mind.
“I only wish that they would let me visit my mother in Tikrit before we leave. That is too much to hope for considering the secrecy required. “At the sound of the aircraft both Haydar and Goat switched their attention to the sky. It was a small white aircraft; obviously American and flying very slow at about five thousand feet above the city. It passed overhead and continued west. When it had gone to the other edge of the city, it turned and came back flying at the same altitude in the direction from where it came. It did not come back again.
At nightfall, the group was assembled and brought back to the training ground. It was after midnight and the group was surprised to find that they were now going to move to a different camp closer to the city. They would live in the local house for the next few days then depart for the Philippines where they would change planes for their trip to America. It was at this last location that they would stay at in Mazar I Sharif that they would learn the final details of their mission that would terrify the American population. It would take courage and dedication to complete this task but knowing that it had come to them directly from the supreme leader made the horrendous results that their work would have somewhat easier to live with. There was no doubt that Haydar had been the chosen one from the day that he