Chapter Two
The Commission
Ar Rutbah District
Al-Anbar Province, Iraq
Private Echelon Corporation Al Anbar Branch Office
September 3, 2004
September 3, 2004
0826 hour
A newspaper page headline shows 'Omar Hussaini has been Captured Alive'. Under the headline, the article starts with ," This morning, Omar Hussaini, an infamous Iraqi militia leader responsible for bombing and shooting spree on Al Anbar Province was captured by unknown commando-like forces. Currently, he is under US custody. According to rumors, the unknown forces involved is unlike what most usually see. They are.." 29 years old Chunin (Executive Officer) Nathaniel 'Nate' Toshiyuki Kato sips his coffee, glances then folds the newspaper, ready to continue to eat his pancake breakfast in his personal room. At his small oval wooden dinner table, beside his breakfast menu, a Sig Sauer P228 and its two ammunition clips laid as a prevention. Suddenly, a beautiful petite slim young Asian woman with long Asian mullet hairstyle and black office blouse enters the room. She seems to be unarmed, but actually she hides a Sig Sauer P229 and a sharp tanto, traditional Japanese dagger. " Good morning, Nate!" She asks, "How do the pancakes taste?" Nate answers, "Pretty nice, Shiori, I want it with chocolate syrup for tomorrow morning." Shiori says, " Sure, you'll get it. Now I'll read some report updates." It is Shiori Ito, she is Nate's personal bodyguard and secretary. In fact, she is the kunoichi, a female ninja, involved in the previous mission in Ramadi. It is advised not to underestimate her. She is sweet, soft spoken, petite and slim but they hide her hidden deadly ninjutsu and firearm skills. Her fighting skills is almost equal with Nate. Anybody moves or transmits a threatening gesture or moves toward Nate, though it is perceptive in nature, will experience her skills against them. Also, she cooks for Nate and herself to prevent poisoning except on restaurants. Other than Sam, Nate, trusted vice, she is the only person who is permitted to bring weapon inside Nate's room.
" Nate, the first is, Spy Team Six has successfully gathered some crucial information about Al-Shihab Militia next moves." Reports Shiori. " Good, send me the result then file it at the meeting room after I read it. Remember to keep it at the confidential storage. Go on." Says Nate. "Yes, Nate. And there was a call from Major General Richard Natonski. He refused to tell his purpose and told me it was confidential. He only wanted to talk directly to you." Says Shiori. " Ah, Major General Natonski, from 1st Marine Division.. Shiori, make phone connection to General Natonski's camp after I finish my breakfast." Shiori confirms and is ready to turn to get the documents that Nate had asked, 'Yes, Nate, is there anything else I can do for you?" Nate looks at Shiori and answers, "Yes, sit down here and join my breakfast. After all, this is your cooking, you deserve to get some of them. Let me hear from you about the base's trivial reports." Shiori smiles, answers, "Got it, domu arigatou, Nate." then she sits down sharing breakfast with Nate and the two are involved in conversation.
Outside Fallujah
Al Anbar Province, Iraq
Officer Room
Camp Baharia
September 3, 2004
September 3, 2004
0850 Hour
" Are you sure about this?" An American Officer asks. "You don't have to worry about it, James, everything's already calculated. No worry about it." Says General Natonski. " What about media? What are we gonna say if they find out that we use hired soldiers for it?" Asks the American officer. " Relax, here, read this.." Replies General Natonski. He gives General Mattis that morning's newspaper to read. General Mattis takes the newspaper and reads the headlines. 'Omar Hussaini has been Captured Alive', " This morning, Omar Hussaini, an infamous Iraqi militia leader....." General Natonski suddenly breaks silence, " Highlight this quote: 'was captured by unknown commando-like forces...' and underline the word 'unknown'." General Natonski continues, " The media writes 'Unknown', they say 'Don't Know' to what they don't know. If we and them don't provide information, nobody will know. The 'unknown' word will be written again." Again General Natonski continues, " James, the private military company we would give the contract has a different feature than the others. They adopt ancient centuries-aged art of war. They had already been experts on guerrila and unconventional warfare even before our country reached independence. Perhaps our special forces even derive their method and strategy from those men." General James replies, " Tell me the overview of your plan about involving that forces." General Natonski smiles mysteriously and says, " I want those militia to taste their own medicine."
Suddenly, a telephone on General Natonski's rings that is soon answered. " Yes, this General Natonski. Who? Link him to my phone." General Natonski, lowers his phone and says to General Mattis, " The security company we talked about is about on the phone." Then he raises the phone to his ear and a firm young man voice from the other side is heard, " Good morning, General Natonski, This is Nathaniel Kato, Private Echelon Executive Officer. You called my office this morning. Can I help you?" General Natonski replies, " Good morning, Mr. Kato. I have a contract offering for your company. But due to confidentiality of the contract, I am not able to send it through electronic mail and other conventional communication device. Can you come to my camp, Camp Baharia, outside Fallujah this afternoon? Around 13:00 to 14:00. I want you to come here in low profile, not a bragging motorcade." Nate answers, " Understood, sir. I will see you at the camp this afternoon." Followed by General Natonski, " Good, call my base radio frequency in case you are under attack during your way here. Use this code name: 'self-employed' to identify yourself." Nate replies, " Yes, sir." Then General Natonski puts the telephone. " James, we'll hold a meeting this afternoon."
Ar Rutbah District
Al-Anbar Province, Iraq
Private Echelon Corporation Al Anbar Branch Office
September 4, 2004
1139 hour
Three armored black BMW 7 E65 passes the base' main gate checkpoint. When the middle car is passing through a fortified checkpoint pillbox, all local Iraqi security guards walking around the guard post and outer bremer wall give salutation gestures. Inside the first and third car, four MP7A1 and ninjato armed genin ninjas in black suit and sunglasses as Nate's outer ring bodyguards while inside the second one, two ninjas in suit with Nate and Shiori at the backseat. Nate wears black formal satin suit and trouser with white shirt without tie whose wide collar is placed above the black suit under the suit. Behind his suit a kevlar vest is worn and a Sig Sauer P228 is holstered in front of the vest while his hands are put on his ninjato in black scabbard grip end that stands vertically between his feet with its tip stands on vehicle floor. Shiori sits on his left. She wears formal black office suit and pant, white blouse as well a pair of black heeled boots. She is armed with a Makarov pistol and her tanto as well several shuriken. Occasional reports from the other two cars and replies from the ninja on front seats constantly break silence. Bustling civilian and vehicles, children playing on sidewalk, tan square buildings, US and Iraqi government soldiers and patrolling police officers and their armored vehicles, tanks both ones run on streets or parked on the roadside as well their checkpoints are common views seen from inside the car. Suddenly, the three cars and civilians' around are forced to pullover to the left side of the street. All of vehicles on the street are pulled over to the right and the left leaving a wide space in the middle of the street as if they are making a way for someone or something that would pass. From the opposite side, a convoy of four comprised of two armored white ford rangers 1993 - 1997 and two reinforced brown Toyota Land Cruiser with opaque windshields pass through the wide corridor in medium speed appears. The Ford Ranger's rearbed was turned into a coaxial steel plates covered PKM machinegun turret including its square shield to cover its gunner, a local Iraqi personnel in dark blue battledress whose head is protected with a plain green PASGT helmet and whose face is covered with black balaclava and armor crew glass strapped to his helmets. He also wears kevlar bulletproof vests. While the Toyota Land Cruisers' rear window are turned into a makeshift armored PKM machine gun emplacement with a metal plate with smaller rectangular hole as peeping space and fire port embedded on its rear opening where windshield glass should be on. As Nate has guessed before, they are from another Private Security Company. " They may be from Camp Baharia." says Nate to Shiori. Shiori turns left to see it from nate's window. It is a common job for Private Military Companies to deliver things to certain party under armed escort. They are given permission to run on reversed direction against mainstream vehicles and their high profile convoys are ordered not to stop unlike Nate's low profile one that blends with civilian vehicles. They also are given permission to distance civilian vehicles from their convoys by giving verbal or gesture warning and even to shoot if threat is imminent. After the high profile convoy depart from the area, cars return to their normal traffic directions. The low profile convoy now continues their journey to Camp Baharia.
Outside Fallujah
A barren desert plain is now seen from the car's windshields. Long rectangular fortified wall show themselves from afar. On mid-air, various transport and gunship helicopters come back and forth on their flight sorties. As the car approaches a place once called 'Dreamland', Nate now sees in the middle of the camp's front Bremer wall, there is a heavily guarded and fortified checkpoint comprised of two guard posts on the left and right side of the checkpoint opening that is closed with a long yellow wooden plank with M240 mounted on both guard posts and manned by three Marines each. The guard posts are reinforced with sandbags on their walls and jersey barriers are put in front of them. Near the checkpoint two humvees armed with M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun and TOW missile are parked to reinforce existing defense. Marines and Iraqi security guards, some with German sheperd guard dogs patrol back and forth. A marine stretch his hand forward to tell the convoy to stop. As the first car stop in front of the plank, a Marine corporal approaches it's right window and asks a ninja, " Can I help you, sir? Show me your identity and tell me your purpose." Other marines around him stare at the car, become alert and ready themselves to prepare for an unexpected unwanted event. The asked ninja says, " We are from Private Echelon Corporation." While gives the marine the company's name card. " Major General Natonski asked us to come to this camp." The marine replies, " Wait here." He then walks back to the right guard post, calls the camp then tells it about the camp. He then emerges from the guard post then reach the car. He tells the ninja on the first car, "Sir, you may enter the camp. This is Lieutenant O' Connor. You are to follow him. He will be on a humvee that will lead you to General Natonski's meeting room. You must not proceed the other way than the one led by the humvee, understand?" The ninja answers and nods, " Yes, sir." The yellow plank is raised. The cars, led by a humvee then proceeds to the camp interior at light brown makeshift wide sandy road. Through the car's windshields the passengers see bustling and parked armored vehicles and tanks. Marines are around, sometimes in a group of about twenty led by a sergeant. Tents and houses covered by hesco bastions are there. Nate looks around to look for helipad but doesn't find it. The three unmarked black BMW draw attention of marines and sailors around them.
The four cars now stop and park in a line at a plain motorpool near a cabin. The cabin is fortified with hesco bastion and has a tall communication antennae that stands in the middle. At its threshold, six men stand looking at the arriving cars. The four men, one of them, a British general, are only armed with holstered sidearm while the other with rifles. The passengers from the cars now disembark. General Natonski smiles while looking at them. A peculiar scenery for the camp hosts are seen. Eleven men and a woman in black formal suit wearing sunglasses except Nate and Shiori and carry exotic swords in black scabbards in group walk to the cabin. Most of them are Asian in ethnicity. The other ten ninjas form a crescent formation close behind Nate with Nate and Shiori lead them in the middle. A crowd formation one usually sees in mobster themed films. A distance right of them, Lieutenant O'Connor and a private escort them. General Mattis comments, " What is this?". General Natonski then moves forward and bows at the party followed by bows from the ninjas. He then greets Nate, " Welcome to the camp! You must be Mr. Kato. I'm Major General Richard F. Natonski. Mr. Kato, this is General James Mattis and this is Brigadier General James Cowan." Nate replies with a smile, " Good afternoon, General, what can I do to help you?" General Natonski laughs, " Oh, I'll tell. Let's get inside, shall we?" Then Nate and Shiori walks with the two generals and his adjutant. Nate's almost petite stocky body and General Natonski's tall stature don't look equal at all physically, with Kato's head is at the same height with the General's shoulder. General Natonski starts to open a conversation, " Mr. Kato, I see you have many bodyguards." Nate smiles and replies, " Actually, I only have one." The statement surprises General Natonski. Then the general looks back at the ninjas then asks, " Then among your men, which one is he?" Nate introduces Shiori, " She is." The general become more surprised. He begins to think about the eccentricity of Nate's deed by hiring a slim petite beautiful shy woman that is smaller physically than him that he previously thought as his secretary as his a bodyguard. Reading the general's expression, Nate confides the general, " General, Sun Tzu says, All Warfare is Based on Deception. I think I know what you are thinking. But your surprise will fade away if I tell you what she did to a local death squad member who tries to approach me at a street six months ago in Baghdad. Those who are deceived by her outer appearance make her twice deadly." Shiori blushes when she hears Nate's defense of her. Within Iraq, Private Echelon ninjas are local death squad groups' nightmare. They even hate them more than coalition forces. Numerous insurgents and their leaders, including attacking suicide bombers in disguise, lost their life and captured by the ninjas' underhanded, sometimes stealthy, tactics. Many RPG, ambush and mortar teams are mauled even before they fire any round. Drive by shootings and house raids aimed at insurgents are performed both in broad day and night. Some even stalk insurgents and stab them from behind in broad daylight on busy streets in mobster fashion then leaves the killing scene as if nothing happened. The ninjas' tactics overpower the militia's. They are 'Predators who predates other predators'. That even in some area, local militia spies refuses to carry out their jobs. The locals and militia call call them as 'invisible soldiers' as they often carry out their mission undercover, sometimes even just carry a concealed ninjato sword and silenced sidearm. They also hire civilians as informants. This strategy successfully creates rift between insurgents and their civilian spies as it creates suspicion between the two parties that fear double agents. At one time, a bloody gun fight broke between Iraqi and local foreign fighters at Ramadi after a ninja plant a forged document marked as the foreign fighters'. Local insurgent commanders fear that one of his masked subordinate might be a ninja waiting for chances to pick him. But due to their up close and personal approach and fearsome reputation that deters civilians, no civilian casualties ever heard from their action. They call Nate as 'Al - Tous', referred from his middle name, Toshiyuki. The general remarks about Shiori, " Where did you find her?." Nate says, " That's a long story general."
When Nate, Shiori and four ninjas who act as Nate's escort arrives at a waiting room. They are halted by three Military Police sentries. An MP (Military Police) sergeant orders, " Good afternoon, gentlemen, we inform you that weapons are not allowed inside the meeting room. If you bring any, please hand them over and we will return them when you are outside it." Nate and Shiori hand over their Sig Sauer pistols and their clips as well several shuriken. He reluctantly looks at his ninjato but finally hand it over as well. Because of her duty as Nate's bodyguard, Shiori is reluctantly to hand over her tanto dagger. Seeing it, Nate calmly convinces her, " It's okay, Shiori." Shiori complies. General Natonski says to Nate, " Mr. Kato, since this is a confidential meeting, your men are not allowed to participate. Only you and your bodyguard. Nate turns and orders his men to wait on the living room. The party then enters the meeting room.
" Good afternoon , gentlemen, I summon all of you today to discuss about a future operation to uproot insurgency activities from Fallujah." Says General Natonski to open the meeting. " In order to achieve it, we must remove the city's militia leaders off their rank. One may suggest to pick their top leader. That is, Abu Musab Al Zarqawi." A slide that show Al-Zarqawi's mugshot is played. General Natonski continues, " A terrorist group cell leader that run series of violent actions aimed at civilian, Iraqi and American targets." Several slides with pictures of charred vehicles and human casualties are projected. Again General Natonski continues, " Unfortunately, due to his extreme prevention measures, we have no information about his whereabout now. The good news is that we received intelligence reports from our CIA informants about one of Al Zarqawi's top lieutenant's whereabout, Hassan Fakhir Al - Saleh. The man is expected to provide information about Al - Zarqawi." Now the slide shows the lieutenant's mugshot. The slideshow is now turned off. All attention now are returned to General Natonski.
" Well, Mr. Kato, we invite you here to offer a commission regarding Zarqawi's top lieutenant. The contents of the contract are: First: We want you to capture or kill Al - Saleh, Second: If you see prisoner detained either from coalition forces, civilian or Iraqi security personnel, we want you to liberate them. These are they: " Nick Bergmann, your fellow contractor from Camden Security who was missing in action when his convoy who was on the way here annihilated in Fallujah in an ambush." The slideshow shows a 30's man. Nate pays attention in silence. "George Musseveni, an Ugandan security guard tasked to guard a castor oil plant is abducted during a partly successful militant raid in Fallujah." The slideshow shows the mugshot of the 28 years old Ugandan. General Natonski adds, " As well four Iraqi soldiers and policeman." General Natonski continues, " And the third, we want you to tear down the compound used by the militia to disrupt their command chain. The place where we would bid you to snatch Al- Saleh." General Natonski looks at Nate and says, " Well, Mr. Kato what do you say? What can we do to assist your soldiers? " All of the room occupiers now fix their eyes at Nate. Shiori who sits next to Nate is silent.
Kato lowers his face and closes his eyes for a moment then raises it. He answers, " General, I want coalition forces to provide my team a cleared corridor to make an entrance to the city for my forces and dispersion attack. I also want no artillery shelling and air attack around places where we would enter and the enemy compound except requested by my team." General Natonski replies, 'Granted, Mr. Kato." General Natonski continues, " About the payment, we will give ten million dollars and an intelligence contract. We will add more contracts for your company if information from Al - Saleh results in Al - Zarqawi's capture. The designated date is November 6 2004 at night. We will send you the official offering affidavits. Any question?" Nate answers, " Agreed, general." General Natonski looks around and gladly declares, " Gentlemen, it's settle then. The meeting is now closed. Please follow me to the officer dining tent. Lunch is to be served." General Natonski's adjutant opens the door with General Natonski on his right seeing off the room occupiers. General Mattis and Brigadier General Cowan rises from chair and leaves the table. Nate, still sits, says to Shiori, " Keep the documents away from people and put it on the confidential document fault." Shiori answers, " Yes, sir." Then he and Shiori rise and join the meeting party to the dining tent.
1649 Hour
Major General Natonski is staring at the evening sky from the window. General Cowan and the ninjas has returned to their bases. " Richard, after seeing them, are you still sure to hire them?" asks General Mattis suddenly. General Natonski answers, " James, I understand your doubt. We have never dealt with such force before. But that force called 'ninja' has dealt with such tasks centuries ago. They are experts on that field. I believe they have something or things that we don't have." General Mattis interupts, " Who is Mr. Kato actually?" Major General Natonski turns at General Mattis and answers, " He is a Chunin ranked ninja, an Executive Officer, a middle ranked officer within the company in our language. A middleman between a branch office and their big boss back at the states. He also the company's Al Anbar branch chief. Though his rank is an officer, he is often personally involves in operations." Major General Natonski continues, " Back to what I said, I'll tell you an example of their feature. Do you notice the young woman that follows Nate?" General Mattis answers, " The petite and beautiful one? Yes, why? Who is she?" Major General Natonski asks again, " Who do you think she is?" General Mattis answers, " I thought she was his secretary." Major General Natonski passes argument, " If she is only a mere one, why then I let her to join our meeting?" General Mattis answers nothing. Major General Natonski then tells General Mattis, " James, you believe or not, she is his bodyguard and not only that Mr. Kato also trained her himself. Mr. kato himself confides me." General Mattis surprised, " What? Then who are the following men in black?" Major General Natonski continues, " Who you saw are his foot soldier ninjas. It is true, the woman is his only bodyguard. He also tells me what exactly she did to a stocky six feet attacking suicide bomber that aim himself at Nate in Baghdad on the lunch. In short, it is one of their feature, deceptions and tricks then suddenly deliver deadly blows. Like I said, we will treat the militia with their own medicine."
Three armored black BMW 7 E65 passes the base' main gate checkpoint. When the middle car is passing through a fortified checkpoint pillbox, all local Iraqi security guards walking around the guard post and outer bremer wall give salutation gestures. Inside the first and third car, four MP7A1 and ninjato armed genin ninjas in black suit and sunglasses as Nate's outer ring bodyguards while inside the second one, two ninjas in suit with Nate and Shiori at the backseat. Nate wears black formal satin suit and trouser with white shirt without tie whose wide collar is placed above the black suit under the suit. Behind his suit a kevlar vest is worn and a Sig Sauer P228 is holstered in front of the vest while his hands are put on his ninjato in black scabbard grip end that stands vertically between his feet with its tip stands on vehicle floor. Shiori sits on his left. She wears formal black office suit and pant, white blouse as well a pair of black heeled boots. She is armed with a Makarov pistol and her tanto as well several shuriken. Occasional reports from the other two cars and replies from the ninja on front seats constantly break silence. Bustling civilian and vehicles, children playing on sidewalk, tan square buildings, US and Iraqi government soldiers and patrolling police officers and their armored vehicles, tanks both ones run on streets or parked on the roadside as well their checkpoints are common views seen from inside the car. Suddenly, the three cars and civilians' around are forced to pullover to the left side of the street. All of vehicles on the street are pulled over to the right and the left leaving a wide space in the middle of the street as if they are making a way for someone or something that would pass. From the opposite side, a convoy of four comprised of two armored white ford rangers 1993 - 1997 and two reinforced brown Toyota Land Cruiser with opaque windshields pass through the wide corridor in medium speed appears. The Ford Ranger's rearbed was turned into a coaxial steel plates covered PKM machinegun turret including its square shield to cover its gunner, a local Iraqi personnel in dark blue battledress whose head is protected with a plain green PASGT helmet and whose face is covered with black balaclava and armor crew glass strapped to his helmets. He also wears kevlar bulletproof vests. While the Toyota Land Cruisers' rear window are turned into a makeshift armored PKM machine gun emplacement with a metal plate with smaller rectangular hole as peeping space and fire port embedded on its rear opening where windshield glass should be on. As Nate has guessed before, they are from another Private Security Company. " They may be from Camp Baharia." says Nate to Shiori. Shiori turns left to see it from nate's window. It is a common job for Private Military Companies to deliver things to certain party under armed escort. They are given permission to run on reversed direction against mainstream vehicles and their high profile convoys are ordered not to stop unlike Nate's low profile one that blends with civilian vehicles. They also are given permission to distance civilian vehicles from their convoys by giving verbal or gesture warning and even to shoot if threat is imminent. After the high profile convoy depart from the area, cars return to their normal traffic directions. The low profile convoy now continues their journey to Camp Baharia.
Outside Fallujah
Al Anbar Province, Iraq
Camp Baharia
Outer Perimeter
September 4, 2004
September 4, 2004
12:20 Hour
The four cars now stop and park in a line at a plain motorpool near a cabin. The cabin is fortified with hesco bastion and has a tall communication antennae that stands in the middle. At its threshold, six men stand looking at the arriving cars. The four men, one of them, a British general, are only armed with holstered sidearm while the other with rifles. The passengers from the cars now disembark. General Natonski smiles while looking at them. A peculiar scenery for the camp hosts are seen. Eleven men and a woman in black formal suit wearing sunglasses except Nate and Shiori and carry exotic swords in black scabbards in group walk to the cabin. Most of them are Asian in ethnicity. The other ten ninjas form a crescent formation close behind Nate with Nate and Shiori lead them in the middle. A crowd formation one usually sees in mobster themed films. A distance right of them, Lieutenant O'Connor and a private escort them. General Mattis comments, " What is this?". General Natonski then moves forward and bows at the party followed by bows from the ninjas. He then greets Nate, " Welcome to the camp! You must be Mr. Kato. I'm Major General Richard F. Natonski. Mr. Kato, this is General James Mattis and this is Brigadier General James Cowan." Nate replies with a smile, " Good afternoon, General, what can I do to help you?" General Natonski laughs, " Oh, I'll tell. Let's get inside, shall we?" Then Nate and Shiori walks with the two generals and his adjutant. Nate's almost petite stocky body and General Natonski's tall stature don't look equal at all physically, with Kato's head is at the same height with the General's shoulder. General Natonski starts to open a conversation, " Mr. Kato, I see you have many bodyguards." Nate smiles and replies, " Actually, I only have one." The statement surprises General Natonski. Then the general looks back at the ninjas then asks, " Then among your men, which one is he?" Nate introduces Shiori, " She is." The general become more surprised. He begins to think about the eccentricity of Nate's deed by hiring a slim petite beautiful shy woman that is smaller physically than him that he previously thought as his secretary as his a bodyguard. Reading the general's expression, Nate confides the general, " General, Sun Tzu says, All Warfare is Based on Deception. I think I know what you are thinking. But your surprise will fade away if I tell you what she did to a local death squad member who tries to approach me at a street six months ago in Baghdad. Those who are deceived by her outer appearance make her twice deadly." Shiori blushes when she hears Nate's defense of her. Within Iraq, Private Echelon ninjas are local death squad groups' nightmare. They even hate them more than coalition forces. Numerous insurgents and their leaders, including attacking suicide bombers in disguise, lost their life and captured by the ninjas' underhanded, sometimes stealthy, tactics. Many RPG, ambush and mortar teams are mauled even before they fire any round. Drive by shootings and house raids aimed at insurgents are performed both in broad day and night. Some even stalk insurgents and stab them from behind in broad daylight on busy streets in mobster fashion then leaves the killing scene as if nothing happened. The ninjas' tactics overpower the militia's. They are 'Predators who predates other predators'. That even in some area, local militia spies refuses to carry out their jobs. The locals and militia call call them as 'invisible soldiers' as they often carry out their mission undercover, sometimes even just carry a concealed ninjato sword and silenced sidearm. They also hire civilians as informants. This strategy successfully creates rift between insurgents and their civilian spies as it creates suspicion between the two parties that fear double agents. At one time, a bloody gun fight broke between Iraqi and local foreign fighters at Ramadi after a ninja plant a forged document marked as the foreign fighters'. Local insurgent commanders fear that one of his masked subordinate might be a ninja waiting for chances to pick him. But due to their up close and personal approach and fearsome reputation that deters civilians, no civilian casualties ever heard from their action. They call Nate as 'Al - Tous', referred from his middle name, Toshiyuki. The general remarks about Shiori, " Where did you find her?." Nate says, " That's a long story general."
When Nate, Shiori and four ninjas who act as Nate's escort arrives at a waiting room. They are halted by three Military Police sentries. An MP (Military Police) sergeant orders, " Good afternoon, gentlemen, we inform you that weapons are not allowed inside the meeting room. If you bring any, please hand them over and we will return them when you are outside it." Nate and Shiori hand over their Sig Sauer pistols and their clips as well several shuriken. He reluctantly looks at his ninjato but finally hand it over as well. Because of her duty as Nate's bodyguard, Shiori is reluctantly to hand over her tanto dagger. Seeing it, Nate calmly convinces her, " It's okay, Shiori." Shiori complies. General Natonski says to Nate, " Mr. Kato, since this is a confidential meeting, your men are not allowed to participate. Only you and your bodyguard. Nate turns and orders his men to wait on the living room. The party then enters the meeting room.
Outside Fallujah
Al Anbar Province, Iraq
Camp Baharia
Meeting Room
September 4, 2004
1245 Hour
" Well, Mr. Kato, we invite you here to offer a commission regarding Zarqawi's top lieutenant. The contents of the contract are: First: We want you to capture or kill Al - Saleh, Second: If you see prisoner detained either from coalition forces, civilian or Iraqi security personnel, we want you to liberate them. These are they: " Nick Bergmann, your fellow contractor from Camden Security who was missing in action when his convoy who was on the way here annihilated in Fallujah in an ambush." The slideshow shows a 30's man. Nate pays attention in silence. "George Musseveni, an Ugandan security guard tasked to guard a castor oil plant is abducted during a partly successful militant raid in Fallujah." The slideshow shows the mugshot of the 28 years old Ugandan. General Natonski adds, " As well four Iraqi soldiers and policeman." General Natonski continues, " And the third, we want you to tear down the compound used by the militia to disrupt their command chain. The place where we would bid you to snatch Al- Saleh." General Natonski looks at Nate and says, " Well, Mr. Kato what do you say? What can we do to assist your soldiers? " All of the room occupiers now fix their eyes at Nate. Shiori who sits next to Nate is silent.
Kato lowers his face and closes his eyes for a moment then raises it. He answers, " General, I want coalition forces to provide my team a cleared corridor to make an entrance to the city for my forces and dispersion attack. I also want no artillery shelling and air attack around places where we would enter and the enemy compound except requested by my team." General Natonski replies, 'Granted, Mr. Kato." General Natonski continues, " About the payment, we will give ten million dollars and an intelligence contract. We will add more contracts for your company if information from Al - Saleh results in Al - Zarqawi's capture. The designated date is November 6 2004 at night. We will send you the official offering affidavits. Any question?" Nate answers, " Agreed, general." General Natonski looks around and gladly declares, " Gentlemen, it's settle then. The meeting is now closed. Please follow me to the officer dining tent. Lunch is to be served." General Natonski's adjutant opens the door with General Natonski on his right seeing off the room occupiers. General Mattis and Brigadier General Cowan rises from chair and leaves the table. Nate, still sits, says to Shiori, " Keep the documents away from people and put it on the confidential document fault." Shiori answers, " Yes, sir." Then he and Shiori rise and join the meeting party to the dining tent.
Outside Fallujah
Al Anbar Province, Iraq
Camp Baharia
Officer Room
September 4, 2004
September 4, 2004
Major General Natonski is staring at the evening sky from the window. General Cowan and the ninjas has returned to their bases. " Richard, after seeing them, are you still sure to hire them?" asks General Mattis suddenly. General Natonski answers, " James, I understand your doubt. We have never dealt with such force before. But that force called 'ninja' has dealt with such tasks centuries ago. They are experts on that field. I believe they have something or things that we don't have." General Mattis interupts, " Who is Mr. Kato actually?" Major General Natonski turns at General Mattis and answers, " He is a Chunin ranked ninja, an Executive Officer, a middle ranked officer within the company in our language. A middleman between a branch office and their big boss back at the states. He also the company's Al Anbar branch chief. Though his rank is an officer, he is often personally involves in operations." Major General Natonski continues, " Back to what I said, I'll tell you an example of their feature. Do you notice the young woman that follows Nate?" General Mattis answers, " The petite and beautiful one? Yes, why? Who is she?" Major General Natonski asks again, " Who do you think she is?" General Mattis answers, " I thought she was his secretary." Major General Natonski passes argument, " If she is only a mere one, why then I let her to join our meeting?" General Mattis answers nothing. Major General Natonski then tells General Mattis, " James, you believe or not, she is his bodyguard and not only that Mr. Kato also trained her himself. Mr. kato himself confides me." General Mattis surprised, " What? Then who are the following men in black?" Major General Natonski continues, " Who you saw are his foot soldier ninjas. It is true, the woman is his only bodyguard. He also tells me what exactly she did to a stocky six feet attacking suicide bomber that aim himself at Nate in Baghdad on the lunch. In short, it is one of their feature, deceptions and tricks then suddenly deliver deadly blows. Like I said, we will treat the militia with their own medicine."
To be continued
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Disclaimer: All contents are fiction.
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