Sacrifice

Chapter One

Rowan was one of the newest recruits and was on the first wave of soldiers being shipped out to Afghanistan. His first shift was keeping watch so he stood by the door, holding the rifle upright and listening to his radio for further commands. Suddenly, his superior officer's voice came through announcing that they captured a prisoner on their army base. Soon after, a few soldiers barge in with a young teenage boy - he couldn't be older than sixteen years old - and they threw him in an empty cell locking him it and tossing the keys to Rowan. 

"Your job is to make sure he doesn't go anywhere and once he's ready, make him talk." Dave looked at his soldier and handed him a key to the weapons cage near the prison cells. "Don't be afraid to use some force, remember what you were trained for."

"To protect and serve my country, sir."

"That's right, radio if there's an update."

Rowan nodded and watched his superior enter before going in the cell to bring the boy to an interrogation room. When he marched in, the young boy was huddled in the far right corner of the cell, his hands, and feet bound with a coarse rope that was irritating his skin. Rowan put a sack over his face before dragging him to feet and into the interrogation room down the corridor. Once they were alone, there were to cameras in these interrogation rooms for the simple purpose of the inhumane torture techniques that were forced upon traitors, prisoners, or anyone caught beyond the boundary surrounding their military base.

The boy was covered in mud, making his tanned skin appear darker than it was and he wore rags of clothing that fell apart. Rowan secured him on the metal chair, cuffing his hands and feet before chaining them to a metal loop in the center of the room, right below the chair where he sat. Rowan went behind him, momentarily removing the burlap sack and quickly replacing it with a dark cotton blindfold which he placed over his eyes. Rowan returned to face him and pulled up another chair before him, sitting down and taking a deep breath.

"I have an understanding that you were caught on our base, passed the fencing. Mind explaining what you were doing there?"

The boy was trembling at the sound of footsteps. All he could see was darkness, yet the familiarity made it even less of a comfort. He didn't move nor speak. He just sat there, shaking and afraid; tears already rolling down his cheeks, though, most of them were absorbed by the blindfold on his face.

Rowan pressed his lips together. He didn't want to hurt him, really. He wasn't a bad guy, in fact, he hated the war. The idea sickened him yet here he was, in the exact position he stood only in his worst nightmare. Rowan was a tough guy but he had a big heart. He didn't resort to violence which is why he was rarely sent on missions outside of his base. He tried to remain calm, his voice firm with a serious tone.

"Do I have to repeat the question? Why were you doing on our base?!"

The boy's response was nothing but a slight moan and Rowan could hear him choke back tears and he was shaking even more when Rowan raised his voice. The boy tried to back away into his chair at the words but there was nowhere to go, nothing he could do; he was completely defenseless. The only thing he knew was that he must never become a traitor. His people had banished his brother for after they captured him and he told them everything he knew. There wasn't much he knew, but with the help of his brother, their army marched into his village and destroyed more than half of it. It was one thing to be killed but to be banished and thrown to the vultures was much worse than anything they could do. Or at least, the boy was hoping.

Rowan huffed, "You know if you talk, there's a chance that things won't have to get worse. But that's all up to you."

Rowan let out a breath and watched the boy I front of him. He believed the best of humanity and thought there must be a better way to get information than to torture a child. Perhaps he needed more of a subtle strategy, reassure the boy as much as he could.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you, okay? However, there are soldiers in this camp who do. Some of them lost everything in the battlefield and they're looking for someone to blame, someone to ravish their hatred and anger onto. If you don't tell me something, they're going to beat it out of you. I'd much rather do this the humane way. Why don't you start by telling me your name?"

The boy sniffled and tried to control his breathing. Those words somehow reassured him and he let loose momentarily before opening his mouth and mumbling his name, "Malik."

Rowan smiled, his strategy was working. Hopefully, this kid didn't do anything dangerous or suicidal and perhaps, they might let him live, maybe even set him free! "Malik, it's nice to meet you, I'm Rowan." Another thing he probably shouldn't do but nobody was listening to their conversation, anyway, so he was going to do things his way."Can you at least tell me what you were doing on that field where they caught you?"

Malik shook his head aggressively. "I'm sorry...I can't tell you anything, I'm not a traitor." You're supposed to learn from your family's mistakes, not repeat the same ones they made.

Rowan sighed, "Malik, they'll torture you for days. Is your silence really worth all of this pain?" Malik didn't respond but thought about those words. He could still hear his mother's screams as the army that marched upon their village executed her and half the villagers after returning their traitor, his brother.

Malik raised his head, he had to remain strong, if not for him than for his people, his family. Or at least, what's left of it. "I'm not a traitor." He wasn't, or he would never forgive himself.

"Are you really willing to die for your people?"

The torture would be nothing, he'd probably had suffered worst. His life wasn't easy, he'd starve for days, sleep behind dumpsters for shelter in the dusty rains. He was terrified and that wouldn't change. He gathered his strength as he looked forward, seeing only darkness but nevertheless, he spoke in crisp clear English "Not for them. For my family, I am willing to bleed to save them and if it comes to it, I am willing to die for them.

"Dying for someone is easy, what's hard is to fight through the pain and live for them. If you care about them than you should help them by helping yourself stay alive. You can't protect them from beyond the grave, Malik."

Malik was quiet, he had nothing to argue for Rowan was right but he still didn't trust him enough to break. So he stopped talking and waited for what was most likely going to hurt.

Rowan raised his eyebrows, his words were perhaps more powerful than any weapon they could find. Yet he worried, he knew if he didn't have anything from him within the next hour they would be sending someone else in. "Malik, you can talk to me, okay? You don't have to tell me everything but I at least need to know exactly what it was that you were doing out in that field. Otherwise, they're going to send in someone much more vicious and he's going to do everything he can to make you wish you were dead."

"I'm not a traitor." That's all Malik said and he kept repeating it to himself as the clock ticked and Rowan's shift neared its end. In fear of what would happen to Malik, he approached him gently and laid his hand on Malik's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "You're not a traitor."

Malik flinched violently not having expected that since he couldn't see, but he felt warmth flow through his body in reassurance.

Rowan let out a long sighed and pushed the chair back as he stood."I have to go now. Look, I'll make something up for tonight, get some sleep and tomorrow I hope you'll at least try and tell me something before they bring in someone else, someone violent." He walked to the door and stopped to turn back and smile, "I know it's hard but try and get some rest for the night."

Before opening the door, he heard a faint voice mumbling thank you and smiled as he walked out the locked the door behind him. Rowan was to report to his lieutenant, he was planning on telling them that the boy was lost after a bomb destroyed his village and that he simply wandered here by accident. Rowan didn't know whether or not it was true but he had faith in people and believed that everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves innocent before facing any sort of punishment. That's how the law was written back home, overseas, and that's what his morality told him.

As for Malik, he let out a long breath after hearing the door locked and relaxed his shoulder muscles. He slanted down in the chair, as much as he could, before trying to close his eyes and do what he does best: survive.