Love thy Enemy? (manxman)

chapter 4

I know it has been forever, but I have only one assignment to go and then I’m done. I squeezed this out but am feeling pretty drained so please stick with me.

Chapter 4.

Something was afoot.

It seemed ridiculous to say it but a blind fool could see that something was going on, you could almost smell it. And if it’s one thing Kamal prided himself on it was that he was no one’s fool.

Also half the camp was mysteriously missing, that was a clue right there.

After ‘little’ John had come back to get him up for tea they’d made their way to the food hub. On the way he’d taken to calling John ‘little’ just to prick at the young man’s pride. So far it had worked wonders.

“You got something to tell me?” Kamal queried a nervous John as they entered the near empty mess area.

“No.”

“You look like you’ve got something to tell me.”

“Yeah well I don’t.” John huffily replied.

“Hmm…” Kamal left it at that. No point annoying the kid past the point where he might say something.

Kamal stood in front of the food dispensers which were positively medieval. If he was running the joint the first thing he would have made sure of was that the food looked edible, at least most of the time. Keep the troops happy and all that. John stood a little to his left. Impatient.

Kamal took his time making his selections. Picking them up examining them and putting them back, only to pick up another before returning it to the heat unit. He could hear John shifting beside him.

“Would you just pick something?” John eventually said frustrated.

Bingo, Kamal had to hold back a chuckle.

“Laddy, when you get to be my age you realise just how important it is to look after your stomach. Especially when you’re not sure what you’re putting in it.”

Kamal went back to the first food sample and placed it on the tray.

“You picked that up first.” John nodded to the food on his tray.

Kamal picked it up pretending to closer examine it. “Huh you’re right, thanks kid.” He put the item back and picked up another back to examining the displayed food.

John, annoyed with his attitude and a little angry at being called kid snatched the food out of Kamal’s hand and slapped a plate down on his tray. Slopping some of it on the front of Kamal in the process.

“There now you’ve got something you can eat just move already.”

Kamal decided to let it go at least until they got back to the table. When he was seated across from the tense man he pulled at the front of his shirt and complained loudly to the room in general.

“Man and this was my best shirt! Not to mention my only one. Now what am I going to wear?” He shrugged dejected and pretended to pout.

John muttered under his breath. Kamal thought it sounded like ‘why me?’ He had to stop himself from smiling.

The young man had put his food up to his mouth when Kamal asked him, “so have you seen my friend Rob?”

John choked slightly before looking up through his lashes. Kamal had the momentary thought that he looked sort of adorable before he squashed it like a Nedderian flea.

“Maybe?” It was said unsurely like a question.

“You know I couldn’t help but notice that the camp looks a little less populated then before. And amongst the few left my friend Rob and his… well let’s just put it bluntly… guard Will are amongst those missing.”

“Look I don’t know much okay.” John leaned forward getting closer to Kamal.

“So what do you know?” Kamal remained relaxed taking another spoonful of food into his mouth.

“That depends.” John said before leaning back.

Huh, the kids learning.

“And what does it depend on?” Kamal asked cautious.

“Look I’m willing to tell you at least some of what I know. In return I want you to answer my questions… truthfully.”

Kamal pretended to think on it before sticking his hand out towards the younger man.

“Deal.” John looked at him for a moment before accepting his hand.

“Deal.”

“Your friend Rob and Will went into the woods earlier today and haven’t come back yet. Your turn.”

“That’s it. Wow I feel cheated.” Kamal shook his head sadly.

“I never said I knew a lot.” John said smugly. “Now it’s your turn to answer my questions truthfully.”

“Of course, we made a deal. Fire away.”

“Why are you really here?”

Kamal sat back in his chair before looking directly at John. “I’m a botanist, here to catalogue different species and hopefully publish something out of it,” he said calmly.

“Bullshit.” John fired back.

“No, check my story what I say is true.”

“We’ve checked the story you gave and it appears correct. I just don’t believe it.” John half mumbled the last of his sentence.

Well damn the kid might have good instincts after all. Kamal sat silently waiting for John to say something next.

“You’re not going to tell me are you?” John spoke after a moment, softly.

It was now Kamal’s turn to lean over the table.

“Look, John. I like you so I’m going to give you some free advice. If you’ve got a better hand then your enemy don’t show it till they show you theirs. And here’s some bonus gravy… Trust your instincts.” Kamal pushed off from the table standing in front of the now silent John as he made his way to the exit.

John seemed to wake up a little realising that Kamal had got in front of him and cut him off just as they reached the door flap.

Kamal rolled his eyes and mumbled, “It’s not like I’m going to make a run for it. Not until I get a clean shirt anyway.”

John slightly blushed but strode off in front of him anyway back towards the medics hut.

“Man I take that back.” Kamal said loudly. “You can walk in front of me anytime! I like this view.” He said casually checking out John’s tight butt.

John stopped sharply and turned about to rip Kamal a new one when he froze looking over the man’s shoulder. Kamal concerned looked back over his shoulder and cut his breath short at what he was seeing.

Entering the edge of the camp strode Will. Obviously he was stronger than he looked. Over his shoulder he carried a bloody and from the looks of it an unconscious Rob.