was the reason he was now a fugitive. A man on the run from both sides.
Bashir studied the medical truck closely. People were starting to call it the truck of death. He was convinced there was more than one. The new truck would drive up in the middle of the night and the other one would drive away with the patients still inside them.
In the beginning, when the immigration center first offered the free health services, everyone wanted to receive their immunizations and medical checkups. People were lining up and volunteering. In the first few days the line up stretched out the door and around the corner.
But then word spread.
Rumors.
People were becoming sick.
They would disappear for days.
When they eventually returned, they were weak, they had lost weight. When they were questioned about where they had gone and what had happened the answers were always the same.
“We were given medical examinations,” they would say. “The doctors are very thorough. We were tested for small pox and other diseases. We were given vaccines and inoculations and medicines. They must be careful.”
He couldn’t believe these people were so gullible.
He knew something was wrong.
Before a he came out here to Australia, he had heard rumors about a strange sickness up in the Afghan mountains. People were getting sick. Not just the elderly and children. Everyone. Even the men. Some of the hardest warriors in the world. They had lived their entire lives in those mountains. They were strong and resilient. And now, all of a sudden they were getting sick? All of a sudden they were dying?
Something was wrong.
Bashir could see the lie.
After years of being taught how to infiltrate and keep his true identity hidden, he was now an expert in detecting deception.
As time went on people began disappearing for good. They would go in but they would not come out. They were never heard from again.
Bashir knew that people were dying. He didn’t know how they were dying, he didn’t know why they were dying but he was determined to find out.
Two days ago, a whole family had entered the medical truck. Five people.
And today, one of them was released. Just one.
He followed the man into the small room that he and his family had lived in since they had arrived in Australia.
He watched him for a long time, waited for him to fall asleep.
The man looked pale. His lips were dry, like he was dehydrated.
Bashir shook him gently. He held a knife made of corrugated metal against his neck.
When the man woke he was afraid. But he did not struggle. He was too weak.
“What do you want?” he whispered. “I have no money. I have no possessions. I have nothing left.”
His eyes were red and swollen. He had been crying.
“What is your name?” Bashir asked.
“Farid.”
“What happened, Farid? What happened in the medical truck? Where is your family?”
He shook his head. He did not want to talk.
Bashir lowered the knife. “I do not want to hurt you. I am looking for answers. What happened?”
“We were given our immunization shots. The doctors said we needed to be immunized and cleared to live in the general population. It means we are close to being released and assimilated back into society. They said our time in this detention facility is almost over. They needed to make sure we weren’t carrying any diseases or viruses. If we did not cooperate we would not be released. We would be sent home.”
“Where is your family?”
“They are still in intensive care. They have become very ill.”
“How?”
“They had a bad reaction to an influenza vaccine.”
“And you believe that?”
“I... I don’t know what to believe. It happened so fast. Minutes.”
“What happened?”
“I was talking to my father. He was in the bed next to me. And then...” he trailed off.
“Keep going.”
“And then he began convulsing. They had to put him in an induced coma. They said he had an allergic reaction. He had gone into shock. He was taken away.
Bashir studied the medical truck closely. People were starting to call it the truck of death. He was convinced there was more than one. The new truck would drive up in the middle of the night and the other one would drive away with the patients still inside them.
In the beginning, when the immigration center first offered the free health services, everyone wanted to receive their immunizations and medical checkups. People were lining up and volunteering. In the first few days the line up stretched out the door and around the corner.
But then word spread.
Rumors.
People were becoming sick.
They would disappear for days.
When they eventually returned, they were weak, they had lost weight. When they were questioned about where they had gone and what had happened the answers were always the same.
“We were given medical examinations,” they would say. “The doctors are very thorough. We were tested for small pox and other diseases. We were given vaccines and inoculations and medicines. They must be careful.”
He couldn’t believe these people were so gullible.
He knew something was wrong.
Before a he came out here to Australia, he had heard rumors about a strange sickness up in the Afghan mountains. People were getting sick. Not just the elderly and children. Everyone. Even the men. Some of the hardest warriors in the world. They had lived their entire lives in those mountains. They were strong and resilient. And now, all of a sudden they were getting sick? All of a sudden they were dying?
Something was wrong.
Bashir could see the lie.
After years of being taught how to infiltrate and keep his true identity hidden, he was now an expert in detecting deception.
As time went on people began disappearing for good. They would go in but they would not come out. They were never heard from again.
Bashir knew that people were dying. He didn’t know how they were dying, he didn’t know why they were dying but he was determined to find out.
Two days ago, a whole family had entered the medical truck. Five people.
And today, one of them was released. Just one.
He followed the man into the small room that he and his family had lived in since they had arrived in Australia.
He watched him for a long time, waited for him to fall asleep.
The man looked pale. His lips were dry, like he was dehydrated.
Bashir shook him gently. He held a knife made of corrugated metal against his neck.
When the man woke he was afraid. But he did not struggle. He was too weak.
“What do you want?” he whispered. “I have no money. I have no possessions. I have nothing left.”
His eyes were red and swollen. He had been crying.
“What is your name?” Bashir asked.
“Farid.”
“What happened, Farid? What happened in the medical truck? Where is your family?”
He shook his head. He did not want to talk.
Bashir lowered the knife. “I do not want to hurt you. I am looking for answers. What happened?”
“We were given our immunization shots. The doctors said we needed to be immunized and cleared to live in the general population. It means we are close to being released and assimilated back into society. They said our time in this detention facility is almost over. They needed to make sure we weren’t carrying any diseases or viruses. If we did not cooperate we would not be released. We would be sent home.”
“Where is your family?”
“They are still in intensive care. They have become very ill.”
“How?”
“They had a bad reaction to an influenza vaccine.”
“And you believe that?”
“I... I don’t know what to believe. It happened so fast. Minutes.”
“What happened?”
“I was talking to my father. He was in the bed next to me. And then...” he trailed off.
“Keep going.”
“And then he began convulsing. They had to put him in an induced coma. They said he had an allergic reaction. He had gone into shock. He was taken away.
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