Imperative strike, p.10
Imperative Strike, page 10
“You shouldn’t praise someone when they are present. Follow me,” he whispered. He turned his back to the group and headed towards the dark barn.
“Before we all go into the house, we have to hide the vehicle,” he said. He took the metal chain from the gate and opened it wide. Gary instructed the men to unload the equipment; Ted started the engine and rolled slowly into the barn so that the vehicle was out of sight. After parking it in the corner, Ted wobbled out of the vehicle and Khalil locked the barn with the metal chain. They joined the other men and helped carry everything into the house.
Khalil shut the blinds of the small house to prevent strangers from seeing what was happening inside. He led the men into an empty room without furniture and spread a thick layer of blankets on the warm floor.
“I’m sorry I can’t accommodate you with conditions like a hotel,” Khalil apologized. “I hope you’ll still be able to rest comfortably here.”
Philip bent his aching knees and caressed the soft blankets lovingly. He looked at Paul, who seemed indifferent to what was going on.
“After the night I spent in the desert, this room is like a luxury suite,” Philip said laughing loudly.
“What’s so bad about the desert?” Paul didn’t seem to understand.
“The sand, the wind, and the snoring,” Philip answered.
Khalil looked at them with amusement. “After the meal, you can use the shower at the end of the hall,” he said. “Now let’s go to the guest room.”
One by one, the men passed through the narrow hall. In the guest room, a table with a feast on it awaited them. Steam rose from the plates piled with food that smelled divine. Neil licked his lips and tried to make his way to the table. Nadia, Khalil’s wife, stood by, waiting for the men to take their seats. Khalil gently caressed his wife’s hair and indicated to the men to start eating. Within a second, they were all over the food, chewing hungrily. Khalil sat at the head of the table and watched with pleasure.
Chapter 13
Greg put the phone down. His face was pale.
“I can’t believe it,” he said to Kate, whose ear was still pressed to the phone.
“Gary just hung up and left.”
“What did you manage to understand from what he said? “ Kate asked as she put the receiver down.
“One thing is clear, without a doubt: Harry is out of the game. I’m just worried that Gary is planning to replace him and go to Ogada.”
“I also felt that that’s what he’s planning, but Gary hasn’t been a field man for years,” Kate said with grave concern.
Greg walked up to the window and looked down at the fish pond.
“It seems that the date of my swim with the fish is slipping away,” he said sadly.
“In light of the circumstances, I’m considering stopping the operation and bringing the men back home. Kate, get me the Prime Minister’s Office.”
Kate started to dial slowly, unhappy about making the call. Before dialing the last number, she put down the phone.
“There’s no way to contact the group, assuming Gary did indeed join them. We have no way of contacting them at the border village. There’s no turning back now. Therefore, I suggest you don’t contact the Prime Minister’s Office. The last thing we need now is having them on our backs.”
Restless, Greg paced back and forth in the office. Kate’s analysis of the situation seemed to make sense. According to the plan, the team should already be on their way to Ogada. Gary didn’t give him any details on how Harry was hurt and where he was taken to the hospital from. His desire to join the team had been implied. If that was the case, Kate was right. There was no way to stop the operation and there was no need to give some clerk at the Prime Minister’s Office unnecessary information.
“As often is the case, the feminine instinct is correct. I accept your opinion, Kate. We’ll let Gary do the best that he can,” Greg said.
Kate nodded with satisfaction. Her boss’s ability to listen and accept other people’s opinions was what made him different from other commanders. She watched Greg fondly as he continued to walk around the desk.
“Now all we can do is wait patiently for the results of the operation. Our presence in the office is less important,” she said softly, continuing to follow Greg.
After a few moments of tense silence, Greg stopped pacing and stood in front of the desk.
“The guys do not need office services anymore. Therefore, Kate, I have decided that you will go to Togo to be at Harry’s side and take care of him until he recovers, and at the same time you will act as the link connecting me and our people on site.” The difficulty he had in making this decision was obvious from the look on his face.
Kate had been hoping from the start to be sent to Africa. She pretended to be surprised at her boss’s request.
“When do I leave?,” she asked.
“Tomorrow,” Greg said immediately. His face showed the stress he was under.
“As you wish, boss,” Kate said, and put her hand on his sweaty hand that was resting on the desk. Greg held Kate’s head in his other hand and kissed her gently on the lips.
Chapter 14
It was dark in the small border village. The lights in the houses had been turned off hours before and the only activity in the village was from cud-chewing cows. The air in the room where the men were sleeping was dense and stuffy. The rhythm of their deep breathing carried throughout the house, and above it all was the sound of Paul’s melodic snoring.
A strong hand shook Gary’s shoulder several times. He had a hard time waking from the deep sleep he was in. He rolled his eyes in the darkness until he made out the face of Khalil in front of him.
“We need to take a trip. Remember?” Khalil whispered and shook Gary again, when he closed his eyes.
“What is there to see at this time of night?” Gary asked and turned his back to him.
“You asked to see where you can cross the border,” Khalil continued to explain.
Gary sat up and rubbed his eyes repeatedly.
“Why did I get myself into this?” Gary mumbled as he dragged himself out of the room. Khalil followed him, walking on tiptoes.
The two men crossed the hall on their way to the front door. At the door, Nadia was waiting for them and handed Gary a hot cup of strong coffee.
“Aren’t you usually asleep at this hour?” Gary asked in surprise.
Nadia didn’t answer; she just smiled. Khalil signaled to her and she quietly returned to her room.
“It’s our job to help you on your mission. A cup of coffee at the right time is just as important,” he whispered. He turned the light off in the entrance and carefully opened the door.
“Be careful on the stairs,” Khalil warned him. Gary walked outside behind him, feeling his way slowly through the darkness. The two men walked around the barn and away from the row of houses. After walking quickly for a few minutes, Khalil stopped and pointed at a low, barbed wire fence.
“This is the border. From here, smugglers from Ogada come into Togo. This is the best spot to cross over. To the left is an opening in the fence you can pass through easily, even with equipment,” he whispered to Gary, who was trying to see in the dark and learn the topography of the spot.
“What about military patrols? “ Gary asked.
“Every two hours an army vehicle patrols but it doesn’t always come. The soldiers disregard this border and don’t expect any trouble from here. I hope this indifference will finally cost them,” Khalil said excitedly.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Gary reminded him, pressing the shoulder of his sturdy friend. They walked back to the house together as the cow near the door looked up at them, bored. After the short interruption, the cow went back to chewing and swatting away the flies with her tail.
The following day was spent preparing for the trip. The continuous activity took place inside the house, out of sight of the wrong people. Khalil and his wife worked in their yard, as they usually did every day. Gary went from man to man, supervising the work each was doing. The first aid kit was repacked by Neil after it had been used in the desert, and the rest of the food and equipment was divided among the bags.
In the middle of their preparations, they suddenly heard voices outside in the yard. Gary instructed the men to stop what they were doing. He carefully moved towards the window, his back to the wall.
“Hello, Khalil,” a loud, hoarse voice boomed.
Gary tried to see where the speaker was, but despite his efforts, he couldn’t locate him. All he could see was Khalil, who continued to cut wood by the barn. Suddenly, Gary caught sight of a tall, hefty, mustached man who stood with his back to the house, his hands resting arrogantly in his pockets.
“There was unusual activity outside your house last night, Khalil. I heard strange noises that reached my living room. There definitely was the sound of a vehicle coming from the barn. What was that all about? “ the big man asked in his loud voice.
Gary followed what was going on outside with concern. He saw Khalil put down his saw, calmly, at least on the outside. His lips were moving but Gary couldn’t hear him.
“Philip,” Gary whispered to the man lying on the floor next to him. “Come see what’s going on here.” Philip jumped up and watched with him from the window.
“We may need to take action in defense, to shut up the unwanted visitor,” Gary said. “I can’t hear what they’re saying. I need more information to plan our response.”
Philip nodded and left the room. He crossed the long dark corridor on his way to the rear entrance. He opened the door, jumped over two stairs and ran with his head low to the corner of the house overlooking the barn.
Khalil and the man with the moustache were standing facing the locked barn. Philip, who was hiding not far from them, lay down on the ground and listened.
“Why is the barn locked?”
“Since the theft of farming equipment began, I’ve been locking everything in the barn,” Khalil answered dryly.
The big man looked down at him with suspicious, condescending eyes. He walked up to the barn door and tried to see inside. The darkness in the barn hid what was there. Philip prepared himself to pounce out of his hiding place. The family tractor was parked not far from his position. Luckily, the man didn’t notice the new expensive tractor that was not locked in the barn, contradicting what Khalil had just said.
“I am absolutely certain that I heard noises coming from your house and barn last night,” the big man insisted. Unsatisfied, he looked around again and walked away, out of Gary’s sight.
When Gary saw Khalil carry on what he had been doing before, he sighed in relief. He let go of his tight fists and sat down to calm himself. Philip continued to watch the man wobbling down the path between the village houses. Once the threat was gone, Philip returned to the house and reported what he had heard.
“We’re lucky that we avoided trouble,” Gary said to the men who were around him. He instructed them to continue to prepare for departure that night.
An hour later, Khalil came inside, his face sweaty and concerned. Nadia continued to work outside, remaining on guard in case someone approached the house.
“The man who just came has vast connections across the border. He acts as a mediator and operator of smugglers and gives them supplies and a place to hide. He is a very cruel, dangerous man.” Khalil bent over the sink and washed his sweaty face.
“He may be back,” Gary said with concern. “If he finds the command car after we leave, you won’t stand a chance.”
“Ever since the coup, Nadia and I have gotten used to risking our lives every day,” Khalil replied. “When we left the palace, with Osaka’s son hidden in a basket, our lives were in much graver danger. All around us was a mob of looters, attacking anyone who wasn’t taking part in the looting. Despite the danger, we continued to make our way through the crowd and managed to rescue the last descendant of the Osaka family. We’re still willing to risk our lives for a just cause.”
“Where is the son today?” Philip asked.
They suddenly heard a whistle outside.
“Someone’s coming,” Khalil said and hurried outside before he could answer Philip’s question. Not far from them the image of the big man who had been there earlier reappeared, standing and observing Khalil’s house and barn. After standing there for a while, the man disappeared once again between the houses. Gary watched it from the window, his fists clenched. He was afraid that their mission would be derailed by the prying of this man. His aggressive manner and arrogance made his intentions very clear − if and when their presence in the village was discovered. Lost in thought and concern, Gary called the men to the guest room. He waited for them to gather, standing by the window. The imaginary calm in the yard didn’t reassure him. Without asking any questions, the men stopped what they were doing and sat around the table. The serious face of their commander showed his distress.
“Gentlemen,” Gary silenced them. As always, Paul lit a cigarette, scattering the ashes on the floor next to him. Neil took a juicy apple from the basket on the table and bit into it. Drops of juice dripped down his lips to his shirt. All eyes were on Gary.
“In light of the latest developments, it’s clear to me that we cannot set out on our journey and leave our host behind,” Gary told them dryly. He leaned his foot on one of the chairs. “That man with the moustache who was here will not rest until he knows exactly what’s going on around this house. As Khalil has informed me, the man works with dangerous groups on the other side of the border and he must be especially careful so his activity is not compromised. I’m sure he’ll continue to inquire about who came to the village and why. He may find the command car, and then the lives of Khalil and Nadia will be in danger.”
“What can we do for them?,” Philip asked.
Gary put his foot down and began to pace around the table. The men followed him with their eyes, like the audience in a tennis game. After several rounds, he stopped behind Ted, putting his hands on his shoulders. Ted shifted uneasily in his seat, already knowing what was coming.
Gary took a deep breath and felt in his pocket, distracted. “We still have the badge, so we’re carrying on,” he said in a failed attempt to ease the tension. “We have to get the family out of here,” he continued. “Ted, I’m giving you the task of driving the couple back to the city, that way we can kill two birds with one stone….”
“There is no mention of killing birds in my contract,” Ted retorted sarcastically
“I have no intention of getting into pointless arguments,” Gary said authoritatively. “The couple are entitled to maximum protection. The only solution is to transfer them to the city, to ensure their safety and get rid of the command car.”
Ted made no effort to hide his disappointment. He looked pleadingly at his friends, trying to change the decision. The silence from the others was deafening. Ted’s understandable frustration created tension, but no one dared intervene.
Khalil was back in the house; he sensed the tension in the air and shot Gary a puzzled look, but he remained in his place, his face frozen.
“You can get back to work,” Gary said, ending the meeting. The sound of the chairs dragging on the floor ended the silence and within seconds the men dispersed. Ted remained seated for a long time, his face expressionless, but eventually he joined his colleagues in their preparations for leaving.
“The morale is low in here,” Khalil commented. Gary patted his shoulder and tried to think of the best way to explain his plan to evacuate Khalil and his wife. He was afraid the couple would refuse to leave. In the end, he decided to tell him directly and use his authority as the one in charge of the operation.
“Listen, my friend,” Gary said, looking Khalil in the eye. “Reality is forcing us to change our course of action. We have to get the vehicle out of the village. In addition, we need to get you away from it so you don’t fall into the hands of the man with the moustache.”
Khalil’s eyes opened wide, the idea seeming strange and unacceptable to him.
“I have no intention of leaving my home again,” he said angrily.
“I understand how you feel,” Gary continued softly. “We cannot allow a situation where the man interrogates and tortures you and Nadia for information about us and the operation. That would be the end of the operation − and of us.”
This last argument made all the difference. Khalil sat down on one of the chairs and put his head in his hands. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock. Gary watched him in silence. After a while, Khalil got up and went outside. Gary watched from the window as Khalil and his wife quietly discussed the situation. After a short time they came back inside.
“I accept our fate. Apparently there is no other way,” he said. Nadia nodded in agreement.
“Then you should get ready to leave,” Gary said, relieved. “Sadly, I have no way of estimating when you’ll be able to come back home safely.”
Gary extended his two hands and the three of them shook hands emotionally.
“I wish you luck in your mission,” Nadia whispered, using her voice for the first time since they’d arrived.
“We don’t have any other choice,” Gary responded. They both left the room.
Gary went through the rooms to check on the preparations. His men were ready; they were dressed, their bags placed in order near the entrance. They lay on the blankets to rest before the exhausting walk through the night.
The hours passed slowly, as darkness fell over the small village; on the surface, it was quiet and peaceful.
Late at night, the door of Khalil’s house opened slowly and several figures walked down the stairs onto the sand in silence. They were carrying equipment and bags, walked around the barn, and headed towards the border. At the head of the line was Khalil, followed by Gary. At his side was Nadia, carrying baskets of food. They left the dark barn behind them and walked away from the houses on the outskirts of the village. After a strenuous walk, carrying their heavy loads, the group stopped by the fence.
