“On behalf of the crew and myself, I want to thank you for flying with us. I hope you had an enjoyable flight and that you enjoy your stay in Togo. Local time is 8 PM, it is hot. Thank you and see you on your next flight.”

  “This is too much for me. I’m not coming back to Togo ever again,” Gary thought to himself.

  He set his watch to the local time and waited for the aisle to empty before he got up and headed towards the exit. A hot wind hit him when he stepped outside the plane. He walked down the stairs slowly, holding the briefcase with its valuable contents.

  Gary surveyed the area around the plane from his standing position. Suddenly he noticed a dark- skinned man making his way through the crowd; he looked very familiar from behind. The possibility of meeting someone he knew at the airport in Togo did not seem plausible, and Gary was unable to see exactly who it was. His intuition told him that he was not just a harmless tourist. He tried to catch up with him, ignoring the complaints and cursing of the people he was passing. In his race to move forward through the crowd, Gary used his elbows and had no problem pushing aside angry passengers. However, within seconds the muscular man disappeared in the hall. Gary cursed in frustration.

  He entered the hall, blending in with the passengers. The mysterious stranger he had had a glimpse of was driving him crazy. He rushed through passport control and baggage claim, and continued outside to the taxi stand.

  “Hilton Hotel, please,” Gary told the driver.

  His taxi made its way through the attractive streets. Gary stared out the window uninterested, and without noticing it, he started counting the trees passing before his tired eyes. The driver tapped his finger on the roof of the taxi, occasionally looking back at his strange passenger.

  “This place has really changed since the last time I was here,” Gary mumbled to himself. His lips stopped moving when his eyes fell on the smiling eyes of the driver.

  “If it weren’t for Operation Loma, I might even enjoy a vacation here,” he thought. The fact that he had recently started talking to himself worried him a bit.

  The taxi stopped outside the hotel and a uniformed guard opened the door for him. Gary stepped out of the taxi, with his bags.

  He walked into the hotel through the revolving door and headed directly to the reception desk. A pretty receptionist smiled at him, and after giving an alias, Gary smoothed down his messy hair.

  “There’s a room ordered for me,” he told her in a flirting tone.

  Looking through the list of orders and without saying anything, the woman handed him a key with the number 40 on it. Gary turned around, shaking his head in disappointment.

  “Receptionists today are not like they used to be,” he said to himself in feigned disappointment. Thinking back on the pleasant memories, a naughty smile spread across his face as he crossed the large lobby and walked up the red carpeted stairs to the second floor. As Gary walked across a partially lit corridor, his steps on the carpet were the only sound. He reached his room, opened the door and locked it behind him. Without taking off his shoes, he plopped down on the soft bed and instantly fell asleep.

  While Gary was sleeping, five additional passengers who were on the flight with him from London arrived at the hotel. They each collected their keys and went to their rooms to rest after the long journey, without exchanging a word with each other.

  The lights in the hotel were dimmed and the long corridors were silent. Occasionally, someone returning from a night out in the city passed by. Even the receptionist fell asleep on her chair behind the counter, while the monotonous ticking of the clock at the entrance added to the serenity. The hotel was getting ready for a new day.

  Harry Fink woke from a deep sleep, feeling a burning sensation on his forehead. A ray of sunshine came in through a crack in the blinds straight to his perspiring forehead. He wiped his brow, stretched his tired body, and sat up on the edge of the bed.

  Harry thought about how things had changed so quickly for him. Just yesterday he was watching the game between Liverpool and Arsenal. During the halftime he received a call from Greg, instructing him to go to the airport where a ticket to an unknown destination would be waiting for him.

  Harry was a huge football fan, and he loved everything about the game. After the bizarre call from Greg, he had trouble focusing on the game and couldn’t follow it anymore. Unless he was wrong, Liverpool won − but what difference did it make anymore?

  He stood by the window and looked out curiously at what was going on outside the hotel. The landscape he saw was nothing like the typical European landscapes he was used to. The dominant color, as far as he could see, was yellow. He did notice small green areas scattered here and there, but the green was dark and faded. Harry had always enjoyed looking at pictures of landscapes and he continued to look out the window at the nature laid out before him. Since it was still early morning, he lay back on the soft bed; the sun and bright light had woken him too early. The scant instructions that Greg gave him on the phone mentioned a meeting with his operator in the evening. The operator was supposed to contact him and give him further instructions, but until then, he could only try to guess what had brought him to Africa so urgently.

  Harry turned on the radio by the bed. Calm classical music was playing, and he soon fell back into a deep sleep. The new guests stayed in their rooms all day.

  Dinner at the hotel was served at the regular time. Gary sat alone at a round table watching the entrance to the dining room. The hotel had guests from all over the world, and he enjoyed seeing the colorful figures passing by.

  At the table next to his, a loud family from Spain was having their meal. They seemed to be having a enjoyable conversation with occasional outbursts of laughter. The Spanish parents were speaking to each other enthusiastically, accompanying their words with big gestures. One of the younger kids occasionally looked over at Gary and stuck his tongue out; he replied with a forgiving smile. The loud conversation spread to the tables next to them as well.

  Gary smiled politely at the pretty woman and continued monitoring the people entering the dining room. Suddenly he saw a tall man walking across the hall. He stood somewhat uncomfortably at the entrance to the dining room and appeared to be hesitant, considering what to do. He scanned the room for an empty table and then headed towards the table next to Gary’s.

  Gary, who recognized the man immediately from the photograph in the briefcase, lowered his head. At first glance, the man’s face looked tough, just like in the photo, but his blue eyes were gentle and mischievous and his sharp nose stood out on his handsome face. He wore a heavy gold chain around his neck.

  Gary continued to observe the people entering the dining room, avoiding eye contact with the man. He waited patiently to identify the others. One by one, the people Greg had picked for Gary appeared in the dining room and Gary watched them from his table. If looks could tell, they matched exactly what he had expected after reading the files.

  Gary waited until the end of the meal and then passed nonchalantly between them and introduced himself.

  “After dinner, we’ll meet in my room − room 40,” he whispered in their ears. He did the same at each table and no one asked any questions, the meal continuing as if nothing had happened.

  Gary nodded with satisfaction, and knew straightaway that he was dealing with professionals who know what was expected of them without asking unnecessary questions.

  He left the dining room and crossed the lobby towards the entrance. It was evening, but the entrance was bustling with activity. Taxis with new guests parked outside the door, unloading the guests’ luggage. Bellboys went up and down the stairs, carrying heavy suitcases, and for a moment the scene resembled a luxury hotel in Europe.

  While Gary observed the commotion at the entrance to the hotel, he suddenly got the feeling that someone was watching him. As an experienced field operator, Gary trusted his instincts. He was never mistaken in these matters.

  He continued to follow the activity at the entrance, supposedly uninterested, slowly walking on the wide sidewalk. Without any warning, Gary suddenly spun around, his eyes scanning all sides. He caught sight of a tall, dark-skinned man. He, too, turned back and walked away. Gary tried to pursue him, but the man crossed the street and disappeared into one of the alleys.

  Gary walked back into the hotel through the revolving door, thinking about the man he had just seen; it was the second time he’d seen him in the past day. He knew for certain that their paths had crossed not too long ago, but despite his efforts he couldn’t remember where it was that he had seen him.

  Walking up the stairs two at a time, Gary arrived at his room out of breath.

  “Being fit is a serious matter,” he mumbled to himself as he entered the room. There was a soft knock on the door and Gary prepared himself to respond. His hand reached under his pillow, where he hid his gun.

  “Come in,” Gary said loudly.

  He stared at the door in anticipation, waiting to see who it was.

  The door opened slowly and a tall man walked in. Around his neck was a thick golden chain. The man scanned the corners of the room suspiciously and then proceeded towards Gary’s outstretched hand.

  “My name is Harry,” he said.

  “I’m sure it’s you,” Gary said with a smile, amiably shaking his hand. Since Harry’s handshake showed strength and confidence, Gary liked him immediately. Harry headed towards the window and sat down on one of the chairs in silence.

  A few minutes later there was another knock on the door. This time two men entered.

  “Paul,” said the first, holding out his hand to Gary.

  As Gary shook his sweaty hand, he examined the man carefully, with a bit of embarrassment.

  Paul was short and a bit repulsive. He wore a checkered shirt and striped pants, showing his lack of taste. His thin black hair was pulled back in an attempt to hide his shiny bald head. In his mouth was an extinguished cigarette butt. His eyes showed tension and nervousness.

  “I would have not picked him,” Gary thought to himself.

  He directed him to a seat by the window as he welcomed the second man, who patiently awaited his turn.

  “You must be Neil,” Gary said, testing his memory.

  “That’s right,” the man said congenially as he sat down in an empty chair.

  Gary’s gaze followed Neil as he crossed the room. He was surprised Neil was chosen for this assignment, mainly due to the physical demands of the mission.

  Neil read his mind easily. He was used to comments and jokes about his size. He smiled forgivingly to the group and said, “You have nothing to worry about.” He was very confident as he proudly put his two hands on his pot belly and they watched him with surprise.

  “You can give me any task, despite my size. I never stay behind.”

  Gary’s door opened again, and two others slipped into the room, completing the task force. They went around the room shaking one another’s hands and silently taking their places in the crowded room.

  By now there was a tense, uncertain atmosphere in the room. No one said a word, and the silence was troubling. The only sound was Neil’s deep, noisy breathing. Gary stood with his back to the door, facing the group that was sitting patiently and waiting to hear what he had to say.

  “Gentlemen,” Gary broke the tense silence. “In the next few minutes I’m going to explain the details of the operation we’re about to carry out. There will be some information I cannot give you at this point, and for that I apologize, but these are the orders I was given from London and I have to follow them.”

  Paul put a new cigarette in his mouth and a sweaty hand through his shiny hair.

  “As you’ll see, this is an irregular, even bizarre operation. It is of the utmost importance to the Secret Service and we need to do everything in our power to keep to the schedule and carry out the tasks they have assigned to us.”

  Neil wiped the sweat from his face as he opened the top button of his shirt. The air in the room was hot and stuffy, and a man his size felt it more than the others. The sound of quick footsteps came from the corridor. Gary stopped talking and quietly walked over to the door.

  He pressed his ear to the door and after a few seconds opened it quickly. The long corridor was empty and all the doors closed.

  “A little bit of caution won’t do any harm,” he said, the room responding with laughter.

  Only Harry continued to have a serious, tense look on his face.

  “The operation has several stages. The first has just begun. We’ll prepare and organize our equipment here in Togo. When everything is ready, we’ll travel as a group to a small village on the border between Togo and Ogada, and from there, according to the schedule I will give you later on, we’’ll infiltrate into Ogada. Our objective is to reach the capital three days before the big military parade. On the outskirts of the city is an abandoned building that was owned by a family killed by Ande, whom we will discuss in detail later on. The building is where you will hide.”

  Gary cleared his throat and turned towards Harry.

  “Once you are positioned in the abandoned building, it will be time for the first assignment, a vital preparatory step of the operation itself.”

  Gary went over to the closet in the corner and came back with the heavy briefcase full of documents. He opened it and took out a small cardboard box.

  Taking Harry by surprise, he handed him the box.

  “From this moment on, this box is your sole responsibility. The success or failure of our mission depends on this box.”

  Harry covered the white box with his hands and looked up at Gary with an embarrassed yet questioning look.

  “This box will now be with you wherever you go,” Gary continued.

  Harry put the small box in a big pocket at the front of his pants and sat up alert and ready. Gary kept rummaging through the briefcase and finally took out a number of pages stapled together. He flipped through the pages and handed them to Harry.

  Harry looked at the headline on the first page and then back at Gary, waiting for his explanation. “Inside this box is a special badge that is called the “Liberation Badge.” This is what Ande gave to the group of people who helped him assassinate Osako, Ogada’s previous leader. Since taking power, Ande has been in complete control of the country. Harry, you will switch the badge I just gave you with an identical badge on Ande’s shirt from among the many other badges on it. In other words, we need to replace the original Liberation Badge with the one in your pocket.”

  The people in the room were flabbergasted. Harry was the first to respond.

  “How are we supposed to get to Ande’s clothes? He’s surrounded by heavy security all the time and his palace is a fortress,” said Harry, finally ending his long silence.

  Gary nodded in agreement and pointed to the papers as he spoke enthusiastically. “As far as we know, it isn’t possible to infiltrate the palace and that’s why we’ll swap the badges somewhere else. On these papers you’ll find the description of a house where Ande’s clothes are taken every day for laundering, including information about the people who live there. In addition, you’ll find very interesting details about Ande’s driver, who brings the clothes to this house every day. You’ll learn about the relationships that have developed between the family and the driver, and you’ll have to analyze all the information and find the weak spot that we can take advantage of to switch the badges. You’ll also have to make sure the badge is on the uniform Ande will be wearing on the day of the parade.”

  Harry looked at Gary with a sharp, piercing gaze. His explanation was missing the most important information: the reason for the switch. Gary tried to avoid Harry’s penetrating blue eyes but gave in after a short time.

  “Gentlemen, that’s all the information that I can give you right now. I’m can’t provide more details at this point, especially the reason that we want to swap the badges. Any more talk about it can ruin the entire operation.”

  Harry listened to Gary with a serious look on his face but didn’t bother his commander with further questions, and Gary was grateful for his professionalism in remaining silent.

  “From the abandoned building,” Gary continued, “you’ll need to become familiar with the area, in addition to the map you have.”

  He reopened the briefcase and took out a folded map. Gary spread the map out and pointed to a rectangle in the center.

  “This is Ande’s huge palace. There is nothing like it in all of Africa. As I mentioned previously, it is impossible to infiltrate the palace without an army. There are armed guards in shooting positions all around the palace and soldiers patrolling the area day and night. The soldiers are from families close to Ande, and so far all our attempts to infiltrate the Palace Guard have failed..”

  “This city looks like a huge ball,” said Neil.

  “That’s right,” Gary agreed. “The city was built as circles surrounding the palace. As you move farther away from the palace, the population changes and the area becomes poorer and more neglected.”

  “This man, what’s his name? Ande? He’s no fool. The idea of building a city this way is very smart and provides good protection for the palace at its center.”

  Everyone turned to see who was talking, since he had been silent up until this point.

 

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