ICON OF THE FIGHT

Chapter 18

The moment he stepped into the Command Room in Eagle's Castle, Mtsvodo knew he was in trouble. The first clue was the president's furious glare at him as he entered and sat in his chair around the long conference table. And when he looked around at the other six members of the Command Chiefs, he saw their unconcealed glee at his impending doom. They all sat on their straight-backed leather chairs around the elongated oval-shaped table in the dimly lit room with half smiles on their faces. All of them except Jez Komari and her husband, the president. He knew the reason for Komari's anger with him, of course. It was Mtsvodo's job to know in advance of the rebels' plans.

"Good morning, doctor," President Komari said. "Real nice of you to join us."

There was no mistaking the malice that laced those innocuous sounding words.

The best strategy to escape the golden gun was to own up to one's shortcomings, he knew. "Mr President, I am afraid this attack caught us unawares. None of our informants knew about it and there was no inkling this was going to happen."

"You were caught with your pants down," the Minister of Defence, Jez Komari, said with a twinkle in her eye.

Mtsvodo kept his face inscrutable as he acquiesced. "Very much so, Minister."

"That's very un-intelligent of the BIO," said the four star general in charge of all Badara's military. Lieutenant General Ndlera, a long time friend of the president, fancied himself the second most powerful man in the nation and a wit. Mtsvodo already had plan to disabuse the old soldier of that notion.

"Right," the president intervened, "no need to keep rubbing it in. Director, do you have an explanation as to why the rebels have attacked us now."

Mtsvodo absently removed his glasses and wiped them on the sleeve of his suit jacket. In the few minutes it had taken him to arrive in the Command Room, he had analysed the situation and was ready with an answer.

"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen," he began, "as of this moment, I am only guessing. Yesterday's breakout and escape seem to be connected to this attack. Less than twenty four hours after the escape, an attack is underway. This suggests that yesterday's events enabled this attack.

"One of the reasons we were caught unawares was we believed Shogg would need time to recuperate and regroup before he mounted any offensive. But we were wrong. Either because the plan to attack was already in place and he couldn't or wouldn't stop it. Or, the vacuum created by Shogg's arrest caused a power struggle in the leadership of the Resistance Army and this attack is meant to prove one leader stronger than others. Now, I want to emphasise that all this is speculation. All the solid intel we have on the rebels suggests they had gone to ground, dispersed. This is further proved by the fact that ever since Shogg and company were detained, the Resistance army was not able to carry out any significant offensive."

Komari nodded and said, "Very well. We will see if your educated guesses hold any water." He turned an aide. "Now, Colonel, update us."

A hush fell across the room as a wiry officer in a full dress uniform stood up from the conference table and marched to the wall which bore huge LCD screens. He tapped the tablet in his hand and one of them came to life, showing a digital map of Fort Rhodes, with the perimeter shown in black lines. Four green dots inside the fence denoted the watchtowers. He pointed to the screen.

"As of twenty minutes ago, over two dozen rebels attempted to breach the base's north western perimeter. They lashed together sticks of dynamite and threw them into the mine field. Then they shot at them, exploding them and setting off the mines. However, our men were able to repel them. The rebels were overwhelmed and are in full retreat, with one casualty. I am in contact with Col...Brigadier General Jongwe and he is giving me updates every five minutes."