Michael Reagan - The Devil's Handshake

“Okay, I will pass that along to the Boss,” replied Clara before heading to the kitchen to put her limes into a cup of tea.

Outside and unknown to Clara, one of the little boys left his friend on the fruit stand to call his foreign friend on the burner mobile he had been given to let him know the woman was now at her office, earning himself a hundred U.S. dollars for his family in the process.

Roschinsky

Stationed at Roschinsky in Samara is a unit that is drawn from the elite of Russia’s Special Forces, known as the 3rd Guards Spetsnaz Brigade GRU. Formed in the 1960’s,the primary goal of the unit during the Cold War had been infiltration/insertion behind enemy lines, either in uniform or civilian clothing, usually well before hostilities were scheduled to begin and then, once in place, to commit acts of sabotage plus the assassination of key government leaders and military officers.

Since 2011 though, the unit’s role was to provide fast support in the field as when directed. The unit was led by a battle hardened division commander, a tall, striking man of thirty-eight with dark hair and deep brown eyes called Podpolovnk Alekseyevich Valeri Stukalov who had seen service in Dagestan and Chechnya and more covertly a few other places in between. A Hero of the Russian Federation, an award he had won for his bravery when he single-handedly engaged and overcame the enemy after his team had been ambushed on the operation in the 2005 he was a unique individual who inspired loyalty in his men and fear in his enemies.

Walking into the conference room on the base, his platoon commanders immediately stood up at attention and on reaching the front of the room he ordered them to sit back down again and began his briefing.

Clicking past the Operation Code Name of KANJAR of the PowerPoint presentation, he stopped at the picture of the map of Adwalland.

Never one for small talk he went straight to the point.

“Gentleman the operational codename is KANJAR!” he said, adding the mission in his no nonsense manner. “Our orders are to provide support to the President of the Country codenamed HARE and our command authority will be the Zaslon commander in the field codenamed MONGOOSE!” he continued, clicking on the key players.

“In your packets, you’ll find briefing notes on the threats to the mission coming from the Interior Minister code name VIPER, the capital’s choke points and also an overview of the American divisions stationed at Camp Lemmonnier codename TOMBSTONE,” he continued referring to their encrypted orders being downloaded into their battlefield Getac laptops as he spoke.

“It is a fast moving situation, so there is a chance we might have to HALO jump if the airport is not secure,” he added without looking into the faces of the young men he commanded. “If the airport is secure then we will use the Grasshopper tactic,” he stated.

Borama

Outside the residence as the cicadas, the hated foe of the hotel’s gardener sang together in the gardens, Thomas and his team were standing huddled together away from their villa.

“Boss!”

“I got some more information that I think you might find interesting,” Barak said in Hebrew as Thomas went about lighting his cigar.

“My young housekeeper that works at the Sammo just told me that earlier today she saw a certain white lady entering the Indian’s hotel room,” Barak continued.

“You’re right, that is interesting Barak,” answered Thomas to the ex-Policeman from Israel’s Border Police known as the Yaman.

“It sort of proves who’s pulling the strings,” offered Mikhail linking the dots of Barak’s intelligence sources.

“What do you want to do?” Barak asked his principal.

Thomas took a long pull on the cigar so he could think for a few moments, allowing the rich smoke from Cuban tobacco to float upwards to the night sky.

When he finished he said, “You and Yossi go with five of the Gurkhas and take them down nice and quiet. Once you’ve got them take them to our compound,” he carried on without much ado, sensing they would make useful bargaining chips although he was just not sure yet why, how or when!

“Oh! Barak, we will need them alive,” Thomas then added accompanied with a wink before he departed to find Paul so he could steal five of his Gurkhas for their own covert operation.

“You’re not telling Igor about them then?” asked Mikhail once they were alone.

“No. We might need some insurance,” he answered.

“From what?” Mikhail asked, wondering where Thomas was going with his thoughts.

“Don’t know yet!” Thomas answered honestly to his old friend and trusted bodyguard.

Impromptu clandestine meeting over, the pair walked back into the villa together whereby Igor informed them that Units C and D had just arrived and were now on their way to the hotel and would be with them in about twenty minutes or so.

“Badr’s people took care of the formalities at the airport, but I am pretty sure Viper will be notified of their arrival,” Igor added before telling them that Command had issues orders to the 3rd Guards Brigade, and they also would arrive on-board two Il-76 in Adwalland airspace around 0800 hours.

“If they begin the operation at dawn that means we will have to hold for two hours,” said Mikhail grimly calculating the time in his head.

“I have already advised them that they might have to come in hot!” offered Igor, acknowledging Mikhail’s statement and facial expressions indicating with a resigned look of his own admitting that it was going to be a close run thing.

He turned to Jawari.

“Mr. President, as soon as my teams arrive I suggest that we move to your offices and take up defensive positions.”

Less edgy, now having just received confirmation that the Russians were sending troops to support him and having been told by Badr that is family was safe, he answered that would be acceptable.

Cardamom infused Coffee and Shisha Pipes laced with Rose Water impregnated the air as the two ex-Welsh Guardsmen, sitting in Wasir’s Villa, walked through the plan once more with the Interior Minister, Ahmed and their paymaster, Gourgamangi.

“Mr. Ahmed how many men will you have on the main roads to and from the city?” asked the former Colonel.

“There will be twenty men at the airport, the Dilla Road on the North and South exits respectively, and twenty men on the Billa Road to the West and the East exits,” answered the former Somali intelligence officer.

Andrew nodded.

“We will send a personnel carrier to the TV Station, another to the telephone exchange and one to the Hospital. Once these places are secured that should give us control of the principal buildings,” he said as he pointed to their respective locations on the map for Gourgamangi benefit, if not his.

“Ahmed’s Land Cruisers with five Tureags in each will then seek and secure the President’s principal allies in the city. These are designated as the Natural Resources Minister, the Imman of the Mosque, The Economic Special Adviser, plus the central council elders to show the various militias that we are in charge,” pointing now to their respective locations on the map.

“We will also send ten men to Litchfield to secure his satellite farm,” ordered Andrew pointing to the map.

“These men will then also secure Litchfield and the bodyguards,” he added figuring that was where the English Billionaire would be when the coup d’état happened.

“What’s the plan for Litchfield?” asked Gourgamangi.

“I want him dead!” answered Wasir before Martin could reply, determined to punish him for the insult he had given him on his yacht despite being paid millions of U.S. dollars by him.