Elite Part 6

Day One

Morning Starts

0600 hrs

The news would had been heard by the morning listener if there was a radio program on, but there was none on the radio that morning. Nor was the televisyen transmitting or the portable phones signal working. But that news would had interested the people on the island; Typhoon Jimmie is on the collision course to the island this late afternoon to evening. All households are told to board up or faced torrents of rain and flying debris.

But the city is not quiet despite the lack of electronic communications, as its people wakes up to their normal routine. Shops and business are opened or schedule to open, and the streets slowly filled up with the morning crowds. The only query on the mind of everyone, is what happend to the news and phone calls. Irritate customers came by their transport to collect their wares or deliver themselves their wares.

The first train that arrived at the City Commuter Station was surprised by the presence of army troops with heavy guns on them all perched on the upper corridors. What was made worse they only allowed two exit/entrance to the Station which is on the left to 2^nd  Street and right to 4^th Street.

But no one noticed the staff going to the next level where their offices are being urshered into some rooms. Nor did the passerby of Plaza Diamonde pay attention to the army guards on the entrance of the Plaza. All the staff reporting for duties there are sent to the Level 6 above the Ground and kept in binds there. So was the Governor Office cleaning staffs which arrived at 0630 hrs...By that time, the number of hostages taken in was about sixty eight persons.

0700 hrs

I looked at my scooter petrol gauge and it said near empty and so is my wallet content. I must remember to top it up or I will be pushing the bike. There is the automated teller machine ( ATM’s ) on Plaza Diamonde I can used. Its inside the lobby and it should be open now. I zipped to the place passing the slow moving traffic on the streets as the drivers tried to get to their workplace. I looked up at the skies when I stopped at the traffic lights intersection. Its clear and looks like another hot day for us. I can see the City Commuter Station spurting it occupants like bad food, as they all pushed their way in and out. I was surprised to see the side doors are all closed and there is one army personnel on the window at the upper level. That is a rare sight as the army don;t come out and parade themselves that way. The Governor saids it bad for the tourists to see that.

My stop is two streets away, and my traffic light is green, so I am off. I am wearing my janitor suit under my jacket and my tools are on rear on my scooter seat. I am trying to avoid thinking of my new target, but the image keep on appearing on my mind. When I reached the entrance of Plaza Diamonde, I dismount from my scooter and unattached my tool box to carry it with me. Its not safe to leave your tools unattended on the streets.

I walked by the Army personnel at the entrance, and proceeded to the left towards the rows of ATM’s at the lobby area. I heard someone calling me and turned to look at the source of the shouting. It was the same army personnel and he told me get back in line and go to the lifts. I took up my right hand to show him the ATM card, but he was sill insistent I do as he said. You do not argue with a man holding a nasty looking gun. I can tell its a AK74M model with a load of 30 rounds. And his name tag is missing, so I just called him, Oleg for fun.

‘Okay, Oleg. I follow your call. Even though I need is a ATM.’ I walked towards the lifts and was surprised to see another personnel in the lift when the door opened. He motioned for me to step in and move aside to the control panel, which he has pressed the number six button..

It was my instinct which saved me. I dropped my tool box on the flooring and that caused the soldier to over react. It was a split second decision and one which I am good at. I lashed out with my right foot onto the soldiers groin and he keeled over in pain. I chopped down my karate trained arm on the back of his neck. I then pressed the button five to let the lift stop there, and it did in the next moment. I immediately pulled the soldier out of the lift and dragged him into the lift lobby. I reached in and grab my toolbox before the lift door closes.

I may have only a few seconds to work on this act. I dragged him to the far corner out of the camera’s view, and prop him against the wall. I searched his body for ID but there was none. I removed his bandolier which holds four clips of ammo and one fragment grenade.

For good measure, I reach with both arms on his head and give him a deadly twist to his neck. I picked up his AK74M and shoulder it. I then opened my toolbox and removed a black pouch. I put that pouch into my jacket pocket and stood up against the fire door to the staircase. I can hear no noise on it and I assumed there are no one there. I slowly opened the door and went into the staircase level.

I decided to go down to the Level 1 where I can get out unseen by ‘Oleg’ the guard at the entrance. On the mid flight of the staircase from Level 1 and 2 is a window which is closed from inside. And its also about nine feet high. But I know the Janitor here too. So I followed his instruction to the last words.

I discarded my acquired weapons except for my pouch. I climbed onto the stair railings where it shaped to a ‘U’ turn; giving me some space to stand on. I leapt from there towards the window. It opened when I hit it and I hung by the slight open window ledge. I slowly inched my way up and forcing the windows to open up wider. Now comes the hard part, as I am hanging face out over the window ledge. I know of no other way to fall over except heads down. Its wasn’t exactly my mode of falling but I swung my legs out in time to land on my back on the pavement. I can assure you its painful but the idea of being shot at sounds worse. I got up from my prone position and leaned back against the wall. I was lucky for my thick jacket taking most of the fall, but its still hurts.

I am now at the rear side of the building and in a open carpark area. I ran over to the nearest car I can find; its four wheel saloon and the keys are not there. But I know how to open the lock; I just used my jacket as the glove and hit hard. I swept the broken glass off the seat and reached for the wire beneath the steering wheel.

Soon I have my convertible ready to hit the road.

0812 hrs

I heard the door bell and then the hard knocking. Damn, I just completed my shower and was about to get dressed. I went over to my dresser and took out my SIG-Sauer P226 with my 15 rounds clip. One my previous lover from the military background gave it to me as present. He said it lacks the power of the Magnum but it gor more rounds than some. So when the enemy is reloading, you can still shoot them down. Sadly, he got shot in a unrecorded mission to the wrong country and so ended a fifteen months relationship.

I may be dressed in my bathrobe, but I am carrying a menacing firearm on me now. And it blows more than bubbles. I went up to the door, standing by the side and asked who it was. It turned out to be Marcel and he is early. If he is here to fix any leaking pipes there ain’ any. And Alicia is still asleep in her bed.I opened the door to admit in a very urgent looking brother.

‘Something is wrong. I was in the Plaza D and got almost killed, There are soldiers there and also at the Governor’s Office, which is why I am here. I know those guards don;t dressed like that and I thought I warned you. The phones are not working and so is the radio programs. Something is wrong and I know it.’

‘Hush, Marcel. There could be an explanation for it. Maybe the Governor called the troops to guard his gate, and Plaza D was under the army survelliance for something. I can verify that soon.’ I would know as all correspondence and messages goes through my desk. And there was none of it to my knowledge. And the call from the Governor this early morning did not specified any new instructions except the geographical tests files.

That when the door was knocked again. The time was 0829 hrs

0715 hrs

I pulled over the kerb to the coffee kiosk opposite the City Central Station. I got out the car and walked towards the half shop which made up for my coffee kiosk. Ben is a ex-policeman retired five years ago, and now operates this joint here. His main crowd are the policemen themselves, with an occasional passerby at odd times. His shop front is a counter top across the shop width and a long bench before it; that’s for the ones who wants to sit there. Almost all his customers are takeaways and he is happy with that. Today, Ben is looking a bit upset at his pile up of coffee takeaways.

‘Ben, my normal please.’ I reached for my wallet and extract out the money. I took my coffee and sandwich from Ben. As he was counting my change, I noticed the eight bags of takeaways next to his cashier box.

‘Big pile there? Someone having a early morning chat?’ Whenever the Commissioner gives a pep talk, we get the secretarail to order the coffee from Ben to be brought over. But the Commissioner is in the capital, so there must be another talk I am not aware of.

‘Nay, them boys did not come to picked up their drinks yet. Normally they be on the road by now, but they picked this up before hitting the road. Even your night shift guys are still in the station.’

I looked across the street to see the fifteen patrol cars are still there. Normally they will be picked up by the morning shift guys for their patrol. What was odd was there are no policemen on or off duty outside at the station yard. Normally at this hour, would be about twenty personnels interacting on last night’s performance. But there are none now. Maybe there is an important meeting in there now.

I told Ben pass me the coffee packs, and I walked over to the Station. You need to walk over a 50 yard long cemented ground to reach the entrance. When I reached the familair part glass and wooden door, I saw it open from inside. An army personnel came out brandishing a M16A1 witrh M203 Grenade Launcher to stopped me.

‘No coffee delivery today.’ He also told me to scot off and not come back.

I peeked in to see the front counter manned by an army personnel with a M240 on the desk facing me. The earlier army personnel poked his M16A1 into my right shoulder and motioned me to move. I turned back to Ben’s shop and turned once more to looked back at the Station. Something is wrong and I know it. I focused my attention to the roof when I saw a glitter of reflection from it. I was then I saw the sniper positioned there with his long barrel on me. Immediately I ducked back into the shop and passed the packs of coffee to Ben.

‘They are having tea with some visiting officers from some faraway land. No coffee today to be served.’

I am not sure Ben bought my excuse but he did throw the coffee packs into the waste bins, and muttered about the taste of tea drinkers. I sat there for a while watching the Station. It was then Brian rushed in asking for a coffee to be taken away. Brian is new rookie in the force, and was just posted here from the academy.

‘Hey, Brian. Can you do me a favor? Please wave to me when you reached the Station from the first level window.’

‘Yes, sir. I got to go now.’ And he rushed off to the Station and went in by the Staff entrance. I waited for ten minutes and still no Brian at the windows. I gave it another ten minutes more and still no sign of him. I asked Ben if he has that binoculars of his. He passed it to me and I took off for the building next door. Its called the Tech Corner Building and its one level higher than the Station. I just showed my Police ID to the guard and was allowed to go in. I climbed the steps to the roof level, and slowly crawled to the gutter edge. I found a space for me to lie down flat and and from there, I trained my sights  through the binoculars to the Station.

What I saw was most disturbing, that I made my way down and to Ben’s. I told Ben to tell any officer who comes over to meet me at the Police Warehouse next to the Dock Yard. If I am not there, they are to wait for me. I went into my car and start the engine without thinking of any car bombs. My mind was on the Station and what is happening.

Only person would know is Melanie. The clock in the car reads as 0756 hrs

Folk Tales No. 24

Romeo and Julia ..

We all know about Juliet in Romeo’s life, but we never asked if there was anyone else in his when he was courting Juliet.

So our story began.

“Romeo, where art’ thou? I have waited for hours and the pies are cold’ such was the thoughts of Rosaline who was secretly in love with Romeo. She knew that Romeo was with his other love, Juliet, but she cares not for the other woman, as long as Romeo has a place for her, even though it may be negligiblel.

As she sat there, her thoughts went back to the romance of the two lovers, unblessed by each clans of both sides. It was all a stupid brawl which resulted in this curse to the lovers, but if Romeo had seen his ways better, he would not had to suffer this pain. He was actually to see me at the ball but he met instead Juliet. It was not planned as I was in the powder room and someone took too much raw oyster, so we were all detained slightly longer. It was that moment of time, Romeo met Juliet when he came looking for me at the powder room. Juliet was last in the queue, so he asked if she seen me, Rosaline.

‘Rosaline Capulet? No, she must had stepped out. I am Juliet Capulet, her cousin. Are you a Capulet too? I thought I knew all the Capulet’s suitors.’ Now the young man was amused at the introduction of this catchy spunky lady in the marron dress.

‘I am afraid not. I am Romeo Montague, son of your fathers’ rival and bitter enemy now. But I am very pleased to meet you. Have I seen you in a brawl before? I guess not, as it may not be your style to kick someone’s butt.’ Romeo ever the infallible man of his trade, had on his ever charming smile.

‘Oh, Romeo. No wonder the oyster was bad today, we should had knew you will be bring it along.’ Juliet was a firm supporter of her dad. And a Montague is a Montague even though he looked nice in those pantaloons.

‘Oh, pardon me for the oyster, but we did not know you have no cold room. Why should you when the ladies are so cold, they can freeze even hell itself.’

Juliet was upset at the remark and said; ‘I shall prove to you my coldness’. She took him in her arms and lay a kiss on his warm lips, which smell of sherry and some brandy too. He in return kissed her tasteless oyster lips and a lover bond was created.

And on that night, I regretted not getting my diaper on or I won’t had Romeo taken away by Juliet. My heart was more broken when they consumated their love without the parent’s blessing, and even when she was supposed to marry the Count. Given the choice, I would had.

I was also sad, that I consulted the Friar for the potion to end my woes, but he was too inquisitive, so I lied to him, and said it was for some lost lovers friends of mine. He must had seen my lies and made a sleeping potion instead. He was reading ‘Sleeping Beauty’ that day. And the rest you knew, she got drunk and slept, and he went into grief on her dead like sleep, he drank the other potion and died. I did tell him before, self prescription sometimes is fatal. But as he laid dead, she has to follow suit was unbelievable.

I guess like me now, I am still baking pies for my ‘dead should be lover’, and hoped he will come back to eat them. Fat chance at that, as I normally eat them all myself. So much as its had been therapuetic to me, and now I find any excuse to bake a pie. And a successful franchise called ‘Julia’s Pies; the taste to die for like lovers when you eat it’.

And I re-named myself to Julia, so one day, someone will tell my side of the story too. Guess not, as no one reads the small print on the packaging anymore.

( Love is a contagious bond that can sometimes caused behaviour changes that can be detrimental to health. So consult your ‘doctor’ before you try anything. And don’t self prescribed love potions; it can be fatal. )

Male Tales 1.088

Issue 1.088: I got it and you don’t...

All of us in sometime of our lifetime done it before and still do it.

And most times, intentionally with or without malice, but we did it to show our extra edge.

 So what is it that makes us do it.

No, my dear. Its not the picking of the nose or scratching the hairline of the dead follicle or the itch on the lower backend.

We are talking about being boastful or called I got it and you don’t... or the dictionaries like to add words to that behaviour; its defined as ‘To glorify oneself in speech; talk in a self-admiring way’ as described by ‘The Free Dictionary’ on the web.

But I kinda like the other definition by the psychiatrist. Its described as Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) or being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity.^[2] Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to self-centeredness.  They list the following factors identified by various researchers as possibilities.

·         An oversensitive temperament at birth is the main symptomatic chronic form

·         Being praised for perceived exceptional looks or abilities by adults

·         Excessive admiration that is never balanced with realistic feedback

·         Excessive praise for good behaviors or excessive criticism for poor behaviors in childhood

·         Overindulgence and overvaluation by parents

·         Severe emotional abuse in childhood

·         Unpredictable or unreliable caregiving from parents

·         Valued by parents as a means to regulate their own self-esteem

Or to quip in a nicer manner, perhaps a touch of quotes from famous personalities like Bernard Berenson; ‘Boast is always a cry of despair, except in the young it is a cry of hope’.

Or from Louis L’amour ‘Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen’.

( Psst, who is Bernard Berenson and Louis L’amour? Bernard Berenson (June 26, 1865 – October 6, 1959) was an American art historian specializing in the Renaissance, while Louis is a famous western novel writer. )

Or shall we induce in some Shakespeare’s words like this one; A friend should bear his friend's infirmities.
(Julius Caesar 4.3.85), Cassius to Brutus. ( Infirmities means A failing or defect in a person's character. ) I loved these words beautifully grafted in the dictionaries.

Oh, please allow me to induce myself further. Or shall I be humble to quote a verse from the Mathew 6:8 ESV from the Bible. "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

( this is dedicated to one who needs to be shown the humble ways as I was. )

Elite Part 5

0330 hrs.

The Coast Guard dockyard at the end of 20^th Street and runs parallel to the Beach Road on the other side of the city. It’s compound  was well lit up with men getting ready for their coming shift of works. At the next shift, three twenty metres craft with twenty five crews will leave for the seas while three will come in to rest, adding to the three more in the berth for the next oncmoing shift rotation. The number of personnel at the dockyards excluding the oncoming shift of twenty five men at this morning will be about a sixty with fifty of them asleep in their bunks. The ten guards awake consist of eight sentries and two controllers which are officers.

Platoon A in two trucks pulled up at the Guard House. The Guard House is manned by three sentries with a Petty Officer in charge. The first reaction of Petty Officer Gina was irritation at being called on to see some army officer at this hour. He walked out of the Guard House to see the three army personnel disembarking from the truck. He saw two of them walked past him to the Guard House; probably looking for a loo at this hour, and he was soon facing the Lieutenant. He never got to ask the Lieutenant anything as he was shot at point blank in the face.

So were his men.

The gate was opened and two men stood guard over it. The truck drove in after picking up the officer and went up to the Control Tower. Squad One and Two with Lieutenant Hansen dropped off as the truck passed it. Squad Three and Four dropped off as they passed the Billet Hall, and the truck stopped at the barracks where the rest of the men got off.

The same mode of operation was used and Platoon A soon took command of the Dockyard.

The two returning crafts with their sailors were taken care of with silenced kills.

Half the men was left here from Squad One to Five under the command of Sargeant Doyle; ex-marines. As usual, remote bombs were placed with claymores at strategic places.

Four GPMG 7.62mm taken from the crafts and two M47 Dragon’s were in place alongside a M30 Mortar. Squad 1-5 as they named themselves is ready for action.

At 0400 hrs the Dockyard was back to it usual quiet state except for a truck moving out.

0420 hrs.

The remaining Platoon A arrived at the Plaza Diamonde; the posh tallest structure in the city on start of 8^th Street. Its only twenty levels high but it housed the three majors banks database and system, and also the offices of the five mining companies. The truck stopped at the entrance to the building, and the Lieutenant Hansen walked up to the glass entrance. He was met by the security guard standing across the glass partition. The lieutenant indicated to the guard to open the door, and he did as he was told. He is only $5 per hour of work and the coffin cost $400 to buy one. So its best to stay alive than dead.

The mercenaries went in and took command of the building including its control system on all the switches including alarm and lift controls. Squad Ten are a bunch of burglars and lock experts, and two of their member have started unlocking the alarm systems on the first target; the Central Island Bank. They completed the task in ten minutes and the one of them went into the Main Console. There he opened his back pack to reveal another tablet PC. In five minutes, he has logged into the system as the Administrator will access to all the files. He then programmed the tablet to send out data to the backup at the Central Police Station manned by Platoon B. While the program files are being downloaded, the IT hacker has detached his computer and moving to the fourth floor to access the Mining Banks system. Squad Ten will take only an hour to complete their tasks and then they will descend to the Ground Level.

Meanwhile Squad Six and Seven are planting explosives with remote switches on every level. They will also plant explosive booby traps on the floors. These demolitions experts are scheduled to complete their tasks in an hour. Squad Eight and Nine has positioned themselves on themselves on the next building further down the road which is the City Commuter Station. They have taken over the late 19^th century design triple level building and they are placing explosives at the strategic areas. The train station serves as the main hub for the commuters to come in from all directions of the island. It also has a rail line which connect to the dockyard via a rail intersection.

By 0500 hrs all the squads except for Squad Six and Seven which remained at the building, are in the City Commuter Station and in their position. Lieutenant Hansen send an encoded message by his comms set to the General. So did Lieutenant Ziva on his own set.

Operation Wildcat Stage One is completed as schedule.

That was the time Colonel Mathew arrived at the official home of the Governor. Platoon C men are also deployed at the other five houses on the same fenced and guarded elite class community area on the start of Beach Road and intersection with the start of 1^st Street. The place is named Island Elite, and the five large mansions here housed one Governor and four multi millionaires, of which all is sleeping soundly in their bedrooms at this hour.

Seventy six servants and fifteen security guards are locked in the garage of the Governor’s House. The cars were of course removed out onto the front porch as physical barriers on any attacks.

0559 hrs

Three souls with one passion; to live peacefully but only two sleeps while one is walking around the room holding a photo of his target.

Folk Tales No. 23 Billy 'ruff kids

Billy ‘ruff kids ..

Ever felt we are at the mercy of the others when we needed their assistance most. They will make our life miserable by their words and actions, so much that we felt like the imbecile in this whole world. Ever wished you can get back at them but without hurting them. Just to make them feel what’s it like to be in the other shoe.

So our story began.

There was three brothers who once lived on when their parents passed on. The parents left them the land they ploughed their life way, paying to the bank and redeeming it later when the times was good. But the toll of their work was their reply to a neat hole in the ground before they can see their grandchildren. But they taught the kids well.

So our story began.

Billy was their name; they are no other name given, so we will called them Billy One, Billy Two and Billy Three. You see Billy One is the eldest, Billy Two takes precedent and Billy Three completes the lineage. So were their sizes in their build, Billy One was one huge block of flesh and bones, and Billy Two was one bulk of fresh and hidden bones. As for Billy Three, he was one of bones and little flesh to add to the bones.

Now Mom and Pop was kinda concerned on how to split the land to the sons, before they all go grabbing what they can after the old folks gone. They were more worried about Billy Three being the youngest and most vulnerable to any bullying. So they did the division by the numbers too; Mom and Pop was being fair, they split the land into three portion according to seniority; the largest goes to Billy One, and the medium one when to Billy Two and Billy Three got the small portion. Now that settled all that matters, so they departed to see the maker.

Now the banker was still around, and he is one mean troll in the disguise as man. His name is Troll, and duly named so by his ogre dad, the Ogre. Now Troll took over the business from his dad, Ogre, and the last words his dad said was;’ squeeze them dry, but never out’. So he did what his daddy tells him, he dangles his funds for the farmers and squeeze their hard earned funds out of them like melted butter but leave enough for them to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

Today, Billy One needed a loan to tend to his goats. He asked the Troll for an advance, and Troll said, pay me this rate of interest, and I would let you through. As Billy One was in dire needs, he said ‘okay, Troll. I will pay but you will pay me back one day.’ Troll laughed and kicked the farmer out along with his loan.

Billy Two came over and said’ I needed some money to plant the extra grass for my brother, Billy One; or his goats will not have enough to feed.’ Now Troll said, ‘ give me rate of interest and I will give you your loan.’ So Billy Two reluctantly agreed and signed the deed.

Both brothers went back and discussed together on the loan’s interest. They knew its too high and they can’t repay the loan with that high interest, but they needed the loan. It was then Billy Three came in and joined the discussion.

His reply was ‘ I will get you the money to repay the loan.’

BIlly Three went to see Troll, and asked for a short loan at interest to be paid back to him. Troll laughed and said, ‘Billy Three, you are bonkers to tell me I will take a loan from you and I will also pay you interest on that loan. You sure them hot sun did not fry your brain’.

‘Nope, you will do just that so you will end up bankrupt like my brothers.’ Billy Three took the cigar from the case and smelled it. Cuban was his favourite.

‘Grubby Billies you guys are. I ain’t giving you taking a loan and paying interest to you. You better leave my office before I throw you out’, yelled Troll looking like his dad the Ogre.

‘If you said so, but before I leave, let me tell you something first. Your loan to my brothers has diminished your reserves and if they choose not to pay you will be bankrupt.’

‘I could garnished your brother’s land, and sell them to recover my money..... you buffon for a billy’ laughed Troll at the threat.

‘True, but the two piece of land is useless without mine, as I controlled the access and also the nearest water sources is on my land. So if I shut them off, you have is a desert with no value. So if you were to apply your banker skills as taught by your dad, you take my loan and pay the interest.’

Troll sat down and thought hard, and then he cried out in sorrow; ‘You have money to lent me? ‘

‘Do like my brothers, sign the deed for the loan, and transact as ‘IOU’ but make sure you pay me my interest.’

So Troll did just that, the interest on the loan he ‘took’ from the other two brothers was enough to pay to Billy Three. In return the Billy Three gave the money to the other two elder brother to pay back Troll’s interest.

Of course Mom and Pop taught them well; ‘pay what you took’ and so they did with the basic loan. And when they did on their principal loan, Billy Three cancelled the ‘IOU’ and Troll was happy to get his ‘loaned’ money back. But he never loaned to the Billy’s again. The Billys’ went to another bank in town.

So all is fair in the banking transactions.

( All’s fair if you played fair. But sometimes, a little persuasion helps to made it better than fair. )

Elite Part 4

0115 hrs

I threw the courier box on the couch along with my jacket. Its been a long day and I am tired to my bones. I walked to the fridge in the kitchen and grabbed a can of beer. I drank it as I walked to my bedroom, spilling some drops here and there in the walk.

The stop at the church did me good as it let me drain out my anger and frustrations to the priest. Father Henry is a good friend and confidante, and he waits for me at any hour to hear my day out. He is more than my priest; he is my missing father that I lost since age of nine. After every session, Father Henry will speak these fine words to me; ‘He is the shepherd that does not forego his flocks of sheeps. Sleep well tonight and tomorow we can talk again.’

By the time I completed my shower and crawl into bed, it was almost 0129 hrs.  I don’t care what time tomorrow starts but I am l sleeping to my heart contend.

‘

0145 hrs

The Army Barrracks was a former goverment run school which the students outgrew its class sizes. So the Governor relocate them all to a modern new structure five miles away. Initially it caused some problems because parents did not like the distance to travel to school but they gave in when the Governor promised them new school buses to drive the children at strategic locations including the old school entrance.

Today the L shaped two rows of double storey units of he length of five hundred yards, became the official barracks of the Army unit here with their command centre and billet for the men plus a double bunk sleeping accomodation complete with aircond for the humid nights. The L shaped units faced each other making it a square in the middle is the basketball court, now becomes the marching ground. The buildings are fenced up by a eight foot high wired fence with one large entrance on the northern side of the square. Its also faced the 10^th Street that runs parallel to the north fencing.

A simple guard house was erected at the gate entrance with two GPMG 7.62mm sandbags nest on either side of the gate. The five guards ( three in the guard house and the two manning the GPMG 7.62mm ) was on duty that night under Corporal Samji; a NCO of over ten years, and now still waiting for the call to be CO. He saw the truck coming in and alerted his men. There has been some news of attacks on the army but none has happened as yet.

The truck stopped before the Guard House and an officer alighted from the truck. On seeing the rank of the officer, Corporal Samji and his other two men walked up to the officer. They saluted the officer who returned their salute followed by a couple of well placed silenced shots by the men from the trucks behind the canopy. The two soldiers on seeing their Corporal saluting the officer, also stood up to do the same. That was their last salute as they were also taken care of silently. Four men came down from behind the truck, and two of them went into the Guard House to dismantle the phones and then proceeded to open the gates..

The other two took position of the GPMG 7.62mmn and had it pointed at the barracks.

Platoon A was in the perimeter now of the Army Barracks led by Lieutenant Hansen, former paratrooper and special forces

The truck picked up the Lieutenant and drove in through the gates. Its men start jumping off the back of the truck as it rounds the building. Two more sentries on patrol at the south fence was dispensed off like the gate guards. They were surprised to see men running and before they can react they were shot.

0155 hrs

Platoon A men moved into the buildings wearing gas masks and armed with spaz gas grenades with nuero toxins. They dropped in the grenades and counted to ten before walking in pairs to terminate the motionless soldiers. The officer units was also handed in the same manner. It was done by 0203 hrs and the Lieutenant was upset at the progress.

‘We are three minutes behind schedule.’ He rushed his men through the killing and got them to assemble at the square. There they loaded in the weapons from the armory onto the truck they found at the barracks. While this was going on, a squad of ten man was running through the barracks for signs of any witnesses and setting up the time bombs.

At precisely 0225 hrs the two trucks with Platoon A left the barracks for their next destination.

0230 hrs.

Platoon B under Lieutenant Ziva; ex- desert commando had taken out the radio transmitting station, and the adjacent Broadcasting Unit Tower. They also destroyed the facilities so that no communication can go out except by GPS connectivity. As of that moment there was no televisyen broadcast and all communication with the outside world has ceased to function.

At precisely the assigned time the trucks carrying Platoon B also left their assigned target for their next destination.

It was about then that Colonel Mathew bid his host a good morning and left for his next destination. The host was the retired General Mahua.

Upon seeing the departure of the Colonel, General Mahua walked back to his dining hall where five of the gang’s leader are seated here on his long dining table of twelve seats. Their names are not important as they are all dead with a bullet in each head. The other two gang leaders can be found soon enough and that leaves only me the sole survival of the leaders’. As for the accompanying members of the leaders, they have now holster back their guns and helped to removed the bodies to the crocodile pond.

Its truly a money game here, and the one who pays more win all.

‘James, please tell the household to have this clean by morning breakfast.’ I liked my butler of over ten years. He was my aide de camp, and then left with me on my retirement. He refused to use his military rank in public and likes to be addressed as ‘James’.

0300 hrs.

The Sargeant at the reception counter of the Central Police Station did not had the chance to take down any report as he was gunned down by Lieutenant Ziva with his Glock 17 attached with a suppresor. First squad of five ex-paratroopers led by Corporal Ziden ran up the stairs for the second floor, to clear the upstairs of any hostiles.

Second squad of five men went to the rooms behind the reception counters and took care of the late shift staff. A total of seventeen police officers was gunned down and moved to the holding cells at the rear of the Station. There four drunkards and three vagabonds joined them stacked on each other against the cell walls.

Third squad of five men led by Corporal Fisher; ex-commando demoliition expert went to the basement and seized the evidence room and armory. Then they plan the remote bombs and checked the signals.

Squad Three, Four and Five came in and took their position to fortify the Station. Squad Three is the sniper team and they went for the armory to get their rifles. The local police force used Remington 700 with a four rounds load, couple with the Zeiss Telescopic sights. There are more than a dozen here in the Armory. The snipers grabbed five of them and the 7.62mm ammo. The five snipers carried their loads to the roof levels and took their required position on ll four sides. They discarded the sighst for the infrared ones. They also left their AK47’s on their side for the close calls.

The roof was designed as a flat flooring for the purpose of any evacuation or landing of a small helicopter like a MD500 Light Helicopter. One sits there now on the roof carrying the Police Logo.

Corporal Fisher unlocked the long crate brought up by two of his men. Inside it was the Barrett "Light Fifty" M82A1 with some spare ammo clips. The range of this baby is above 1,500 metres and she rip into light metal. He took it out of the box like a new born and set it up on the south wall facing the intersection of 5^th Street and Governor Road which is the road towards the Governor Office.

Squad Four came up and setup their only M30 107 mm (4.2 inch Mortar) and their crates of HE M329A1 ammo ( max range 5,650 m ).

Squad Five took their position on the level below, with one M240 at the front of the Station and the other unit at the south wall. The rest of the men rested their butts on the available windows opening for the coming break of dawn.

Squad Two and One, led by Corporal Ziden has the ground level covered with his nine man. He looked at his watch and it said 0330 hrs.

The remaining twenty five men under Lieutenant Ziva had left the Station on the killing of the Sargeant at the desk and was headed to the Governor’s Office on Governor Road off the intersection of 15^th Street which is the longest street in the island of over ten miles. The building is a long six hundred feet length by a hundred feet width old colonial mansion of three levels with a long balcony on each upper levels. Its front entrance is a protruding balcony of over twenty feet with three pillars to support it. The garage of the Governor’s cars are on the right side of the building and behind is the staff quarters and other smaller structures for the staff. Its roof is a standard thirty degree gradient sloping with some windows on it. The kitchen is located at the back of the building on the left end of the building. The pool/sauna is next to the garage on the right.

The truck pulled up outside the Side Gate of the Governor’s Office where two guards stand as sentries. They were silenced by Lieutenant Ziva’s men, and soon the out of the shadow was the kitchen staff of the Governor’s. The kitchen staff produced his set of keys to unlocked the gate and the truck drove in. It reversed into the unloading bay of the kitchen, which by then was opened by the same staff.

Twenty four men jumped off the truck to do their roles. Squad Six consist of five men ran alongside the office building sides to removed the five more sentries plus the three sentries at the Main Gate. Squad Seven and Eight of ten men took the offices by each level on all three levels, removing the residents by silenced gunshots. 

Tenth Squad carted in two crates and opened it to reveal high tech communications equipment. The five men communications experts starts to setup their equipment and ran wireless routers boxes at strategic areas. The Special Ninth Squad proceeded to the Library, and went in. They walked up to the shelf with the rows of books on it on the right of the Governor’s desk. They pulled up the carpet to reveal a metal trap door with a electronic lock on it. Lance Corporal Charlie Chen punched in the relevant codes to release the locking mechanism. He raised the trapdoor and descend into it via the metal ladder with his men. They traversed the tight corridor for over ten minutes to come to a small room.

There was another a set of stairs to the trap door. He unlocked the door and stepped out into the sauna room of the adjacent building which fronts the pool. His men took over from there to open the sauna door and exit into the pool area. They started taking off little nasty rectangular boxes to placed at strategic walkways around  the pool area. Those boxes are called Claymores. Two of them stayed there outside the Sauna Room while the rest crawl back down the tunnel. Remote bombs was set at the staircase and along the tunnels with one man watching the area. Lance Corporal Charlie and the remaining man, went back to the Library.

By then the whole office building was secured. Unlike the Station, the roof of the building was a standard triangular tiles design with a 30 degree gradient.So the Sniper team or Squad Seven took their position on the attic with some tiles removed for easy sight. Squad Eight or the ‘Heavies’ took their position on the ground floor of the front of the Office with their anti-amored guns; three M240 and four M47 Dragon Anti tank Missiles. Squad Six left two men as main Gate sentries while the other three joined Squad Eight as backup on the ground floor.

Squad Seven was in the rear side of the building.

Lieutenant Ziva looked at his watch. Its said 0403 hrs late by three minutes.

Special Edition Male Tales

Most of us must had read about the death of the two year old child on the road who was knocked down twice while people are driving pass on the busy road. Well, I could not bring myself to see the clip but I felt the pain of the incident. I wrote this tale as a Special Edition in rememberance of the child and how we have evolved to be today. I wished the people who passed that moment and did not stop; please read this and then stand there to feel the same impact the child did.

To my Special Edition Tale.

A heartbeat away

It was once said that about fifteen thousand babies are born in a day in this world. That translates to possibility of thirty thousand adults who beaming with joy on the new born in their life. And probably more who know the young couple or single mother would share the same joy as the parents.

So a child birth does bring joy to many people, and of course in some cases, it brings misery and pain to the parents. But our tale is not about those, but the ones who cherished their new born as the result of their love.

The child will take up the parents’ time and energy with the growing pains like any other childs. The need to be clothed, fed and care for, with unselfish loving feelings.

The warm cuddles and the anxious moments when the child is not burping or feeding; or the little cries from its mouth to signify a thousand reasons which we as parents knows so little of. But we rushed to the side and we shower our attention on the child.

But if someone tells you child has only twenty four months to live; what would you do?

You would asked for forgiveness to bring the child to this world and yet he has to leave so early.

You would had offered to sacrifice yourself for the child’s life without any consideration of your own mortality.

But you cannot take away the heartbeat of yours nor the child as long as both of you are still alive.

But did you missed yours when you see a child of twenty four months died due to ignorance of the adults who drives their cars in the road.

I did as I never saw the child on the road. But I did not stop either to asked the child on where its going.

Why?

Because I am a inhuman kind who cares not for the young puppies I crushed under my wheels of my car. I cared not because some careless bitch left the young pups to wander off. I cared not even if the puppy lies injured on the road; crying for the bitch who left her there.

But I can come home to see my child sitting comfortably in the cradle watched over by my doggy bitch.

The difference in me is I feel the heartbeat of my child and not the one lying on the street. To me, there are all puppies bred by bitches.

( We are the ones who breathe the same air and lived in the same world yet we choose to use our vision to see what we want to see and forget our other senses.

But if we will learn to stoop ourselves to humbly hear for the sounds of heartbeat of others, we would had been a better neighbour to many who are living here.  )

Rest in peace, child. Your stay was short but you

Male Tales 1.087; Father and Son

Issue 1.087: Father and Son

I admit I am closer to my daughter than my own son, and considering I have only two kids, I am biased by any standards. But the truth is I do try to communicate with my son, like in ‘uh-huh’ and ‘um....’and the occassional ‘I dinna think so’. But his reply is about the same plus the sound of silence. Kinda remind me of the song by Cat Steven ( Father and Son )

How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
It's always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.

Son, let me tell you a short tale.

I was like you actually, with a father who did not had the time to talk to me, as he is busy with his work ( as I am too at most times; self induced pleasure I guess ), glad to be working instead of listening at the kids.

What I am trying to say, is that at the work place all the fathers and mothers inclusive are all ears to the calls and discussions, and thinking that when we come back we just wanna have peace in the mind and ears too. And then we have the same monotony of discussion.

But the difference here is you are our kids so we can say ‘hush’ or ‘shhhh’..

But inside all of us, we do want to listen to you. In fact we are concerned on your health, thoughts and also movements. But we need the little time to ‘spaced out the sounds’ before we can talk. And of course the priority to be placed for your mum and your elder sister(s) and maybe your grandparents before you reach us. Its like in workplace, your position is on the lowest echelon of the ‘talk’ status.

Or like listening to the phone that says, ‘ the number you are contacting is busy, please leave...’

Most often we do try to speak or communicate with you and I know its only a four minute time frame and meanwhile we are probably busy with the tabulation of the bills and the bank balances. But that it the reality of life for most fathers. We went throught it before so you are just experiencing it like the next para of lyrics said.

I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy,
To be calm when you've found something going on.

But I promised you this.

I will try to break the generations of handed down scripts, and be a more responsive father. I shall allocate an hour of my time to speak to you. You may bring up any subjects not considered taboo or degrading or cannot be understood in my ears, and we will discussed. So tell me when we can do it daily.

( Dad, this is my reply to your song’s lyrics ).

Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

Its sad if that happens.

So I told myself I will make sure I speak to my son once a day whether he is ready or not, then he be not there when I am ready. Even though it may end with ‘uh-huh’ and ‘um...’ but that is still communication.

‘Hello? Hello/ You there...... Hello????’

Guess I will leave the message for now.