“What? That won’t be necessary. My men will stay put.”
“Matt, I received another set of orders, from Special Prosecutor Curling. He ordered me to send as many armed men as I could to the federal building. And not let anybody in or out of the building, even if they wore military uniforms.”
“Have you called the PM?”
“No, but I’m about to do that.”
Carl Adon disconnected and dialed the number for the PM’s office. When he didn’t get an answer, even after ten rings, he tagged Matt back.
“I tagged the PM and didn’t get through. Something’s really fishy here. You stay there and I’ll surround the federal building. Have your men ready to come out if I call you.”
But when Adon led his troops to the federal building, they met other units of the York Army.
Had someone received orders to be here ahead of me?
That didn’t make sense as he was the head of all troops in Zor. He walked up to one of the guards.
“Who’s your commanding officer?”
One of the guards looked at the others.
“Ah, General Petrovsky, sir.”
Petrovsky was not one of his junior officers.
Something is wrong.
Adon turned and walked back to his command vehicle. He turned to his driver.
“Take us a safe distance from those troops.”
Curling must be right. A coup is in progress.
As the vehicle turned, he broadcast with the handset on his command car to the rest of his vehicles.
“I want the entire federal building surrounded, including the parking lot.”
#
Petrovsky heard gunshots as he passed the doors of the lobby of the federal building. On the floor in front of the elevators lay several guards in dark blue uniforms. The building’s security staff.
Men with green armbands soon covered the elevators and took into custody anyone unfortunate enough to come out on the ground floor. He recognized several of his officers.
“Stairs,” he commanded to the unit of his shock troops. So far, all the hallways and corridors followed the mockups at the base.
Dozens of his men climbed the stairs with Petrovsky in the middle of the pack.
When they got to the prime minister’s floor, they met other soldiers wearing green armbands.
“Who’s your commanding officer?” asked Petrovsky.
“Ash Getner, sir,” replied a sergeant as he saluted.
Petrovsky smiled. This major step in the coup was finished.
Chapter 63
Sheila Fish ran down the stairs of the Channel One Building as fast as she could. At the front door, she encountered six men in military uniforms who stopped her.
Sheila lied, “I need four cups of coffee from next door. Apparently your boss didn’t like the coffee we had.”
The officer in charge nodded and let her pass out to the street. She rushed to the coffee shop next door. Once inside and out of the view of the soldiers, she tagged the prime minister’s office but didn’t get through.
Puzzled, she tagged her counterpart at Channel Four. But when a male voice replied, she asked to speak to the anchor.
When he came on, she said, “Fargo, I’ve just come from my office. Soldiers have taken over my station.”
“We have a small problem here.”
The line went dead.
That’s odd.
Combined with the action at Channel One, she realized what was happening.
The first act of any coup leader was to silence the news media.
But what can I do?
#
General Petrovsky watched his small monitor as one of his officers spoke with a slight Russian accent. But to Petrovsky’s ear, it sounded okay.
“This morning, York Army officers took control of the federal building and the office of the prime minister. Ex-Prime Minister Nikki Su has been arrested and taken into custody. The new prime minister is Ash Getner, previously head of the York Security Agency.”
The Army officer continued.
“I assure you everything will return to normal. This seizure of the government offices of York was done only to ensure that things would return to normal. Stay in your homes or places of business and act as if nothing has changed.
“If you are a member of the York Army, you are instructed to follow your orders to keep the York Home Front in their barracks. The leaders of the Home Front will be interrogated as to any involvement in this seizure.”
That was done to throw suspicion on the Home Front.
“We now take you to the local weather report.”
#
Ash Getner entered the empty prime minister’s office. He rushed past the golden globe and stood behind the Resolute desk. Looking up, he saw several of his shock troops in camouflage York Army uniforms and wearing green armbands. Three of the men set up the camera while two others carried extension cords to the outlets on the wall.
Getner pulled the plastic sheet out of his breast pocket and faced the camera.
“Ready, sir,” said the man behind the camera.
Getner read from the sheet, glancing every three seconds to the camera.
“I am your new prime minister. My name is Ash Getner and as you can see,” the camera panned the office, “I have taken over the federal building and speak to you from my new office. Everyone should remain calm and go about your normal business. I have merely replaced the old prime minister. Please go about your normal business.”
He hated to use the word “please,” but per Minsky’s instructions, had included it to calm the population who listened to his broadcast.
The next ten minutes seemed like eternity to Getner.
He smiled as the soldiers in front of him moved the cameras back. When he looked at the surface of his new desk, the first thing he saw was the open budget book. His new responsibilities rushed into his mind. As the new prime minister, the economy was now part of his job.
First, though, was the chore of cleaning house. And the first to go would be the previous person to occupy this office.
Where was Nikki Su?
Chapter 64
General Adon watched as every soldier in the parking lot rushed into the building. He hesitated to fire on the federal building but his first priority was to stop the soldiers inside the building from advancing up and capturing the prime minister’s office. He barked orders in his microphone.
“I want artillery to fire four rounds into the ground floor of the federal building. Put all fire on the south side.”
That should convince the soldiers in there they are outgunned and we mean business.
It took another thirty seconds before the first of the big guns fired. One artillery gun was on Adon’s left side and thundered. One after another fired and windows shattered on the ground floor. One shot broke a window on the second floor before it exploded inside.
The entire upper part of the building titled toward the side that had received the blasts. It wasn’t much. Maybe five percent. Adon looked through his binocs. With the rain coming down, the smoke cleared, and he grinned.
That should do it.
#
I nodded and walked away with Gancha behind me. With our backs turned to the soldiers, I whispered, “Turn and fire on the count of zero. Three. Two. One. Zero.”
We both spun around and fired our weapons at the guards. Three went down and he fourth ran away from behind the others. As the escapee turned to his left, I saw a dark mark on his face.
Must not be wearing body armor.
We rushed up to the fallen men.
I removed one man’s green arm band. Then I pulled it up my left sleeve.
“Put a green band on your left arm.”
I walked ahead to the outer office as I saw Gancha pull up a green band on her left sleeve.
Then we entered the outer office of the PM.
Two men in military gear looked at us. With rifles pointed at us.
W
e shot both of them in their faces as I emptied my Snap. Blood splattered on the walls behind them.
As we walked up to them to verify their deaths, a soldier walked through the double doors leading to the prime minister’s office.
“What’s going on out here? I heard gunshots.”
Gancha and I fired at the same time. The soldier smashed up against the wall, his arms wide, and went limp. He dropped to the floor while leaving a trail of blood on the wall behind him.
I pulled the band down off my left arm. Then I pulled open one of the double doors and waved my band in front of open door. When that did not bring return fire, I peeked in to evaluate the situation.
Ash Getner stood behind the copy of the Resolute desk and stared back. Another half dozen men in army fatigues stood in front of the desk. Three stood behind cameras.
I ducked back behind the door. With only a few seconds to outgun or outshoot a half dozen, I pulled out a grenade from my left pocket and a flash bomb from my right. I pulled the pins on both as I allowed the door to close.
One man yelled back through the closed door, “What’s going on out there? We heard gun fire.”
Cracking the door a few inches, I tossed the flash bomb in first, followed by the grenade and shut the door. I backed against the wall, as did Gancha beside me.
“You stay here,” I ordered Gancha.
She detoured to the desk and crouched behind it. Light flashed under the door. The flash bomb would emit a brilliant light for three seconds.
That time seemed like an eternity. Then an explosion came from the other side of the door.
I burst through the door, ready to shoot anyone in sight.
What greeted my eyes was pure carnage. The flash bomb and grenade did their work all too well. Every soldier lying on the floor had his hands over his eyes. The rest was blood. Everywhere. No one moved.
Except Getner.
Neither the flash bomb nor the grenade on the floor had harmed the YSA chief behind the desk. He pulled out a handgun, held both his hands in front of him to steady the weapon, and fired at me.
We stood there, across a distance of maybe thirty feet, and exchanged fire. He had an automatic handgun and sprayed shots in my direction. I had a rifle and was able to get off four shots.
I saw his body jerk with a hit to his left shoulder.
A pain slammed into my left belly as my armor took the brunt of one of his shots. But my right arm erupted in pain and I dropped the rifle.
I ducked behind the double doors, sank to the floor, and looked at my right arm. Blood oozed from a tear near my shoulder blade and it hurt as if someone had put a branding iron on it.
Gancha crawled on her hands and knees to my right side. She removed her shotgun from its should harness and placed the gun on the floor. Then she grabbed a StopIt from her pocket.
As she pushed it on my shoulder, I screamed with pain through gritted teeth. After putting on the bandage, Gancha pulled out a flask and handed me a pill.
“Morphine. Half-dose.”
I took the pill and chased it down with water from the flask.
Behind the door I heard another door shut, so I pulled myself up off the floor and grabbed a Snap from my right pocket. Wasn’t easy. I transferred the gun to my right hand. Then I pried open the door with my left hand while holding the Snap in my right, ready to transfer it to my left hand.
The room was empty.
Fearing he might be behind the large thick desk, I called out, “Getner! It’s over! Give yourself up and I’ll see you stand a fair trial.”
No sound came.
“Stand guard here,” I told Gancha.
She stood and rushed back behind Charlotte’s desk, crouching to use it as cover.
I entered the room and ran to the desk. I came close to slipping with so much blood on the floor. But when I peered behind the desk, I saw nobody there.
Where could he be?
Then I remembered the sound of a door shutting and looked around. Sure enough, there was another door in the room. The pain in my right shoulder wouldn’t let up. I transferred the Snap to my left hand.
I rushed to that door and cracked it open. Stairs. I heard footsteps going down. Splotches of blood lay on the stairs.
With a quick peek behind me, I saw the soldiers were still. Red spread from several bodies. Probably dead.
I turned to my partner, who had entered the room.
“Gancha! Follow me down the stairs.”
I transferred my Snap to my right hand and yanked the door open with my left. Then I moved my gun to my left hand and rushed to the steps leading down. With a glance over the edge going down, I saw nothing. But the sound of footsteps receding below came to my ears.
So I headed down.
Chapter 65
I heard several booms, the building shook, and I feel down. Next came a loud groaning sound. The entire staircase tilted. Not by much but enough to make walking difficult.
Getner was down there.
I scrambled to my feet and continued to skip steps as I descended. Not easy since they slanted but at least easier than going up.
I stopped twice and peered down the inside of the stairwell. When I saw a hand, I aimed and fired. But nothing came out. I glanced at my Snap and learned it was empty.
Sounds of more footsteps came from above me.
Damn!
I was trapped and unarmed.
“Mike,” yelled Gancha’s voice from above me. “Are you there?”
My right arm still hurt so I raised my left hand and with it yelled up the space in the middle of the stairs.
“Gancha! I’m down here. Getner is below me somewhere and he’s hit.”
Her face appeared two flights above me and Getner was getting away.
So I headed down.
#
General Adon watched as something round fell from the top floor.
It crashed into a white utility truck. That’s when Adon saw it was gold colored and shiny. He recalled seeing a gold-coated globe in the prime minister’s office.
I hope I’m not too late.
#
Each step brought more pain to my shoulder but I ignored it as best I could as I made my way down while holding my Snap in front of me in my left hand. Damn thing was useless but maybe, just maybe, anyone I met won’t know that.
When was the damn morphine going to kick in?
I counted the floor numbers on the walls as I descended. When I got to the ground floor, I saw a sign pointing to the lobby. Footsteps below told me Getner had continued down so I followed him.
The pain in my shoulder finally diminished.
When I got to the end of the stairs, I saw two men in military uniforms dead on the floor. One of the fallen men wore a pistol holster but its open flap told me the gun inside was gone.
Maybe Getner had taken it.
Beside them was a man in civilian clothes who looked at me with a handgun raised in my direction. I saw a dark blob on his waist. He was wounded.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“I’m on your side. Let me look at the two other men.”
“They’re both dead. I checked. You don’t look so good yourself. I see the wound in your right shoulder.”
“I need a gun. Mine is empty. Can you give me yours?” I asked.
When the man in civilian clothes hesitated, I added, “I have to kill Ash Getner. He’s the leader behind this coup. He intends to replace our elected leader with himself as prime minister. He’ll kill her!”
The man on the floor continued to stare at me while he pulled up his left pant leg. Once he had the small handgun from there aimed in my direction, in addition to his larger weapon, he said, “Do you have any ID?”
I laid my empty Snap on the floor and used my left hand to open my left breast pocket. Not an easy task with my right shoulder in pain. I winced as I maneuvered to extract my YFP identicard and showed it to the man.
He studied it and then my face. Then he shoved
his bigger gun forward. “Here. I’ll use my ankle gun if I need it.”
I lay my empty Snap on the floor, grabbed his, and headed toward the door.
“Be careful,” said the man on the floor. “He’s got a gun.”
He winced and fell over. Then he lay still. Maybe unconscious
I pushed the door open slowly with my left shoulder. A tunnel faced me. Getner crouched at the other end. I stayed behind the door as I closed it.
I heard three shots and felt two vibrations from the door. Standing to one side of it, I heard footsteps approaching from behind. Then they stopped and the tip of a gun appeared.
Chapter 66
I aimed my Snap in my left hand in that direction and waited.
“Mike?” asked a familiar voice. Gancha.
“Yeah, I’m here. Be careful though. Getner is on the other side of the door and has fired at me.”
Slowly the full view of my lover and spy partner appeared.
I thought of how to outgun Getner before he got through the other side of that tunnel.
“Can you open the door and stay behind it?”
Gancha nodded and crept up next to me.
I went behind her and aimed my gun, a nine millimeter Trock from the fallen civilian, at the door while she slowly opened it.
Getner’s back faced me and he spun around at the noise. I saw a keypad behind him.
We both fired at the same time. I emptied my new gun in his direction. Only five shots though.
Then Gancha fell beside me. A glance down the tunnel told me Getner lay still on the floor. I closed the door.
Knowing my gun was empty, I stared at my partner on the floor. She lay on her left side. Her right ear was a bloody mess.
I pushed Gancha onto her back and pulled out her Snap. I aimed it forward and opened the door.
Getner lay on the floor and did not move.
I looked back and spotted blood pouring from beneath Gancha’s head. I glanced up at a sound but it was only the door.
Taking the break in the exchange of gun fire, I lay my Snap on the floor and struggled to pull a StopIt from Gancha’s pocket using only my left hand. With shaking fingers, I applied the bandage to her ear.
Rebuilt: A Jake Dani/Mike Shapeck Novel (Jake Dani / Mike Shapeck) Page 23
