STORY SERIES : SECRETS (chapter 1)

By MI Thomas

CHAPTER ONE

Garki, Abuja

The vibration from his mobile phone woke him up from sleep. He checked the time on his watch, it was 07:06hrs in the morning. At first, he thought of ignoring the call but the name of the caller suggested he couldn’t do that. It was the Director, Field Operations.

“Good morning, Director”

“Morning, Ben” the Director’s voice sounded impatient” I need you at the headquarters right away”

What the heck! It was Saturday and he had just been granted two weeks leave the previous day, why is the Director calling him in again?

“Excuse me?”

“I said come to the HQ immediately”

The line went dead. Typical of the Director, a man of very few words, he thought.

Benjamin Okojie, a 25year old field agent of the SECRET SERVICE (SS), an elite secret security organization responsible for internal intelligence and counter-intelligence gathering against any internal threat against the country, had, less than 72hours ago, witnessed a gory event that left him traumatized to the extent the authorities decided he needs a vacation.

It was a terrible event, for him and the entire SS.

Field agents stationed in Kaduna had turned in a detailed Intel about the movement of some imported clothing material. Said to be owned by a top government official, the three-vehicle convoy was in fact carrying cocaine worth 600 million naira. It must be intercepted.

On the orders of the Director, Field Ops, Ben had taken out an Alpha team of 4 agents for the operation. Unknown to them, the mission was already compromised before it started and in the end, he lost both his men and the target. Although the mole within the SS was swiftly identified and arrested, the damage had already been done; he had lost 4 of his closest colleagues.

Now what the heck does the Director wants me to do for him? He kept asking himself

He got up from the bed, went into the bathroom and cleaned up. Still hissing, he got into a timberland set of boots with dirty jeans and took his car keys.

I’m not going to stay in that building for long! He vowed   

 ************  

After identifying himself at the gate through his ID, Ben walked up to the entrance of the 50acre HQ building of the SS and was met by the Director, Field Ops, Dennis Daniel, his facial expression as vague as anything.

“Sir, you’re not sending me out on another mission, are you?”

“It’s not my decision, Ben”

“Director, please, you know it, I need a vacation, please!”

“We all do”

“Please!” he held the Director’s hand pleading with his eyes

“Listen Ben, I’m glad you are the only one I trust with this mission. We have a lot of hope with you, Son”

We got hope? What the devil is’ we’? Ben asked in his thoughts

He followed Director Daniel into the operations room which was also the HQ/Central command’s conference room. Here, all the critical decisions are debated and taken, and one man was god here- the Coordinator-General and Director, Central Command, Alhaji Mustapha, the 6ft 4 tall 55year old Kanuri man from Borno State.

Abubakar Ahmed Mustapha was like a god to the intelligence community, and was most feared as he was equally respected. Though disliked by the top echelon, Mustapha was regarded as excellent by many and was seen as nearly perfect in his responsibilities. He was one man who could pull out everything out of nothing. With very few words, he had a presence most in the 250 employees dreaded.

The room was quiet with just a few personnel seated. They were: Mr. Malu Maurice, the Director, Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), and Felix Jibola of the Satellite communications control and the Director, Field Ops, Dennis Daniel. Director Mustapha walked in briskly and after formalities, began to make an address immediately.

“We have a situation, gentlemen. And the situation is a young man named Dike Edwards, a dismissed Army lieutenant, 27years old and handsome. But most importantly, he’s intelligent; I mean real intelligent possessing a 190 IQ level”

He paused, looked at the four men in the room, studied their reactions and continued

“He was dismissed three years ago in the wake of the coup plot to overthrow President Nasir Yusuf Hameed. For those of us who still remember, he was at that time member of the Guards Brigade. His CV suggests he was a real deal with 2 degrees in software engineering and programming. The young man also has an advance diploma in nuclear physics. Additionally, he's attended both West Point and RMA Sandhurst, such a tough guy. Impressive I must admit, but the army still dismissed him. You know the way the army takes things serious regarding rebellion. Some people had to take responsibility for the breach into the President's personal security detail, he was amongst such.

Now here’s the problem: Edwards has built a programme”

The large projector screen in the room displayed something that looked like a satellite imaging override. What the devil is this? Ben thought as he sat upright, giving the Director his hitherto reserved attention.

Director Mustapha continued

“This programme isn’t just capable of override, but unimaginable feats. When put to use, it can give the Military, for example, an invisible presence. It will give it a complete independence, total control over its operations in such a way that no one will even have a clue anything is going on. The programme is capable of controlling the security filters and meters of the SS without detection. It has the capability of overriding all of our functions here, and anywhere. If the military or any terrorists sleeper cell gets it, we might as well be as good as dead, all of us”

Ben couldn’t believe it

“Then we can’t let him use it!” he almost screamed

“He’s not using it, he intends to turn it over to the military” Director Mustapha explained

“What!”

“We’ve been on the phone with him, trying to negotiate a deal” Director Malu added “we made him offers of both money and complete guarantee of his safety if he agrees to give us the programme”

“Oh, well has he agreed to the deal?” Ben asked

“No, he hasn’t. I’m afraid he isn’t going to that, he’s going to turn it in to the military. He's seeking to be absorbed back in the service, and he's doing that with whatever he's got”

“Oh, my God!” Ben exclaimed “we can’t let him do that”

“That’s why I called  you in Ben” Director Dennis explained

“I see”

“You are going to find this guy and force him to hand it over, since he’s not willing to negotiate” he added

As much as he hated the idea of another mission, he wasn’t going to turn this one down, not for any reason. His hatred for the military since his father was shot by an Army captain many years ago in Benin has not grown little. He was going to find that guy, Dike, and stop him from ruining them all.

“But sirs, “Ben asked “how are we sure he hasn’t turn in the programme yet?”

“He hasn’t “Felix informed “I’ve watched his movement closely and listen to his conversations with 
some army captain, they are still negotiating. Besides, my contact close to him keeps me updated”

“Where is this guy, now?”

Dike Edwards was based in Calabar working for a computer institute, where the SS believed, he built the programme.

“Well, since he’s negotiating with the military and we are tracing their progress, we can as well save ourselves the stress, wait in lie for the military negotiators to get it and we move in and intercept it” 
Ben suggested

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ben” Director Mustapha counted “ there’s no guessing the military won't fly into Calabar and make the deal an official military matter”

“Don’t you underestimate them, you can’t afford to” Director Malu added

It had already been worked out and agreed upon that Ben with a team of two- agents Tahir and Alexander- are to fly to Calabar, locate Edwards, secure the programme and destroy it. It was to be a 20hour operation. It was planned to be a grade ‘A’ top level undercover operation, so secret that only three units of the SS were involved. Sheer caution made them decided to launch the mission on a Saturday.

“Felix will keep your location and movement in sight for us through the satellite monitoring system. We are moving you in because the military might just be tired of negotiations and decide to take it by force as well. We just can’t afford to fall behind, not this time”

Ben was given all he needed for the assignment: Maps, tracers, trackers, laptop and four different phones in addition to a silencer pistol and two berretta pistols. Instructed to contact only the central command in relating feedback, he was expressively cautioned to avoid detection. There must not be any room for compromise.

“We’re counting on you, Ben”

The Coordinator-general and Director, Central Command was looking him straight in the eye with no smile on his lips

Damn it!

“I understand my orders, sirs”

“Hurry now and get your men briefed”

He and his team were to destroy the programme as soon as they secure it. That was the decision taken by 
the bosses who planned the mission in the interest of what the call, Morality. Even if there will be a lot of casualties, he, Ben, must remember that it was justified. The bosses made him understand and agree with them that it was both morality and otherwise wrong for any agency to violate the other’s independence and privacy by interfering with its responsibilities. They don’t need such powers themselves, they do not wish to control the military, police or the NIA, and neither do they want to be controlled.

That was the decision reached in the days since they found out about such a programmme.

But as fate will have it, and the devil helping him, no 
one knew the Coordinator-General and Director, Central Command had other plans.


(to be continued)

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