The Devil's Handshake

45

Lughaya

At the time Yossi and Barak were conducting their operation without a shot fired, a very different one was happening on the coast, 230 miles away.

As part of the agreement of the acceptance of Adwalland as a country, the United Nations had originally established a comprehensive multi-dimensional operation to assist the new State on its journey.

Over the last year, with the security situation how stabilized the UN had begun to wind down its operations to what was left now on the coast; A medical education program staffed by the Germans and human rights liaison officers from Nigeria and various support elements from charities that were involved in child protection programs.

Within each mandate, there is a principal that every United Nations member has an obligation that lay at the core of every mission deployed around the world. No matter where that station may be. That being, “Every nation that hosts a mandated mission has to take the necessary action to protect UN personnel, facilities, installations, and equipment ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers, joint assessment mechanism and assessment and evaluation commission personnel, and, without prejudice the responsibility of the Government of the host, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.”

It was this obligation that Wasir now planned to use to his benefit.

Using his night vision binoculars, Buryak could see the lights were out in the compound and much to his surprise he also found that the building only had a couple guard posts outside the mission as well. He spread his search to the surrounding area for any nearby threats and found none.

“Habib, it looks like the guards at the gate are armed, and maybe a couple inside so we’ll drive through the gate at speed then start the clearing operation room to the room,” he ordered.

Orders like this were nothing new to Habib. An experienced veteran of Libya, he had killed more than a fair share of innocents. All he cared about was that he was being paid three thousand U.S. dollars for his work to enable him to able to buy some goats for his smallholding and a new truck back home in Mali.

“Use verbal commands to get them to surrender if you have too,” Buryak continued. “Then shoot them once they have. These people aren’t soldiers, so they will be scared and will do as you say,” Buryak continued slowly using terrible but simple logic.

“Yes, Boss,” answered Habib as though it was nothing.

“If you find some of the white faces don’t shoot all of them just pick one and bring them to me,” Buryak finally instructed before adding, “Oh and make sure you keep maybe ten or so dark faces alive.”

“Yes, Boss,” Habib answered again. Five minutes later the Type 63 armored personnel carrier, drove at speed towards the Mission.

The half-asleep poorly trained guards were no match. In a matter of moments, they had been taken out by one of Buryak’s men. Ten minutes later, to screams and machine gunfire coming from the building at the center of the compound, Habib dragged a young absolutely terrified overweight blonde woman in her underwear out by the arm.

Using his cunning, not to mention the confusion of the situation plus his skin color, Buryak asked the woman her name as she was dumped at his feet.

“M-a-r-t-h-a” she replied in a heavy German accent.

“Martha, what do you do?” the Ukrainian coolly asked with a smile trying to calm her appearing as though he was there to help her.

“I am Doctor… Sir” she answered shaking again.

Attempting to comfort her, Buryak lightly stroked her arm.

“Okay, you must do something for me. Can you do that?” he said softly almost as he did to his children back home in France when they were babies.

“Yes,” she answered nervously still shaking as she looked up at him.

Handing her a mobile phone, he told her to press three and then tell the people down the line they were being attacked. Still shaking she did as she was as told, telling them whom she was, her position, and then what was happening until getting to the point of when she was about to describe him and his men. Taking phone back from her hand, he promptly cut it off.

“Good girl, I now require you to speak to this man on the phone and tell him the same thing,” he ordered as he pressed the speed dial number.

Again she did as she was told, until as before she got to the point of trying to explain about him, but this time instead of taking the phone he shot the woman in the head.

“Now, Habib is that everybody?” he asked while throwing the burner phone on the floor by the dead doctor’s hand.

Earning a reply in the affirmative Buryak ordered they refuel the personnel carrier.

Once completed, they drove out as though nothing had happened to leave the eighty UN staff members dead around them and only eight survivors cowering in the corner of one of the offices.

“Twenty-five minutes, not bad,” Leo thought looking at his watch.