52
Moscow
As the President of the United States of America’s face appeared on the television screen, the President of the Russian Federation said nothing.
It wasn’t lost on him that it was the middle of the night in America. That meant the Bored Kid, as he thought of him, was as worried as he was despite trying desperately hard not to show it.
“My fellow Americans, yesterday evening following a request from the United Nations under resolution S/RES/2200 (2013), I ordered our nation’s Armed Forces stationed at Djibouti to provide support to the United Nations Mission that had come under attack from unknown forces. At this time, due to the worsening situation in the country….”
During the speech, in measured careful tones he made reference to the fact that as Russian forces were currently engaged in an effort to put down the civil uprising in response to the outrage and had placed all Russian armed forces on an Elevated Combat Readiness footing. This meant he was left with no choice but to also do so.
The President of Russia wasn’t surprised by the content of the speech. He knew the Americans would state that it was Russia who had upped the ante by elevating the threat level and accuse him of supporting genocide despite having been behind the coup and the attack on the United Nations Mission so to justify them entering the country.
“All because they wanted to undermine the Russian interests in the region,, Things never change! Arrogant as ever!” the Russian President thought in disgust.
Once his counterpart finished with his grandstanding the Russian President also left his situation room to make his way to his office, it was time for his response.
Walking briskly past the nervous State Television Broadcast support team, he sat down behind his desk with the Flags of Russia and his office behind him. He waited for the make-up assistant to finish powdering his nose. Once she was finished he gave a singular nod towards the camera and started his rebuttal of the accusations of the Americans.
Unlike the measured tones, of his counterpart in the White House, the Russian President speech was designed for a different audience.
Full of emotion, he took his turn to accuse the United States of supporting of the attempted coup d’état, firing on Russian Military Aircraft, and the breaking of International law by illegally entering a sovereign country, conveniently choosing to ignore the United Nations mandate in the process by suggesting that the UN didn’t follow the procedure of waiting for confirmation from the host nation as to whether assistance was required.
By the time he was finished the world’s media were left scrambling for information, experts, and content on the world’s newest state that was bringing two of world’s superpowers to the brink of war.
Speech finished, his heartbeat returning to normal, he walked back into Emergency Situation Room to be greeted by his Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“I just took a call from the American Ambassador. He is advising me that if the President of Adwalland makes an effort to deploy his Militia in the direction of the Mission they will consider them a threat and respond accordingly.”
The President of Russia offered a nod.
“It was time to hit back,” he thought.
“Tell our Ambassador in Washington to contact the Secretary of State and inform him that we will be taking over responsibility for the base and that our Russian Armed Forces on the ground will make all haste,” just as he stated he would do in his speech moments ago, ignoring the US Ambassador’s message.
“I will also get our Ambassador in New York to inform the Secretary General as well,” offered the Minister of Foreign Affairs making sure the President’s bases were all covered legally.
“How long will it take our troops to get from Borama to Lughaya?” asked the President towards the Chief of the General staff.
“Approximately three hours, Sir,” responded the Marshal.
The President acknowledged the information with a further firm nod of the head.
“Good! Give the order.”
“Yes, Mr. President,” answered the Marshal without hesitation.
“We must put our troops on ‘Danger of War’ footing,” insisted the Prime Minister, ever aware of the legal requirements of the Russian Federation.
The President looked towards the Prime Minister. There was no turning back.
“Make it so!” he ordered on something that hadn’t been authorized by Russian leader since the Second War World as he looked towards the Prime Minister.
“Yes, Mr. President,” answered the Marshal while he privately thought, “Are we really going to war over this?”
53
Borama
In the office of Paul Compton, a doctor patched up Thomas’s arm. He had been wounded during the battle at the TLH compound adjacent the “The Cismah” having now left the “machine-gunned” ridden offices of the President.
All the men of the TLH Group sat in stunned silence watching the fast growing tensions rise moment by moment on television. The elation of earlier they had felt in surviving the attack had been quickly tempered when they found they had lost five of their Gurkhas in the assault.
“This is Anne Jenkins of MGN reporting from the Whiteman Air Force Base,” said the journalist as the network viewers watched the squadron of B2s take off behind her, a direct result of an increased war footing.
Switching channels to Sky News, it didn’t get any better
“So is America at DEFCON three?” said the British journalist to an experienced stringer war correspondent who was on the ground in Djibouti.
“This is turning into a right fakakta,” said Mikhail as they switched back to MGN News. Another grim faced television anchor struggled to explain the escalation that built up to in the last few hours between two of the world’s superpowers and the realization that war between the armed forces of Russia and America was fast becoming a terrible possibility.
A fact that was confirmed from the briefings the journalists were receiving left, right, and center from the various informed sources of both Russia and the United States.
“Are they really going to war over this?” asked Yossi still not quite believing what he was seeing and referring by the waving of his hands around them to the country they were currently located in.
“What are we going to do?” asked Mikhail towards Thomas, hoping he would give them orders to evacuate from the country.
Lost in his thoughts Thomas didn’t answer until he was interrupted by one of the Gurkhas.
“Mr. Badr is at the front gate asking permission to see you, Sir Thomas,” said the middle-aged former solider with a salute just as he would of if he still served in the Army.
“What does he want? I thought he was with the President and Igor?” answered Mikhail, before telling the Gurkha to let him in.
Less than a minute or so later the Head of Security walked into the office.
“Mr. Thomas,” Badr said. “The President told me that you would know what to do with the prisoners I have outside,” he said.
“Prisoners?” asked Mikhail
“Yes the Indian and two Englishmen,” answered Badr proudly.
“Where did you pick them up?” asked Mikhail.
Badr smiled then replied that his people had arrested the Indian at the airport just before the Russians arrived. An action it turned out had transpired because the young, loyal officer thought he might be important, so he had arrested him on the spot instead of letting him leave.
“Despite his attempt to bribe him with two thousand U.S. dollars!” added Badr proudly over the fact that his young officer hadn’t accepted it.
“The other two were picked up running away from the attack on the offices when my men stopped them,” continued Badr.