He grinned. How shocked and surprised the world powers would be when Mintab announced their success.
“Samir, come here,” the colonel shouted into the speaker box beside the chair.
“I want to know the current situation in Algeria. Let’s see how our brothers in Islam are doing.”
“Yes, Colonel. I will be right there. We are processing the daily situational message and CNN is showing some interesting stuff, such as—”
“Samir, if I had wanted you to tell me this over the squawk box I would have said, “Samir, tell me over this squawk box.” Right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“So, come tell me the good news.”
“May I have five minutes?”
“Of course you may have five minutes. Would you like an hour? Maybe two hours? Or, maybe you would like to take a nap before you get your butt off that chair and get your ass in here!”
“I’m on my way. Colonel.”
Alqahiray flipped the mute button on the console speaker.
“Walid, remind me in the new government to shoot all firstborn who show a propensity for being intelligence officers.”
Ashes from the ever-present cigarette fell on the arm of the chair. Walid reached up and brushed them off onto the floor, where they joined the ever-growing circle of cigarette butts and crushed packs surrounding the colonel’s chair. The colonel meticulously completed each cigarette to where only a small millimeter of cigarette paper around the edges of a yellow-lipped butt remained. Walid reminded himself to have someone clean up this mess.
“Walid, it is time. Contact Benghazi Navy Base and tell them to execute event zero one one immediately. I want the Nanuchka missile patrol boat and the Foxtrot submarine underway and out of the harbor within the hour. After you have passed the order, ask Admiral Asif Abu Yimin to come to the phone, so I may discuss this operation one more time with him.” Yimin was old Navy and Alqahiray wanted reassurance the admiral hadn’t decided at the last minute to “improve” the plan. Innovation was not needed.
There would be time later for that.
Walid saluted and hurried to his console. Ten minutes later he was back at the colonel’s side as Alqahiray stubbed a cigarette out and ripped open another pack.
“Our warships are under way. Colonel.”
“Good, let’s blind the American intruder. Captain!”
Alqahiray shouted to the officer who was standing near the three electronic warfare console operators.
“You may activate the system and keep me informed on what you’re doing. I want to follow what is happening.”
The colonel leaned forward, put his hand on Walid’s shoulder, and gave it a friendly shake.
“Walid, relax. Have a cup of tea.” He leaned back and pressed a button on his chair arm. A few seconds later a steward wearing a starched white apron elbowed his way through a door in the rear carrying tea, dates, and biscuits. Walid is too nervous, Alqahiray thought. He must be doing something he shouldn’t be doing.
“Bring another cup for Colonel Walid.”
“Colonel?”
“Yes, Walid. It is the time to recognize the heroes of the revolution. You’ve been a major long enough.” It is time to seal loyalties, my fine ass-kissing friend. “Six months, Colonel,” Walid said, incredulously.
“For some, six months is a lifetime.” Without me, you would be a permanent major, Alqahiray said to himself.
And he’d ensure that Walid didn’t forget that.
The steward had an extra cup on the tray and handed it to Colonel Walid.
“Thank you. Colonel. Thank you. I don’t know what to say.” Walid focused his attention on the tea, hoping his guilt was not apparent. The deep-seated eyes of Alqahiray created a nightmarish, unnerving appearance in the blue light of the operations room — like a talking skull transfixing everyone with fascinated horror.
“You don’t have to say anything. Colonel Walid,” Alqahiray replied. He leaned forward, put his hand under Walid’s chin and lifted the new colonel’s head, and stared into Walid’s eyes.
“Remember, Walid, that when I need you, I want you there. Together we will accomplish what no one in the Arab world has been able, or willing, to do since the eleventh century. Remember that in the next few days. Bills are sent, debts collected, and those who fight today will rise as leaders of the revolution! Those who place their own welfare before the good of the nation will perish.” As will those who place their welfare before mine, he added mentally as he released Walid’s chin.
Walid shuddered, frightened for a moment, until he realized it went unnoticed by Alqahiray. His face twitched involuntarily.
“Yes, Colonel. Our loyalty is to the cause-to the greatness that has lain dormant upon our shores. We are proud to be beside you at this momentous occasion-to serve with you. No other could ask for more,” he said, his voice nearly breaking because of the constriction of his throat.
“I know,” the colonel replied, studying Walid intensely, his eyes narrowing. Walid turned away to avoid the stare, pretending to watch the electronic warfare operators. He licked his dry lips and hoped his voice did not betray his nervousness.
“But, it is more than Libya that rests in the balance here.”
Ah, Walid, Colonel Alqahiray thought. What is it you hide?
After several seconds of silence Alqahiray’s attention moved to the activity around the EW module where the electronic warriors of the twentieth-first century prepared for battle. A low, confident murmur reached his ears. The young Army captain read each item on the checklist line by line. The operators acknowledged each command as, one switch after another, they worked through the complex procedure to activate the electronic warfare system that would cause an umbrella of electromagnetic silence to descend over the Gulf of Sidra.
“Captain,” Colonel Alqahiray asked, “how much longer?”
“Five minutes. Colonel.”
“Keep me apprised. I can’t understand what you’re doing from where I am up here.” He leaned back against the headrest.
The captain saluted and returned to the process of reading instructions to the operators. There was a spot on his back where the skin began to itch. The exact spot where the piercing eyes of Colonel Alqahiray burned into him.
His attention slipped, causing him to have to redo several checklist items before he was ready. He did not want to disappoint the Maadi.
“Switch on. Colonel!” the captain shouted, his voice filled with pride, as the electronic warfare operator gave a thumbs-up.
“System activated.” He crossed his fingers and prayed it worked. If it didn’t … well, he didn’t want to think about it. Miles away along the hazy Libyan coast a series of LANs, local area networks, connected via coaxial landlines, began receiving and exchanging, via their various programs, technical data collected on the radar and communications signals emanating from the USS Gearing. Several minutes passed before the operators along the coast reported their component activated. Then, as Colonel Alqahiray watched, the operators rapidly assimilated and confirmed the computer program parameters via data streams with those at the coastal observation posts.
“Captain, what is happening? How will I know this is working? Will I see something when we are successful?”
The colonel pushed himself out of his chair and strolled to the metal stanchion that surrounded his raised observation area.
“Colonel, I cannot answer,” the captain replied honestly.
“The program the Chinese provided should simulate large-scale erratic sunspot activity. It will disrupt the communications signals and affect most of the radars on the ship thereby limiting their effective range. The ship should see a myriad of unrelated problems within their electronic systems. Communications should be impossible, but their Aegis radar system may be able to burn through the interference.”