Codename: Eva

[Republic of Red Iberic Workers]

One month ago, Almeria, Indalia.

 

Lieutenant-Colonel Abartiker was inside the official car, driven by his personal chauffeur, assigned by the Defence Minister. The car was bullet-proof and also it has smoked-glass so the young Lieutenant-Colonel could have a relatively calm travel by the side-streets of Almer?a, the capitol city of his country, Indalia, going towards his residence.

 

Relatively because the death of Pepe Galera, the President of the Republic, had accelerated the chaotic process over who would be the next ruler of Indalia. But there was a problem, Ide Jima was in a worse chaos, plunged in self-destruction. Now, without ?sponsor? the chaos was coming to Indalia. Abartiker felt this during his travel to his residence with a lot of beggars surrounding his assigned car while a traffic lights was in red or strikers blocking some of the next streets and noise of guns flooding the city. ?And there was not solution at the moment?, thought Arbatiker.

 

Arbatiker was a lucky man, he was young but he was Lieutenant-Colonel, he was living in the Old Town of Almeria, his home city, enjoying an ancient residence in Arabic style. But also he was in secret a dissident of the government of Pepe Galera, but few persons knew it and now this could be dangerous.

 

The car got into the hard net of alleys of the old town. Fortunately this area was more calm than the new area. The Bazaar, for example, was empty. Some Arab old men were smoking pipes with sweet tobacco in the terrace of an ordinary cafe. ?I feel like to relax? thought the Lieutenant-Colonel because he was enjoying a military leave day.

 

The car stopped at the ground floor of the residence. The house had only one floor, painted all in white with small blue windows and without roof, it was a classical Arabic house that proved the important arabic influence but constantly refused by the nationalist regime. Arbatiker saw off his chauffeur and entered his residence. He went straight to the patio. This is the favourite area of his residence, flanked by old columns, with a small fountain in the centre, a big marble table and coloured flagstones. He turned on the ide jimian hi-fi system, lowing the volume to make a pleasant ambient. He poured some liquor in a glass and sat in a wooden chair in front of the big table. The water of the fountain relaxed and he fell asleep.

 

He woke up, the sun was hiding and the light seemed quite weak, he did not remember how much time he had slept but he felt anything strange, he did not know what thing was not in order. He touched the butt of his pistol, maybe he was going mad... ?Yeah! The door, it is the door!? thought. He looked at the door at the right side of the patio, it was open and when he fell asleep it was closed. He rose?

 

Suddenly a black shadow emerged from the opened door, He took his pistol aiming to the figure, and suddenly he was paralysed, he could not shoot his weapon. A woman in a black dress and high-heels shoes was in front of him, she was the most perfect creature he had seen ever.

 

Young, maybe twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, not more, deep blue with green speck eyes, long brown hair and rosy cheekbones, full lips in red carmine, pale white skin, big breasts hiding by the serious black dress style. She was extremely attractive but also she looked like an aristocratic person. She moved slowly towards Arbatiker.

 

- "Who are you? How have you entered here?"- Arbatiker aimed the pistol but he was unable to shoot it-. "Stop!"-. But she did not obey the order.

 

She took out a cigarette from her little bag and she lit it.

 

- "Lieutenant-Colonel Arbatiker, my friend, calm yourself? I could say that your house is very nice but its security lacks by its absence. No problem, I only want to talk about extremely important questions, only that, and I will go".- Her words sounded slow and old. Arbatiker did not know but he did not want that she went away soon. Her blue eyes like the ocean were hypnotizing him.

 

- "Are you a journalist?"-. Lieutenant-Colonel thought that the girl was from the North, maybe from the Social Democratic Confederation, from Tagmatium or maybe from any new strange nation of the North, deduction of his pale white skin. The accent was strange but she spoke very well in indalian.

 

- "Supposedly, yes but you missed? Sorry? What happen to you today?"-. She smoked-. "Look at this."

 

She threw to Arbatiker a small metallic object and he caught with his left hand. He looked at the symbol, a red star flanked by two ears of wheat.

 

- "You can call me Eva. I am a Republican Guard Secret Agent from the People?s Republic of Red Iberic Workers. I have a special press visa as Social Democratic journalist, falsified, of course? And you won?t have to answer my questions because I know all about you, my Lieutenant-Colonel, because now I will only talk about you. For example, I know your ideals and I know what is the situation in your country"-. Arbakiter was puzzled, he wanted talk but the presence of Eva had fallen silent-. "Ah! One important question? You can not ask about me. These are the rules, if you want to accept we will start if not I will go away, ?Entendido??"

 

- "Er? Er? Yes I have understood"-. He looked at the symbol again-. "I accept your conditions."

 

- "Perfect, first keep the pistol, as I have said I only want to talk"-. Eva moved slowly to the table and sat in a chair in front of Arbatiker, he obeyed the order. She smoked the cigarette and enigmatic said-. "I have studied your dossier, you are the youngest high rank in the indalian Army but also we have a secret, ?no?? Show me, please, you know what I am talking about."

 

Arbatiker doubted but he knew what Eva was talking about. He extracted a small red card and he showed to Eva, it was a relic. An identity card of the illegal Troskist Party of Indalia. Eva looked at the card impressed, her big eyes opened more showing surprise.

 

- "Maybe you did not know, my comrade, but you are an important person in Indalia. You are worth your weight in gold and my nation could help you only if you want. Have you thought about a Revolution in Indalia? Your country accomplish with all conditions to achieve its way to the utopian revolution, your people need and want freedom, our enemies are confronted and without funds."

 

- "But I am alone!"-. Arbatiker interrupted steeply-. "I have no base, I am the only troskist in my nation and my rank is not enough."

 

- "Don?t interrupt me Lieutenant-Colonel Arbatiker! Study this dossier and don?t speak before time!"-. Eva left a small folder on the marble table and Arbatiker took it-. "In this dossier you have the names of some generals that would support the cause because they were old hidden members of the ancient troskist branch. They are few but I will advise you and this is your first job, you have to contact with General Sakarbetin, he is in the Almeria Headquarters. You have two days to do this, show your identity card, expound the revolution to him, say him you have enough support to win this battle and promise him the presidency"-. Arbatiker wants to talk but Eva made a polite gesture with her hands-. "Wait? This promise will be false, you are our man, but Sakarbetin cannot know. They have to mobilise his soldiers at the fixed day and hour?"

 

- "Fixed day and hour?"

 

- "Another time my Lieutenant-Colonel?"-. Arbatiker apologized with his glance-. "As you have to know an image, a picture, a recording could win a war, and this will be your second job. At the fixed day and hour, the ?D? day, you and your men have to take the State Television Channel and launch a message of optimism and revolution to the masses. If the operation goes well this could be like a house of cards, a chain reaction, but if it goes wrong? I have to say one thing. You have to know the importance of this action, you have to know your soldiers can die that You can die? Do you know it?"-. Eva had left the plenty attitude in her words, talking to Arbatiker seriously, she was prettier in this attitude thought Arbatiker.

 

- "I know it and I had said to you, I had accepted, Eva"-. Arbatiker showed confidence at first time to Eva and it was the first time he has said her name.

 

- "So only one thing more, contact with Sakarbetin in a sure place, for example, the state bar ?La Estrella?, you know where it is?"-. Arbatiker nodded-. "It is a sure place. In the third day we will have a meeting, at four o?clock, and you have to tell me your conclusions. I hope that Sakarbetin was still troskist? If he is an informer we are all dead? My comrade Arbatiker, you are now a secret agent of the People?s Republic of Red Iberic Workers, good luck and see you soon."

 

The beautiful figure of Eva stood up and left the patio. The sun had hidden out. Many emotions invaded the Lieutenant-Colonel that remained without words until the departure of the sensual Republican Guard. He was impressed by the plan, by the revolution but maybe he was in love with Eva, the sensual warrior woman, it was love at first sight. Tomorrow he would contact Sakarbetin not only for his country too for Eva if this name was her real name.

 

[Republic of Red Iberic Workers]

28 days ago, 11 hours, Almeria Headquarters

 

General Sakarbetin, a big middle-aged with red chubby cheeks man, was sat in front of his desk in a mucky office, painted in a sallow green with the plaster walls full of holes. The desk was almost empty, only few folders, an ashtray and a tiny lamp. The room was hot like an oily frying pan and only an electric fan stirred the sultry air. An indalian flag was the unique decoration of the room. The only wooden window of the room was opened showing the cement square of the military headquarters in Almeria, some soldiers were training, marching slowly and looking tired.

 

?Toc, toc? (two knocks at the door.) Sakarbetin was smoking a cigar, and he was hastened to put out it in the ashtray.

 

- Come in!

 

The young Lieutenant-Colonel Arbatiker entered in the hot room.

 

- Good morning, Arbatiker! Please, come in and sit down!-. Arbatiker obeyed-. How is all Lieutenant Colonel?

 

- Good morning, comrade General. How is all? As you know the things are bad. The streets are exploding like the same hell and my men can not stop the strikes. Last day I had ten casualties in my section? Also the wages? This is a disaster.

 

- I know all about you are telling my comrade. This is a constant drain and where is the solution to this? I don?t know? But, forget it-. Sakarbetin opened a drawer of the desk and held out a cigar to the Lieutenant-Colonel-. Do you want one? The best from Iberia, take it-. Arbatiker rejected the offer and Sakarbetin returned to put in the box, the General returned to face Arbatiker with a smile-. Okay. So what did you want to talk about?

 

- I want to propose a meeting because I have to tell my comrade General a long story.

 

- Wages? You know I can?t do anything to pay the wages of your soldiers. I am not an administrative official, you are right but?- Arbatiker stop him with a polite sign of his hand and he took out something of his suit.

 

- No, my general, please take attention of this.- He left the illegal troskist identification on the desk-. I want to talk with you about this identification and all that is related with it.

 

- Incredible!-. The eyes of the general opened like a sea bream-. You survived the purge. How the hell... Incredible, It is not forged, sure. I thought that I was the only old member alive-. Said the general while he watches the sides of the card carefully. He showed really amazed face, more red if it was possible.

 

- No, and there are others. Fortunately for me, I had good relationships and I was lucky. So, finally do you want to talk with me my general? Today in the ?La Estrella? at twenty two o?clock.- Arbatiker stood up and he proceed to go out of the room, he picked up his identification left on the table.

 

- I will be there, my party companion, I will be there.

 

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28 days ago, 22 hours, ?La Estrella? Bar, Almer?a.

 

Arbatiker enter in the old state bar. ?La Estrella? was in an old building in the old town, so the bar was in a one floor house like all the houses in the old town. The fa?ade was dirty by shoes marks, old half-torn apart old regime posters, pees and spilled alcohol besides a ramshackle streetlight illuminated poorly the small wooden door.

 

Arbatiker entered at the bar. A big showcase showing some few canned food products, probably expired by the faded colour of their labels, covered the front wall. Behind, shelves plenty of alcoholic drinks. At the left some bared tables with some untidy workers smoking or drinking cheap rum immersed in their thoughts. At the right a closed door. The air was unbreathable and the heat was unbearable.

 

The ?waiter?, a man at his fifties with a five o?clock shadow, was ?cleaning? some beer mugs behind the showcase. When he saw Arbatiker he nodded to the closed door and the Lieutenant-Colonel understood quickly and he directed to the door and he opened it.

 

Inside there was a private room with another appearance and another air, fresh and relatively clean. In this room there were only three tables with their chairs, a turned off old television and no more. Another door was in the far the extreme. General Sakarbetin was in the last table of the left. He stood up when Arbatiker entered and shook his hands when he approached to the table.

 

- My comrade general, good night.- Arbatiker was pleased with Sakarbetin because he had kept his promise. He was here and he was determined to talk about greater subjects. They sat on the chairs.

 

- Good night young Lieutenant-Colonel. Tell me? I am all ears.- The General lighted a cigar.

 

- In one word my comrade general I want to talk you about Revolution. We can?t support this situation, and I know you don?t support the old regime. The ?juche? nationalists want to keep the corrupted government without support, failing to fulfil with the people?s dreams and desires. Now we can stop this situation, it is our perfect opportunity? Ide Jima is in an absolute chaos and also the nationalists are fighting themselves by government without the support of the population, because they think that all troskists are dead. It is our opportunity my comrade general we have to do it now or never.- Sakarbetin was smoking his cigar witn anxiety.

 

- I know, I know-. Said the General interrupting Arbatiker-. I know all that you are telling me, but think, please, what we could do? We are alone?

 

- People will support us-. The General showed to Arbatiker the best disbelief face-. Okay, my comrade, we will have foreign support, sure I can guarantee it to you.

 

- Foreign support? The Iberics?- Sakarbetin had a break to somke his high quality cigar, he had soon guessed the foreigner support, his face had changed to another more relaxed encouraging the Lieutenant-Colonel-. And what is the plan if you can say to me?

 

- You could be the president of Indalia-. Arbatiker returned to do his particular offensive-. The nationalist are confronted and we have to take advantage of this opportunity?

 

- Please, Lieutenant-Colonel, weapons? vehicles? men? Which is the iberic support? You have to know that we have in Almeria the big nationalist one, the general Juan Carlos Sanches. What does the iberic support consist of?

 

- For now, nothing-. Arbatiker take a moment to remember the sweet face of Eva and her eyes but also her harshness, her direct orders but he would simply obey her to the end of the world, a little tickling run through his body-. I only know that the support is guaranteed but in the future, we have to start themselves, alone, my general?

 

Sakarbetin thought about it quiet, he does a little massage in his forehead, he close his eyes, he smoked the cigar, he sighed and finally he talked.

 

- So? Sorry? I can?t support your revolution, my section can?t offer resistance against the nationalists scum?- At least he took two minutes to make his answer, the General was prepared to go outside the bar.

 

- Wait my general, I will move my small section, I will do a dramatic effect that will change the situation. The TV channel, I will take the TV channel to send a hope message? An image could win a war?- He remembered finally the words of Eva-. We can change this, my general, you have to support me-. Implored Arbatiker.

 

- Don?t make me laugh! The state TV channel in Almeria! You are mad? Do you want to die?-. Said Sakarbetin shaking his cigar like it was a club, he was stood up and prepared to go out.

 

- If with that I change my nation, yes, I don?t mind.- the Lieutenant-Colonel gave in, he bowed his eyes-. I will do alone. Thanks General.

 

- I can only wish you well. Good night.

 

The General, with his cigar, got out of the bar by the door that was farther, maybe a back door to a dark alley. Arbatiker was alone in the bar and he was alone in the Revolution of Eva. ?I don?t mind I will do for her, I will bring the revolution to her?. Tomorrow he would have another meeting with the enigmatic girl. He sighed.

 

[Republic of Red Iberic Workers]

27 days ago, 16:00 hours, ?La Estrella? Bar, Almer?a.

 

Arbatiker headed the alley were ?La Estrella? bar was located. The daylight does not change the bar appearance, the street itself, even the bar at night was more cosy. The road was very narrow, flanked with low Arabic houses. The street was plenty of dirty tar sand, full of empty bottles, wrappers and overflowed rubbish bins. And in the alley there was not a living soul.

 

Arbatiker entered in the bar and the same scene last night was repeated. The stifling heat flooded the room. The same greasy workers were smoking and talking about trifles. The same barman was cleaning beer mugs with a stained dishcloth with an out cigarette. He nodded again to the closed door and Arbatiker obeyed again like last night.

 

The young Lieutenant Colonel was eager to meet Eva once again. He would recognize that his body was shaking and his voice quivering consequence of the second prepared meeting with the most beautiful girl in these parts, a strange diamond in a world of sand and death, a strange iberic woman with pale skin like a far foreigner.

 

The room was empty so Eva was arriving late. He sat on any chair. Like yesterday this room was more ventilated and other time empty. "This is a cover."

 

Minutes passed and Arbatiker was getting nervous. He was looking at the closed door in front of him and he thought about the possibility of being discovered by the nationalists. He thought about the possibility that Eva could be dead now or worse, still alive in the wet and cavernous tunnels of the Home Office in the old fortress near the harbour, and he was paralyzed. "Is she really a Republican Guard? She seems more a delicate woman than a soldier. If I try to?" He looked at the closed door, He stood up and directed to it, he turned right the knob and suddenly the door was opened from outside pushing him to the room.

 

Eva entered with violence, she did not really see Arbatiker. She sat on a chair. Lieutenant Colonel followed her surprised but lightened and sat in front of her. She wore an etiquette black dress like last day. The brown hair with copper tones was tied up by two Asiatic golden chopsticks. His blue glance did not face up to Arbatiker, she was showing concern in his eyes. She removed the falsified Social Democratic Press Pass and threw it on the table, in a hard way.

 

- f*ck! sh*t!- She whispered more curses but Arbatiker did not listen more.

 

- What happens?- asked Arbatiker with a really worried face.

 

- Sorry? I don?t deserve to talk with you-. The Lieutenant Colonel was not able to restrain an excitation smile, ?she said I don?t deserve to talk with you? Great!?. Eva discovered the smile and maybe the thought-. Don?t laugh Lieutenant Colonel Arbatiker? We are alone, or rather, You are alone on this. And on top of everything we will have to reduce time. The Day ?D? is nearer than before. Great! And my nation won?t provide you more support? The f*cking war with Renposa!

 

- But, What happens?

 

 

- We have important suspicions that important ranks of nationalists knew something about a coup. They are arresting civilians and they are interrogating about their political ideas but they are moving well, near us. Maybe when we sounded out the troskist Generals, anyone discovered anything strange and he has warned the nationalist biggest one, Juan Carlos Sanches-. Eva was not looking directly at Arbatiker, she was like ashamed-. The folder I gave to you last day, in that there was a traitor, an informer. Luckily they must think the enemy is home, an indalian, not from the People?s Republic.

 

- Sakarbetin?

 

- No, if Sakarbetin was a traitor we would be dead now-. The Eva?s beautiful blue eyes fixed on Arbatiker?s glance by first time-. You are alone and there is less time than before. You have one week to prepare your plan in the State TV Channel. Look at this plan-. Eva extracted a sheet from her black leather bag-. This is the State Tv plan. Take your best and convinced soldiers and move to the building by truck. Go through the fence. Enter with your weapons by force and kidnap the broadcasting. Insure the back-up generator, here, maybe the nationalist try to cut off electric current. Launch the message. You have to do this at three o ?clock, the highest rating hour, so launch a message? I had prepared one, take this. Don?t hide your face and you have always to wear this armband, this is the revolution symbol, if you triumph in your message people, civilians and military, will follow you and the Revolution will defeat the nationalism.

 

On the table there were the plan of the TV Channel, the proposal of the discourse to the indalian masses and a red armband with a yellow flower embroidered. Eva was quiet, waiting for something, she was worried, sure, because Arbatiker was alone in this madness plan. Arbatiker took all the objects and Eva stood up.

 

- My Lieutenant-Colonel, good luck. Take care and don?t attract attention in this next week. Maybe? We don?t see us again?- Eva came closer to Arbatiker who stood up-. You deserve win this war. Good luck and thanks for all comrade-. Eva give him an innocent kiss in the forehead, like a child and she went out quickly, the door was closed.

 

Arbatiker was tempted to say something to Eva like "don?t go, stay with me, we will go together to my home and we will live forever close" but their words did not take the form and now he was alone. For him, his worst fault was to behave timidly with people that were interesting to him. But like always, now it was too late to talk. Eva had gone away and perhaps forever.

 

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26 days ago, 22 hours, Naxos Castle, Puerto Naxos.

 

Army Commander Chaves was facing seriously the beautiful General Secretary, Rose Amoros, that was dressed in a formal dark dress with some red distinctive marks. The Army Commander was in his traditional and casual green camouflage suit and his red beret. Both were in a big office, Rose in front of a big desk and Chaves in a XVIII C. luxury armchair.

 

- Again, my comrade, we have to transfer some funds to Eva, the operation is in danger. She sent an encoded message looking for more support! And we have nothing?!- Chaves was much praised, moving his strong arms in the air of the office.

 

- The war with Renposa?- Said Rose but she was interrupted.

 

- The front with Renposa is calm! We could send her more funds!- Suddenly Chaves stopped, he relaxed, and he changes his tone to another more confidential-. Perhaps? Is there anything personal against her my comrade?

 

- Eh? ?Not? Darn it! She is stealing my prominence and I can?t tolerate that!- Her cut voice flooded the room and it stunned Chaves.- I am the General Secretary!

 

- She is only a secret agent? She is not stealing your prominence, my comrade.

 

- Okay, please, leave me alone my comrade. I will give the order to mobilize the Army of Castilla-Tierra Comunera to the indalian border. Now, leave me alone.

 

Chaves obeyed, closing the door. When he had gone out the thoughts filled his mind: "Women! I think Rose is hardening herself, she is entrenching herself, the weight of Revolution, the war against Renposa? Now, Indalia? The communist orthodoxy and the yearning power are taking possession of her. But, why do she distrust her?"

[Republic of Red Iberic Workers]

20 days ago, 12:00 hours, Almeria Military Headquarters.

 

Arbatiker had talked over the situation during the past week with his best and closer to the cause soldiers. He knew that maybe, including probably, was taking them to their death. He used formulas for revealing partially his plan to the chosen soldiers, the plan of the Iberics, the plan of Eva.

 

At the first days of the week he told the plan to his sergeant, a good friend, without known family or couple and tired of the situation of the country. The sergeant Rodrigues knew well his men, and he proved some of them. They would need twenty soldiers. Rodrigues approached one by one, alone, and launched him questions like: "Will you follow the orders of our Lieutenant-Colonel? To death if it is necessary?" Normally soldiers answered with the typical: "Sir, yes, Sir!"

 

The nights of that week were difficult to get to sleep, but he did not know the reason of his insomnia. Obviously, this plan could change the History of Indalia and the only thought about the trial hindered Arbatiker to sleep at night. But in this thought, hidden like a small tumour, was the love to Eva. Maybe, Eva was the perfect excuse to avoid thinking about the plan or the plan was an excuse to avoid thinking about her, the things were confused inside the head of Arbatiker, except one, he would finish the task for one reason or another. But there is another problem, he would bring soldiers to their death, perhaps by the love of a woman, forgetting that they would be in charge with their families, with their wives and with their sons, when it occurred he only thought in the importance of the plan . ?we will be remembered as heroes? An egoistic thought in any case.

 

The last day, The D day, had come. He wore the camouflage clothes and he directed alone to the headquarters at thirteen hours. The sergeant received him and they called the roll to the troop. It was the moment, he read aloud the twenty soldiers chosen to change the fate of his nation. "L?pez, Ben-Al?, Antalskar, Katuekas, Al-Cantara, Guti?rrez, Ben-Yusuf, L?pez O., Garc?a, Garcilaso, Unibetin, Ikortibas, Etxebarr?a, Gonz?lez, Marqu?s, Campoamor, Berteker, Alotiker, Sistiaga and Antalskar" He ordered them to take the equipment and to the rest of the soldiers he gave him the day off.

 

The Lieutenant-Colonel and the twenty selected took two military trucks for transport infantry purpose. They also took FN-SCAR assault rifles, six SAC Ironside machine guns, bombs and two grenade launchers. Ten walkie-talkies and two shears were kept by Arbatiker secretly. Theoretically, they would go to control part of the chaotic and unsettled suburbs but when they were in the highway, directing to north, the sergeant diverted the vehicle in the southwest detour and he stopped the truck in a big waste ground. Lieutenant-Colonel ordered the puzzled soldiers to get out the vehicle. "This is not the way, comrade Lieutenat-Colonel" said someone. " I knew it, but today we won?t go to control the suburbs, I have another plan and now you have the choice to follow or to leave free", all the soldiers did a circle around his Lieutenant-Colonel and all were waiting for the explanation of these strange words. "Now I am not talking to you like soldiers or lower ranks, I am talking today as citizens and workers of Indalia. Today we have the opportunity of changing the fate of our nation, tired of corruption and quarrels between incapable high ranks, in an almost suicidal mission. We were going to the Television channel, we will take it and we will launch a hope message to our people, trusting that they will join us, in the revolution that is being born now? I have to tell you, we could die all today but you have one thing clear, this will mark History? Now, if any, if all want to go away is the time to choose, including you Rodrigues". Arbatiker looked at the soldier?s faces, all had marked by every sentence of his command, all quiet.

 

Only three soldiers chose to go away, L?pez, Guti?rrez and Gonz?lez, without equipment and far from any populated point but secured and without the temptation of informing high ranks. The rest got onto the trucks and they faced steered to the State Tv Channel. During the way Arbatiker explained his men the main points of the building wih the map that Eva gave him.

 

The State Tv Channel building was in the new town, at the northeast section of the city of Almeria. It was a functional white building with two floors, rounded by simple square gardens. A big red star symbol was at the top of the building. The complex was rounded by residential communist blocks, some of them deserted by the conflict, near the civil war.

 

The building was round by a fence and the entrance was closed by a crossing gate kept by a single security guard. The trucks move towards the barrier at full speed and suddenly stopped, the guard was annoyed, then soldiers got out the vehicles and three subdued the guard without resistance. "Okay, you, Ben-Al?, Unibetin and Campoamor, you three stay here at the crossing gate, take one radio and inform us." The rest go into the building with the rifles prepared to shoot. Inside the building all the personnel were civilians. They forced them to go inside and Arbatiker ordered one worker to direct them to the Studio One, where at fifteen hours was planned to broadcast the news. The Studio was in the second floor. " Okay, five men here, Antalskar, Katuekas, Garc?a, Garcilaso and Alotiker, set two machinegun emplacements here" three of the five soldiers started to move tables and chairs to the entrance, setting two machine guns. "Control the rest of the first floor, and inform me by radio, the rest move upstairs!"

 

The nine soldiers remaining, the sergeant and Arbatiker advanced fast to Studio One. He had intimidated the personnel like in a bank robbery, with violent expressions while they were assaulting the rooms like: "To ground all! Go, go, go? To ground! You! The face in the ground and don?t raise it? Understand?" There is not other alternative. Before he had to stop soldier Berteker that was overstepping with a hostage, hitting him with the butt of the rifle. "Hey, hey, hey... Stop! Stop! Calm Down!" In the first floor Arbatiker ordered to cut the broadcast connection and ordered two men, Sistiaga and Ben-Yusuf, to control the back-up generators, also he ordered the cameramen to stay in their positions, prepared to record a message like everyday news. "Three men to the top of the building with the grenade launchers and two machine guns. Other two with two machineguns set in the front rooms in this floor. Now move you!" Al-Cantara, L?pez O. and Etxebarr?a obeyed the order going upstairs and Ikortibas and Marqu?s moved to the front of the building with two machineguns. Then he took the place of the newsreader, in fron oif a big desk, he put on the red armband with the golden flower embroidered, the armband that gave Eva, finally, he looked at his watch. "Three o?clock. Now, we want the cameramen that record my message? Now!" He had learnt the message proposal of Eva but he would improvise at some points, " if anything goes well" thought Arbatiker.

 

"Men and women, companions and comrades, workers, people of Indalia? A group of men and me, the Lieutenant-Colonel Arbatiker, have taken the State Tv Channel to tell you that another nation, another life, another alternative is possible. I think, that like me, you are tired of the corruption that is devastating our small republic, tired of the chiefdoms that lie us and allowing our nation is dying in a slow process while they become richer and richer. Today we have said that is enough and we could change the situation if we join all against the oppressors? Take the streets, sabotage them, pacific resistance, all help you can provide to the cause. Put on a red armband with a golden or yellow flower, the indalian symbol for hope, to identify yourselves? This is our time and our land, defend it?"

 

An explosion could be heard from outside and the noise of the guns started. "The final hour" thought Arbatiker. The electric current cut off. With some attempts the emergency lights illuminated the studio. "Have we electric current?" asked to the cameramen. "Yes, we have..." Another explosion shook the foundations of the buildings. Arbatiker had to hurry up.

 

"Take the streets, they feared us and they have not support to stop us? Resistance and ever onward to vicory!"

 

Arbatiker leave the desk and move towards Berteker, the soldier that carried the radio set. "Situation? Report" said the Lieutenant-Colonel. " We have casualties? In the lower floor a bomb has exploded, they are firing at will to the building? They don?t mind if they are civilians or not." Said the Berteker. "Fast move to the front of the building! Civilians could go away from the back doors" Antalskar obeyed and he organized the cameramen and othe workers to plan the exit. Arbatiker go to the post where one machinegun was set, Marqu?s was firing frenzied to the street, behind the ledge of the window, and he watched the situation, partially hidden by a curtain.

 

In the street three loyalist soldiers was in the ground, outside the fence but few meters near the crossing gate, probably dead. A tank, maybe at three hundred meters outside the fence, at the left, was turning his turret slowly, with a mechanical groan, took few seconds and the smoke flooded the air near the cannon. Crystal, wood and cloth pieces expelled from the ground floor, with smoke and an unbearable noise. Shouts were heard. "f*ck! Who is in the ground floor?" Marqu?s had not time to answer. Suddenly, like a sword crossing the air, he could only see a white smoke trail directing to the tank. The vehicle was moving backwards but it was not enough and the missile hit the side of the tank, blowing into the air pieces of chain and steelplates. "Wow! We hit it! We hit it! f*ck you cabron!" Arbatiker could listen the loud and crazy voice Al-Cantara on the radio. The grenade launcher post on the top of building had succeeded in his shot. Now the tank was immobilized and without field of view to attack the building. "Situation?" asked other time Arbatiker. "In the ground floor nobody answered, only the companion that is guarding the back-door, Sir, if you see the crossing gate we have the three men still. On the top the forces were intact. There is another tank in the left, now hidden behind that building?" Said soldier Marqu?s. Suddenly the vehicle mentioned appeared in the road directing at maximum speeds toward the fence, behind it, three infantry combat vehicles. The tank was shooting at movement towards the first floor, destroying concrete and sweeping the entire floor with its projectiles? " Move back, go away from here!" Arbatiker could exit the room and Berteker was behind him, running, while a plaster cloud accompanied them. But there was not time for the others. He only could see a blood trail at the threshold and the appearance of a destroyed limb.

 

He was wounded by the shock wave. He heard another two ?flying knifes? outside. "Wow! Infantry vehicle damaged and stopped!" could hear the voice of Al-Cantara from his radio. "Please Berteker, give me the radio? Don?t mind, go away! Move to the back of the building!" Said Arbatiker. A penetrating rotor sound flooded the atmosphere and a myriad of creaking noises interrupted the gun, "Rockets" thought Arbatiker. "Men down! Etxebarr?a is down! It is a copter, a FI-14!? f*ck! Take this? A-r-r-g? Bzz? Bzzzzz" The grenade launcher posts were cleared with no men in the top, Al-Cantara, Etxebarr?a amd L?pez O. were dead. "To all men! Move backwards!" He could hear nearer the rotor of the copter, with his rhythmical sound "Pom! Pom! Pom!" It was flying slowly. very slowly, over them. "Kerr-Bang!" Pieces of rubble hit him, and one hit strong in his left shoulder. He tried to move slowly, lowered by the harm, to the back of the State Tv Channel building, Berteker was supporting him. He was leaving a trail of his blood. The back-up generators were destroyed and a fire was spreading the first floor, probably Ben-Yusuf and Sistiaga were dead too. He moved as fast as he could, thanks to the help of Berteker, and they reached the back door. Here there were civilian and one soldier bloodstained corpses, in total, ten destroyed bodies by the guns were occupying the stairs to the ground floor, they could recognize the face of Antalskar with the cranium opened and the glassy eyes opened. He could see the sergeant Rodrigues, down in the ground, behind a small wall that rounded the gardens of the complex shooting to a loyalist group, formed by five men, special forces in black uniform and with bulletproof vests that maybe they got off from the copter, that was outside. Lying down they could reach the Rodrigues. The sergeant laughed when he saw Arbatiker. "We are the last! f*ck! Die! Son of a b*tch I kill you right there? Get down move when I say move, you motherf*ckers!" he shot a burst to the loyalist soldiers but they were approaching, they had crossed the fence in the last movement. Arbatiker shot his rifle and he could knock down a soldier in black special forces uniform that was approaching dangerously. "This is the end, my Lieutenant-Colonel, It has been my pleasure to know you, Sir?" Sergeant Rodrigues was wounded too, with blood in his stomach. " Shut up! Rodrigues" said Arbatiker. "What about going out the barrier for killing some f*cking nationalist? Our last action!" Said Rodrigues. "What else can we do? Okay! I prefer it than dieing behind a barrier? Count three and we will move outside! There are two in the left and two in the right, behind the trees, Okay? Count!" Ordered Arbatiker. "One? T-two? Three! Move!"

 

The three men moved outside their protection, running toward the fence, shooting his rifles. Another guns sounded. Arbatiker dedicated a last thought to Eva. He felt the cold harm of a bullet and he fell to the ground.

[Republic of Red Iberic Workers]

20 days ago, 15:30 hours, Indalian State Tv Channel, Almer?a

 

A black smoke and thin column was rising to the blue, cloudless open air. A smell like something burnt was flooding the atmosphere, a mix between wood and flesh burnt. He was lied down on his back, with the empty glance while the smoke column was growing bigger and bigger. He could not move any limb or any finger of his hands but he tried. He only could change the point of view of his head with incredible harm. His eyes were directed in front of him. He was in a garden, in small square garden but the vision was blurred. He focused his vision a little more.

 

An entire-black figure was moving lowered but fast towards him. He was armed with a submachine gun that aimed directly to him. He wore a black suit with a dark blue, almost black, bulletproof vest, the face was hidden by a big black visor, a black and polished helmet and a dark balaclava. He looked like a robot.

 

"A special force soldier" he thought. He looked for his rifle but it was far from him, approximately one meter. "Why doesn?t he shoot to me? Come on! He wants me alive? What is worse? Die here or in an interrogation room? Finish with this cabron!" Thought but his hope was not being fulfilled. The soldier was three meters from him. He said something to the air, surely to his hidden radio, maybe "I have him".Arbatiker looked weakly at the head of the soldier and a miracle happened.

 

The black and metallic head of the special force soldier exploded literally like a watermelon with a dry explosion. The blood stained the face of Arbatiker and the decapitated and bleeding body rolled on the ground and approached him. "What the hell?" The Lieutenant-Colonel tried to stand up, but it was impossible at the moment. He tried to view the complete situation, a panoramic vision, he dragged himself, slowly and using the dead body as a barrier.

 

Sergeant Rodrigues was to his right, lied down and maybe dead. To his left and farther, perhaps fifteen meters or more, Berteker was behind a tree with his rifle smoking and trying to watch to his front, he didn?t seem wounded. In front of him, nobody, the fence and a backdoor opened to the avenue farther and the street of residential blocks at the bottom.

 

Two dry explosions shuddered Arbatiker, two seconds and another explosion could be heard. "What is this?" A black figure fell into the ground near him, ten meters far, he was behind a tall palm but now he had a big smoky hole, Arbatiker could see through it, in his chest. Berteker went out his cover, with surprise in his expression. He moved towards Arbatiker with some caution, from tree to tree, he reached him.

 

- Lieutenant-Colonel? Are you Okay?- Berteker started to examine the Arbatiker?s body-. I think, sir, that you have a bullet in the collarbone? You will survive. I think there are not more nationalist forces here, for now, the four f*cking special forces have fallen. And sergeant Rodrigues?

 

- I? I? Don?t know. Please, comrade, try to raise me and let?s see Rodrigues-. Berteker obeyed and carefully raised his Lieutenant-Colonel that was pierced by an acute pain. Arbatiker controlled himself and he didn?t groan.

 

The two men approached as they could to Rodrigues. Berteker put a finger in his neck, taking his pulse.

 

- He is not dead but he is very weak- Rodrigues opened his eyes and try to get a word out-. Hey! Don?t speak, sir, please try to raise yourself.

 

The group started to move to the backdoor of the fence as fast as they could. Berteker was holding Rodrigues and Arbatiker was alone and slow but secure. When they reached the backdoor, three shadows went out of a residential building, crossed the empty avenue and directed to them, they were running fast. Berteker seized his rifle with his right arm and aimed to the group.

 

- Wait!- Said Arbatiker- Don?t shoot! They are not special forces? I can?t believe it!

 

The figures had approached enough to be recognized by the Lieutenant-Colonel. The three wore like a black neoprene closed suit with some plastic hardened and bright plates of the same colour in the shoulders, elbows, chest and legs. It was a tight suit. The last detail, two red stars in the collar of the suit. There, the barman of ?La Estrella? bar, his personal chauffeur and the first of the group, Eva, with the butt of a long sniper rifle, still smoky, leant in her right shoulder and aiming to the air. She launched to him her known enigmatic and soft smile.

 

- Nice to meet you again, Lieutenant-Colonel-. Her hair was straight and loose. She employed some irony in her expression again, like in the first meeting. Suddenly she watched the horizon, the sky-. Come on! There is no time to lose. Move! Where is the??

 

A strident and low sound but repetitive noise thundered the ambient, Arbatiker couldn?t answer her welcome and he noticed a big shadow in the ground that was covering progressively the group. He got goose bumps and he started to feel the fear growing in his body.

 

- Helicopter!- The old barman shouted-. f*cking Eva! We are failing to carry out our orders! We can?t die here saving them from this conflict that isn?t our?- Eva pushed a button of a small device.

 

The helicopter, an ide jiman FI-14E, was leaning forwards with the cab facing them when an extremely treble sound cuts the air and an almost invisible stream of smoke crossed ten meters passed over them. Only in a few thousandths of a second an explosion happened very near the helicopter whose pilot lost the control but with enough skill to raise the vehicle and going away the area with a little cloud of smoke following it.

 

- f*cking ?fire and forget?-. The missile must be set in one deserted warehouse of the boulevard. Eva directed to the old barman and said.- And you shut up, f*cking idiot! I am your superior in rank! Remember?-. The barman watched her with fear in his eyes and obviously he did not try to say anything, she forgot him and watched the avenue-. Where is Garc?a?

 

A small white van appeared at the end of the lonely avenue, at top speed, moving towards them. The car made a big skid when he reached the group, turning so much that almost it knocked over.

 

- Fast! Go! Go! Go! Move in!-. The fourth of the republican guard, the driver of the van, he must be Garcia, was shouting the group, when they were inside the van he said-. Eva, these ones weren?t the orders, we couldn?t take part in this action so?.

 

- Shut up! I don?t want that anybody questions this action-. The van had started to move with all inside, including the wounded Rodrigues, Garcia obeyed her accelerating the vehicle to maximum-. I am the only responsible of changing the orders and I will suffer the consequences but you aren?t the f*cking military court, ok?

 

Arbatiker was in time to evaluate the situation. The van was an old ide jiman vehicle but it was clearly improved, it was obvious that the engine had more horse power than the original, the wheels were wider and possibly it was reinforced with some bullet proof system, also it had some race improvements like steel bars protecting the bodywork. Arbatiker watched Rodrigues, he was losing a lot of blood, and he was losing his colour at times, passing to pale skin, gasping. Eva moved from the front seat to the rear worrying about the situation of Rodrigues and she put him some patch.

 

- How is him? This one is a sedative patch. We have not a better thing to use with him-. She directed to Garc?a and shouted him-. Why aren?t we entering in the crossing streets? Here we are an easy target!

 

The van continued in the avenue, the largest of the city of Almer?a, the Galera Boulevard, moving to west, to the Indalian Workers Square but Garc?a didn?t obey her.

 

- Easy question to answer, Eva, the nationalists are following us by the parallel streets of the avenue, Look!-. Shouted Garc?a. The group looked at the parallel streets, one side and another, and exactly some jeeps of the nationalist army was following them at top speed-. They have f*cking vehicles, ?cabrones?! Also and surely, they are going to close the end of this avenue for surrounding us.

 

The nationalist jeeps had little turrets in the top that moved them to face the van and started to shoot their machine-guns. The speed of the van and the difficult of firing a target by the hollow made by the crossing streets and its buildings saved the van from the destruction. A lucky bullet shocked the left side pane window of the vehicle and stayed in the transverse bar of the van. Eva and Arbatiker sighed by the relief, the bullet passed few millimetres from them. A familiar sound started to grow in the air. A low and repetitive noise flooded the ambient. Closer and Closer. Like an automatic cannon. A shadow covered the van loosing one second after.

 

- Copter!- Shouted Garc?a while the nationalist jeeps continued shooting to the avenue trying to hit the van-. It is the same than before! A FI-14E! They survived!- Exactly, the copter was leaving smoke and one of its skate was seriously damaged.

 

- Let?s play the ?mast game?-. Said Eva with determination and taking his sniper rifle, setting it in automatic fire, spreading out its bipod and removing the telescopic sight, after she opened the trap door on the top of the van and she leant out by it with the weapon-. Garc?a!-. She shouted-. When I hit the roof with my hand make zigzag! Okay!?- Garc?a answered with another shout.

 

Following the view of Eva the copter had disappeared of her line of sight, "possibly behind the buildings and appearing suddenly, looking for the ambush" thought Eva. She didn?t hear anything, except the nationalist jeeps shooting occasionally and failing to hit their target always. Berteker had taken out his rifle of the left broken window of the van and started to shoot to one of the jeeps. "It is useless" thought Eva. The roars of the metallic bird reappeared and in one second the copter located few metres behind the chased van. "You are good, cabr?n" said Eva to herself, she prepared to hit the roof of the vehicle with the right hand and she caressed the trigger of the sniper rifle with the left forefinger. "Come on, shoot!" The hair of Eva was rocked by the wind. The Copter inclined the cab and employed its mini-gun, Eva hit the metallic roof and the vehicle started to zigzag from the right to the left violently. The shell burst turned off right failing but few thousandth of a second a missile from one of the hardpoint was launched. Fortunately the evasive manoeuvre worked but the explosion was near the path of the vehicle, shaking it. " It was near" thought Eva "I will only have an opportunity, one or nothing".

 

- Brake the van Garc?a, Slow it!-. Shouted Eva, she set the bipod firmly on the top and he watched by the sight of the rifle, waiting, waiting to the next movement of the bird and hoping that this movement wasn?t sudden.

 

The Copter exposed the cab, forgetting its slope. There is the opportunity, maybe the only and last. She shooted the entire magazine rounds of the sniper to the copter cabin. The rifle was one of the best of the market because the recoil of the weapon was reduced softly by the delicate body of Eva. With some luck the rounds exploded in the pane glass of the copter. A red explosion stained the broken window of the Copter. ?I killed you!? The bird swung chaotic but it didn?t fall, it achieved to maintain on the air. "I must kill the assistant, the f*cking pilot is still alive." She returned to get into the hull of the vehicle. Two big explosions from the rockets launchers dazzled Eva. Garc?a couldn?t react. Pieces of asphalt and cobbles blew up close to the van with the rocket chain and finally one of the rockets hits the rear wheel of the right and the van knocked over, doing two somersaults.

 

The vehicle was only two hundred metres from the Workers Square. Arbatiker, that was almost outside the destroyed van and he could see nobody of his companions, could hear the copter approaching slowly. But he could hear another thing approaching and increasing. It was strange. It seemed to be the roar of thousands of people. "It will be a hallucination" thought Arbatiker.

 

[Republic of Red Iberic Workers]

The damaged FI-14E inclined its nose preparing to shoot the van when in an aggressive manoeuvre the copter had to move back. It started to shoot to anywhere like his pilot was blinded or crazy. Arbatiker couldn?t see what it was really happening but the only true for him is that the copter was fleeing from anything forgetting the van. Then Arbatiker could hear the sounds of the bullets whistling over his head. Some of them hit the buildings near the helicopter but others were hitting the FI. Like a wounded animal treat to turn 180 degrees while it launched some missiles to somewhere but the metallic bird couldn?t finish his action. A fast tongue of fire reached the helicopter that exploded violently. The singed case hit the ground more metres from the explosion spreading the blades of the propeller and breaking the tail that blown up another metres more.

 

Arbatiker turned his body to the opposite side of the Avenue, to the Workers Square where the roaring was increasing more and more. He could see a strange mix of people. There were soldiers and civilians, some armed and some unarmed approaching, little by little, hiding in the cover that offered the gateway of the buildings, from the Square to the place of the explosion. The mix was increasing in number. Maybe one hundred people or more and from the heterogeneous group some frenzied persons, almost all were civilians, directed running to the knocked over van. The civilians were shouting and chanting, some of them shooting automatic rifles to the air. Arbatiker did nothing to stop the pack of hounds because he could do nothing against the crowd, wounded, lain in the ground and unarmed against perhaps fifty people running towards the vehicle.

 

The crowd rounded the van and the only thing that could do Arbatiker was to watch the faces of the tattered civilians, now quiet. The civilians seemed to watch him with certain happiness. A soldier of the indalian Army move out some of the men that were rounding Arbatiker, saw him and shouted with all of his voice "Is him! He is Arbatiker! He is our Guide!" and then the entire crowd started to shout his name with the soldier and some started to shoot the rifles to the air again. "Careful! He is wounded" said the soldier "We need a doctor! Don?t move him!" said a middle-aged civilian. But the order wasn?t fulfilled and two strong men lifted him by the arms, carrying them to the square. The movement hurt Arbatiker but he tried not to groan. He turned his face to the van. Other people were extracting his escape companions and he thought about Eva "She was well? Or wounded? How are this people? How is sergeant Rodrigues?" The crowd was dragging him along to the Square like a river swept out a trunk, he couldn?t feel the boots in the ground and he only could to turn his face to see the situation of Eva and his companions.

 

Suddenly he could see how part of the crowd started to take out the people of the van. He could see Eva that was wounded in her arm making an Ok nod. The two men stopped and waited for the others while the group started to chant his name "Arbatiker! Arbatiker is here! Arbatiker is our Guide!" The crowd moved to the Workers Square. "Are you Okay? And the others?" asked Arbatiker to Eva between the people "I am Okay! But?" The human tide was pushed her towards the Square.

 

And then the human river dragged them along to the Workers Square. The Square was rectangular and enormous. In one side, in the right, near the avenue a golden statue of ten metres tall of Pepe Galera, now pulled down, and in the other side a statue of a golden Pegasus rid by two little children. The Square was rounded by imposing grey official buildings like the State Theater, built in sober concrete columns or the State Hotel Almeria, with fifty floors. The space of the square was impressive and in great part it was conceived to be a big pedestrian space for adoring the big leader. But now the centre of the city was plenty of impetuous civilians and soldiers of all the races of Indalia. Arbatiker could see Arabs in wide chorus with long scimitars brandished in the air. He could see Ga?anes with their typical clubs and sharpened penknives, dancing his particular dance. The races, battered by the old regime, were together now. Also the old Iberics or Indalian, the ignored workers, the poor or the forgotten by this corrupt dictatorship that now they wanted a real socialism for all. The people that were flooding the Square were countless.

 

Every step of the group provoked that the people moved over, giving way to the Arbatiker in an improvised human corridor. The majority recognized Arbatiker as the Guide and started to chant his name. The people that were behind the first file started to chant too, then the people that were behind could hear them and they started to chant too and so on. Soon the entire Square seemed to be a hive of sounds in unison "Ar-Ba-Ti-Ker! Ar-Ba-Ti-Ker!" There were violent shoves for touching the new liberator for seeing him. The Lieutenant Colonel couldn?t feel the ground under their feet yet. He only could see blurred smiling faces and feeling slaps in his shoulders. The retinue directed to the old statue passing over the pulled down statue of the old dictator. There was an improvised ladder, made of a fence, leant in the pedestal. On top of the pedestal a middle-aged man, a man with a military uniform, a man who knew Arbatiker, in the pedestal was Sakarbetin, the General, with an official and two soldiers, like bodyguards, waving a loudspeaker. Sakarbetin wasn?t making a speech, he seemed that was calming down the population congregated in the Square. When General Sakarbetin saw Arbatiker he smiled and he introduced him to the inflamed crowd that thronged around the pedestal. The two strong men that held Arbatiker helped him to go up the pedestal.

 

- Welcome to the revolution, my comrade-. Said Sakarbetin to Arbatiker, covering the loudspeaker-. I finally decided when I saw you in the television ?What the hell! We could to change this situation? and I mobilized my headquarters. Now is your turn, you have them, all them in your hand-. Sakarbetin made a solemn sign like embracing with his arms all the crowd, after he gave the loudspeaker to Arbatiker.

 

From the pedestal the Lieutenant Colonel could see not only civilians, there were soldiers and tanks blocking the Avenue and, even, the sound of a helicopter not far. He could see Eva and her Republican Guards waiting down, near the ladder. He could see Berteker next to them but he couldn?t see Rodrigues "Where is he? Is he dead?" Suddenly the masses kept quiet, waiting for the voice of Arbatiker, looking at him, thousands and thousands of eyes looking at him with joy but too with worry like if any wrong word of Arbatiker could end this euphoric situation, going their heads down of the clouds where they were now. Arbatiker felt a sharp pain consequence of his wounds and the crowd shouted "Ohhh!" The murmur could be heard in all the area and possibly in the entire city. Arbatiker recovered from his pain, he took the loudspeaker, he thought about his improvised speech and he looked at the people that were waiting for him. He turned his face to Eva and he thought in his sergeant, perhaps dead. He sighed and he did it.

 

- People of Indalia! People of the new Indalia!- The exhilarated masses interrupted him applauding, Arbatiker had to raise his left hand asking for silence-. The revolution has triumphed in our country! Cough? cough?-. He put his hand in his chest but he recovered in a moment-. I only have my thoughts in the fifteen brave men that have supported me and now they are died, demonstrate them what we could do! Dedicate it to them! Win the Revolution to them! Viva la Revoluci?n!-. Arbatiker fell in the pedestal and one of the soldiers of Sakarbetin held him, he had lost the consciousness.

 

- A doctor! We need a doctor! Now!- Shouted the soldier.

 

The crowd didn?t noticed the fall of Arbatiker but the people saw it. They were euphoric, jumping, chanting, showing their old weapons to the air, "Viva la Revoluci?n!" shouted them again and again. "Muerte al Opresor!"

 

Eva ran, going up the pedestal and helping the soldier to bring down Arbatiker. She called for a doctor and from a group near the pedestal an official with a red cross in his cap appeared and attended the Lieutenant Colonel.

 

- He is very weak but he will save?-. Reassured the doctor when he carried out the typical check.

 

Eva was in the middle of the enormous din, with Garcia and the other Republican Guards, he have lost Berteker and he started to looking for him. Suddenly she felt a hand in her left shoulder. She turned her face to the hand and she recognized Sakarbetin, the General.

 

- Did you come with comrade Arbatiker?-. Eva nodded affirmatively and he examined her black uniform and her body with a long glance-. Ah! Good iberic material! The best?-. Eva didn?t know if the expression was addressed referring to her uniform or to her body, if it was the second she could kill him breaking her neck but she didn?t, but in the eyes of the General were lasciviousness, he continued-. I don?t know if Arbatiker told you about me, but we had a pact. Now you and Arbatiker have my support but, you know, we will have to talk about my position in the future.

 

- We will talk for sure, comrade general-. Eva moved out the hand of the General-. We will talk? But now I want to know where is the first soldier Berteker and I want to know about the situation of sergeant Rodrigues? (A real brave men)-. She murmured.

 

- Your wish is my command, comrade-. Said Sakarbetin, she ordered something to one of his soldiers that disappeared between the crowd.

 

"f*cking pervert! He didn?t know my name! And all is our support for the cause? I think that I will write a long report about this man? A long report" Thought Eva. The soldier reappeared in a moment with Berteker.

 

- Comrade?-. Said Berteker to Eva-. Rodrigues is dead, he didn?t survived the blow?-. Eva gave a soft slap in the back of the sad Berteker.

 

- We will win this war, Berteker, at least for the nineteen brave men that have supported Arbatiker, at least for you?-. She launched a concealed evil eye to the General.

 

[Republic of Red Iberic Workers]

17 days ago, 11:23 hours, Dacha of General Juan Carlos Sanches, Almer?a.

 

The old and important General Juan Carlos Sanches was leaning in the banister of the big balcony of the state Dacha, he was dressed with his red silk housecoat and wooden flip-flops. The Dacha, or better said, the mansion that was integrated in the well-off district of Almeria where other high ranks of the Army or high officials and state party authorities lived. The General Sanches was contemplating the landscape that was rounding him. Other villas with their gardens, their tall fences and their public guards protecting them from possible thieves. Houses with two and three floors, with their swimming-pools and their gardeners, in a region where the water is a valued good. With their garages and their public limousines. But not far from this paradise it was a long black smoke column, with a fungus shape, expanding slowly in the open air to the closed cloudy day and waiting to discharge its rain, a strange weather in Almeria. After, a big explosion could be heard by Sanches. Few seconds after another and then the monotonous clacking noise of the rifles started again. "The front is only two kilometres from here, it is near". He left the large balcony and he entered in his study, he took a fine crystal goblet and served himself a "Negroni" cocktail from his bar. He served the ice and mixed perfectly the gin, the red martini and the bitter. He sat on his leather armchair and by the typical inertia turned on the panoramic plasma television.

 

Theoretically he had returned to his Dacha for taking some things like the television, his beloved alcoholic drinks, the money and the gold from his strongbox, but there were other things to do here. He knew that came to his villa was a madness action with the war front closer. "But I need my things!" thought like a bad-mannered child, obviously none of their officials could contradict the direct order of his General. The rebels, or like he called them "the counterrevolutionaries", controlled most of the city of Almeria, only two quarters was under the iron control of the loyalist indalian forces, one of the two was this small paradise. In fact the General had to escape from his bunker in the small village of G?dor few kilometres to the north of Almeria. His forces tolerated the rebel artillery during two days, and when the entry in the village of G?dor of the rebel militia was a fact he escaped with his special forces to Almeria. His stay in the village wasn?t precisely a pleasant holiday. He had to order the execution of five of his soldiers, suspects by desertion or joining the counterrevolution. This was the war after all. He had deserved in the Army the nickname of "steel-man", he didn?t shake when he signed the execution?s orders although he recognized that it was a hard decision. Also, he had to attend the shooting of eleven militia prisoners, after a raid over Almeria and to be interrogated, this was different, he enjoyed in the interrogation while the muscled thug made the face of the prisoners more and more unrecognizable. "This was the war, after all, it has good and bad things".

 

But now, in his mansion, he had new plans to cut the supposed revolution and their f*cking supporters: Arbatiker and Sakarbetin and the others puppets. "The population had security, steady jobs as a government employees, long holidays, free houses, few responsibilities, even they could vote in elections? Why this revolution? Ungrateful people! But if Pepe Galera wasn?t died without descendants, now the things would be different. f*cking faggot!"

 

Someone knocked the door and Sanches guessed who was. "Here he is, Abd del Aziz". The person who was knocking the door was Lieutenant Aziz, theoretically was the military adviser of the General but in practice he was the personal butler. He carried all the personal agenda of the General like meetings or other hidden dates, repairs of his house, head of the domestic service, personal secretary? Sanches didn?t know for sure but he believed and he had bet with other Generals in his meetings in the public club that Aziz was gay, simply because he was mannered, he had a stylized figure and he was very clean, too much for Sanches.

 

- Come in, Aziz!- Shouted the General from his armchair. He had guessed correctly. A tall tanned man entered, with a spotless khaki uniform, a fine moustache, the black straight hair combed back and always with a thick layer of hair gel. His face seemed to be made up, in the cheekbone was an appealing freckle.

 

- Sir!- Aziz was shocked by the appearance of Sanches, in dressing gown, and he faked to cover his eyes with his hands, but finally he preferred to turn the face to the opposite wall and he continued with the speech, similar to a scolding-. Sir! You have to know that this action could be dangerous! You are endangering yourself by? A television! My General, the population needs you and you have to be far from here, directing personally the operations!

 

- Calm down, please! And don?t worry by my housecoat! The soldiers are washing my dirty uniform downstairs? You wasn?t in that foul bunker. Now I want to feel comfortable for a little time-. He drank some Negroni cockatil-. Please, let?s go, let?s study your reports near the table and with big cigars?-. Sanches stood up and he directed to the mahogany table of his office, opened a small cardboard box and extracted one cigar that lit while he offered another to Aziz who declined the proposal. The General sat down-. So, Okay, let?s see your reports. Start.

 

- First of the today?s topics, the war situation. We have lost the city of Nijar, the headquarters of the city joined the revolution? Sorry! The counterrevolution, I wanted to say? In Almeria we are maintaining firmly two quarters, this and the northwest. Thanks to the legendary first mechanized infantry division, loyal to our position. We have lost G?dor so we have lost the road to the north. The situation in the airport is very difficult with only a group of Special Forces holding on the daily artillery bombardment and a narrow siege, so it is impossible to be employed. We can retire them from there?

 

- No! Send them the protocol "Hold the position till death". They are Special Forces for god?s sake! And we need to save time and to maintain the airport under our control even if we can?t employ it for flying missions!

 

- Yes, my General-. Aziz noted something in his agenda, waited and he introduced the next point-. Second topic, the command post. General, we have under our control the road to the west and the next village to Almer?a, Huercal, a good area to settle the command post. Stay here could be dangerous.

 

- Good idea, when I load my valued goods in the truck we will go to Huercal-. Said Sanches sipping a small nip-. Ah! We have to study the availability of forces to launch an offensive against Almeria. With another mechanized infantry division we could? But, which is the specific situation in the rest of the country? We need more forces from other headquarters?

 

- Next topic, the third, related to the situation of Indalia and the most important I think. I have the contract, the other Generals recognize you as the next leader and ruler of Indalia-. Aziz extracted a document from his briefcase and showed it to Sanches. The document had the signature of three persons, three Generals-. They are determined to recognize you as the next President of Indalia but as you can read they will support you under some conditions, above all, they want some portfolios in the new government, for example, the Foreign Affairs or Defence Portfolios?

 

- Okay, okay, they will have my promise?- He signed the document with carelessness-. But let?s win this war against these ragged first. I asked you which is the specific situation in the country?- The last question was said with certain anger.

 

- Okay? Summarizing? The situation is difficult. In Al-Andalus the General Iltirta has had to mobilize all the tanks that now are occupying the streets of Granada, consequence of the riots although the revolt is well under control, it will be too more difficult that he can envoy to us reinforcements. General Francisco Jos? Mart?nez in Albacete, is preparing an offensive against Nijar and he could envoy some reinforcements to Almeria. In the north the situation is quiet, for the moment.

 

- Perfect! We will launch an offensive to the centre of Almeria soon!- He smoked the cigar-. More topics?

 

- The last-. He extracted an envelope from his briefcase, he opened it and showed a blurred photograph to Sanches-. The counterrevolutionaries could have the support of a foreign nation, please, my General, see the details of the armor used-. The photograph showed the blurred figure of a young girl in her black armor holding a sniper rifle in a van in movement-. I have sought advice from the weaponry experts and they said, in a ninety percent, that the armor used could come from the People?s Republic of Red Iberic Workers, the special republican guard model.

 

- sh*t! I think is true-. Said Sanches watching the picture-. We have to publicize this photograph, looking for foreign military aid. We cannot wait?

 

Suddenly a loud ring could be heard downstairs. "Ah! My little prostitute is here!." Sanches was recognized in the Army by his promiscuity, his wife was always a cuckolded and she knew this fact. He had always an excuse for his conscience. This time it was because "The f*cking bunker, the f*cking failed defence of G?dor, four days with nothing? I think Carmen would understand me, sure, furthermore I am defending the spirit of Indalia! I will be the next governor!" His wife was now in a secure point of Indalia with their sons and he needed to put into practice his lasciviousness almost constantly. This was "the other things to do here", to f*ck a young prostitute. He had contacted with the famous in some high spheres and illegal cathouse one day ago and had requested for today a young and cute girl, almost virgin.

 

Soon the two men thought that something was going wrong downstairs. The General had come with two soldiers, one driving the ?move? truck and another driving his luxury car. They must washing and drying his uniform but now all was in silence. They only could hear two "ziups" like snaps.

 

Aziz stood up and looked at his General with a face that asked "My General, What the hell have you done this time?" He directed to the door that was closing the office, took the knob and put an ear on the white wooden door, trying to hear the reason of the strange sounds and the silence. Nothing, he only could hear the warble of some birds outside. His General was looking at Aziz with worry. "One moment!" An almost imperceptible and slow breathing could be felt in the other side.

 

The door burst in splinters and a cloud of sawdust. Aziz fell in the ground with violence one metre far from the threshold of the office. Sanches tried to stand up but his fear only allowed him a small incorporation of his back, he searched for his pistol but he remembered that it was in a box of his writing desk, in the opposite side of the room, near the television.

 

A brown hair girl, pale face but rosy cheeks, blue eyes entered in the office pointing directly at the face of Sanches. He wore a black and tight suit like neoprene with reinforcements in the forearms, shins and long boots made in a similar material to bright black latex. In the collar they shined two red stars. Her gloved right hand held a pistol with silencer. She approached Sanches. Like a direct hit in his head he was able to remember "the photograph! She is!" She approached till one metre and he felt that she wasn?t alone.

 

- Your dick has gone you off! Didn?t you know that we had taped your phone? That we have collaborators in your perverted cathouse? They told me about your perversion games with childs, fresh flesh, isn?t it? they told me a lot. Look at him, only an old person, a bone sack?

 

- Eh? Uh?- "Is this a joke?" thought the General, he tried to elaborate something to say.

 

Too much late, a bullet penetrated his cranium dying instantly. Falling in the fitted carpet and leaving a thin trail of blood from his forehead. The girl examined the photograph, her blurred portrait. She held the picture and burnt it with a lighter. After, she took all the documents that were on the table and put them away in the briefcase. Other three men entered in the room with the same uniform.

 

- Wake up this stupid!- Said to them referring to Aziz-. He will come with us. Furthermore, we have to carry this scumbag-. Referring to the corpse of Sanches-, for making some advertising. Let?s go!

 

The group with the stunned Aziz, the corpse of Sanches and the briefcase went downstairs, they went out the villa crossing its well cared garden and they inserted themselves by an opened sewer.