This is a passion work. So, I would really appreciate it if you leave behind a review when you're done reading.
***
CH60: POACHING PLANS
Day 5
Korede woke up to the new day in an upbeat mood. He had a feeling the Op against the NDz would be wrapping up soon and he would be able to return home. More importantly, he would have something to bring to the funeral anniversary of the Alpha Team.
As usual, he was done with his regular early morning activities by 7 am. He decided to call Special Agent Ndike to get an update on the current situation of things.
"Hello. Good morning." He greeted.
"Good morning." Special Agent Ndike replied.
"Any news?"
"Yeah. The A4s and Saints have changed their location after your previous attack. They are also trying to find the locations of the NDz establishments. While their legal establishments aren't too difficult to find, their illegal and truly crucial establishments are."
"Of course. If not, law enforcement would be all over them by now. It wouldn't be the turn of the gangs to act."
"Exactly." Special Agent Ndike agreed. "Anyway, the gang members are prepared and ready for war. They're just waiting to get a location to strike."
"Hmm…" Korede suddenly had thought. "Can you tell me how they're searching?"
"Crude methods mostly. Some members are driving around likely spots hoping to stumble upon something worthwhile." Korede shook his head as Special Agent Ndike continued. "Smarter ones approached law enforcement. It wasn't that hard for them to find officers willing to cooperate when they find out that someone was trying to go after the Duke and the NDz. They've been successful in getting some intel this way."
"That's not a subtle method. The officers may be on the NDz payroll. So, the gang probably know they're looking for its establishments by now."
"They probably figured the NDz know they're coming anyway so they didn't care." Special Agent Ndike reasoned.
"That may be true but still, that's too careless. The NDz can use the officers to feed the two gangs false intel and lead them into a trap. Also, even if the officers aren't on the take, they might not know anything. If the police knew so much about the NDz in the first place, the gang wouldn't have the influence it has now."
"What makes you think gang members can think that far?" Special Agent Ndike commented. He continued, "Other members of the gangs are even more direct in their approach. They find and kidnap known members of the NDz and torture them for information."
"Simple, barbaric but effective. I'm guessing this was mostly done by A4 members."
"Your guess is right. This is the Modus Operandi(M.O) after all."
Korede shook his head once more.
"Have your men completely deciphered and analysed the two ledgers?" He asked, changing the topic a little.
"Yes. Check your email soon. I'll send all the relevant info to you."
"Alright, thanks. Can you also send the gangs' new location, the phone numbers of their leaders and perhaps the location of their strike team and investigation cells?"
"You're planning something?" Special Agent Ndike couldn't help but ask.
"It's still in the works. I don't have something concrete yet. Maybe if I go through all the intel, I'll have something. I'll let you know either way."
"Alright. I'll have someone collate everything you need and send it to you."
"I'll be waiting for it. Thanks."
"No problem. Later then. Happy hunting."
"Wait," Korede said, stopping Special Agent Ndike who was about to end the call. "I've been meaning to ask. Why do you always say 'Happy Hunting'? Is there a special reason?"
Special Agent Ndike was surprised by the question. He chuckled. "Don't you Eagles Squad Operators like to refer to your missions as 'Hunting Missions'? I got it from that." Special Agent Ndike replied.
"Really? There's something like that? I didn't know that. Probably because I'm still a rookie."
Special Agent Ndike was speechless again.
"That's true. With the way you handle yourself, I forget this is only your second mission."
"Thanks, I guess." Korede said, not sure if that was a compliment or not.
"No problem." Special Agent Ndike replied with a chuckle. "Anyway, why do you ask? Does it bother you? Should I stop?"
"Oh, not at all. I was just wondering." Korede replied.
"Alright then. Good luck and happy hunting." Special Agent Ndike said, causing both individuals to chuckle for some reason.
Unknown to Korede, and perhaps Special Agent Ndike, the call was being listened to at NDI HQ in Abuja.
Special Agent Danjuma and another man were listening in to the conversation between Korede and Special Agent Ndike. The man was also reading through what looked like a file the NDI had on Korede. After the call ended and the man finished reading the document, he said to Special Agent Danjuma
"This kid is quite something. I always wonder how the Balogun Family keeps producing several talents generation after generation. Is it their bloodline or their training method?"
"Perhaps both, sir." Special Agent Danjuma said.
The man nodded. He put the file on the table and looked at Special Agent Danjuma as he asked, "So, what do you want by showing this to me? You've taken a liking to him?"
"Indeed sir." Special Agent Danjuma revealed. "Everyone, including his Family, has seen him mostly for his combat strength which is at Master-level. Since the first time I met him a year ago, I've been interested more in his intelligence."
"You are on to something there, Danjuma. By the way, doesn't the military conduct an IQ test for their recruits? What's his IQ?" The man asked.
Special Agent Danjuma shook his head. "That's inefficient. That test is used to check if a recruit is intellectually capable of being a soldier. As for quantifying IQ, it's too inefficient for that. I also have a feeling someone in the Balogun Family would tamper with the results even if the test was efficient."
"So, what do you think his IQ is?"
"At least 170."
"Ooh. Interesting. So you want to recruit him?"
"Yes, sir. Unfortunately, if I approach him…"
"Someone in the Balogun Family will block you." The man cut in to complete Special Agent Danjuma's sentence.
"Yes, sir. You're probably the only one in the NDI that can get the family to back down a little on this matter."
The man shook his head.
"Danjuma. I know the kid is good but it's too much for someone in my position to go recruit someone."
"It depends on the person, sir. Strength, Talent, Potential, Intellect, Background/Soft influence. This kid has it all. Also, you and I both know how rare and important Masters are. Not only is his combat strength at Master-level, but his intellect is also high. He is a better fit for us than the Military. His background also means he has the soft influence that would allow us to do more important things with fewer bureaucrats breathing down our necks. I believe this isn't a chance we should miss, sir." Special Agent Danjuma pitched.
The man was quiet. Special Agent Danjuma also didn't make a sound. He knew his superior was considering his argument.
After a while, the man said,
"Alright, Danjuma. I'll take your words under advisement. For now, Let's see how he completes his current mission."
Special Agent Danjuma nodded while smiling inwardly. He knew he had crossed a major hurdle. Perhaps, his superior had bought his argument.
Special Agent Danjuma's superior was a major figure in the Anti-Balogun faction. Like any gathering of people, the Defence and Security sector was divided into factions. The Anti-Balogun faction members were a group of people who believed the Balogun family had too much influence in the military. They considered it to be a dangerous development. So, they've been working to reduce the Family's influence.
The only thing maintaining the status-quo so far between the two factions was the Balogun Family's integrity.
The Family had never used its influence to support members unworthy of their post. If anything, it had prevented its members from rising above their deserved station. Also, the Family exerted its influence to help deserving people irrespective of their background and affiliations with the singular purpose of enriching the military as a whole.
This had invariably earned the Family the respect of many talented and important personalities. Even the Anti-Balogun Faction respected them for this.
This trait of theirs had attracted many people to gather together and form the so-called Balogun Faction.
It should be noted that members of the Family were forbidden from joining this faction by the Family itself as it doesn't take well to matters that divide the military. Unfortunately, factionalism is the norm for a gathering of numerous people.
Special Agent Danjuma had believed it would be difficult to get his superior to agree to his proposal because of this. If his superior recruited Korede like he was pitching, others might believe the man had joined the Balogun faction.
Unfortunately for Special Agent Danjuma however, though he wanted to recruit Korede himself, he couldn't and had to rely on his superior. Korede was an important member of the Balogun Family's younger generation. At least two important personalities in the Family thought so.
These two personalities were major figures in the military. People who had enough influence and authority to block whatever Special Agent Danjuma did. They were Colonel Kola Balogun and Major-General Bolaji Balogun. While Colonel Kola Balogun was the commander of the Eagle Squad and a high ranking member of the JSOB command, Major-General Bolaji Balogun was the Chief of Defence Staff of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The influence of the Chief of Defence staff spoke for itself. He was the head of the table of Chiefs. The highest decision-making body in the military. His authority in the military was second only to the President's.
As for Colonel Kola Balogun, though 'just' a Colonel, his influence in the military was far-reaching. He had 'friends' and allies in all branches of the military. In fact, some of his contacts were from the NDI. Special Agent Danjuma himself happened to be one of them.
He also happened to be one of the few people who know that, in secret, Colonel Kola Balogun's National Security Access Level was no different from that of a Brigadier-General's.
The Anti-Balogun faction had tried to prevent this but there was nothing they could do. Colonel Kola Balogun had earned enough merit to be promoted to General rank but the faction had prevented this from happening due to the excuse that he had risen the ranks too fast and 'wasn't ready' for the responsibilities of the general rank.
This reasoning, or excuse, was pushed hard and Colonel Balogun wasn't promoted.
However, because of the Colonel's soft influence and the Balogun faction's influence, the Ministry of Defence and the Military High Command were forced to compensate him.
Thus, his Security Access level was raised to Brigadier-General level equivalent. He became one of the few people that had a Security Access level above their rank.
With two such powerful and influential people protecting Korede Balogun in the background, it was difficult for Special Agent Danjuma to pull his usual tricks to poach the youth from the military to the DSS.
Only his superior could weather the blow-back from these two people should they decide to react if he was successful in poaching the youth as it looked like the family had some sort of a plan for him.
With the man saying he would take his argument 'under advisement', Special Agent Danjuma knew the man was already leaning towards agreeing. Perhaps, he was just waiting to see how the youth would complete his mission.
"Alright, sir." Special Agent Danjuma said. "I'll take my leave. I still have to go coordinate the efforts of other Op branches."
The man waved dismissively, "Go, go."
Special Agent Danjuma smiled as he left the office.
With Special Agent Danjuma gone, the man tapped his finger on Korede's picture.
"Korede Balogun. Here I thought I would stop hearing your name. To think I'll hear your name at work."
He turned to the framed picture on his desk. It was the picture of the man and his family.
In it, the man was holding his wife by the waist on a sofa, while his two daughters were sitted on their two sides. They all had a smile on their faces. A typical family picture.
The man stroked his finger over the figure of his youngest daughter as he mumbled.
"I wonder how this little girl is doing." He chuckled. "Well, she's all grown up now. A real lady." He smiled for a while before burying his head back in paperwork.
***
After his call with Special Agent Ndike ended, Korede felt hungry. He was about to head to the kitchen to make something when a thought occurred to him.
'I've been so busy with the Op that I've not had time to enjoy the culture of the city. Since I have time, I should at least find a local restaurant to enjoy some authentic local cuisine.'
[A.N: Please, don't forget to leave a review of the work to encourage me. Your opinion matters to me.]