Page 13 of Prisoner of War
“And the reasons for that?” Nick asked. Somehow, he had become chair of the meeting again. He shrugged the concern off. Next time, he’d orchestrate this better so Blanco could take the lead.
Another silence stretched as they considered his question. Alonso once more voiced the negative side. “The civilian flow may have halted because those still in Vistaria have found a way to live withthe new regime.”
“After only three months?” Josh asked in passable Spanish. He shook his head. “I have lived in many different countries because of my work. I assure you, it takes more than three months to adapt to a different culture. It takes much longer to be happy with it.”
The same junior officer who had asked about trust spoke again. “If they are not happy with it, then Serrano has tightenedthe net so that they cannot escape.”
“That is something that can be arranged in three months,” Blanco agreed. “It would have been one of his first priorities. It would be mine, if I were Serrano.”
“Zalaya’s priority, you mean,” Alonso responded. “That evil bastard would delight in building such walls.”
Another tiny silence. Nick saw wrinkled brows and could almost hear their thoughts.
JoshBenning voiced the thoughts. “Who is Zalaya?”
Nick gave a mental sigh, hiding his wariness. The truth would unsettle the younger lieutenants, who were already flustered by the heavy responsibility thrust at them.
“Many of you may remember Colonel Bruno Zalaya y Fuentes when he still held a commission with the Vistarian Army. His career has taken a...well, a more natural turn for one of his inclinations.The facts that we do extract from Vistaria confirm that Zalaya is Serrano’s right-hand man and possibly was so even before the Insurrectos made their first move. Zalaya has masterminded some powerful suppression programs and is most certainly the man who has shut down Vistaria’s borders.” There, that was neutral enough not to upset them.
“Programs?” Alonso sounded affronted. “The man is sweepinghis way through the population, killing anyone who can’t prove they’re three generations Vistarian. He has a brothel in the official residence for Serrano’s captains. He keeps any woman there who happens to take his fancy. Men, too. He has his own personal torture chamber next to his office, where he conducts ‘interviews’. The man is an evil blight on Vistaria.”
“Enough, Alonso,” Nick said, moresharply than he intended. The pity of it was that Alonso was not exaggerating the rumors they had heard from the latest refugees. Serrano was nominally the leader of the Insurrectos. Zalaya, though, was the power behind the throne and the man they would have to deal with to win back their country.
“If this madman is killing and raping, then we cannot wait!” Another junior officer this time, hisface pale. “We must halt this. At once.” There were murmurs of agreement around the table.
Nick held up a hand and waited until he got the silence he wanted. “We will not be rushed into a poorly planned offensive. There will be only one opportunity for us. We must take the time to ensure victory. We will not dawdle and we will not rush, either. We must be smart...and thorough. Understand?”
Slow nods of agreement. Reluctant nods. The natural passion of the average Vistarian was hard to quench once it was fired. He had to keep it banked until he could thrust them toward Vistaria and let them take their revenge and take back their country. “Of course, such an offensive takes obscene amounts of money. Which brings me to the next item. Blanco, you met with the Columbian government. How didthat go?”
“They cannot offer money. They are willing, though, to provide us with up to one thousand SIG Commando 552-2 P rifles, which they use for their own law enforcement. These are good rifles...”
As professional interest in the weapons stirred everyone around the table, Nick’s attention wandered. Blanco was capable of evaluating the advantages of such a deal, while Nick mentally tussledwith the increasing problems surrounding money. When the gun discussion was done, Nick brought them back to the reason why Blanco had gone to Columbia in the first place—to find funds.
The wrestling over ways to raise money went on for some time and finished on an inconclusive note, which for these meetings was both typical and frustrating. Always, it came back to money. Without it, they couldtalk themselves into the ground, they could ratify any decision they wanted to, but it was just talk. Only money would make it happen.
Josh stepped up alongside Nick as he left the room.
“Thank you for your insights,” Nick told him. “I’d like you to continue to attend these meetings for a while, if you don’t mind.”
“You want another civilian in there besides yourself, don’t you?”
“That’s certainlypart of it,” Nick agreed easily.
“Could I give you another insight?” Josh asked.
Nick had been about to turn left to go up the stairs, but instead he turned right and crossed the landing to the door onto the family’s private balcony. The balcony was empty. Nick realized it was late. The house was quiet around them. “Tell me,” he encouraged the older man, resting against the balcony rail. Tirednesswas making his mind foggy and he stretched his neck and rubbed his eyes hard.
“Well, two insights,” Josh said, watching him. “The second one is, you need to get more rest. Too many people are depending on you for you to keel over from a heart attack or some such.”
“Thanks,” Nick said dryly. “I’ll take that one under advisement. The first one?”
“You need to get your officers uniforms. Get themmade—there’s got to be a dress factory in Acapulco that could pull them together.”
Nick’s laugh came out more as a snort of disbelief. “I’m already aware there isn’t a whole uniform to be had in the entire household, but it’s hardly a priority. Just feeding two thousand plus people here in the compound is a daily challenge.”
“Then make it a priority,” Josh said. “I’m not joking. Your men needthe symbolism a uniform will give them.”
“They’re not my men,” Nick said quickly.
