Defending the Capital (#FridayFlash)

You can listen to this story by pressing “play” below and read along with the text that follows …

{note:  I recorded this audio while recovering from bronchitis so I’m sorry I’m a bit raspy.  And I had trouble fitting it under five minutes so you’ll find that it ends a bit abruptly }

“Defending the Capital” by P.J. Kaiser

The President lay on his makeshift bed in the meeting room:  a stack of four blankets with a fifth folded for a pillow.  Rolling over, he reached for the flashlight and illuminated his watch for a moment.  It was well after midnight.

He said another prayer for the army:  that they would be successful in their mission of defending their capital city.

Most nights he was able to sleep in spite of the sound of gunfire in the streets, but this night a feeling of dread filled his soul.  They had already lost most of the provincial areas but the troops had fortified their defenses to protect the capital from the rebels.  It was for the sake of his countrymen – he couldn’t let them down.  A tear rolled down his cheek as he thought of the thousands – no, millions – of people forever changed by this rebellion.  He thought of the lives lost and he made a silent vow to their families that he would see the battle through.

The President forced his eyes closed and hoped sleep would come soon.  He would need all his strength and alertness the following day to carry out his duties.

The sound of a blast ripped through the air.  The underground hallway in the presidential palace reverberated with the echo.  The President leapt to his feet, grabbed his flashlight and ran towards the “war room” – as it had come to be known in the past four months.  He passed the security guard crouched under a table outside the door.  “Get up, man – this building is safe!”

His heart pounding in his ears, the President ran through the doorway and took a seat at the large table.  Thierry, his only remaining advisor, was already seated and turning on the generator-operated light and radio console. “Station north five, come in.”  Thierry pushed his hair back from his face as long moments passed.

Crisp static filled the room.  “Station north five, come in.”

A man’s voice could barely be heard over the static.  “Station north five, go ahead.”

Thierry said, “Was something hit?  Over.”

“Affirmative.  The munitions store. Over.”

The words hung in the air.  Thierry waited for some signal from the President as to what to do next.

The President leaned back in his chair, laced his fingers together, pushed his palms outward and cracked his knuckles.

Thierry leaned forward and moved his head around to catch the President’s eye, then shook his head.  “That’s the last one, sir.”

The President slammed his fist on the table.  “I know it’s the last one, I can damn well count.”

Thierry looked down at the table.  Static continued to sizzle through the air.

Finally, Thierry adjusted his glasses on his face with shaky hands and said, “What should I tell the Commander, sir?”

“Carry on.  Each unit has stores enough for another twenty-four hours.”

Thierry spoke loudly into the radio.  “The President says to carry on, station north five.  Copy?”

“Copy.  Out.”

Without the static filling the room, the muffled sound of gunfire resumed.

After several minutes, Thierry said, “I think we need to consider their offer, sir.”

The President jumped from his chair and paced around the table.  He finally yelled, “What offer?  They didn’t make an offer.  They made threats only.  How would it look if they bombed the presidential palace?  They won’t do that.  Blood may be running in the streets, but they won’t bomb us.”

Thierry said, “But maybe we could negotiate an offer.  We could propose a ceasefire in exchange for safe passage out of the capital.  We would also have to secure an offer for exile.”

The President kneaded his forehead with his fingers.  His fingernails turned white from the pressure against his head.  He sighed.  “I suppose the time has come.  I have failed my people.  I tried to be strong and hold off the rebels but their forces are just too great.”

Thierry said, “Sir, it’s not your fault.  You did your best.  The turning point really came when the NATO forces came in to support the rebels in enforcing the election results.  We just couldn’t compete against their air power.”

The President pinched his lips together and fought the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.  “I just can’t believe the end is happening like this.”  The shadow lifted for a moment from his eyes.  “Don’t you think our forces can hold out another week until the supply shipment comes in?”

Thierry shook his head.

The President groaned.  “No, I guess not.  There would be no way for them to hold their ground, especially if the NATO airstrikes continue.  Thierry, see who you can raise on the radio from the UN and see if you can get us exiled to France.  Or maybe Tahiti.”

Thanks for reading and/or listening!  Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!