43

 

Aqaba, Jordan

General Fahd’s inaugural broadcast was awkward, to say the least. He had no idea who might have been listening or how it would be received. He created the audio file, then posted it to a new mVillage account that would feed the many student-led accounts of gossip and political intrigue that careened around freely across the network.

His mVillage account, like the students, was private and anonymous. The Saudi royal family had no access to the mVillage network accounts, though they might have some ability to keep track of the actual mobile numbers.

But he didn’t care. It would be known soon enough that he was becoming the voice of an impromptu call for Day of Anger protests in Dammam, Qatif, Medina, Mecca, and even Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Fahd did not care if they knew where the audio files had originated. Natal wanted the Saudi leadership to know that he was their voice, for his own reasons.

Fahd had promised Natal that he would become the voice of the disaffected in the kingdom. And he was a man of his word.

The words had been carefully scripted. Someone working for Natal in the White Army’s intelligence network had pulled files and pictures from mVillage accounts. They’d created a backstory for him, the concept of a new movement tied to the old kingdom of Hejaz, and even a new flag for the movement that was drawn from the old pan-Islamic Arab Revolt flag.

They’d even managed to dig up information recently filed on mVillage about the imminent return of the last, remaining heir to the old Ottoman Empire—a retired librarian named Mehmet Osman, who’d lived in exile in London nearly all of his days—who would make a special appearance in Mecca on the Day of Anger.

Fahd had no idea where any of this information came from, whether it was credible or not, and whether the Saudis would take it seriously. But he also knew enough about the paranoia that often swept through the ranks of the Saudi royal family that it wouldn’t take much to tip them over the edge and trigger an overreaction on their part.

The mere fact that a retired Saudi general, in exile but available, who’d once commanded the White Army, would broadcast a call to arms and uprising would almost certainly cause panic in Riyadh. This was precisely why Natal had selected Fahd for the task.

Perception would quickly become reality. No “Free the Kingdom Army” remotely existed as Fahd created his audio broadcast and launched it out onto the chaotic waters of the mVillage network. But Fadh’s urgent message about the need to unite the disaffected and oppressed minorities in Saudi Arabia would send the Riyadh leadership into a frenzy.

Fahd wondered, almost in passing, whether they’d send someone after him. But he was old and no longer cared about that. And even if that happened, Natal would likely be the one tasked with such a covert mission on his life.

So General Fahd finished his audio broadcast calling on the “Free the Kingdom Army” to mobilize around the coming Day of Anger and sent it out to the mVillage network.

The audio had been replayed within the hour for both the king and crown prince of the House of Saud in Riyadh. And shortly thereafter, Natal had been called into the king’s office with new orders. He obeyed some of them and ignored others.