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The first explosions shook the Comandante out of a sound sleep. “Santiago,” he bellowed. “What is happening?”
“I do not know yet Comandante. The explosions have woken me up as well. I will find out for you sir,” his body guard said as he ran out of the Comandante’s private quarters.
He ran like a bull moose across the compound to the command center. “What is the meaning of these explosions, quickly now, speak,” he yelled as he grabbed the first man he saw by the throat.
“We are under attack from a helicopter. Already the lines of communication have been severed. The enemy has destroyed our helicopters.”
“Where were our sentries? Why didn’t they tell you of the approaching helicopter?”
“Sir it only took seconds for the helicopter to travel the distance from the forest to our fortress. The sentries couldn’t react fast enough to report before the attack started.”
“The Comandante will have your head for this gross dereliction of duty I can promise you that,” Santiago threatened as he ran back out of the door.
El Comandante Leonardo Castro was pulling on his tunic when Santiago got back to his private quarters. “What have you found out Santiago?”
“We are under aerial attack Comandante. A helicopter is attacking from above. Already we have lost our communications and our attack helicopters.”
“Quickly we must get to the command post,” he said as he ran out the door. Smoke was billowing high in the sky from the attack.
“Why isn’t the machine gun in that tower manned? Get a man up there at once,” Castro said pointing at the tower he meant.
Santiago grabbed a running man and sent him scurrying up the ladder and into the guard tower. Seconds later the man went flying back out of the tower, his head half blown off.
“Where are those shots coming from? I don’t see anyone in the clearing around the fort.”
Castro grabbed the land line and rattled the receiver but found it already dead. The power was out so the radio wouldn’t work either. “Get the generator cranked up so we can call for assistance,” Castro ordered.
Santiago spun around and pointed at the officer in charge. “You heard the Comandante, get the emergency generator running so we have power.”
“Yes sir, at once. You there come with me,” he yelled pointing at an underling. “Start the generator for El Comandante, hurry.”
The lights flickered back on and Castro grabbed the radio to call his cousin for help. God how humiliating, having to call his cousin because he couldn’t handle a group of ragtag guerillas. They would pay for this like never before.
“Havana Air Control this is El Diablo Alcazaba come in over.” He repeated the call over and over with no response.
“Santiago, go check the antennae and radar dish array make sure they are not damaged. I can’t get a response from Havana.”
“At once Comandante,” his body guard said racing back out of the door. He could see smoke rising from the area where the antennae were and was instantly worried. Sliding to a stop he saw the tangled mess that used to be their equipment. Reversing course he raced back to the command center.
“Our radio and radar equipment are a total loss Comandante. The enemy has blown it up.”
“So we have no way of calling for help? I want all officers called to the Command center at once.”
Now that they had emergency power for the command center they could use the public address system to call them. In short order they were all present and accounted for.
“I want reports, accurate reports of what has been lost or damaged so far. Leave nothing out, no one will be punished for speaking the truth,” El Diablo promised his officers.
“Comandante, all of our machine guns have been lost. The helicopter knew in advance of our defenses and blew them up.”
Castro nodded his head, this was new information he didn’t have. “Anything else get destroyed besides the helicopters and the antennae array?”
No one spoke up. “Who will lead a company of men out of the fort and into the forest to attack our enemy?” No one volunteered. “The man who volunteers will be promoted to a higher rank.”
“I will go Comandante,” said a voice from the back of the room.
“Good, it seems we don’t have any other brave men in the room besides you,” Castro said eying his officers with contempt. “Get your company of men and go at once.”
The officer assembled forty men for the mission and got prepared to leave the fort. He’d been told that El Comandante wanted to address the men before they left.
Finally the Comandante showed up to send them off. “Men, today we have been attacked by an unknown force. We have lost communications with Havana. I can’t tell you at this point if our whole nation has been attacked or just this installation. Today you fight for the honor of Cuba, Viva Cuba!”
“Viva Cuba,” shouted the soldiers in response to their Comandante’s call to arms.
“Open the gates and see how brave men march off into battle,” Castro said, bragging up his soldiers.
The soldiers marched two abreast out of the gate and towards the forest a half mile away. They’d only gone a hundred yards when their officer was killed by a shot to the head. Thinking it must be a lucky shot they continued to march on. The sergeant was the next to die, then the corporal, and then the troops broke in fear for the relative safety of the fortress walls.
“Who is this invisible enemy Santiago?” Castro asked in wonder. “Why are they here and what do they want?”
“I don’t know sir. But if I was a betting man I’d say they had something to do with our defeat in Bayarno when we lost the first one hundred men.”
“He lied to me Santiago,” Castro whispered. “That son of a bitch lied to me about how the attack happened! I want him here in front of me now, at once!” El Diablo said, his face a deep purple.
“I’m afraid that is not possible sir. He’s the man that just died leading the men outside the fortress.”
“He got off too easily. Bring me back three survivors from that battle. I will have the truth.”
In minutes Santiago had the three requested men standing at attention in front of their Comandante.
“I received a false report on what happened three weeks ago in the battle at Bayarno. I will have a truthful report from you now,” the Comandante said rigid with fury.
“Comandante, we had the battle won. There were dead villagers everywhere you looked. The men were having their way raping and pillaging. Suddenly we were attacked by an unknown force and they fought like demons. They killed us at will. We could do nothing to slow them down or stop them. Only the lucky ones were able to make it out of the village with their lives. Didn’t you get this report on our return sir?” the soldier asked.
“Obviously not or I could have prepared better for our next encounter. This could have all been prevented if I would have known what had really happened in the village. You are dismissed. You may go back by your companies.”
“What can we do now Comandante? They have us trapped here in the fort. To cross the open ground would be suicide.”
“We aren’t done yet, follow me. We had a ship on radar for the last several weeks off of our coast in international waters. It must be where this enemy is coming from. We still have gunboats to attack with,” Castro said grabbing the sound powered telephone.
He spun the dial calling the boathouse where the gunboats were kept. “Captain, the fort is under attack, this is what I want you to do. Listen very carefully to my orders. There is a ship twenty miles off of our coast in international waters. I want two of your boats to attack and sink it. The other boat I want to go in the other direction along the coast until they find a place where they can contact Havana from. Let my cousin Fidel know that we have lost all communications and defenses. We are in desperate need of relief. Do you understand your orders Captain?”
“Comandante, I understand completely. We will get underway at once sir. Help is on its way.”