~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Why haven’t I gotten a call from the Captain in charge of the patrol boats yet Santiago?” the Comandante asked.
“I cannot answer that my Comandante. Perhaps they are having trouble locating their ship.”
“That must be the reason Santiago,” Leonardo Castro murmured to himself. “Send someone to search the armory. I want to know what weapons we have there that will be of use to us. Did the mortars that Fidel promised me ever arrive?”
“I will find the armory officer and have him bring us a list of what is available in the armory at once,” Santiago said leaving the command center.
“You wish to see me Comandante?” the armory officer asked his commander, minutes later.
“Captain, do you have a list of the weapons our armory has in it? Can you tell me how much ammunition we have available?”
“Yes Comandante, I can give you the totals on everything that is stored in the armory,” the captain said with confidence.
“Besides the small arms what is available to us to use defending our fortress?” Castro asked.
“Well Comandante, we have two machineguns left a bazooka and Cortisone’s sniper rifle is stored there in a locker.”
“That is all that is there? What about the mortars that Fidel promised me months ago? Have they not arrived yet?”
“When I ask they always have excuses why they haven’t been delivered. The supplies we receive from Russia get less and less each year.”
“With mortars we could send barrages into the edges of the forest. Instead now we are nearly helpless. You may go back to your post Captain,” Castro said with a hanging head.
“Santiago, go and see if you can locate Cortisone inside the fortress walls. He may be our best hope. If he can end the lives of Carlos and Francisco Estaban the others may lose hope and withdraw.”
“I will lead a search for him at once Comandante,” Santiago said with a salute as he left.
Leonardo Castro, the Comandante of El Diablo Alcazaba waited in the gathering darkness for Santiago to return with information on the whereabouts of Cortisone. It seemed like hours before he returned with the news that he couldn’t be found.
Slowly he became aware of a building crescendo outside of the fortress walls. Voices, hundreds strong were chanting in unison. They were calling for the deaths of those inside. The feeling of fear in the fortress was palpable. For years they have shown the locals nothing but their savagery and contempt.
He jumped in his boots when the guns surrounding the fortress were fired. Suddenly El Diablo became aware of a feeling that he’d never felt before, fear. He realized for the first time in his adult life that he was at a disadvantage. He didn’t have the advantage of having trained troops against unorganized rabble. He didn’t have superior firepower or numbers. Instead his forces were huddled inside his fortress like a bunch of baby rabbits fearing the hawk.
“Santiago, have the guard doubled tonight. Make sure they are prepared for an attack.”
“At once, do you want the last two machine guns brought out of the armory?”
“No, keep them there in reserve. Have the armory officer make sure they are cleaned and loaded, ready to use if needed.”
“Comandante, don’t you find it strange they haven’t asked us to surrender yet? There have been no messages or demands from those who surround us.”
“I think their demands have been made quite clear. They are asking us to die,” Castro murmured quietly.