Forgive the Godfather

11: Labo confides in the Director of SSS

Officially located within the sprawling space of the highly secured Presidential Villa, on the East Wing, was the department of State Security Service, otherwise known as, SSS.

This location of SSS within the Presidential premises was solely a political arrangement, out of public interest. However, the real operational headquarters of this powerful arm of government was located in a nondescript location within the city metropolis.

Few if any, outside of the President himself, knew of it's exact location. This arm of government had the entire security of the country at its fingertips. It new everyone's secret. If you took a pee at the roadside, or leaned too hard on the policies of the administration, you were negotiated out of that hardline of thought, by means unimaginably possible.

It was rumoured discreetly in some high ranking quarters that the department was so powerful that it could easily unseat any sitting president.

Before now, all previous occupants of this office had their roots in the military. This was the first time in over sixty years that the man heading this department had his roots in the highly decorated police investigative department.

That was how Kris Kopp, a retired, highly decorated ranking police officer from the investigation department, with a legal background was appointed to head the SSS.

The coming of Kris brought a whole new change to the operational structure of this highly feared and respected state security department. The old regiment of military organogram was hosed down, and in its place a more civil style of operations was put in place.

Now one could walk into the operational headquarters and not be immediately overwhelmed by fear or intimidation of its awesome powers which hung in the air within the confinement of its highly secured walls like a curse.

But make no mistake about this, it was still as powerful and quietly dangerous as it were, to trample around with it was like playing with a dynamite.

The only difference was that you didn't see stern looking military men prowling around its premises armed with automatic weapons. All the senior military personnel that were posted here hung their uniforms back at home and appeared only in multi, like plain ordinary civilians, but without the civilian mentality which they'd been forced to abandon when they had enrolled into the military intelligence unit as cadet. Now as senior officers, they conducted themselves with a high degree of discipline.

The atmosphere within the premises was mild outwardly, but extremely tight inwardly.

Kris Kopp, around thirty-five, fair-skinned, tall with narrow features, was reclining in his easy swivel chair while going through some files that were spread across the wide mahogany desk in front of him when his cell phone began to ring.

Frowning, wondering who could possibly be calling on that line, very few people had access to that number, Kris stretched his slender arm and picked the phone in his slim fingers.

Ah, Labo, he thought as he thumbed the answer button. Instinctively, he sensed that something very important had come up. Labo was not given to social calls and idle talk.

He adjusted his sitting position and said, "Kris..." He noticed the slight hesitation and heavy breathing from the other end, waited.

"Hello, this is Labo Yowa speaking," the voice said.

"Of course I know who is speaking. Labo, you are reintroducing yourself to me, are sure you're alright, or are you suddenly running mad?"

Labo stifled a laugh, coughed, went on, "I need to see you. Something urgent has come up."

"Well, you know where to find me. What's eating you? You sound like you have swallowed a bee or something."

"No, I cannot come to you. I cannot afford to be seen with you. And I can't talk over the phone."

Kris waved his hand irritably. "My end is very secured. What happened, are you under threat of any kind?"

"Listen," Labor said, his breath rushing through,

"Linda, my daughter, kidnapped - "

"Hold it there," Kris said, cutting off Labo from speaking further. "Listen, I am sending a driver to pick you up right away."

"No, you don't," Labo protested. "My daughter's life is in danger. I cannot afford to be seen with you. They warned me -"

"I know about these threats," Kris said. "Listen to me carefully. No one will know we've met. The car I'm sending will be an ordinary delivery van from a bread factory. You are not going to our office that is popularly known to be located within the Presidency.

"I'm in a secure, unidentifiable location. No body will see you come in, and nobody will see you leave. We'll talk. You tell me all about it, and I will see what can be done. Is that alright with you?"

Labo nodded vigorously, as though he was within sight of the man he was talking to on the phone.

"Yes, I understand. Alright I'll be waiting."

"Fine. Expect my man in the next thirty minutes," Kris said and cut the connection.

He jabbed the button on his desk. Immediately a smartly dressed young army officer knocked and stepped into the spacious office.

Kris looked approvingly at the young man who doubled as his secretary and sometimes personal assistant. "Tida, that's a smart outfit. Excellent. Now, get Tako, I need him to pick someone up and bring him here, all under wraps, is that clear?"

"Clear, sir," Tida said. "Location and identity, sir."

"Do you have your phone with you?"

"Yes, sir." Tida brought out a small cell phone.

"Get this number," Kris said, calling out Labo's number from his cell phone. "Give Tako the number to get in touch with the man. I want this to happen yesterday."

"Yesterday, sir. Right away, sir." Tida spun on his heels and promptly left the office, shutting the thick metal door behind him.