Struggle To Success
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The next morning, I was up early and in my office with all the windows opened wide. All of this, you understand, had been arranged by our new director of security, a man called Gilder. It is no exaggeration to say that he transformed the entire department overnight.
We were now one hundred percent professional, which meant that we did not allow ourselves to be intimidated. And if there are two things that are surefire ways to intimidate someone these days (especially an officer working on the front lines), they’re the words “terrorists” and “bomb.”
Our old policy hadn’t changed much from what it used to be before the last big terrorist scare. The only difference was that we would have armed guards at every gate and at each exit—a measure intended both as a deterrent and so the public could feel protected.
There was also a special squad that would be deployed for any major event like conventions or conferences that brought in a large number of people. As for other measures, such as bomb-sniffing dogs and metal detectors? Those had been in place since long before the last scare.
But now, thanks to the efforts of our new chief, they were being put to more effective use. For example, he made us practice walking through them in order to learn their idiosyncrasies—how they moved, how they responded when pressed, and whether they had been tampered with.
He also told us to pay attention to the way they behaved. Was there something wrong with the way they walked? Did they make sounds that sounded different than usual? Could you see the wires running into them? That sort of thing. This was all part of his effort to get everyone thinking along the same lines.
He wanted no mistakes. In fact, he insisted that if even one person had failed to pass muster under the new rules, he would take disciplinary action against him and anyone else involved. If the worst came to the worst, he said, he might even consider calling in the police and the FBI.
“But don’t worry,” he added hastily, “this is just for your own protection.”
He explained that we needed to be especially cautious during rush hour because the streets would fill up fast with people going to work; many of them would be traveling on foot. They might look suspicious, but he promised that they would not pose a threat. After all, most of those wearing business suits these days were probably coming straight from work themselves.
We were all given new ID cards that had a small picture on them and were required to wear them openly at all times. These were designed to reassure our clients—that the company’s name and logo stood behind them, and therefore we were serious about protecting their property and safety.
The card was a little larger than a credit card and was laminated so it wouldn’t fall apart. It included the picture of the bearer and his or her personal details and also the official stamp of our director. It looked quite impressive, especially compared to the old card, which consisted simply of the word “Security” printed across its face, and was nothing more than a piece of plastic with a barcode.
In addition to this new ID, Gilder introduced us to a set of new rules that we were now supposed to follow. I found myself wondering if I’d ever get used to them. Here was what was expected:
No weapons of any kind would be permitted beyond the doors of our offices; if you saw somebody carrying a weapon, you should call the police immediately. (This was particularly important for those who wore sidearms, like me.) We were also not allowed to carry any sharp objects or anything that might be considered a potential danger unless we had a reasonable excuse for doing so.
When you entered a building, you had to walk with a sense of purpose. You could not stop for too long without good reason. In fact, it was best to keep moving at a brisk pace until you reached your destination. Any delays would be interpreted as suspicious activity.
If you saw something suspicious, do not hesitate to report it. Your first instinct will almost certainly be right. It is possible that some of the people we would need to protect might be carrying a device of some kind. If you saw something that looked out of place and felt that it might cause harm to someone or even kill them, then by all means let us know.
Otherwise, wait a couple of seconds and make sure that you have identified exactly where and what the object is. Don’t waste time reporting things that are clearly false alarms.
You must always remember that we work for the company. If there is trouble between you and someone else, then you will be asked for comment. If you cannot agree, then you’ll have to deal with your grievance later. In the meantime, do your job and concentrate on protecting our assets.
This is a very serious matter. Our company is responsible for the lives of thousands of others—our customers and employees alike. So don’t forget that when you go outside today—you’re working for us.
I thought we already knew this stuff, but apparently, the government didn’t think so. Gilder had spent several months going over each of these points with us in detail. Now he was telling us again. And once more he insisted that if we followed these rules, then there was nothing to worry about.
He had been trained in security himself so he knew the dangers well enough: “They can blow you off a bridge, shoot you in a restaurant, run you down on a sidewalk… there are a dozen ways they can try to hurt you and kill you. But if you just follow the rules, then nothing will happen to you.”
There was a moment of silence after he finished speaking; no one disagreed with him, but the words hung in the air awkwardly. I glanced around at my colleagues, wondering if anyone was going to speak up in favor of the man’s plan. They all seemed to be listening intently—but perhaps they were simply making a point of being polite. There was an awkward silence. Finally, I raised my hand.
“Mr. Chairman?” I said. “I was only wondering—”
Gilder cut me off. “That’s why I told you before—now you’ve got your chance to voice your opinion. What do you say? Is all this really necessary?”
“It’s very thorough,” I said. “Very comprehensive. But there’s something you’re missing here.”
“What is that, sir?”
“The truth is that this sort of thing is not new. It’s happened many times before. The world is full of terrorists.”
A few people chuckled nervously. Others looked at me blankly.
“Terrorists, Mr. President?” Gilder asked. “Are you talking about Al-Qaeda here? Or some other terrorist group?”
“No, Mr. Chairman,” I said. “These people aren’t crazy radicals. They’re not fanatics, nor are they religious zealots. They’re not motivated by politics or religion, but rather by money.”
Gilder frowned at that. “But surely we have enough intelligence to prevent terrorism…”
“We do,” I replied quickly. “Our intelligence services and military have been tracking these groups since their inception and we’ve learned much about their modus operandi.”
“Then how did they get so far ahead of us?” Gilder asked. “How could we not see this coming?”
“Because they’re very clever. They have a lot of resources, they have a sophisticated organization—they’re well funded and well organized.”
“And yet we managed to find them and destroy them every single time,” Gilder remarked, looking pained.
“That’s right,” I said, “every time they’ve tried so far. But the problem is that they keep evolving. They’re constantly changing and adapting. They never stay still for very long.”
Gilder nodded slowly. “So what are you saying? That the threat hasn’t gone away—it has simply evolved?”
“Exactly.”
He stared at me a while longer, as though expecting me to elaborate on my point. I wasn’t sure if I should tell him the rest; I didn’t know whether it would make any difference anyway. It sounded like he didn’t understand the basics. So what could I add? How could I explain the complexity of such events, the intricacy of their planning and execution?
After a pause, Gilder gave an irritated nod. “Very well then,” he said. “I suppose it can’t hurt to go over the basics once again.”
We went back through the motions, going over the list of precautions one last time. We rehearsed the plan in order until Gilder had no objections, and then we all stood up and headed out of his office, back into the corridor, and out into the city streets. A few minutes later, we were on our way.
***
The first thing we did was to split up. Everyone was given assignments, and they had to report directly to their team leaders who, in turn, reported to Gilder. Most teams were made up of ten people, and each was assigned to protect a different part of the city or another important location.
My job was to watch the entrance to the main hall where we’d held our meeting; I’d have to be alert in case anything unusual occurred during the day. I was also supposed to look after one of my colleagues. I was surprised by the assignment; I hadn’t expected to be responsible for someone else, but I suppose that was only natural.
I was a new member of the staff and I’d been chosen because of my expertise, so there must have been someone more qualified than myself to handle an extra task like that. I was glad to be working under the direction of somebody I knew: I felt more comfortable knowing that my colleague would have a backup, even if it meant that my role became a little more difficult.
I had only a vague idea of what to expect from the morning, but I hoped it wouldn’t take too long. The weather was mild, and the sun shone brightly through the windows and doors leading outside. I took a seat next to a window, staring down at the street below as I waited for news of the operation to start.
After a short while, the front door opened and a few of my colleagues came in with coffee and snacks. The mood was jovial, with jokes and laughter breaking out among the various groups. I couldn’t help feeling jealous of them.
I’d always envied those who lived close enough to walk home whenever they wanted to. There was so much freedom involved in that. But then I thought about the risk they were taking just being out there, and a sense of calm settled on me; they’d done everything that I would have done if given the choice, and now they had to pay the price.
For them, walking to work meant getting blown up before breakfast. I wondered why they bothered… but I decided not to ask. Some things were better left unsaid, especially when they might offend someone. I’d learn enough about their lives soon enough, I guessed.
One of my friends walked past me. She stopped and turned around and gave a quick smile. She’d noticed me watching her, but she didn’t seem annoyed in any way, so I smiled back.
I sat there for several hours, listening to the radio and waiting for something to happen. I was bored and tired and frustrated, but there wasn’t much else for me to do. Eventually, I heard a distant rumble and looked across the room. One of the big screens had flickered on. Someone had switched on the news program, which was broadcasting live from a studio somewhere.
They talked about an attack on a government building in the capital, and some political group trying to assassinate a leader. It was hard to hear the details over the noise, but the impression I got was that it wasn’t too serious; nobody seemed concerned. It was a small thing. As a matter of fact, the same thing happened yesterday, and it had a bigger story. This one seemed almost inconsequential.
“This isn’t a big deal,” a man on TV said. “It’s nothing.”
A pause.
“But this is the third incident in as many days,” a woman said. “And there are rumors that another major event will occur within the week…”
They talked over each other a bit, arguing about the implications and the meaning of this latest development. I tuned out the discussion. I knew it was probably just gossip, and I could tell that the experts weren’t convinced, either. But that hardly mattered now. The truth didn’t concern me anymore. Nothing did.
***
There was a knock on the door. I stood up quickly and headed towards it, opening up the door and pushing past whoever was standing outside. It was a man from the security team, wearing a black uniform that was slightly different from ours. He wore a gun. A lot of people did these days. We all carried weapons.
“You’re late,” he said to me.
“Sorry.”
“We’ve already begun operations. I’ll brief you later.”
He turned and disappeared into the corridor, leaving me behind. He hadn’t come alone, though; I caught sight of two others following him down the passage. I stepped back into the office and closed the door, thinking about what to say to my colleagues.
It was bad enough being the last person in here without having to explain my tardiness, especially since it had been entirely accidental.
As I sat down, a familiar voice cut through the air.
“What do you think we should do?”
The three men who had followed our security chief in were now sitting around me, talking quietly amongst themselves. One of them, an older man named George, leaned forward and lowered his voice. His eyes flicked to mine as I watched nervously from my seat.
I kept silent. I’d never liked him, although I tried to avoid mentioning it or anything like that. We weren’t friends—we hadn’t even spoken to each other once before that day –but there was no point denying it. I’d worked with him for years. I’d known him before he’d joined the company. If it made things awkward between us, then so be it. Better than dying.
“Should we go ahead?” another man asked. His name was Frank. “It’s not much of an issue anyway—”
“Not an option,” a woman said. Her voice was low and deep. Her hair was tied into a ponytail. I remembered it from somewhere… I thought it was a local name. “It’s too risky. They might catch us again.”
Frank nodded reluctantly and sat back in his chair. Nobody spoke after that. The silence grew heavier, stretching until I could almost feel the pressure growing inside me. What could I say?
Someone tapped lightly at my door, interrupting the tension. The old man from security stood there looking confused as I opened it and let him in. “Sir, the others have gone ahead, and we’ve begun our preparations.”
“Right.” I nodded and stepped aside to give him space. He moved silently past me and took the chair at the head of the table, nodding to the others as he passed them by. I sat back down, feeling uncomfortable, wondering if I would ever get used to this sort of thing.
“Our orders are clear,” he told the room. “We will leave immediately. You’ll know when to stop the broadcast.”
“Wait!” I called out suddenly, surprising everyone present. “Where are we going?”
Nobody responded.
I felt my heart race. “Who are we attacking?”
“No one,” he said. “Or nobody important.”
“Then why are we going? Who sent us?”
“That information is confidential.”
“Why won’t anyone answer my questions?”
“You don’t need to know anymore. That’s our only job: to follow directions.”
“So it’s someone else’s plan, then?”
“Your opinion is meaningless.”
“Then whose plan is it?”
“The same one as always.”
The man named Frank shook his head and left, slamming the door behind him. Our security chief didn’t seem upset by it at all.
“Let’s move on,” he told the group, getting back to business.
I waited until they’d finished with their briefing, then walked away from the conference room and down the hallways. I’d seen a few people walking about, but most remained indoors. I wasn’t surprised; the atmosphere seemed tense.
Most of the security guards were stationed inside the building, keeping watch over us as we waited for our instructions. There were no windows to look out of. No chance to see where we were heading or whom we were going to attack.
Only a sense of dread, spread through my veins. I hated the idea of doing this; I really did, but I couldn’t afford to refuse. I knew it was right. I’d done it before, but not often, and I’d hoped not to have to again.
I’d hoped it was just some terrible nightmare I could wake up from. But it had become very real. So real that I could feel my body trembling as I walked through the corridors. My mind was filled with fear as I wondered how I would die if it came to that.
Would it hurt? How much would I suffer? I stopped by a window. The sun had risen now, lighting the sky, making everything seem brighter, less dark; less threatening. A breeze blew across the grass below, cooling my face and hands.
And then suddenly I was standing on the edge of the building overlooking the plains below. It looked different from this angle. I could tell there was something wrong. Someone was coming from that direction. I turned away from the view, feeling sick. I wanted to vomit.
A woman’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Sir?”
It was George, looking worried. “There’s trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“Somebody’s coming. From the road. Not many of them.”
“Get the rest of us together quickly.”
George nodded and hurried away as I pulled myself away from the window and back into the hallway. I saw several men rushing towards me. I recognized two of them from our training group – Steve and Mike. The other four were unfamiliar faces, so I assumed they must have come in later than us. The men caught sight of me and fell back respectfully.
The End