Chapter 3 - A military leader

3 December, National Army Headquarters, Capital City Country Y

Matthew Rong was seated at his desk finalising his mission report. It was rare that the military chiefs now allowed him to participate in special forces missions, as they had designated him now an administrator in the special forces rather than an operator. Ten years in the army, and he hated that he was being moved as he was around.

It was a combination of factors that two days ago allowed him to go on this mission. He had only briefed a very small group of soldiers on the mission that was to happen and in the couple of hours before they deployed while getting ready the officer-in-charge slipped and broke his leg. There was no way that they wanted to bring someone else into the mission, given that they were following a lead on the terrorist called the Devil.

The first time he had come across the Devil was nine years ago, just after he had joined the special forces. In the aftermath of the assassination attempt on the then president that ended up killing the then first lady and vice-president, the military, police and presidential protection detail were hunting the perpetrator. In studying the information, they had on the Devil, who had surfaced six years earlier, he saw something that others had missed.

While three separate attacks were all positively linked to the Devil and his minions, looking closer at the people who had died with connections to the Devil there was something unusual. While they had different ideologies and motives for actions, and the groups that they belonged to seemed to disappear within six to twelve months of the attack linked to the Devil.

Matthew, after serious analysis concluded that the Devil and a core group of minions were using these ideologically driven people to pursue a deeper agenda. When they and their ideology became of no use they were use as cannon fodder to allow the Devil and his key minions to escape and continue their plans. His conclusion was rejected by his immediate superior when he presented it, but Matthew persisted until someone further up the chain at least listened to what he said. After he presented his analysis, while it was taken on board, it was still not considered serious national security threat. It just happened few days later they got a lead where the Devil, his minions and the wider group were located. The ideologically driven aspect was a separatist agenda for a small cultural group, a few people in which felt they were oppressed by the national government.

In getting into their base, unlike the previous two failed missions to capture the Devil and his people, Matthew was able to knock out a terrorist and they brought him back for questioning. Strangely when all the bodies were identified, it included those which this terrorist believed had escaped with the Devil.

Matthew's analysis was then taken more seriously, and detailed review of the other two known groups associated with the Devil showed the same. The problem was no one knew exactly who the devil was and what drove him.

The Devil him on the path to his current rank of colonel and posting at headquarters. He knew that his next posting would be on the opposite side of the country to his brother Phillip but as a military officer he had no option.

However, getting out on the mission, was worth it. It resharpened his skills, but also aided him in placing another piece in the picture of the Devil they were developing. They were able to capture four terrorists, this time clearly driven by extremist Islamic ideology, the new terrorist weapon. The attitude displayed shamed the Muslim member of their team. As he reinforced to Matthew on their return, these men were desecrating a peace-loving religion with their actions. He could not believe how they viewed even him, a person of deep faith simply because he did not accept their view.

Matthew looked at his report and realised that he had completed it. After printing it off and signing it, he sat it on his desk, while he opened another secure file, this time with the long-term analysis of the Devil to add the new information.

Based around the information from their interrogations, it seemed like the Devil had returned to familiar territory, near City K. That made some sense as it was in that area where most of the intelligence concerns were about religious extremists. But it also made little sense. The Devil knew military intelligence knew about him and his activities and returning to an area that they almost caught him four years ago seemed out of character. There must be something that drew him back there again and again. The question is what.