Benguela, Portugal, May 1st 1979
Having received their orders, approved by PIDE, Colonel Humphreys and his staff - consisting of himself, MacAleese, Hofmeyer, an East German who jumped the wall, as well as 'Vinny', their Portuguese contact and 'Mosquito', their Katangan contact, a nickname which gets a lot scarier if you weren't packing antimalarials. A large map of Angola was spread out on the table they were sitting on, as well as the papers supplied by PIDE and signed by PIDE. Even above the letterhead it said in giant red letters "BURN AFTER READING". While the men went through their plans, the windows were open and the smoke detector turned off to prevent the blue-white haze of cigarettes from attracting unwanted attention.
The plan wasn't exactly appealing to Humphreys. "So you're telling me that we're going for a three-day ride in boxcars, stop for a day outside Kuito, after which we'll go for a five-day ride in crammed boxcars until we reach the Zairian border?", he asked Vinny.
"It does look like it, Colonel", he replied. "We cleaned them and they're ventilated and pretty large, if that's any consolation. I'm afraid you're going to have to pass time with poker, drinking, and sleeping."
"Do we have breaks to stretch our legs?"
"After Silva Porto, yes, beyond there there's very little population. Before that, you'll have to stay inside. There are breaks to empty the buckets and so on, but don't expect to make camp outside."
"The buckets?"
"Were you planning on shitting on the floor, then?", MacAleese interrupted.
Vinny quickly changed the subject. "You can receive the radio across the entire country, and I'm sure one of you can smuggle a turntable in. Enjoy the sights and such. Pay some native girl with a giant backside a trinket for a few hours of R&R. I don't know, I'll be in Cabo Verde tomorrow."
"I will end you if you go on for one more second about our imminent suffering", Humphreys laughingly said as he pressed his old cigarette into the stuffed ashtray and lit a new one. "So, we're on a large train. What's the idea?"
"You're on a train bound for the Zairian border. The first obstacle is that aside from the force of Katangese getting on in Silva Porto, there's a larger force waiting on the other side of the border. The whole idea is that first, some of you hop off the train and take the town of Dilolo. Attack the border guards and soldiers there, and after that we've got an open gate into Zaire. But this won't happen before the train drives on. Most of you will go on to Kolwezi and liberate the mining town, inspiring a massive uprising. You'll be distributing weapons for the locals who want to join us, too, and create a large army. Lumumbashi could be a tough nut to crack but after that, southern Katanga is yours. It's the important miney bit."
There was no response from Humphreys, he just stared at the map. "Kamina. That's a massive airbase there. Is there no way for us to rail up and take it out? I don't like the idea of the Zairian Air Force bombing us, I don't like the idea of NATO or the UN ferrying reinforcements in."
"Don't worry. The Zaire Air Force is mostly inoperable, we don't think they can stop you. Secondly, don't expect international intervention. You are not communists, and if you make that clear the only factor in decisionmaking is that Mobutu is a loose cannon. And you probably won't nationalise any time soon."
"Alright, I think that's all for now.", Humphreys said as he took his glasses off. "When are we leaving?"
"The third.", Vinny said. "Everyone can pack their bags, get their antimalarials, pick which boxcar they're gonna be in, do their own business. On the third of May, at one in the evening, you'll be leaving."
"Sounds good. Gentlemen, you are dismissed. Go all do your business", was thel ast thing Humphreys had to say as he stood up. The undertone was clearly "Now shoo and let me sleep." Within five minutes, his staff had left the room and the airconditioning ensured the smoke was cleared quickly. The Colonel then burned the files from PIDE and went to bed, lying awake and thinking long before finally falling asleep.
Having received their orders, approved by PIDE, Colonel Humphreys and his staff - consisting of himself, MacAleese, Hofmeyer, an East German who jumped the wall, as well as 'Vinny', their Portuguese contact and 'Mosquito', their Katangan contact, a nickname which gets a lot scarier if you weren't packing antimalarials. A large map of Angola was spread out on the table they were sitting on, as well as the papers supplied by PIDE and signed by PIDE. Even above the letterhead it said in giant red letters "BURN AFTER READING". While the men went through their plans, the windows were open and the smoke detector turned off to prevent the blue-white haze of cigarettes from attracting unwanted attention.
The plan wasn't exactly appealing to Humphreys. "So you're telling me that we're going for a three-day ride in boxcars, stop for a day outside Kuito, after which we'll go for a five-day ride in crammed boxcars until we reach the Zairian border?", he asked Vinny.
"It does look like it, Colonel", he replied. "We cleaned them and they're ventilated and pretty large, if that's any consolation. I'm afraid you're going to have to pass time with poker, drinking, and sleeping."
"Do we have breaks to stretch our legs?"
"After Silva Porto, yes, beyond there there's very little population. Before that, you'll have to stay inside. There are breaks to empty the buckets and so on, but don't expect to make camp outside."
"The buckets?"
"Were you planning on shitting on the floor, then?", MacAleese interrupted.
Vinny quickly changed the subject. "You can receive the radio across the entire country, and I'm sure one of you can smuggle a turntable in. Enjoy the sights and such. Pay some native girl with a giant backside a trinket for a few hours of R&R. I don't know, I'll be in Cabo Verde tomorrow."
"I will end you if you go on for one more second about our imminent suffering", Humphreys laughingly said as he pressed his old cigarette into the stuffed ashtray and lit a new one. "So, we're on a large train. What's the idea?"
"You're on a train bound for the Zairian border. The first obstacle is that aside from the force of Katangese getting on in Silva Porto, there's a larger force waiting on the other side of the border. The whole idea is that first, some of you hop off the train and take the town of Dilolo. Attack the border guards and soldiers there, and after that we've got an open gate into Zaire. But this won't happen before the train drives on. Most of you will go on to Kolwezi and liberate the mining town, inspiring a massive uprising. You'll be distributing weapons for the locals who want to join us, too, and create a large army. Lumumbashi could be a tough nut to crack but after that, southern Katanga is yours. It's the important miney bit."
There was no response from Humphreys, he just stared at the map. "Kamina. That's a massive airbase there. Is there no way for us to rail up and take it out? I don't like the idea of the Zairian Air Force bombing us, I don't like the idea of NATO or the UN ferrying reinforcements in."
"Don't worry. The Zaire Air Force is mostly inoperable, we don't think they can stop you. Secondly, don't expect international intervention. You are not communists, and if you make that clear the only factor in decisionmaking is that Mobutu is a loose cannon. And you probably won't nationalise any time soon."
"Alright, I think that's all for now.", Humphreys said as he took his glasses off. "When are we leaving?"
"The third.", Vinny said. "Everyone can pack their bags, get their antimalarials, pick which boxcar they're gonna be in, do their own business. On the third of May, at one in the evening, you'll be leaving."
"Sounds good. Gentlemen, you are dismissed. Go all do your business", was thel ast thing Humphreys had to say as he stood up. The undertone was clearly "Now shoo and let me sleep." Within five minutes, his staff had left the room and the airconditioning ensured the smoke was cleared quickly. The Colonel then burned the files from PIDE and went to bed, lying awake and thinking long before finally falling asleep.