Chapter 16

"I guess my attempts at wooing you fell short, Daphne? This time I brought a wedding present. Let me introduce Michel Zukoff. He is in charge of Russian Military sales. We ... no, I ... need your help. Our country has been engaged in a conflict which, like the war in Viet Nam, is never ending. We are leaving Afghanistan, shortly. We also do not want our adversaries to walk in and collect several billions worth of arms and equipment. Herein lies the problem. If you, as a third-party would oversee our exit, I think the rebels would be happy to see us leave the area."

Daphne was not one who had ever unable to make a decision.

"What is in it for me?"

"Arms. weapons, helicopters, tanks, planes and ... if you sweet talk some rebel leaders ... several huge bases with, shall we say, extras that you would never be able to buy."

"What's in it for you?"

"I wish that you were included. I have this thing for you. Myself, and several hundred officers will be needing jobs when we leave. If we could join you and have enough money to live very well after five years, we all shall be very happy. Michael will also begin to sell several billions of dollars worth of high-end weapons. Those that you want will be sold to you at half of the highest other bid. Five percent of the bid amount you will deposit into our retirement fund. These special purchases will allow you access to almost anything in our stockpiles without much paperwork. You may even get to our space station as a valued friend of the Russian people. We will leave you more than $20 billion in items from Afghanistan alone, and $50 billion more in bases if you promise to help."

"Why?"

"Simple, either you or the enemy, and I rather it be you. It will be a very good arrangement, Russia will appear to the onlookers to be at peace, you become our partner in war. Unless you think there will no longer be any conflicts in the world?"

"Let Joseph work out the details with Michael, while you and I discuss a closer arrangement. I, too, may have another proposition for a man of your talents."

Daphne took him by the arm and led him into another room. Andre was, to say the least finding it hard to breathe. Here was the woman he had longed for, finally taking him with her. He felt like a twelve year old boy ... a puppy following its master.

They entered a large, wood and leather office, not a bedroom. Upon looking at it, it was not the office of a woman.

"This was my father's study. It was like this when he died. I left it this way, promising myself to one day find a man to use it. Don't get me ahead of myself, Andre. I am not looking for a mate, yet. I am looking for a figurehead who, under mine and Joseph's direction, will execute the plans set forth and protect the family."

"You may or may not be that person, but I am willing to try. Remember, I am not part of the deal. We have a problem with various organizations. You can expand our gaming interests and prove yourself. Our associates in England, Cairo, Turkey, Japan, China, and here, will follow whatever you say. When you are done, the annual revenues from these will be over $100 billion. During your work on this project, the rest of the family and their sections will become known to you. I will say this, they all are larger and more profitable than what you will be working on. I do this only because of a promise I made to my father."

"Joseph will see to everything regarding what you will need, to exit Afghanistan and continue with the special purchases. You secret withdrawal needs more work. Kabul officials already have invited me to help them see to your exit, in exchange for some bases, there. So, this is good timing." She laughed, took my hand and said, "Dinner is ready on the veranda. Come. Our plane leaves for Kabul in four hours. We may yet get to know each other better, but you will need to lose that uniform. Have you considered adding some women to your staff? They may keep you better informed!"

He was still in a daze when the time came for them to go to the airport.

"It is almost time. We have a long way to go and the car is still not here. Is there something I can do to help, Daphne?"

"Silly man, relax," was all she said, as he heard the whine of turbine jet motors above.

A W-3AS Sokó? luxury jet helicopter slowly descended quite nearby, as six attack choppers, complete with chain guns, rocket pods and what looked like an ECM generator turret hovered overhead.

They were taken to a far corner of an airport, where an Air France 777 stood ready. We were escorted aboard by heavily armoured guards. If they had been Spetnaz, I would have been impressed. When I asked Daphne about them, she smiled.

"French Foreign Legion, Special Forces. Twenty more are already in Kabul to clear the route for us to the city," she said. "I know that does not seem like many to you; but in a certain war, twenty of those troops held off more than 1,000 attackers. Anything they ever need, I get for them. They have never failed me. Unless you want to start another war there, those twenty will be more than enough. Oh, several of the wives and children of the rebel leaders are my guests during this visit. That reminds me, I took the liberty to assume you would accept this gaming project. Several introductions will soon be in order. When we finish in Kabul, you shall take this plane and proceed to meet your new partners and help our former adversary see his way to welcome your new enterprise. Excuse me, I need to make a call to Zurich."