Chapter VIII. Unexpected surprise

Major Basel was furious, shouting into the radio, and cursing the arresting team: How did he escape from you? Damn you idiots.

-Sir, the location of the corral is perfect, we couldn’t catch up….

Interrupted: Where is his mother?

-Here, sir, shall we arrest her?

-No, invite her and ask her to come to the branch tomorrow morning, and warn her that if she does not come, the consequences will be dire.

-And the cow, sir?

-what is the matter with it?

You asked us to arrest it

A long moment of silence, no response

-Sir, answer

-What?

– The cow, sir

-Watch it carefully, perhaps it will show us where he is hiding.

He threw down the walkie-talkie, poured a glass of wine, glanced at the woman next to him on the bed, nude under the blanket, and roared a laugh that shook the house: Damn them, they believed me when I told them to arrest the cow, and now I vow they will watch her all night.

A new laugh, louder than the one before it.

The woman: My dear, if you told them to arrest all the sheep and ewes in the village, they would have done so. Who would dare argue with you or disobey an order issued by you?

It is hardly shocking that this woman was informed of the arrest procedure, including its specifics and justifications. All state secrets can be found with officials, decision-makers, and prostitutes in Syria, as is the case in many other Arab nations.

Although Walid was not seen as a real threat to the security of the state, he is only a spiteful boy who hates the regime, talking to a cow, what is the danger of him?! However, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

In the dictator’s state, this disease must be eradicated from the society, for today he speaks to the cow, tomorrow to the bull, and after him only God knows to whom he will speak.

The next morning, the mother waited until one o’clock in the afternoon at the door of the Air Force Intelligence branch in the city of Latakia, without permission to enter and cross the security gates.

Intense contacts between the door guards and the investigation offices regarding her, then the decision came, ask her to return to her house, as we do not need her, and remind her if she had forgotten, as this is a second honor from the struggling leader, may God protect him.

Inside, a meeting of senior officers has been taking place since the early morning hours, and some psychologists, who came especially for this meeting.

The Major is supposed not to be blamed for issuing the arrest warrant. In Syria, people are arrested every day, without evidence, without trials, and sometimes for no reason. Unfortunately for him, this arrest warrant was different from the hundreds of orders he had previously issued.

The task entrusted to him now is clear, fix what you have corrupted.

The youngster must safely return home in good physical and spiritual health. Nothing bad must happen to him.

Go to the village, locate him on your own, and silently and quietly deliver him back to his mother’s lap as if nothing had occurred.

And the fact that the major is from the Alawite village of Qardaha, the birthplace of the dictator, he has enough powers to dare and ask about the reason, especially since this task involves a great deal of humiliation, as it requires him to search himself in the wilderness!

However, for the first time in his life, he collided with a reality that he had not known existed before. In Syria, someone has enough confidence to yell at a Qardahi air force intelligence officer, order him to carry out orders without question, and even scold him and call him stupid!

The thirty-one-year-old major stood dumbfounded by the shock.

His white face turned red with anger, his black hair stood up from the rage, his brown eyes narrowed, his teeth clenched, and his tall height increased as he fluffed his body and chest, as if a tiger was about to pounce on this stranger who insulted him.

Before disaster struck, the branch chief got up, ran over to him, patted him on the shoulder, and escorted him out of the meeting room.

The branch chief: Calm down, Major, it’s more than you might imagine

-What sir? How could I allow this stranger to insult me like that

– I promise you, I will formally denounce his authority for his insolence, but now you have to carry out the task and quickly, because these people have been working with us for years on an important matter, and what happened yesterday may ruin everything we have done.

He remained silent while gazing into the branch’s head’s eyes with a peculiar look that was replaced by curiosity and caused him to forget the insult.

-What is this matter, sir? And who are they?

-Later, Major, I promise I will put you into the details of the case in due time

He asked permission to leave, and he heard the voice of the head of the branch behind him: Basel, since you have become a party to this case, this may open doors for you in Syria, much faster than being a Qardahi, do you understand me?

He left him and went back to the meeting room.

Major did not understand anything of what he just heard,

Rather, it added to the mystery of an already mysterious issue!

Is there anything in Syria that would make me get what I want in terms of privileges more than being a Qardahi!!

this alone, added an extraordinary aura of mystery to that boy,

And his cow..