CH72:  FUTURE OPTIONS

This is a passion work. So, I would really appreciate it if you leave behind a review when you're done reading.

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CH72: FUTURE OPTIONS

Dodan Military Base, Lagos.

A Helicopter approached the base from the east and landed on a helipad at the back of the Eagle squad Camp.

Colonel Kola Balogun and Sergeant Korede Balogun alighted from the aircraft. The duo made their way to Colonel Balogun's office within the camp.

In the office, the two took a seat around the office's desk.

"Kid, as I told you before the mission, there were a lot of eyes watching your progress. The Family had maintained that with your skillset, keeping you in regular army outfits would be a waste of your talents. So, the Higher-ups in High command decided to use this mission to test you and see how you'll handle yourself.

Suffice to say, you didn't disappoint and they are satisfied with your performance. They've agreed with the Family's assessment of you, thus moving the Family's plans into motion. This has also given you a leeway to decide your future."

Colonel Balogun paused.

Seeing no change in his brother's expression, he continued.

"So now you have two options.

One, you remain in the Eagle squad. You will join the elites of the Division. You may continue as a Commando or be part of a team of other Elites. It depends on the mission.

Two, you go Black Ops. You will be required to form a team. Your mandate would be to handle missions conventional military can't touch or can't handle."

This time, there was confusion in Korede's expression. Well, that and a little doubt had appeared on his face.

He couldn't see the difference between the two options. The Elites of the Eagle squad were also involved in Black Ops missions from time to time. So, it shouldn't matter if he was in the Eagle squad or not. Hence why he was confused.

Also, he knew his brother well. He could tell a lot of things from his brother's tone. His doubt came from this.

From his brother's tone, Korede could tell that the Family had actually only given him the first option. As for the second one, it seemed like… No. He was sure. His brother wanted him to choose the second option.

As per a previous agreement with the Family's upper echelon, Korede's deployment in his first five years in the military was completely up to the Family. This agreement was made with his parents when Korede was just one year old. The agreement was then renewed with him when he turned Eighteen.

As his elder brother, Kola also knew about the agreement. So, did he want to go against the Family or was there something else?

If so, why offer it as a choice to him? Why not tell him to choose it?

Seeing his brother's expression, Colonel Balogun smiled and said,

"You are now an Elder-in-waiting. Once the ceremonial rites are done, you'll be an Elder of the Family. The previous agreement with the Family will have to change to match your new status as an Elder."

Korede was sceptical, "Are you sure, Bro? I'm being made an Elder because I completed the Oro Akogun (Warrior's ritual) Training regimen. Without the agreement in place, I wouldn't have been able to start the training regimen, not to talk about the resources I was able to enjoy. Now that I completed the regimen, how can the agreement suddenly be void?"

"Simple. Because you've shown you're worth it." Colonel Balogun said confidently. " The agreement was made under the assumption that you won't be able to complete the training regimen like everyone else. It was an attempt to get as much value from you as the Family could. It was also a concession to appease others in the Family that wanted the same treatment for their offsprings."

Korede nodded.

Of course, he understood this. After all these years, there's no way he wouldn't have realised something so obvious.

Colonel Balogun continued, "Now that you did complete it, things have changed. I don't need to tell you how highly regarded the training regimen is within the Family. As the first person to complete it since the Clan Era, you deserve as much honour and privileges as you are getting. With your current status within the Family, no one would dare bring up the matter of the agreement again lest they be ridiculed by others."

"Alright then." Korede said.

As smart as he was, he wasn't good when it came to the Family's internal politics. From an early age, he had focused only on his training and wasn't exposed to Family politics. It was only in recent time that he had begun to pay attention to it. Even then, it wasn't his forte. There was so much he didn't know or understand.

"So can you explain the two options clearly? I hope you tell me everything." Korede said, putting a little emphasis on the last word.

"Naturally." Colonel Balogun said.

He leaned forward on the table, placing his elbow on it and interlocked his fingers.

"For the first option, you will join the Eagle squad and become one of its elites. You will handle High-value and, probably, sensitive missions. You'll most likely work alone as a Commando so you won't have a team. For missions where a team is required, one would be selected for you to lead. Basically, what you would expect from an Eagle Squad Commando.

Since the rate of promotion will also be faster than normal, this is the Family's plan for you."

Colonel Balogun said.

Korede nodded inwardly. As he thought, the first option was the Family's plan.

"On the otherhand, the second option is my suggestion." Colonel Balogun admitted as he continued. "Before I say anything, Korede. I know you'll be inclined to take this option because I'm suggesting it but I need you to think about it deeply before making a decision. You're not a kid anymore. Once you make one, there's no going back."

Korede nodded so he continued.

"What I'm offering has no immediate benefit. In fact, the cons might outweigh the pros. It's just that when the plan was formed, I felt it was a good fit for you.

High command is planning on creating a Black Ops Team specialising in eliminating 'enemies of the state'. They will have to be good at investigating, tracking and hunting down these targets whoever they may be. The team will have very little oversight or supervision, as such, funding will also be limited. However, no one will bat an eye to you making more money for your operations as long as it's not harmful to the country.

Worth noting though, should the team be caught, the Nigerian Army will disavow it. In essence, the team is supposed to be a hidden gun, the moment it is discovered it would have lost its purpose. "

Korede sucked in a breath. He could finally see the difference between the two options.

While the Eagle Squad Elites also engage in 'Black Ops', it mostly involved carrying out missions in other countries without permission. Even if they are found out, the country would apologise and get them back. The reason for the missions in the first place was just to avoid some diplomatic inconvenience. On the otherhand, this new team might probably be involved in a lot of shadier things that the country would not want to admit to. Hence why they risk being disavowed.

"If you choose this option, you will be the leader of the team. The team will also be composed of members of your choosing.

Be warned though, immediately after the team is formed, your names will halfway be on the blacklist should in case you fail, so that you can easily be disavowed. In exchange, you will have better access to the country's broad network. You will also be able to choose how your team operates.

As long as you succeed and you're not found out, no one will bother your team irrespective of its methods." Colonel Balogun added.

Korede's heart pounded.

Although one might argue that this level of freedom was concerning, he didn't care. He believed in his self-control.

The benefits of the program fit him perfectly. He could tell why his brother felt it was perfect for him. He didn't like anyone dictating his actions. This could be seen from his past.

Seeing his brother's reaction, Colonel Balogun could easily tell what was on his mind. He quickly said,

"Do take note though, the difficulty of the missions cannot be underestimated. In addition, the mission will not just be classified, they won't exist in any archives at all. That also means it will be difficult to be promoted since there will be no merit to your name. So think carefully. Not just for now but for the future."

Korede's expression turned solemn. His brother's last statement was very important. He knew he had to consider things very carefully.

When Colonel Balogun noticed his fingers about to tap on the table, he quickly said,

"Hey, don't think about it yet. You still have time to consider it. For now, head to the hospital for a check-up, then come back to the Camp for a debrief. After that, you should get a rest and refresh before you consider your future."

Korede nodded and was about to stand up from the seat when he seemed to notice something. He asked,

"Shouldn't the debriefing come before the check-up?"

"Not necessarily. We already know the sequence of events so the debriefing is just a mere formality. The NDI gave a good account of your actions already so no one would complain if you went for the check-up first."

Korede smiled as he shook his head. He knew his brother was looking out for him again. Colonel Balogun was probably concerned about the injury to his leg. Though Korede had treated it, there was no harm in making use of the sophisticated/specialised equipment and facilities in the Hospital to make sure nothing was wrong. That's what the equipment was acquired for in the first place.

He said, "Well if anyone asks, we can always say I went to do a drug test first. After all, I was close to a lot of 'free' samples. The earlier such tests are taken the better. No one will be able to say anything to that."

Colonel Balogun was taken aback.

"Like anyone would believe I suspect you of taking drugs. Especially when most of our Family don't even take alcohol." Colonel Balogun said.

Korede shrugged.

"Just because you know I don't drink nor is it possible for me to use drugs, doesn't mean other people know too. Even if they do, there's nothing wrong with making sure I didn't fall into any bad habits with all the drugs I was in contact with. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure the drug test should be a standard procedure after a mission like this."

Colonel Balogun exaggeratedly shook his head and sighed as he teased, "When Danjuma told me you had a talent for scheming, I didn't believe it. Now I do. I can't believe I didn't notice all these years."

"Come on, not you too bro. It's not scheming, Ok? It's strategy. STRATEGY." Korede said agitatedly.

"Not me too?"

"Never mind. I'm heading to the Hospital for the check-up."

With that, Korede left the office. Colonel Balogun shook his head at his brother's antics as he left.

Korede who was on his way to the hospital heaved a sigh of relief. He was too relaxed with his brother and almost revealed the existence of Aon. Luckily, he had quickly recovered himself.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his brother enough to tell him, he just thought it prudent to keep the existence of Aon to a need-to-know basis.

[A.N: Please, don't forget to leave a review of the work to encourage me. Your opinion matters to me.]