BRAVO Chapter Two (start)

BRAVO Chapter Two - (start)

General Ratz stands up to address the small gathering, he fingers a button on his tunic in an attempt to hide the fact that the uniform he’s wearing is at least two sizes too small for him. “Comrades,” he begins, looking around the oak panelled room and wiping a tear from his cheek. “Comrades, we meet again, hopefully this will be our final secret session before we have control of the world!” Before he sits down, he thumps the huge meeting room table with his clenched fist and takes a long gulp from a glass of neat vodka.

On the other side of the table the Major relights a cigar and blows a cloud of blue smoke towards the open fire that is burning fiercely in the hearth.
“General Ratz,” he says, addressing his colleague. “Have you given the orders to attack?” As he asks the question he licks his lips in anticipation and starts to salivate at the thought of a battle.

The General staggers to his feet and opens another bottle of the 70% proof alcohol. He throws the screw cap into the fire and watches for the little flame that momentarily shoots up before the top blackens and melts in the heat.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Screams Ratz. “The aliens will annihilate the Freedomlanders and give us the power we deserve!” He thumps the desk again, imagining that he has an iron fist. “Karloff!” He shouts to his trusted aide, who comes running to his side from one of the leather sofa’s by the fire. “Karloff,” he repeats, this time in a gentler voice. Then asks, almost as an afterthought. “Have you brought the tapes?”

Karloff looks at the General and smiles, “Yes, General, they are all ready to be shown!” He beams, flashing a mouthful of gold plated teeth.

“Bravo! bravo! I like efficiency it is good, no? Major and Karloff,” begins Ratz excitedly. “You are my most trusted men, in fact, you are the only ones I can trust.”
He tells them these things like it’s the first time they’ve ever heard them. Of course it’s not, he’s told them the same thing over and over again, year after year. This time though, things are different. “The President, huh! He’s just a puppet,” continues Ratz.“He’s our puppet, we pull his strings! These youngsters in The Party, bah! They’re not to be trusted, all they want is wealth, what do they know of the revolution?”
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