He entered the password, and the panel slid open to reveal a small wall safe inside.
He turned the chanical lock dial, and with a click, the door opened.
There were no docunts, no cash inside, only an old Nokia phone.
He bought this prepaid phone on the black market, registered under a fake identity, and had never used it; theoretically, it couldn't be traced.
His hands trembling, he opened the back cover, inserted the battery and SIM card, and pressed the power button.
The green screen lit up, and the signal bars flickered.
Tor Khan took a deep breath, digging out that number from the depths of his mory.
A few months ago, after a joint anti-terrorism exercise with i Ku concluded, Major General Duke had privately handed him a business card. Besides the official contact information, a number was penciled on the back with the instruction, "Call this number if there's sothing truly important."
At the ti, Tor Khan didn't understand why Duke did this, but now he did.
The Aricans were establishing informants within the Kurd military; this was no secret.
Duke saw potential in his position and certain traits in his character.
The call connected after four rings.
"This is Duke."
The voice was clear, the background quiet, clearly not disturbed by sleep.
Tor Khan licked his dry lips and spoke in English: "Major General Duke, this is Tor Khan Mustafa, commander of the First chanized Brigade. I have urgent intelligence..."
At this point, he paused, took a deep breath to gather his resolve, and then continued with determination and courage:
"General Barzani plans to launch a coup tomorrow, targeting Chairman Masoud."
There was silence on the other end for a full five seconds.
Tor Khan could hear the roaring sound of his blood pounding in his ears, felt the cold sweat sliding down his temples.
"Explain more clearly."
Duke's voice was steady, but his speech had noticeably quickened.
Tor Khan closed his eyes, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and forced himself to organize his thoughts for what to say next:
"Tomorrow morning, Chairman Masoud will inspect the frontline in Kirkuk. Barzani has arranged an ambush in a valley area on Highway One, twenty kiloters from Kirkuk. He will use the Abu You Brigade as a cover, but it is actually a secret task force deployed by Rashid, using Russian 'Kornet' anti-tank missiles to attack the vehicle Masoud is in, then seizing the opportunity to launch the coup…"
He finished in a single breath, his lungs burning with hypoxia.
There was another mont of silence on the other end. This ti, Tor Khan could hear the sound of fast keyboard typing in the background, along with low conversations, though he couldn't make out the words.
"Why are you telling this?"
Duke asked, his voice carrying the inherent, professional skepticism of an intelligence officer.
"You're a core mber of Barzani's circle, involved in planning the coup, yet now you want to betray him?"
Tor Khan's throat tightened: "Because I... I don't want to see my compatriots bleed."
His voice choked up, and this ti it wasn't an act; it was an emotional breakdown.
"My father, my brother, both died in infighting and oppression. The blood spilled by the Kurdish people has been too much already; we can't continue this self-slaughter. And…"
He paused for a mont, "Barzani's plan won't succeed. Even if he kills Masoud and controls Elbil, those against him will rise in ard resistance. Turkey and the Persians will intervene, and we will spiral into full-scale civil war. That would spell the end for the Kurdish Nation."
"Where are you now? Are you safe?"
Duke's tone softened slightly.
"I'm at ho. For now, they don't suspect ," Tor Khan said, realizing sothing and adding, "But I may already be under surveillance. Rashid's people are everywhere."
"Listen, Tor Khan," Duke's voice beca urgent and clear, "I want you to keep communication open, but don't contact actively. Keep this phone hidden. If you need to evacuate, I will give you instructions via this number. If things change, or if you feel in danger, send a blank ssage to this number and I'll understand. Do you understand?"
"I understand. But Major General... there's not much ti. The ambush is planned for around two in the afternoon tomorrow. Chairman Masoud departs from Elbil at ten in the morning."
"I understand."
The sound of typing on the other end grew more intense.
"Protect yourself and your family. May God bless you for making the right choice."
The call ended.
Tor Khan collapsed into the chair, as if all the bones in his body had been extracted.
He looked down at his trembling hands, his palms soaked in cold sweat.
He did it, he really did it.
There was no turning back now.
Whether Masoud lives or dies, whether the coup succeeds or fails, he was now a traitor.
First, he betrayed Masoud, and now he betrayed Barzani.
He removed the phone battery and hid it in the corner of his study.
After all this, he walked to the window and opened a slat of the blinds.
The sky was already turning pale, a sliver of white on the eastern horizon pushing back the dark blue of the night.
A new day was about to begin.
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