Battle Djinni by David Bruns

Author:David Bruns
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reef Points Media LLC
Published: 2020-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

Rouhani

13 July 1982 – 2200 local

Rouhani stared at the broad back of General Kharrazi as the man hunched over the map table. The sun had set long ago and his aide had tried to bring him food to break his fast on the first day of Ramadan, but he sent him away. He could not stomach the thought of food.

The Iraqi use of tear gas had essentially split the Iranian forces in two. Once the battlefield cleared, they’d spent most of the afternoon pushing through the extensive Iraqi defensive fortifications. Minefields, machine guns, dug-in tanks, then hand-to-hand fighting in the tunnels. Rouhani had yet to hear any projections of casualties, but he feared the worst. Thousands had died today—most of them Iranian.

He swallowed at the bitterness that had taken up permanent residence in his throat.

The general turned and smiled at him. “Perhaps a bite to eat, Minister?”

Rouhani stood, numb. His eyes swept over the map. A lone block of blue lay far ahead of the main Iranian force, straddling the Khorramshahr–Baghdad Highway. He directed the aide’s attention to the block. “What is that?”

“That’s the last known position of Captain Sanjabi, sir. We haven’t heard from him since before sundown.”

Sanjabi. Rouhani recalled the name from earlier in the day. The captain that the general had told to advance, betting that the rest of the Revolutionary Guard would be close on his heels. Another mistake.

“How many men does Captain Sanjabi have in his unit?”

“It’s hard to tell, Minister. The captain pulled together as many men as he could find from wherever he could find them. He estimated about two hundred when he broke through the lines. Captain Sanjabi has a way with the men, sir, they’ll follow him anywhere.” The aide grinned. “The men call him the Battle Djinni. They say he’s fearless in battle, possessed by a demon spirit.” Rouhani heard the general come up behind him and the aide’s smile faltered. “That’s what they say,” he concluded with a shrug of his shoulders.

Rouhani nodded to himself. Without turning around, he pointed to the lone blue block in a sea of red blocks. “What about them?” he said.

The general shrugged. “What about them? They got too far ahead of the main force. We can’t protect them.”

Even in the chill of the air-conditioned tent, Rouhani felt the heat of anger prickle his neck. “They advanced because you ordered them to. There’s no way those men will last the night if you don’t do something.”

“There’s nothing we can do,” the general replied in a testy voice. He sniffed. “A battlefield commander needs to have a sense of how far he can push forward without endangering his men.”

“You are the battlefield commander, General. You ordered this man to advance.”

“We’re not even sure where he is, anyway,” the general said. “The last contact was hours—”

“Sir! I’ve got Captain Sanjabi on the line. They’re surrounded.” He scribbled down coordinates on a grease board while another man pinned the spot on the map. “He’s requesting air support.”

The general frowned at the map, his heavy jowls working.

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