The Acting President and the Lieutenant decided to leave immediately. Lt. Badoo was standing by the gate which was still wide open. Lt. Clottey called him in and told him what the Acting President wanted him to do.
“She just informed the Director that she wants you attached to the Presidency for the next forty-eight hours. Her Excellency wants you to go after Rex Yamoah. So, please get four of our colleagues and go after him. As soon as you get him, call me. If you encounter any challenge, call me” Lt. Clottey said. With that, he shook hands with his colleague, got into the car with the Acting President and drove away, heading for the Airport.
The sun was blazing fiercely above as Lt. Clottey drove towards the Kotoka International Airport with the Acting President by his side. Silently, he prayed that the rest of the day would pass without any further incident and that his colleague, Lt. Badoo and his team would be able to arrest Rex Yamoah.
They got to the airport intersection near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lt. Clottey turned left and drove towards the airport. Just before it was the first temporary checkpoint mounted that day as part of security measures for the safety of the visiting Russian Premier. It was being mounted by a combination of military and police personnel. One of the soldiers raised his hand, signaling Lt. Clottey to stop. He did and rolled the two side glasses down. The soldier walked towards Lt. Clottey, recognized him and was about to say something when he saw his colleagues all snapping to attention. Then he heard someone say it was the Vice-President. Immediately, he waved the vehicle through while reaching for his cell phone to alert the other barriers leading to the airport and describing the vehicle to them. He and his colleagues were surprised to see the Vice-President in an unmarked car with no dispatch riders or bodyguards escorting her. Puzzled, they began to discuss this issue as Lt. Clottey was on board.
They went through two other barriers without being stopped. The security men and women stationed at these two barriers had the barriers opened and while waving Lt. Clottey on, saluted Gertrude Mensah. Finally, they were at the airport. Lt. Clottey headed for the VVIP section. The barrier mounted there was also opened for him without him being stopped. He drove to the staircase that led to the VVIP room and then stopped so Gertrude Mensah could get down.
A soldier appeared in the vehicle. He smartly reached for the Acting President’s door, opened it and saluted her. She got down. Lt. Clottey got down too, beckoned to the soldier who opened the door for the Acting President to come over. The soldier, a Lance Corporal, did as Lt. Clottey instructed him to go pack the vehicle and stay by it until the Acting President returns to it. Then he followed Gertrude Mensah into the VVIP.
Another soldier held the door of the entrance to the VVIP open for her and saluted as she went through it followed by the Lieutenant. The Russian Ambassador who was seated when the Acting President came in immediately got up, walked up to her to welcome her. The two shook hands heartily.
“President Putin regretted his inability to come himself. It is due to circumstances beyond his control” Ambassador Oleg Bloklin said.
“I understand, Mr. Ambassador.” Gertrude Mensah said as she and the Ambassador went to sit down. A young man appeared and asked if he could serve them anything. Gertrude Mensah was hungry because she had not eaten since morning. She was about to order for coffee when she remembered how Gloria was going to poison her. Deciding it was too dangerous for her to eat anything in public so far as Rex Yamoah was still at large and was sure to be planning her assassination, decided not to eat anything.
Meanwhile, Lt. Clottey, standing a few feet away from the Acting President, stood alert. He had taken his place when they came in. Nobody was in there except the Russian Ambassador. Presently, the CDS, accompanied by the IGP and the Army Commander came in. They saluted smartly and sat down. The security officers would have loved to hold an emergency meeting right there with the Acting President over the assassination of the National Security Coordinator but with the Russian Ambassador’s presence, they could not do so.