Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 323 You fight your way, I'll fight mine.

The Honduran Presidential Palace.

Reina, who had been staying in the presidential office, was suddenly awakened by the guards' shouts, and the lights in the entire presidential palace were turned on!
"Mr. President, the office is too dangerous. Please come with us to the basement..."

Reina had just gotten up and was still a little groggy when the guards shoved him into the basement.

That is, only when the military suffered heavy losses and the police department was once again under the control of the civilian government could Reyna trust these guards so much.

Halfway there, he asked in a daze, "What's going on? Has the army turned against us?"

The guard said very seriously, "Mr. President, I think so."

Reina finally perked up a bit: "I only arrested a portion of the most prominent officers; I didn't say I was going to purge the entire army. They... actually decided to stage a coup?"

"Yes, Mr. President."

Reina frowned and walked towards the basement.

In his original plan, things shouldn't have developed this way; the military's reaction was far too intense... They should have tried to put pressure on the government first, to try to force them, instead of directly overturning the table and launching a military coup.

While the government was not fully prepared, the military was equally ill-prepared.

At least in this capital city, there aren't many people who stand with them.

Reina had fully regained his senses by now: "Immediately mobilize all available police forces to protect the Presidential Palace and all important units! We must hold off the army!"

"Gather all the media outlets you can, tell them that the army is in rebellion and wants to overthrow the country, spread the news as widely as possible!"

"Get all members of Congress to a meeting and vote to declare this military action illegal!"

"The news was told to the people that the general who had wantonly invaded others chose to suppress the people at home after his defeat in foreign wars."

"Notify all troops not to obey the orders of the rebel general Ramirez, not to provide them with logistics, and not to become traitors to the country!"

"..."

A Defense Ministry official listened to the order with a worried expression: "Your Excellency, will this work? Will the military listen to us?"

“The military is never a monolithic entity. There are quite a few people watching Ramirez. They may not oppose Ramirez, but they may not support him either… I don’t expect the Ministry of Defense’s orders to control all officers, but the more obedient officers there are, the less pressure we have, right?”

"The order has been issued."

“Very good…” Reina reached out and turned on the light in the basement office, then sat down in a chair. “What’s the specific situation now? Do you have any intelligence?”

The National Police Chief said, "Mr. President, the problem was initially discovered by a few bartenders on their way home from work... They saw military vehicles driving on the road and immediately called the police, which gave us time to prepare. We have already sent people out to investigate the specifics, but it will take some more time."

A military coup presents a significant challenge due to the tight timeframe and heavy workload, posing a tremendous test to the responses of both sides.

Ramirez's plan was indeed ill-conceived, even rudimentary—he drove in military vehicles, controlled the media, the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive branch, and announced the success of the coup.

His speed is indeed fast enough.

But the government was not entirely unprepared this time.

In a well-planned coup, the core number of participants is not particularly large. As long as the police department persists for a period of time, as long as Congress can complete the vote, and as long as the army is disbanded and only the senior officers are held accountable, the army, cut off from its logistics, will disband on its own.

The civilian government has a high chance of winning.

If this military coup can be handled smoothly, Honduras can at least be normalized politically and will no longer be controlled by the military.

Reina tapped on the table, waiting for the intelligence to be delivered to him.

About 10 minutes later, the first batch of intelligence finally arrived.

The chief of staff relaxed slightly and said, "Now we can confirm that the military's preparations were indeed insufficient, at least in terms of the number of troops."

"They first raided the nearest residence, which seems to be the location of Judge Roy's neighborhood... Gunshots were also heard from the direction of the detention center, it seems a squad went to rescue the officers we arrested."

"There are three more teams. One went to the television station, one went to Congress... and the whereabouts of the last one are currently unknown."

Reina nodded slightly: "How are the preparations going with the National Police Headquarters?"

"All forces have been mobilized," the chief of staff replied. "A large number of police officers, armed with guns and bulletproof vests, are setting up a defensive line outside the presidential palace, while another unit has gone to the National Assembly to ensure the safety of the members of parliament."

During the period when the military incident occurred, the government and Congress reached an epic reconciliation, passing various bills to strengthen the police force as quickly as possible, and passing a special appropriation bill to procure various weapons for the only violent agency that they had finally gained control of.

Not only did they have rifles and machine guns, but they also had body armor and even some grenade launchers!

These weapons are certainly no match for troops in field battles, but they can be of great help in dealing with coups.

One intelligence report after another, one arrangement after another, were placed on Reina's desk.

On paper, their chances of winning are not low.

Reina chuckled: "Not bad... It looks like if we can hold out until morning, the army won't be able to hold out any longer."

"Yes, did he think we were an African country where a few people could stage a coup by shouting on the radio?"

“Tell the officers outside that as long as they hold their ground, everyone will receive a generous bonus.” Reina said confidently. “The military will never guess that I added a sum of money to the previous appropriations bill for ‘training officers’ physical fitness.’ I haven’t used that money yet; I’ve been waiting for today!”

"..."

Boom boom boom…

Outside the presidential palace, sporadic gunshots could already be heard.

Soon, even inside the presidential palace, one or two gunshots could be heard.

Those were police officers who had already taken advantageous positions and were returning fire.

boom!
Soon after, President Reiner could even hear explosions coming from outside... He wasn't very knowledgeable about military matters and didn't know whether it was the coup forces opening fire or their own grenade launchers firing.

While listening to the sounds outside, Reina looked at his watch, watching the time tick by, waiting for the good news that the rebel army would run out of supplies and have to retreat.

"How's the game going?"

"Don't worry, their advance is very slow, and they've suffered considerable casualties, Mr. President." The Chief of Staff smiled. "At this rate, let alone breaking through the Presidential Palace this morning, even if they fight until tomorrow morning, their men won't be able to get an inch in!"

"The situation is similar on the Congress side."

"We're almost at the minimum number of voters. They don't have enough people to completely surround Parliament. If we hold out a little longer, the police will bring the members into Parliament, and once the voting process is complete, the military coup will be declared illegal!"

Reina felt reassured: "That's right."

Boom boom boom…

The gunfire outside the presidential palace grew increasingly intense, with explosions following one after another, indicating that the fighting was becoming more and more fierce.

Time passed by minute by minute.

4 points in the early hours.

5 a.m.... 6 a.m.... 7 a.m....

However, the situation seems to have deviated from the expectations of Reiner's think tank.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The gunfire did not stop; in fact, it became increasingly intense.

"Doctor...we need a doctor! Someone here has been shot! Quick, first aid!"

"We're out of bullets! We need bullets..."

"The gun barrel is overheating... Why are these damn soldiers so enthusiastic when they're fighting their own people?!"

"..." Sunlight streamed into the Presidential Palace, but the fighting remained incredibly fierce. The first line of defense was crumbling, and many wounded police officers were being carried into the palace for emergency treatment.

Listening to the incessant noises coming from outside, Reina gradually began to feel strange... It was already morning, and judging from the experience of so many military coups, they should have run out of ammunition and supplies and dispersed long ago, right?
Why are they still playing?
"Does the enemy intend to retreat?"

The Chief of Staff's expression stiffened considerably: "No... they haven't stopped firing, nor do they intend to back down. The same goes for Congress. I don't know why."

"The brothers outside say that the army is still arriving in droves!"

"Your Excellency, I feel something is amiss. This military coup is quite different from the previous ones."

Reina waved his hand, signaling the people outside to close the door. He stood up and carefully examined the map, looking towards the capital city area, as if searching for something.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on the Comayagua Valley, about 90 kilometers northwest of the capital Tegucigalpa, near the Honduran Air Force Academy.

Sotocano Air Force Base.

That's a U.S. military base in Honduras!

The Honduran constitution prohibits permanent military presence, but through the Military Assistance Agreement, a total of four to five hundred US troops are permanently stationed there on a "temporary" basis.

A terrifying thought immediately flooded Reina's mind, and he blurted out, "Could it be that the United States tacitly approved, or even secretly supported, this operation?!"

The situation is not that simple.

Reiner lacked Milton's abilities and had no idea how the neighboring country's leader managed to amass so much money and cultivate so many absolutely loyal confidants, making it impossible for CIA and other foreign intelligence agencies to move an inch within the territory.

If the US supports this operation, who knows how many CIA agents will cause trouble in the city, and who knows how long the coup forces can hold out.

Even if Congress declares it illegal, they may still act with impunity!

Jingle Bell……

Not far away, a dedicated phone line was suddenly dialed, and the ringtone echoed throughout the entire office.

Reina stood up and gestured for the people around him to step back: "I'll take it."

"Hey?"

A deep voice, tinged with a hint of smugness, came from the other end of the receiver: "Your Excellency, how was your morning?"

"Ramires," Reina said, even more uneasy, "what do you want to do?"

“You’re not stupid. I believe you can see that although my preparations this time are not thorough enough, I have received sufficient support. You have no chance of winning.” Ramirez’s tone was icy. “I’m calling now to give you a chance… to give both of us a dignified chance.”

Reina gripped the receiver tightly: "What do you mean?!"

"The military was declared illegal, but they forcibly stormed Congress and killed the president. How disgraceful is that?" Ramirez chuckled. "How about this: you announce your resignations, call for congressional elections, and I'll leave you all a way out. How about that?"

"Stop resisting, Mr. President... Why do you insist on changing a system that hasn't changed in decades?"

"Wouldn't it be better to just be like your ex?"

"Well, you've lost all hope of victory. Do you want to accept my win-win proposal?"

Reina remained silent for a moment.

To be honest, after guessing that the Americans might be involved in this military coup, and that the Americans might want to completely control Honduras to complete a key part of the plan to annihilate Milton, he agreed with Ramirez's judgment—if they persisted, the army would take over the government building.

The reckoning of that bloody massacre will begin again.

In the past, Reiner might have been prepared to compromise, such as allowing the police department to be reinstated, or allowing the military to have more people in the cabinet and more seats in parliament, in exchange for the current government to exist as long as possible.

We must find a way to prevent compradors from completely taking control of the country.

But now, Reina always has an "unrealistic" idea in his mind.

"Let me think about it. You know, I'm not the only one in the cabinet, so I can't give you an answer right now."

“You can take your time to consider it, but my men won’t stop firing.” Ramirez was confident of victory, his tone laced with amusement. “Think about it as soon as possible, I’m waiting for your answer—you know my phone number, I’m waiting.”

"Beep beep..."

The Chief of Staff felt a chill run down his spine as he listened to Reiner's conversation: "Your Excellency, are you really planning to..."

Reina might be able to leave then, but what about the others? They might be sacrificed by the brutal Ramirez!

Before the words were finished, a slightly panicked voice suddenly came from outside: "Report, Your Excellency Chief of Staff, Your Excellency President. A convoy has suddenly arrived outside. It's the convoy that attacked the detention center. Lieutenant Colonel Hernandez has been rescued by them, and they even threw three heads in!"

Reina frowned: "Whose head?"

"Judge Roy, who is in charge of the trial of Lieutenant Colonel Hernandez, and... his two family members. They said that if he didn't surrender, he would be caught and killed no matter where he was hiding."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the entire underground office instantly froze.

Some people were already wavering: "Your Excellency, perhaps we should... maybe we should just give up?"

"The morale of some of the brothers outside is also wavering..."

Reina took a deep breath, grabbed the phone, and said coldly, "Don't rush, we still have a chance! Don't be intimidated by the enemy. Believe me, they wouldn't have called me if they weren't under any pressure. It's not time to surrender yet. Let me think of a way. If that doesn't work, I won't force everyone to die with me."

The president's words calmed the crowd somewhat.

Seeing that the situation had temporarily stabilized and that he wouldn't be forced to go out and be handed over to the rebels, Reina made a phone call.

beep...

"Hey?"

"This is the Honduran government, and I am President Reina. A military coup has occurred here; the army wants to overthrow us and establish a government that is absolutely hostile to you..."

“You cannot remain unaffected; I need help.”

Three seconds later, Milton's calm voice came from the other end: "What help do you need?"

"As long as this military coup can be destroyed, we will provide any kind of assistance. I can agree to many bilateral cooperation conditions, and you can gain our absolute goodwill."

"Send away everyone around you."

“Okay.” Milton’s calm voice calmed Reina down a bit. He waved his hand to make sure no one was around before continuing, “What do you plan to do?”

"I need information. Briefly explain what's going on on your end."

Without hesitation, Reina gave a brief and concise account.

Milton suddenly interrupted him when he was talking about the end.

“Wait a minute. You just said Ramirez asked you to call a number you know?” Milton’s voice rose slightly. “Was it a mobile phone or a landline?”

Reina instinctively replied, "Landline? What... wait, what are you planning to do?"

Landline phone number... Fixed address...

this? !

Is Milton planning a coup in Ramirez's city, to behead Ramirez before the capital's army can capture the government?

Once Ramirez, the key figure, dies, and once the senior officers are beheaded, the coup forces here will collapse instantly!
Ramirez... this cowardly coward who was afraid to lead the team himself, was actually used by Milton as a weak point?!

Milton's voice came again: "Give me the address."

"Then hold on as long as possible and wait for our good news."

(End of this chapter)