"The General's convoy was ambushed. The Chairman was badly wounded, but a private military company pulled him out. Where he is now, whether he's alive or dead, nobody knows. Barzani might have… moved early, before the Chairman could recover or send out any message."
Adnan's mind raced.
If Masood was still alive, then this coup was a gamble built on sand.
If Masood was dead, Barzani was the sole heir to power.
But either way, they were already prisoners.
Either bargaining chips for the coup, or obstacles to a counter‑coup.
He thought of a brief meeting with Chairman Masoud two weeks earlier.
The old man had looked exhausted, but when he talked about young people entering politics, his eyes lit up:
"Adnan, you're Western‑educated and you have ideals, that's good. But remember, politics isn't just about ideals; it's about responsibility. Responsibility to the people, to history, and to your own conscience."
Responsibility.
