Free Minute Zero by Todd Moss Page B

out-of-touch old men. Most voters get that. Even people in the countryside have relatives in the city. Zimbabweans know what’s happening.”
    “Assuming Mutonga can make it through the vote and somehow finds a way to get through the counting, you said there were three layers. What’s next?”
    “Chimurenga just refuses. Phase three is declaring a state of emergency, probably on trumped-up claims of a national threat.”
    “Walk me through that scenario. What happens?”
    “The election and the constitution are suspended, the opposition arrested, and the army deployed into the villages. We’ve got plenty of evidence that the Green Mambas—those are the party’s youth militias—are already fanning out, just in case.”
    “You’re talking about a total police state.”
    “Total police state,” Sunday repeated.
    “But South Africa and the other neighbors wouldn’t accept that. Neither would the United Nations, right?”
    “Probably not. But it only takes a few weeks to dismantle the opposition and squeeze their supporters. Then Tino can announce an amnesty and a new election. All he really has to do is promise a transition plan, make some noise about reconciliation, and drag it all out. He knows everyone will back off.”
    “Is Tinotenda involved in this?”
    “Probably not. He tries to stay above the fray. I find it hard to believe he’s unaware of what Chimurenga is doing to keep him in power. But I think he’s happy to feign ignorance and keep his hands clean.”
    “This is a lot worse than I thought, Sunday.”
    “It’s not pretty.”
    “How likely is it to get really ugly?”
    “Like what?”
    “Like real violence?”
    “I don’t want to put a number on it, Dr. Ryker. But the stories are pretty chilling. The Ministry of Agriculture is run by Chimurenga’s cousin. Last month he imported truckloads of machetes for a farm extension program. But we did some analysis at Langley and the pattern of machete distribution is more aligned with opposition votes from the last election than with food production. So I’m fairly certain the machetes are intended as weapons, not farming tools.”
    “Shit.”
    “That’s exactly what I said when I figured it out!”
    “What did Rogerson say when he heard about the machetes?”
    “I don’t know. I was told the analysis was passed to State. I never heard anything. The embassy has been funding a farming initiative, so they probably thought machete deliveries were a good sign.”
    “We have to stop this,” Judd said.
    “The embassy is cautious. They don’t want to be blamed for inciting violence. Ambassador Tallyberger doesn’t want blood on his doorstep.”
    “‘No bodies on the streets.’ Those were Rogerson’s words this morning.”
    “See? The embassy isn’t going to take any risks of creating chaos.”
    “But doing nothing can’t be the only alternative.”
    “If I may, Dr. Ryker?” Sunday asked. “Nothing will change while everyone in Harare and in Washington is convinced they already know what’s going to happen. If we want an outcome that doesn’t reinforce the status quo, the only way is to break confidence in the whole system.”
    “Minute Zero,” whispered Judd under his breath.
    “Excuse me?”
    “Minute Zero,” Judd said. “It’s the moment you’re talking about. When certainty breaks down and no one knows what’s going to happen next. We need to create Minute Zero in Zimbabwe.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “You ever watch the Discovery Channel?”
    “Sure,” Sunday said.
    “So a few months ago I’m watching Discovery with my kids. It’s a program about ant colonies. The narrator is explaining how this one anthill is rock solid. The anthill is strong enough to withstand a tropical storm. A hurricane, even. And hidden inside is a complex city, with all of the ants moving in organized teams through tunnels to reinforce the walls and bring food and everything else needed to sustain the colony. And most of all, to