Day 22

Do you have my journals?

I don’t have them but I can get them.

I wouldn’t blame you for not trusting me. Would you give them to me?

I want something in return.

Her face suddenly turned harsh. How much do you want? she growled.

He laughed a little. Your Spanx bank is safe.  I don’t want any money. I want you to tell me about the journals. I want to know their story.

Oh.

After all that they had just shared with each other, she felt sorry that she was so quick to doubt him.

Well after the first time acting as sweetener for the deal, I was filled with remorse and shame. But I bounce back quickly. I know I can get myself out of a jam and make do in any circumstance.  Nevertheless I held out hope that I would escape. I knew I would need to create a shield that I could use to defend myself if necessary.   On a trip to Paris, I came across a shop full of beautifully bound journals in every imaginable medium. I bought three bound in pigskin and started recording everything.  I found it ironic that a Muslim was recording blackmail information in a journal bound in pigskin.

You said three?  I have only two.

Yes, I used one. One was a decoy, hidden but not terribly well. The third was to be volume two if  my imprisonment lasted longer than predicted.  They are filled with names, numbers, places and times of everyone I saw or heard. To distract myself in my gilded cage, I studied.  I studied harder than I did at university. I exercised not to fit into a dress but to be strong. I studied how to learn so I could learn faster and remember more. I learned to draw so I could capture faces and places without a camera.  I learned every writing system I could find and mixed them up to take my notes.

It’s not like was forced to have sex with dozens and dozens of men.  It’s true that I was coerced, I’m not saying I wasn’t. I’m just saying it wasn’t a large number of men. The goal was to make profit not build a brothel.  Each man was different but they shared a lot of common characteristics. Married, competitive, thought they were great lovers.  Two stood out from all the rest.  Rodrigo was an animal.  He beat me and drew blood but only a little. Hasan had him beat and thrown, literally, from the house. I’m sure he lost his job.  And another man who shall remain nameless.  He was unmarried, he looked more like an Olympic athlete than a businessman.  He wanted to escape his life too. He didn’t want to have sex but hoped we could pretend we did so he could maintain the persona.  We talked. in fact we talked all night.  We fell in love and have been finding ways to communicate and make plans ever since.

I will meet him and we will build a life together perhaps we may have to start at a different level but we can build.  If I discover that he is not really the man I hoped for then I know I can find a way, make a way to a better life.  I have skills.

Amina, please trust me, and don’t take this the wrong way. Hear the whole thought first.

Ok?

I will not take you to the journals but I will bring them to you anywhere you wish.  It’s not that I don’t trust you. I don’t trust your husband and the network he has built. The two men who met me in the alley after I bought the journals were quick to draw guns. I saw the way Masood attacked you. He was very intense. If he only hated you, he would have given up from the pain we caused him. I put my trust in you that you will not follow me and risk leading your men to my friends doorstep.

This saddened Amina. She hung her head. She whispered, “So close. So far.”  Brian said nothing. They stayed put for a full 3 minutes.  She looked up and said, “I would do the same. I would not put my friend’s life in danger without asking first.   Meet me at this hotel in 3 days. It has a balcony on very floor. Meet me on the 8th floor.”  She walked over to her spanx bank and took a stack of bills.

You said you’re a teacher. I hear they don’t get paid well. You must be close to running out of money. Take this. She through the stack at him.

He caught it and guessed it to be 5 thousand in Euros.  You don’t need to do this. Really.

You’re right. Give it back.

Without hesitation, he stood and walked to her to give her the money.

She took the money. Slapped him on the shoulder and said “I don’t have to. I want to.” And gave him back the money.

On the trip to Barcelona, they took turns playing look-out while the other slept.  Rather than continue by train they decided to end the drama more quickly by flying to their respective destinations. She to Geneva and he to Nice.  The closer they got to Barcelona the higher Amina’s spirits soared. “Soon, it will be over. Soon, it will be over. “

From the train station they went straight to the airport.  “Don’t you want to stop and buy some scarves?” Brian joked. “Why do you want to dance for me?” she retorted.  They bought their tickets. It was too early to head for the gates so they each went their separate ways to meander through the airport, clean up and look at shops. Well, Amina wanted to look at the shops. Brian saw a magazine shop and headed for it. On his way, he saw a tall, fit, older man headed his way. His blood ran cold. The man wore a blue turban and matching tunic. He prepared himself for fight or flight but the man walked right passed him without acknowledgement.  Brian stepped to the end of the line of a food vendor. Not to eat but to think. He had to take this guy out without a fight and without witnesses.  What could he do?

He left the line and started to follow Nasser. As he walked he stole a pair of plastic gloves like kitchen people use.  He kept walking. A man was doing some maintenance work on a ladder but a female shop employee was distracting him.  He stole a role of duct tape and a black marker.  Still tailing Nasser.  He passed a luxury bath shop and stole a very large bar of soap. It was a 100 Euro bar of soap. He bought it because it was a reddish-brownish color.  At another place he picked up a small calculator and a toy. He was concerned that he lost Nasser.  But he spotted the blue turban and hurried to get closer. Nasser turned into the men’s room. Brian did the same and immediately went to a stall. He put on the gloves, broke the toy apart. What he wanted was some wire. Sure enough, there was some red and black wire leading to the battery box.  He put the wire, the soap and the calculator together and wrapped them with duct tape.   He was hoping his artwork on the soap would make someone think it’s Semtex and the artwork on the tape look like a Islamic writing.  He came back out, crossed to the opposite side of the hallway. Nasser stepped out of the bathroom and looked around somewhat suspiciously. Nasser kept moving forward. Then he stopped suddenly. He saw Amina. He quickened his pace.  Amina left the shop and got on the escalator to next lower flower. Nasser sneaked in behind her.

Brian had, what he hoped, was a realistic looking bomb, wrapped burrito style in a bag from one of the shops. His goal was to sneak it into Nasser’s bag and then expose him.  Only problem is, Nasser only had a messenger style bag with no way to put anything in it. Brian got on the escalator a few steps above Nasser.  Nasser descended a step closer to Amina. Brian copied. “What to do? What to do? Think!”  Brian screamed in his head. “Well that’s not going to help. Relax.”  At that moment Brian saw what might be an opportunity.  Which he desperately needed because Amina was seconds away from stepping off.  Nasser took his knife out of his pocket.  He was still 3 steps higher and she hadn’t noticed him. Just as the steps flattened and she started to step off he moved towards, left hand outstretched toward Amina, right hand low with the knife. He was still a step higher. Brian leaned back and planted his foot right in the lower back of Nasser and pushed hard. Since he was still once step up, the push caused him to tumble off the escalator in a semi-somersault.  Well trained soldier that he was, he did not drop his knife but it was now visible to everyone. Brian rolled the burrito towards Nasser and shouted, “he has a bloody bomb, he has a bloody bomb”  Then he ran off in the opposite direction. Variously shouting help and he has a bomb.  Amina, naturally turned around to see what was happening, saw Nasser and started to run in the opposite direction screaming.  Nasser got up to pursue Amina. He was focused. He did not pay much attention to the ring of guards that approached him from different directions.  He must get to Amina was his only thought. A young policeman, new on the job, told Nasser to stop. Nasser ignored the command. If he hadn’t been holding the knife and wearing the turban and terrible frown then things might have come out differently. But the knife looked ready for business. From 10 feet a way, the soap and calculator looked like a bomb. And Nasser plowed forward. The policeman gave one more command to stop. Nasser ignored it. The young man shot Nasser but not fatally. Nasser’s training kicked in and he threw the knife at the young officer. It pierced his left arm. The guard screamed and fired another shot.  Nasser is dead.

Brian found Amina. Told her about Nasser and said to go straight through security and wait.  They still had plenty of time. He went to a store that had basic hygiene supplies.  He threw away his hat in one trash can and his jacket in another.  He went into the bathroom changed pants and poured the hydrogen peroxide on paper towels. He sat in a stall nearly naked for 15 minutes with the peroxide soaked paper towels on his head.  He exited the stall in different clothes.  He rinsed his hair in the sink.  It was a terrible looking bleach job.

They saw each other in the terminal and exchanged only a slight nod and a half smile to acknowledge that everything is ok and to carry on with the plan.

Brian picked up the journals and headed to Geneva to meet Amina.

At the appointed time he was on the eighth floor waiting for Amina. But he hung back in the shadows. Exactly on time, Amina exited the elevator and walked to the balcony. She was dressed the way she would be normally. But he remembered what he saw underneath the dark grey robes. He was just about to step toward her when the elevator opened again.  A man stepped out of the elevator accompanied by a bell man.  He stopped, turned as if he had seen a ghost.

Amina? Amina. What are you doing here?

Hasan. What are you doing here?

Brian could see her weaken. She fought to regain composure. At that moment the unforseable happened.  The bell man screamed “The whore and her keeper together!” And he lunged forward. Amina couldn’t speak or cry out. Her eyes widened in horror her mouth dropped in terror, she started to shake and point. Hasan turned to see Rodrigo, hair died blonde, face clean shaven, 50 pounds lighter.  He turned just in time to recognize him.  Rodrigo’s face was contorted in maniacal hatred. Both arms were stretched out to his sides like sickles. The right for Hasan. The left for Amina.  Rodrigo was crouched in a run and caught Hasan just below the sternum. In three steps he would have Amina. Brian leaped into action to stop Rodrigo.  There was little chance he could reach her in time. Amina’s face was drained of blood.  The 2 men she hated most were right in front of her.  She fainted. Rodrigo tried to adjust but the momentum and grasp he had on Hasan worked to his disadvantage. He and Hasan went over the railing.  Brian tried to revive Amina but she wasn’t responding very quickly. So he picked her up, put her on his shoulders and carried her to the fire escape and down 2 flights of stairs. As she revived she assumed that Rodrigo had her and started to kick and scream.  Rather than try to reason with a panicked woman he tossed her onto the landing and stepped back.  Her eyes blinked a few times and she realized it was Brian.

Quick let’s get to your room. Which floor?

I don’t have a room here. I was just using the balcony as a place to meet.

Then let’s get out of here.

They skirted the crowd of onlookers and left the hotel. They found a cheap restaurant where local office workers ate and got a table in the back.  After a glass of wine. Brian watched Amina go through a series of emotions in a just a few moments. She finely settled on joyful relief and gratitude.  Brian thought now would be a good time to give her the journals. She giggled with glee and gave him more details about them.

Brian, I love you.

Amina, I love you too. But I’m not in love with you. I am your friend.

You’re a good man Brian. I don’t know many of your species.  I love you like my brother. Soon, I will be with Hanz, the man I told you about. If Hasan is truly dead, these journals may no longer be necessary, but I love them nonetheless.

She took out a piece of paper and wrote several web-sites on it. She explained the code. If you ever want to share or need a friend contact me this way until I know everything is clean.  If you ever receive anything from me it will be signed S.B.

Is that your real name?

No, stupid!  That’s your name for me. “Spanx Banks”.

They laughed as they rose. She gave him a powerful hug and a kiss. She stepped back, pointed a finger and said with a smile, “No trickery this time.” She turned and walked out the door. He watched as the bright light from the street silhouetted her fine figure in dark gray robes. He grabbed his messenger bags and headed for the airport.