Dogstar Rising

by Parker Bilal

  ‘Okay, it’s done.’

  ‘Where are you supposed to go?’ asked Makana, relieving Bassam of the paper with the number on it.

  ‘A place in Imbaba called Al Madina. Can I go now? Only I—’

  ‘You’ll go when he says so,’ Sindbad cut him off. ‘You caused a man to be crucified. We ought to do the same to you.’

  Bassam’s eyes widened. ‘I swear by Allah I never knew—’

  ‘Call Aziza up,’ Makana said. ‘You’re going to give this money to her and then you are going to say goodbye to your sister and lead us to this place. After that we’ll drop you off at the station and you can take the bus back to wherever you came from.’

  ‘Of course.’ Bassam struggled to his feet. ‘I will do exactly what you say.’

  The money was handed to a rather astonished Aziza, who said nothing, simply took herself off quietly. They left Bassam to say his goodbyes and pack his things. As they waited in the Datsun Sindbad felt the need to speak his mind.

  ‘Pardon me, ya basha, but I swear you let that dog off too easily.’

  ‘Possibly, but if he manages to lead us to the ones who did this it will be worth it.’

  The two of them watched as three black SUVs raced towards them out of the darkness, sirens wailing and blue lights flashing. They skidded to a halt around them. Sindbad raised his hands in surrender, the way they do in cowboy films.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  ‘Get rid of the cigarette and get in. Leave the gorilla behind,’ said Lieutenant Sharqi.

  Makana did as he was told. The car smelled new. Leather and plastic with a weirdly artificial blend of aromas designed to make you think of pine forests in some distant wonderland, but instead put you in mind of a laboratory somewhere underground where they had never seen a tree. Doors clattered shut all around him and they moved off in a smooth convoy, travelling fast. Flashing lights and sirens cleared the way. They raced down to the riverside, shouldering aside an old Russian Volga gushing black smoke like a runaway volcano. The driver was an old man, who ducked his head as they went by. His wife sat rigidly upright, staring ahead of her. Sharqi turned around in the front seat and held up a sleep mask of the type they give you on aeroplanes.

  ‘Put this on.’

  ‘Is this really necessary?’

  Sharqi didn’t even dignify the question with an answer. He waited until Makana had placed the mask over his eyes before turning around again. With his eyes covered Makana felt the car accelerate. He felt as though he was flying through darkness, towards what he couldn’t say, but away from finding the people who had crucified Sami. Bassam would be long gone by the time he got back, which left him with a telephone number and not much else.

  With the sirens off they drove for another ten minutes before slowing and coming to a halt. He reckoned they hadn’t crossed the river, which meant they were on the outskirts of Dokki somewhere, where exactly he couldn’t say. State Security had plenty of clandestine outposts in and around the city. Apartment buildings with no markings or signs to say what they were. Neighbours might see cars coming and going but they would know better than to ask. No one would really know what went on inside. That was part of the problem. Once things had become that secret the line between what was legally sanctioned by the state and what was not dissolved into abstraction. This was the grey zone, a blind spot into which a person could disappear as completely as they might on the dark side of the moon.

  The cars came to a halt inside a driveway and the door opened. A hand reached inside to take Makana’s elbow. Someone guided him up a flight of stairs and through a series of locked doors. He heard buzzers and bells. The hum of a lift. The sleep mask was removed as the doors slid open and he found himself facing a windowless corridor. A hand propelled him to the right and a man in a light-blue shirt blocked his path and indicated for him to raise his hands.

  At the far end another corridor branched left, through a heavily reinforced security door. Sharqi rang a bell and they waited for a guard to emerge from a side door with a key on a chain. They went through an opening in the wall and stepped into the adjacent building. It was a labyrinth constructed in plain sight. From the outside it was two adjacent apartment buildings. Here were rows of windows with bars across them, presumably to stop anyone jumping out. People came and went, all of them in plain clothes. No uniforms or insignia but faces that you might pass on the street and not think twice about except for the way their eyes followed you. He looked at the faces and tried to imagine them as schoolchildren. When had they discovered they possessed a natural affinity for deception? Inevitably Mek Nimr sprang to mind. Who better to epitomise that combination of envy, hatred, and the desire to inflict pain? Was he being fair, or was he taking liberties with the facts? Since the moment when Damazeen had told him his daughter was alive, Makana had felt something come undone inside him. Where would it lead, this unravelling thread?

  The hallway was lined with rooms now converted into offices, interrogation cells, archives full of personal information about the lives of countless men and women, most of whom were blissfully ignorant of the fact they had a file in here. Makana wondered if somewhere in this maze there was a file with his name on it. He saw desks and heavy typewriters, telephones, metal filing cabinets and fax machines. A man came out of a storeroom carrying a tape recorder under one arm. He nodded a greeting to Sharqi as he shut the door behind him and locked it. They arrived at an open-plan area of desks, many of them empty. The few that weren’t were occupied by bored-looking men staring at computer screens. They barely looked up as the little procession filed through.

  Lieutenant Sharqi’s office was small and windowless. On the top of a row of grey cabinets rested a blue baseball cap with the letters FBI stitched onto it in yellow. Behind this on the wall was a framed photograph showing a proud Sharqi wearing a T-shirt bearing the same letters. He was flanked by two men, presumably Americans, dressed similarly. They all wore broad smiles.

  ‘FBI summer training camp,’ said Sharqi as he slipped off his jacket and placed it on a wire hanger that hung from a hook on the wall. ‘One of the best experiences of my life.’

  Makana looked for an ashtray and saw none.

  ‘My brothers all run car franchises, clothes outlets, quality products. My father was appalled when I told him I was staying in the army after doing my military service.’ Sharqi went behind the desk and sat down. ‘I was good at it. I knew that. I joined the paratroops and scored the highest of any trainee in the last ten years. It took me a long time to persuade my father to accept my choice, but now he says he is proud of me.’

  ‘Patriotism is overrated.’

  ‘How would you know? You’re a stateless person. You go back home and they will bury you in a dark hole.’

  ‘I take it there is a point to this touching story of yours?’

  Sharqi inclined his head in the direction of the picture of him and the FBI boys. ‘When you go to America, you see how things work. The way they think. They love their country, just like we love Egypt. But it’s more than that. They believe in the idea of America.’

  ‘What idea is that?’

  ‘The idea of freedom and equality, that all men are born equal.’

  ‘And you’re worried that it might catch on in this country?’

  Sharqi rocked back in his chair. ‘You think you’re clever, don’t you? I know your type. You don’t believe in anything.’

  ‘And you do?’

  ‘The point is,’ Sharqi said slowly, as if speaking to an idiot, ‘that this country is not ready for democracy yet. If elections were held tomorrow who do you think would win?’ As he spoke he reached down to unlock a drawer in his desk and produced a clear plastic bag. A strong one, probably standard issue in the FBI, here it was probably reused. It contained an automatic pistol. He set it down on the table between them.

  ‘Our bearded brothers. And what would they do? Overnight, they would take us back to the Middle Ages. I don’t need to tell you this because
you came here to get away from exactly that in your country. We’re on the same side, you and me.’

  ‘And which side is that exactly?’

  Sharqi tapped the pistol in front of him. ‘Do you know what this is?’

  ‘The gun that murdered Meera Hilal.’

  ‘Very good. Now, try to be a bit more specific.’

  Makana took a closer look. It was a Marra. A version of the Czech CZ75 semi-automatic handgun. It was manufactured exclusively at the Military Industry Corporation’s centre at the Al-Shagara Industrial Complex, about an hour’s drive from Makana’s old home in Khartoum. They made all kinds of small arms, based on German or Chinese specifications, using machinery built in Iran. Sharqi leaned towards Makana.

  ‘You follow me, right? The gun which killed Meera Hilal came from a factory just across the border in your home country. Some would say that’s quite a coincidence.’

  ‘Some would say it means nothing at all.’

  ‘They might, it’s true. So let’s look at the facts.’

  ‘If you looked at the facts you would have to drop the idea that this was some kind of terrorist attack and hand the case over to Okasha. Unless, of course, it suits you to keep it that way.’

  Sharqi rocked his chair back until his shoulders were touching the wall. ‘I have a file on you, Makana, which is full of interesting information, and a lot of gaps.’

  ‘Gaps?’

  ‘Missing pieces. Like, for example, your past. Nobody really knows what you were up to before you came here. We are told you were a police inspector and that you were forced to flee for your life. It’s a nice story, only we can’t check it. There is no information on exactly what you had to flee from.’ Sharqi locked his fingers together behind his head. ‘Let’s look at the facts we have: two years ago there was an explosion at a resort on the Red Sea. A Russian man named Vronsky and five of his associates were killed. Thirteen people injured, some of them badly. The only person to walk away in one piece was you. I find that interesting, don’t you?’

  ‘Fascinating.’

  ‘That bomb was set off by a jihadi terrorist, Daud Bulatt, a veteran of the Afghan war, who has vowed to bring down this government and just happened to be hiding across the border in your home country. Another coincidence? His present whereabouts are unknown, unless you have any ideas? You remember Daud Bulatt, don’t you?’

  Makana didn’t bother to answer. In the wake of the explosion in Vronsky’s villa, he had found himself face-to-face with Bulatt. Sharqi wasn’t expecting an answer. All Makana was required to do was sit back and maybe applaud.

  ‘And now here you are, a hero according to the newspapers, in the midst of a case that has exposed the religious tensions in this country.’

  ‘Have you considered the possibility that you are looking at this the wrong way round?’

  Sharqi stared blankly at Makana, who felt obliged to go on.

  ‘I mean. Perhaps this attack was designed specifically to try and raise tensions. Some people do benefit from this.’

  ‘Who benefits?’ A smile appeared on Sharqi’s face. ‘You mean this is all part of a plot. That actually there is no problem between Muslim and Christian in this country?’

  ‘It’s worth considering.’ Makana lit a cigarette. He no longer cared about ashtrays. ‘It certainly makes more sense than the argument of where the weapon comes from. Would you suspect Americans if a Colt was used? Russians if it was a Klashnikov?’

  ‘You know very well that I am talking about your friend Damazeen’s gun running.’

  ‘I know nothing about any such thing.’

  ‘Which is why you ate dinner with him the other night,’ said Sharqi. From another drawer he produced a heavy ashtray with ‘Quantico, Virginia’ embossed in gold letters along the side. ‘Look,’ he said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk, ‘I’m not trying to make your life difficult. I am saying nothing gets done in this country without the right kind of friends.’

  ‘Is that what we are – friends?’

  ‘Someone like you could be very useful to us. And in return, I could be useful to you. Frankly, Okasha’s influence is limited.’

  ‘And if I refuse?’ Makana tapped ash on the floor.

  ‘That’s up to you, but in my humble opinion it would be a mistake. One that might land you on a plane home, or worse.’

  ‘My clients hire me because I’m confidential. If I lose their trust I have nothing.’

  ‘They wouldn’t find out.’

  ‘You see, that’s why you’re on that side of the desk and I’m on this side.’

  ‘The problem with you, Makana, is that you’re not seeing clearly. One of these days something bad is going to happen, really bad, and then people like you, the ones who are out there on a limb, will see that we were right all along.’ Sharqi hefted the Marra again. ‘This is good quality. One of the more reliable nine millimetres on the market.’ He turned it this way and that in the light, admiring it before setting it down. ‘Smuggling weapons into this country is a serious offence.’

  ‘I know nothing about gun smuggling.’

  ‘Maybe not, but your friend Damazeen knows a lot and he is associated with another old friend of yours.’ Sharqi looked Makana in the eye and waited. ‘You’re still going to maintain you know nothing of what I am talking about?’

  ‘I can’t do anything else.’

  ‘Mek Nimr, remember him? A high-ranking officer in National Intelligence and State Security in your home country. Now, we have something of a complex relationship with our southern neighbours, but this man is a direct source of trouble. For years now he has been sowing the seeds of discontent. Weapons are smuggled across the border to militants in this country. There are others like Bulatt, and they are working with Mek Nimr to supply weapons to radical jihadist forces in this country.’

  ‘You think Damazeen is a jihadist?’

  ‘You tell me.’

  Makana laughed. ‘You really have no idea what is going on, do you?’

  Sharqi picked up a pencil and began tapping it against his fingers. ‘We know there is a deal being brokered by Damazeen. We think he is working with the Zafrani brothers. Have you heard of them? Fanatics, determined to overthrow the government, but good at keeping their hands clean. I think we can help each other. I need someone inside, someone who can let me know where and when it is going to happen.’

  ‘And what do I need?’

  ‘A friend who can bail him out of awkward situations, such as can arise with a transient figure such as yourself.’ Sharqi leaned his elbows on the desk. ‘You’re a smart man, Makana. You can think for yourself, not like most of the morons around here. But everyone needs a friend. And forget all that nonsense about our countries being brothers. There is a borderline and you could always find yourself on the wrong side of it.’ He got to his feet and went over to open the door. ‘Help me and I will make sure you don’t get thrown out. Work against me and it could be bad for you. Think about it.’ He paused, his hand resting on the handle. ‘I’ll get someone to drive you home.’

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Sami had been moved to a private clinic in Garden City at his father-in-law’s insistence. Rania’s father was an engineer working for a big German company. He wasn’t rich but he made a good living, which in this day and age was always remarkable in itself. The clinic was small, clean and surprisingly quiet considering its location. Sami even had a room to himself, with a large window overlooking the river and its own bathroom. He was sitting up, staring at the wall when Makana came in.

  ‘I’ve decided I’m not leaving,’ he said. ‘This is better than where I live.’

  ‘You’re not paying the bills. This place must cost a fortune.’

  ‘You know the saying: if you’re not born with money, then better you marry a rich woman.’

  ‘That particular saying must have escaped me. Anyway, they’re not going to let you stay here forever. Eventually, you’re going to have to go back to work.’


  ‘You think so?’ Sami cast a mournful look at his surroundings. ‘Then I’d better enjoy it while it lasts.’

  ‘How are you feeling?’

  Sami held up his bandaged hands. ‘They have an expert here, a Bulgarian woman who says I have to try to move my fingers so as not to lose the mobility. The same with my toes.’

  ‘Bulgarian?’

  ‘What can I tell you? The world is wide and full of wonder.’ He let his hands drop. ‘The truth is I am going out of my mind. Did you get much out of Ramy?’

  ‘Ramy had his own problems.’

  ‘You’d better tell me everything.’

  Makana pulled a chair up and they talked for the next hour without stopping.

  ‘So you’re saying someone decided that it was convenient to kill Meera, not because of what she represented but because she had found evidence of the bank channelling funds to certain privileged members?’

  ‘Something like that.’

  ‘But we don’t know who made the decision, nor who carried out the killing.’

  Makana reached into his pocket and placed the bloody ten-pound note in Sami’s lap.

  ‘What’s this?’

  ‘Whoever nailed you to the deck placed this in your hand first. I left that in a café when I went looking for Rocky. I think this was his answer. It’s why they came for me.’

  ‘And found me instead,’ Sami said slowly. He turned over the note with his bandaged hands. ‘They wanted you to stay away.’ Sami fell quiet. He lay back and stared at a spot on the ceiling.

  ‘You probably saved my life,’ Makana said softly. ‘If I had been there that night I would have bled to death before anyone found me.’ By the time he got back to the awama the previous night there was no trace of Bassam, just as he had expected. He had taken advantage of the confusion to slip away. The number he had left behind seemed to have been disconnected. Had Bassam warned them, or had he been smart enough to change one of the digits?

  ‘You can thank me when I get out of here and can eat at Aswani’s,’ Sami said. ‘What I don’t understand is why Rocky would kill Meera.’