by Andres Mann
Jake looked at Tess disconsolately. “I guess he outfoxed us. He’s out of reach.”
“Only if you accept the situation” Tess countered. “I’m going after him!”
Jake lost his patience. “May I remind you that we are both still in the Army? You just can’t walk out globetrotting all over the place to chase this guy!”
Tess disagreed. “The Army will not let us back in action until they do a medical evaluation and further debriefing. After that, they will allow us to go on leave for a while. That’s how I plan to chase the bastard.”
Jake threw his arms up in the air. “You are crazy!”
“Thank you,” Tess responded. “I didn’t ask you to go with me. I will take care of this myself.”
“The hell you are. You need me around to make sure you use your head!”
Tess folded her arms on her chest. “You are going to squeeze me again? I swear I will hit you with a brick!”
Jake smiled. “If you think I am going away, you are mistaken. I guess I will take a leave and go with you on this charade.”
Tess was really annoyed now. “It’s not a charade; it’s a little girl’s life. I promised her mother I would take care of her and that is exactly what I am going to do!”
Jake’s realized that there was no dissuading her. “Okay, exactly how do you plan to find the General and the girl?”
“Simple. You use your contacts and intelligence sources to help us narrow down where the bastard is.”
“Do you want me to use government resources for your own private project?”
“I think that the government will be useless in this case. I am just asking you to use your experience as a spook to help me find this guy.”
“I think you are nuts,” Jake observed, “but you are my nut. Okay, let’s do it.”
“Thank you for the compliment sir,” Tess smiled. “Let’s go back to the base and see if we can get some time off from the Army.”
Chapter 11
Naples
“So, what’s the plan?” Jake asked.
“I think that we should get time off and start looking for the bastard in Istanbul where according to his servant he has a house,” Tess replied while driving the Humvee at breakneck speed.
Jake, ever the practical planner, looked at her quizzically. “And how are we going to go to Turkey from here? There is a war going on, in case you forgot.
“I thought that you are the one who is creative. Since you imagination is temporarily in neutral, let’s see if we can get military transportation to the American air base at Incirlik or maybe Izmir in Turkey.”
Jake shook his head. “You will need orders to go there. It would be better to go to Italy, either Sigonella in Sicily or Naples Naval Base. We will still need orders, but it will be easier because the Turks are a pain. They are likely to heavily scrutinize any movements from Iraq. They don’t want to get involved in what we are doing here.”
Tess swerved the vehicle to avoid hitting a stray goat. “So, mister spook, do you think you can get us orders to Italy? I wouldn’t mind having some nice pasta.”
“I will call my contacts and see if they can find a reason to send us there.”
Jake and Tess reached the base, and for the next two days endured a series of briefings and medical evaluations.
Military operations were rapidly reaching a climax with some units entering Baghdad with little active resistance. At this point, it was just a matter of time before the Iraqis finally gave up.
Jake had to pull all his chits, but was able to get orders for both him and Tess to go to Naples to purportedly brief the local CIA operation there on the progress of the war. The next day, they boarded a transport plane and arrived in Naples in short order.
Stepping off the plane, Jake pointed out the obvious. “Okay, Major, now that we are here, we are on our own. We can get leave, but we must fund our flights and expenses in Istanbul. I don’t think my CIA salary will go that far.” Jake actually did have a significant amount of private money; he just wasn’t sure it should be used on a wild goose chase.
Tess responded: “That is not an issue. I have money.”
“Nice to know.”
In fact, Tess did not have a lot of money. She could rely on dad to help, but she didn’t want him to get involved in whatever she was planning to do. She had no intention of worrying him by telling him that she and her partner were going on a dubious adventure.
As soon as they disengaged themselves from the military, they got a cab to downtown Naples. Tess said that she had already made reservations at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio, a beautiful place with balcony rooms and sea views. This was one Tess’s favorite places to stay. Located right on the seafront, the establishment overlooked the Gulf of Naples, the island of Capri and Mount Vesuvius.
Tough as she was, Tess fully enjoyed the creature comforts that her privileged upbringing afforded. She had stayed at this establishment often, as a waystation to her aunt’s vacation place in Capri.
Jake said that he had a better idea.
He directed the cab through the dingy, ancient streets in Naples and stopped by a decrepit iron gate in a lugubrious lane flanked by tall residential buildings with laundry lines on both sides.
Tess was a little dismayed. The entrance from the street was gloomy and uninviting.
Jake grabbed her hand and walked up concrete stairs up to the second floor. He stuffed both of them and their small bags in an old elevator, then started rummaging through his pockets. A little sign advised that you have to pay 10 cents to use the lift - not ideal when you arrive with heavy luggage and without any 10 cent coins! Now Tess understood why Jake had insisted they buy a cup of coffee at the airport.
Miraculously, the coin got the decrepit elevator working, spilling them into the reception area of a Pensione, the Italian version of a B&B.
The guy at the reception desk was helpful and efficient, not overly friendly and welcoming, but okay. He advised the guests that the reception closes at 8 PM, so pay attention to his instructions about which key opens which door for when you return to the Pensione later in the evening.
Tess was ready to walk away, but Jake took her hand and walked into the room. Surprisingly, it was a nice size and was clean, the bed was large and comfortable, plenty of storage space. The bathroom was a bit of a disappointment in comparison. It was clean but showed signs of age, and there were bits of black at the bottom of the shower where years of damp had done damage, also some chips to the door. An ugly and cheap looking shower curtain completed the decor.
Tess looked at Jake quizzically. “I hope you realize that I am used to something better than this.”
Jake smiled. “I am sure you are.”
The room opened out onto a communal terrace, and each room has its own table and chairs. The desk clerk pointed out that they had the option to eat breakfast here. Jake said that they would do so if weather permits.
They dropped the bags in the room and returned to the street. Soon Tess had to admit that the location close to the city center was convenient, easy to get to any attraction. They saw many places to eat nearby and interesting streets for wonderful walks. Little alleyways were packed with people, musicians, sellers, locals, restaurants and stores. So much to see!
Jake finally stepped in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. A chubby older woman saw them and said in Italian, “Signor Jake! Where have you been? You have not visited me for over one year.”
Jake hugged her and introduced her to Tess. “This is Mamma Assunta, the best cook in Naples!”
Mamma hugged Tess as well and declared “Jake, shame on you, you are starving this skinny young girl!” She stood back and looked at her appraisingly. “Not a problem. We will feed her properly! Now sit down.”
The couple parked at a small table, and Tess grabbed one of the grissini bread sticks on top, dipping it into a dish of excellent olive oil. The waiter brought a bottle of wine. Tess noted the label—Taurasi. “I have never heard of this.”
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br /> Jake poured some into her glass. “It’s a local wine.” Tess tasted it, and she realized that it was marvelous, a superb, full-bodied and opulent wine.
No menu was presented, and Jake made no effort to get one.
Tess finally prodded him while chewing on another bread stick, “I am famished!” Jake looked toward the kitchen and declared that the food was on its way. “Mamma does not bother with menus. She just serves what she is cooking at the time.”
A young woman started to bring several serving plates in front of them, far more food that could be handled by two people. Jake explained the dishes. “This is a dish called Pasta Alla Genovese. It has an onion-and-beef sauce similar to French onion soup on rigatoni.”
Tess smelled the heavenly aroma of the dish. “I guess that this is originally from Genoa.”
“Not really,” said Jake. “This is actually the quintessential dish of Naples. Nobody knows why it is called Genovese”.
He pointed at another dish. “This is called polpettone, a vegetable stuffed meatloaf. It’s delicious. And this is called scammaro, which is an eggless frittata cake. It is studded with capers, olives, parsley, a few small diced zucchini and bread crumbs. The locals say that you should also add anchovies, but many tourists don’t like them. Once you try this dish, you will become addicted.”
Tess, starving, did not wait for the presentation of the other dishes. She placed a portion of the food on her plate and started eating. “This is delicious,” she observed.
Jake was still in high gear and pointed out the remaining dishes. This is called tostata di tagliolini, with smoked fior di latte, peas, ham, béchamel sauce and Parmesan. And this is a beautiful rice frittata.”
At this point, Tess realized that if she wanted to hang out with Jake, she would have to accept that she would be eternally subjected to innumerable facts and figures about everything. “Jake, I get it; great food. Now eat.”
Jake followed her advice and heaped food on his plate. This did not stop the lecture. “Most people associate Neapolitan food with red sauces, but that is not necessarily the case. What they cook here is infinitely more sophisticated.”
Tess, diving to taste the dishes, tried to stop the onslaught of culinary intelligence. “Good to know. Now eat,” she repeated. Jake finally shut up and followed Tess’s advice.
The silence did not last long; Jake still provided a running commentary between bites. Tess wished she could use a gag on her partner.
Dessert came. Sfogliatelle, delicious thin layers of baked clam-shaped pastry pockets filled with an oozing, buttery filling of creamy ricotta cheese, sugar, cinnamon and little bits of candied citrus and a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top.
Finally, groaning from overindulgence, they effusively complimented Mamma—it’s the law, an absolute requirement in Italy. They gave her hugs, and Jake assured her that from now on he would feed Tess regularly.
They finally spilled outside, negotiated ancient cobblestones, and joined the locals on their daily evening passeggiata, the civilized custom of taking an after dinner walk to help digest the food, to see and be seen.
After some exploration, Jake and Tess sat at a seaside café, had a coffee and finished with two glasses of wine. They were across from Castel dell’Ovo, jutting out into the bay on a tiny island, one of the oldest castles in Italy built by the Normans. Jake started another historical lecture but pulled back when Tess gave him a dirty look.
They returned to the hotel giddy, almost forgetting the reason for their being there. They both took showers, and Jake lay down in bed, marveling at the spectacularly dismal quality of the local TV service.
Tess came out of the shower with a towel wrapped her body. “Don’t bother with the telly here. It’s not going to improve. Most of the networks are owned by Silvio Berlusconi, and he is betting that the long suffering Italians will tolerate this crap. In any case, we have better things to do.”
She tossed the towel away and got on top of Jake. He didn’t resist.
Tess started kissing him softly, gradually with more intensity. Jake responded, but this time, she would not allow him to have his way. Tess insisted he stay still, and started to kiss his stiff penis. She gently sucked the nub and licked the shaft as if it was a delicacy. “Roger, my ex, was very prudish and unimaginative. He would never allow me to do this,” Tess explained between licks. “Yours is gorgeous; a real masterpiece. I like to be intimately acquainted with something that I take into my body; delicious.”
“Thank you, love, but don’t be rough. I am sure you noticed that I am not circumcised.” Jake tried to move, but she pushed him back.
Tess lowered herself on him, gradually descending, delighting in the sweet invasion into her body. Jake again tried to move, but she kept kissing him, insisting that he remain still. Jake found her desires more and harder to comply with. She continued to kiss him softly, moving at her own pace, and suddenly shuddered with a shattering climax.
She lay still on top of him and started to slowly yield. Jake moved her on her back and gently eased himself into her body again. He moved deeply into her, with slow strokes that increased in intensity. Tess responded again.
Tess felt entirely possessed by her lover and gasped again with delight. Jake spent himself into her. They continued to hold each other until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter 12
Know Thy Enemy
In the morning, they had breakfast and walked to the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, the central library of Naples. Occupying the eastern wing of the 18th-century Palazzo Reale, the library oozed art and royal architecture.
Jake explained. “In quantitative terms this is the third largest library in Italy, after the national libraries in Rome and Florence. It has 1,480,747 printed volumes, 319,187 pamphlets, 18,415 manuscripts, more than 8,000 periodicals, 4,500 incunabula and the 1,800 Herculaneum papyri.”
Tess now realized that Jake’s affinity for facts, figures and an incredible knowledge of history were based on something deeper than enthusiasm.
“I am not sure if I should be impressed or afraid. Or maybe you are joking.”
Jake smiled. “Sorry. I have an eidetic memory, and I remember everything.”
“Everything?” Tess exclaimed. Jake shrugged his shoulders, “Every damn thing: experiences, impressions, people, facts, and figures.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
They were in the library to do some research on the city of Istanbul. They had an address provided by the General’s man at the big house in Iraq. Assuming it was correct, they needed to find the place and understand the environs. They also needed to develop a strategy. They retrieved facts, figures, and maps. Jake did not make any copies. He memorized everything.
Jake briefly summarized their challenge. “Assuming that we can find Amir, he is not likely to hand over Kejal’s girl to us without some less than friendly persuasion. We also have a severe complication; in Turkey, Amir has not broken any laws, so it would not make sense for us to go to the local police. In fact, doing so would result in the local authorities raising a lot of questions.”
Jake logged into one of the CIA databases that contained profiles of most prominent Iraqis and found General Amir Alkan al-Saadi’s file. The information revealed that they were dealing with a formidable opponent.
Amir was groomed to become an Army officer by attending the British Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, where he graduated with honors. He followed this training by graduating from Cambridge University, again with honors.
His ascent in the Iraqi Army was rapid. He was decorated for leading a brigade in the Iran-Iraq war, one of the bloodiest conflicts of the century.
In terms of the tactics used, the conflict has been compared to World War I. Both sides employed large-scale trench warfare with included barbed wire across trenches, machine gun placements, bayonet charges and human wave attacks across a no man’s land.
The combatants also deployed chemic
al weapons such as mustard gas by the Iraqis against Iranian troops. The Iranians responded in kind.
The next act has Amir, as a Colonel, commanding a Republican Guard tank brigade during the first Gulf war. He was one of the few survivors after his unit was annihilated by the Americans.
Considered an important officer in the Iraqi military, Amir wisely managed to avoid becoming a member of Saddam Hussein’s inner circle.
Jake scratched his head. “This guy is tough, experienced, wily and competent, not to mention ruthless. I am not sure how we can persuade him to release the girl, assuming she is still alive.”
Tess, reliving her experience of dealing with Amir, seemed to lose her confidence. “We have everything stacked against us. There must be a way to get to him.”
Jake kept reading. “It appears that he has no intention of getting back to Iraq at any time soon. He probably will wait until the war is over and things have settled down.”
“I think he can afford to do that. It says here that he is old money, has several houses in Europe, and he might be connected all over the place as well. He told me that members of his family have held important diplomatic posts going all the way back to the Ottoman Empire.”
Jake pulled his chair back and interlocked his fingers. “Assuming we find him, we might be able to talk sense into him, and offer him a carrot in exchange for the girl.” Tess raised her head from the computer. “What do you mean by carrot?”
“I am sure that the allies and the new Iraqi government will want to arrest Saddam’s guys so they can answer for their atrocities against their own people. I might be able to work up some sort of immunity deal if he cooperates.”
“Assuming that your contacts can do that, it might work,” Tess observed, “I remember though, that he has been careful to steer away from the less savory actions of Saddam’s camp. He might not feel threatened because he believes that he hasn’t done anything wrong.”