by Andres Mann
“We can’t let him go yet,” Tess said, “He hasn’t told us what he knows.”
Jake pointed out the obvious. “He will not be able to do anything for a while; in fact, he will die if we don’t care for him soon. The problem is what are we going to tell the Iraqi Army? They will want some answers.”
Nicola suggested a plan. “We will tell them that we found the General in the desert. He was beaten up by the terrorists that had captured him. He is so messed up that it will take some time before he can tell them what actually happened, and by that time we will be all be gone.”
Tess disagreed. “Jake, we still don’t know where our son is.”
“True, we don’t know and Amir is not in a condition to tell us. We have to find out another way to get the kids.”
Tess looked at the battered team in front of her. She kneeled in the sand and covered her eyes with her hands. Total failure was a real possibility. ‘I messed things up again,’ she told herself. Jake came over and gave her a hug.
Chapter 60
A World of Pain
The team paid some local men to take Amir to a hospital. The Jordanian authorities believed the story that unknown terrorists had left him for dead. The Iraqi army was notified. They promptly sent a helicopter to Jordan, picked up the wounded man and put him in a hospital in Baghdad.
Amir woke up sometime later. A morphine drip helped reduce the pain. Most of his face was bandaged. He felt absolutely awful.
Investigators tried to ask him questions, but it was obvious that Amir was in no condition to talk. He could not even write. Later, an Iraqi investigator asked him to tell him what had happened. Amir was too proud to admit that a woman had done so much damage to his face. He slowly wrote on a pad, stating that he was seized by terrorists apparently looking for a payout; Amir had refused, so they tried to beat him to death. He had no idea who the men were because they were wearing masks all the time. The investigator was satisfied and promised he would keep working to find and arrest the evildoers.
Two days went by and Amir was able to focus with his one good eye. Doctors told him the obvious. The left side of his face was a mess. They were worried about damage to the eye socket. They had patched him up as best as they could, but he needed to go a clinic in Europe for facial reconstruction.
Kemal, Amir’s factotum, made the arrangements. As soon as Amir could be moved, they loaded him on a plane and flew him to Geneva. An ambulance took him to a specialized facial reconstruction clinic. The doctors told him that they could not start plastic surgery right away. They needed to repair the most severe damage first. As expected, Amir went through hell. The pain was excruciating, only slightly mitigated by drugs.
Doctors prepared to repair portions of the skull, nerves, eyes, facial bones, and facial skin. The team included a head and neck surgeon for craniofacial reconstruction, a plastic surgeon for the skin and face and a neurosurgeon for the brain and nerves.
The surgeries were performed under general anesthesia. Each procedure lasted four to twelve hours. The surgeons cut and moved some of the bones of the face, moved tissues around and reconnected blood vessels and nerves using microscopic surgery techniques. They took some bone grafts from the pelvis and ribs to fill in spaces where they had moved bones of the face and head. Small metal screws and plates were used to hold the bones in place. They wired the jaws together to hold the bone positions in place. To cover the holes the doctors took flaps from the chest wall and thigh.
The surgeries caused swelling of the face, mouth and neck that lasted for weeks. During the early stages of reconstruction swelling blocked air flow and they had to perform a temporary tracheotomy, a small hole in the neck through which a tube was placed in the trachea. This allowed Amir to breathe for as long as his face and upper airway were swollen.
In the end, they were able to save the damaged eye. Amir looked at the grotesque image in the mirror and cringed. He finally asked Kemal to call his sister Fadime with the news of his indisposition.
During his recovery, Amir was facing a long period of pain and suffering but still kept obsessing about Tess, remembering their more tender moments. ‘I am cursed’ he told himself, ‘I am still in love with a woman that is more dangerous than a wild tiger. Perhaps I am a masochist after all.’
Chapter 61
Sorrento
Jake, Tess, Carmen and Nicola flew to Naples where they joined the rest of the team at Tess’s favorite, the Hotel Vesuvio.
Joe Slezak, the geek, had some important news. From the credit card receipts, it appeared that Fadime, Amir’s sister, was now living in Sorrento, not far from Naples. George Kimmel then did what Intelligence guys do: he drove to Sorrento and visited several real estate agencies. He zeroed in on the women working in the offices and charmed them with his boyish good looks. He told them that he was looking to rent a big villa because he was expecting a bunch of friends from America to join him for a celebration. The star-crossed Signorine told him that most houses were already rented for the season. George insisted on the particulars on who was currently renting the places and when the tenants were scheduled to vacate the premises. Then he snooped all over the place, checking out large villas with high privacy walls that had been recently rented, and narrowed down the possibilities to five houses, one of which might be Fadime’s residence.
The team moved to the Hotel Ambasciatore, a Sorrento hotel located on a cliff, with a spectacular view of the sea below and decided to monitor each house on the list. It took them five days to work through a process of elimination. One house was rented by Germans; a second one appeared to be a high-class bordello. A third villa was taken over by a raucous group of young people. A fourth was rented by an elderly Italian couple and their extended family. The fifth villa had potential. George could see nothing much there other than delivery trucks.
Tess was desperately hoping for a break this time around. “George, you said that you and your people did not see the occupants come out at all? It doesn’t sound like Fadime. She can’t live without shops and restaurants. Being cooped inside is just not like her.”
“She could be lying low for a while,” said Jake, “but if it is Fadime. Sooner than later she will tire of staying in the house, and will not be able to resist going out to do what she enjoys. I would be willing to bet that if it is her in that house, that shortly she will want to go to town.”
“Let’s make sure that we have the house under surveillance around the clock,” said George. “I have flown in two men to help us out. The villa is close to the hotel and it is also built on a cliff over the sea, so we only have to monitor the front entrance.”
There was nothing much to do but wait; the team set out to check out the town. Tess, Jake, Carmen, and Nicola went out to eat.
The small city of Sorrento is famed for its sea cliffs; the town’s steep slopes look out over the Mediterranean waters to Ischia, Capri and the Bay of Naples. It also offered some excellent diving, great sea fishing, boat cruises and restaurants.
The group took a walk on the main street, full of chic stores and restaurants. They finally settled on Ristorante Bagni Delfino. They started with a small glass Limoncello, a local specialty and enjoyed the delightful fresh lemon aroma of the liqueur. The pasta dishes were particularly good, especially the seafood gnocchi, risotto and signature pasta with clams, prawns and courgettes, tiny zucchini. They also had sea bass, beautifully cooked and filleted at the table.
“You Italians know how to live,” quipped Jake, looking at Nicola.
“It’s what we do best,” Nicola responded. “Life is too short not to enjoy it.”
“Amen,” was the unanimous response. They raised their glasses of wine and had a toast.
Tess could not relax. “I really hope that George is correct and that we found Fadime’s house.”
“That’s all we have to go on at this time,” Jake added.
They paid the bill and went out on the streets. It was a pleasant walk, the storefronts modern and full of
luxury goods. The walked past a fine leather store and Tess froze. Fadime was shopping for a bag inside.
The group retreated far enough to observe Fadime without being discovered. They did not want her to recognize Tess.
Fadime gave her credit card to the shopkeeper and left with a bag full of stuff. She walked along the streets, apparently enjoying the evening breeze. She eventually headed toward her house, precisely the one that George had identified. A guard let her in, and she walked through a garden path to go inside.
Carmen was excited. “We got her. We know for sure where she lives.”
“Yes we do,” Jake said. I just hope she has the kids.”
Tess was ready to call the cavalry and charge into the place. Jake, as usual restrained her. “Tess, we need to plan this carefully; it’s our only chance to do this right.”
Jake got on the cell phone and told the team to meet them at the hotel. They assembled on the outside terrace. Jake told them that they saw Fadime in the town shops. They needed to develop a plan of action and spent the next two hours working on it.
Chapter 62
Fadime
Fadime was doing her best act like a mommy to little Morgan and Aara. It didn’t work out very well. She had trouble spending more than 10 minutes with the kids before becoming impossibly bored. She did not appreciate the joy and privilege of interacting with young minds and helping children learn new things. By default, most of their care was entrusted to nannies.
She loved Aara, Amir’s daughter but barely knew the boy, the fruit of Amir’s seduction of Tess. Fadime considered their lovemaking during that fateful night in England as the epitome of passionate eroticism. Not only she had secretly videotaped their entwined bodies in action, but she had played the video every time she felt in the mood for serious entertainment. Amir burned one copy of the video after he fell in love with Tess, but Fadime kept a spare and did not tell him about it.
Now she was bored to death. She had reluctantly agreed to look after the children as a favor to her older brother which she loved with an incestuous passion. This obligation and the necessity to keep a low profile prevented her from seeing one of her many local lovers and she missed his company. She couldn’t wait for things to go back to normal.
The team got into position at dusk. They deployed to the perimeter. Fortunately, it was a moonless night, and their dark clothes made them practically invisible.
Using infrared equipment, John Powers, the weapons guy, spotted two security guards. Others appeared to be kitchen staff and servants. There was no sign of the children.
Jake and Tess wanted to avoid violence and decided to attempt a face-to-face confrontation with Fadime first. The team would stay in place on the perimeter in case things got nasty.
Tess and Jake walked to the gate. A guard immediately rushed toward them. “We would like to talk to Madame Fadime,” Tess announced.
The guard looked at them suspiciously. “There in no one of that name here.” He adjusted the strap of his Uzi over the shoulder to make a point. “You go away; now!” Jake raised his arm as a signal. Ken Ross appeared behind the guard and hit him on the head to put him out. Then he took the keys and opened the gates. The other guard was on patrol behind the building. John Powers whacked him on his head as well and sent him napping along with his colleague at the front gate.
The coast was clear and Jake and Tess rushed to the front door which was not locked. They charged into the house, followed by the men who quickly started to sweep the various rooms for signs of the occupants. Then they ran upstairs. Fadime was in her bedroom reading a book.
Tess signaled the team to stay back and entered the room. “Hi, Fadime, remember me?”
Fadime was startled, but quickly recovered. “Tess, what a pleasure to see you again! Are you looking for Amir? I am afraid he is not here.”
“You know why I am here, Fadime. I want the children. Where are they?”
“What children? Alas, you know that I don’t have any of my own, Tess. You must be mistaken.”
“Fadime, I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for you, but I can change my mind if I have to. I repeat, where are the children?”
“I already told you that I don’t know what you are talking about. There are no children here.”
“Then you don’t mind if we look around a bit?” This was an unnecessary question because the team was already combing the house.
Fadime assumed a relaxed pose on the sofa. “So, how have you been, Tess? I understand that you gave birth to Amir’s son. I know that he is deliriously happy about finally siring a male heir.”
Tess felt anger build up. “Fadime I don’t want to hurt you, but I will beat you senseless if you don’t stop evading my question.”
“Tess, Amir called me from Geneva and told me that you beat him badly. The poor man, I did not know he is now enjoying S&M. I hope you were not too rough on him.”
“Actually, I was very rough on him; he is going to spend a lot of time reconstructing his face. You might not recognize him when he is finally patched up.”
“That was mean, Tess; and to think he loves you so. Don’t you remember the incredible night of passion you spent with him? Shame on you.”
Jake walked in, holding little Morgan in his arm. “Found them, Tess.”
Little Morgan recognized his mother and sprouted a huge smile. Tess tore the child from Jake’s arms and put the child on her breasts, hugging and kissing him, her eyes tearing with joy
Tess now thought of the other child. “Jake, do you have Aara too?”
“Yes, she is just outside the door. Tess handed the boy over to Jake. Carmen had Aara by the hand. Tess went to her and opened her arms to welcome the child. The five-year-old Aara did not respond. She put her thumb in her mouth and stared at Tess with her haunting eyes.
“Aara, it’s me, Tess. Don’t you remember me?”
The child remained impassive. Tess tried to take her in her arms, as she had done before, but the child did not move.
“Aara, I know that I hurt you when I had to leave you before, but I am back now. Please come to me.”
The child hesitated for a moment and then ran to Tess, who picked her up. Aara put her arms around Tess’s neck, squeezing as hard as she could. “Miss Tess, don’t leave again.”
“I will not leave you, sweetheart. I will take you with me.”
“Forever?” asked the child.
“Forever.”
Fadime walked toward them. “Tess, there is something that you need to see.”
“I am not sure I am interested in anything that a liar wants to show me.”
“You better see this, in private. Send the others away.”
“Okay, Fadime, I will humor you this one time.” The women walked into the bedroom and Tess told the team to leave them alone.
Carmen and the men looked at her with a puzzled expression but complied. Fadime closed the door.
“Please sit, Tess,” said Fadime while she pushed a button on the DVD player. The video was in high-definition color and initially showed the interior of Amir’s bedroom suite at the house outside London. Tess appeared and Amir took her toward the bed. He started to inspect her like a horse at a market. She finally dropped her robe and Amir expressed his admiration. The next few scenes displayed their lovemaking in exquisite detail. Tess was horrified.
“Stop this Fadime, I have seen enough. It’s hard to believe that you are so depraved to do this to me and your brother.”
“Oh, Tess, my brother was the star performer. He enjoyed making this video immensely, and we played it together many times. It is very entertaining, no?”
Tess grabbed Fadime by the throat. “Tell me why I should not strangle you right now!”
Fadime waited for Tess to take her hand off. The woman was strong. Her throat hurt, but Fadime was not dissuaded. “Tess, I am sure you understand that I can post this video on the Internet any time I choose. I have another copy that I made specifically for that purpose
. What I propose is a bargain.”
“Do you really think that I care about this video hitting the internet? What would it prove?”
“It would disclose to the world that an American officer and the daughter of a celebrated General fornicated with abandon with a Muslim man. It would create a scandal; are you ready to endure the consequences of a seriously pornographic video being sent to all the important people that deal with your father? How about your husband? He has already been humiliated by your having Amir’s child. How much can you ask him to bear?”
“What’s the point, Fadime? What do you want?”
“I want you to leave us in peace, with the children, of course. I want you to stay away forever. If we detect any evidence of interference, we will release the video.”
“Don’t you think that the video would embarrass the great General Al-Saadi as well, Fadime, especially since he has prospects of becoming the new Saddam of Iraq?”
“Alas, things are different for men. Amir’s star would actually rise. He will be viewed as a virile, strong man that can rule a country in the same way he ravishes a woman. The people will elevate him into a God.”
“Fadime, I am not impressed. I am sure you know that I almost killed Amir. I ruined his face, and he will suffer the fires of hell before he can show himself again in public. As for you, you are a useless, corrupt parasite with no sign of human decency. Why should I not kill you?”
“Because you don’t want your legacy and that of your father destroyed. Because your husband would not be able to live with the shame of your disgrace. Because the world would look at you like a whore, and would hold you in contempt for the rest of your life.”
“Fadime, there is no way I am going to give up my son, even if I end up living in a cave. And I am going to take Aara away from you and your brother — sick and depraved people.”