by Sweth Water
She yawned three times.
She went to the restroom to splash some water on her face. She didn’t want to sleep before the flight. Two big mirrors were there and the girls were chattering. If she had to guess, they wouldn’t be more than twenty-three, the age when girls would do stupid things to have fun. She was not among them. She’d spent her early twenties hacking into the giant systems where the intrusion was next to impossible.
They looked at her and giggled and went out.
Rose made a peculiar face and splashed some water over her face. Her face looked tired and her hair was dry. When was the last time she shampooed her hair? Two weeks? Perhaps three. She frowned. She dried her face with her handkerchief. She rarely used tissue papers to wipe her face or hands. She let the breath go normally and walked outside.
The same girls were sitting near her suitcase; she had called Base to ask him to hand over the suitcase that she’d forgotten in the rental car that they took at the railway station. The suitcase that she’d packed in her apartment, she had it with her while boarding the train. She eyed the girls and they moved away. Were they spies? No! She was done with running. It was enough for this life.
She wanted to call Coal one last time before leaving the country. She wouldn’t talk about the baby. No. It was wrong. He would be completely broken if she told him about the baby. Even Gin didn’t know this. And Tom and Chase she might trust that they wouldn’t tell anybody else.
Just once she wanted to hear Coal’s voice.
This time she wouldn’t hang up. She struggled with her thoughts and then frowned. Tears wetted her cheeks. What should she tell him? She was wrong? What if he had the same thought of hearing her voice and didn’t have her cell number? She cursed herself for doing that to Coal. He was such a nice person.
There was never any tear in her eye because of Coal. He never gave her any reason to cry. She would definitely hate him for cooking and giving her some dishes which were worse than shit, though she tasted them. She smiled and wiped the tears.
Yes, she should call him.
She took a deep breath. Feeling the ecstasy of hearing Coal’s voice again.
She dialled his number.
It was ringing, but he didn’t pick up. Maybe he was sleeping. She remembered the last time she called, even then he was sleeping.
“Coal speaking.”
It was him. His voice seemed so soothing to her.
“Coal.”
“Rose?”
She didn’t say anything.
“Please don’t hang up. Please.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. She sobbed. “I won’t.”
“Where are you? I want to meet you. Please.”
“Coal—”
“Please, Rose. Don’t say no. I know ... I know what happened and how Gin planned everything with you.”
“I am so sorry that you had to witness all this, Coal. I really am sorry.” She wanted to cry loudly and hug him so tightly that he wouldn’t let her go. There was no harm in doing that. Then why was she leaving the country?
“I miss you so much, Rose.”
“I miss you too.”
“Then come to me. We can start it again.”
“Coal—”
“Don’t say anything, Rose. Please just come home, baby. I don’t want to lose you.”
Tears blurred everything in front of her. She blinked and the tears fell down on the ground. Giving the pain to him by faking her death was nothing in front of this. Coal’s tone told everything. She wished she were a normal wife who cared nothing but her family. She wished the burden of caring and saving others’ lives hadn’t been on her.
“Coal, I wish someone else should have been there to do this. I wish you wouldn’t know it like this.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. March told me everything. Agent Gin and Agent Taking were here in the house. March was with them.”
Rose sobbed.
“Where are you, Rose? Let me meet you once before you leave me, if you have already decided.”
“I won’t ... leave you.”
“Meet me then. I can come to you.”
“I am going away ... for a while.”
“Why?”
“I don’t ... know.”
“Have you decided this already?”
“I am sorry, Coal.”
“I don’t know what you think you are doing by leaving me. But I want you to know that I love you and always will. There is only one woman in my life and that’s you. My heart is always open for you, Rose. You just have to call me and I will be there for you. I hope you would think again and change your mind.”
“I am so sorry, Coal; I love you too.”
She hung up and cried loudly.
People gathered around her. She ran to the restroom and locked herself there and cried so loud that some woman knocked to check if she was all right. They were just watchers, nothing more. They would realize it if it happened to them. But she was responsible for it. The belief of doing the good things destroyed her life. Maybe it was the price that she paid for not leaving the beliefs she had.
She was there for half an hour. When no tear was left in her eyes, she came out. Her face was red and the eyes were swollen. This was the first time when she cried for so long. It was her fault. And she was going to live with it.
Outside the restroom, all the people were gone. Her belongings were still there. She looked at the clock. It was 9:30 p.m.
Her phone buzzed.
“Rose?” It was President Earl.
“Yes, Madam President.”
“You can call me Earl. We are friends first and then I am the President.”
“Yes, Earl.”
“You reached the airport?”
“Yes. Tom dropped me here.”
“Thank God. I thought he wouldn’t be doing that.”
“He is a nice man, Earl.”
“I know. That’s why he is in RAAD.” Earl sighed. “Why are you leaving, Rose? Everything is set now. I don’t understand.”
“You will one day, my friend. I just can’t stay here for a couple of years. Maybe we will meet some other day.”
“Sure we will.”
“I want to thank you, Earl, for everything that you did today.”
“I should thank you, Rose, for giving us the details that I wouldn’t have got without your help. The nation will not forget the sacrifices you’ve made for others. Take care.”
“You too.”
She grabbed her belongings and walked to the counter to get the boarding pass. She took out the other ticket that she had with her. Of course, she was not going to use the ticket that Earl gave to her; Tom got the ticket from someone on the way to the airport, and the suitcase was handed to the same man by Base. It was not because she didn’t trust her. No, it was because she didn’t want to be tracked by anyone. Even she had not told Base that she had two tickets; one was for today, and another for two days later.
She gave the ticket and ID to the woman standing behind the desk. Her smile was so fake that Rose wished she could tell about it.
“Where are you going, ma’am?” she asked with a smile.
Rose hated that part. It was written on the ticket but these people wouldn’t stop doing the formalities. She tried to have a smile on her face.
“USA. Arlington, Virginia.”
Chapter
42
President Earl sat in the chair. A big table was ahead of her where a big map of Homeland was. The country which sacrificed so many things to get what it had now. Homeland got its independence seventy-eight years back. So many honourable people had sat in the chair where she was sitting now.
She removed her cap and stood up.
She was in the uniform of a soldier. She never liked the idea of the pantsuit. She was a soldier first before the President. And she was the youngest President in the history of Homeland. Thirty-four-year-old she was, as fit as a model. Her brown hair was clamped behind her head and black eyes stared
at the body in the mirror.
She turned and checked herself out. She was beautiful and deadly. On her waist, the gun was holstered. She heard a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
It was Seerat. She was thirty and knew what to do at what time. She was the Chief Advisor of the President. She heard about Seerat when she was campaigning for the elections. A young woman with keen thoughts is deadlier than weapons.
Seerat had a file in her left hand, and pen in the other. She was lean and beautiful. Her black hair was falling over her face. “Madam President.”
“Yes, Seerat?”
“It is 11:30 p.m. You should take some rest. We have a big day tomorrow to address the nation.”
“You have gone through the speech?”
“Yes, ma’am. I took it from Allyson and read it. It is good for the day.”
“Thank you. I will take rest in few minutes.” She walked near the couch and signalled her. “Please have a seat.”
Seerat sat on the couch.
“Finally, the threat is over. I am glad after three months.”
“Rose did the part very well, ma’am.”
Earl nodded. “This covert assessment is over now.” she sat opposite to Seerat.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“We will start arresting the people in the morning.” Earl had the documents that Rose scanned from the Department. She sent over the email and gave the decryption key to Earl. So many people were there on the list, and she believed it was genuine.
Even the Chief of Army was there on the list. It was a big plan and thousands of lives could have lost in the process. If Gin had not doubted on the budget that they had for the military, Earl would never have come to know about it. There was a threat to everyone in the mission, including Earl. The corruption was gone so deep in the system that the people wouldn’t care to take few lives to keep it secret.
Earl met Rose after Rose completed her college. It was before Rose’s marriage when Earl found out about her. She didn’t say anything; she was not the President then. Even if she were, she wouldn’t do anything.
It was after the last battle she fought in that changed everything for her. She was so tired of battling that she needed to have a permanent solution to have peace in the country. And no-one from her country should be encouraging the army to start a war. She was so close to get trapped in the web laid by some people. Many days she stayed in her house after the battle. She had links to the government, and the political parties had known what her status was in the country.
In three battles she had been, leading the men to the posts and coming victorious. She still believed that her presence in the Office was because of the faith that people had in her. Campaign funders also knew about it. There was no news channel which was not talking about her. It’d shocked the whole country. She was the second President in the Office who was a woman.
But before the elections, there was a brief time in her life when she found other methods to connect with people who were ready to do anything to stop the menace in the world. Rose was among them. She had worked with her on many occasions. Through links, she heard Rose’s name and found her very interesting. Since she had been in the Office she had her eyes on Rose. And it proved right that Rose could do something for them without any suspicion. Even now not many people got the right words in their ears.
She didn’t regret the decision to have the martial law in Venhoa. It was necessary. With Rose gone, there was nothing that she could have done. And then Gin disappeared; Taking didn’t tell her until Rose’s brother was caught, he might have his own reasons. She had to have her focus on the documents than Gin. She hoped Gin would understand that one day. And she had to do all the planning to have the three hackers in the Department; her experience in the military helped her a lot.
Earl looked at Seerat, her eyes were down.
“Seerat.”
“Yes, ma’am?” She raised her head.
“You want to say something regarding the arrest? Some other thoughts that you have?”
“Ma’am ...” There was a pause in the words. Words that she thought of not saying.
Earl sighed. “Seerat, you know why you are here?”
“Because I am qualified?”
Earl smiled. Sometimes Seerat talked so innocently like a teenage girl. “Because I love to hear the advice. You are one and only in the staff that would even criticize me when we are alone. Even President Earl?” She laughed. “You have the rights to have different opinions than mine. I respect that. This is what this government is about. I don’t want to bind myself only to my thoughts; that’s why you are here. Now tell me.”
“Few names on the list are ... they are the people who funded our campaign during the election. You are not thinking to arrest them, ma’am, are you?”
“Yes, I am.”
“They will not fund the campaign next time. And there are high chances of them to have the meetings with the Cabinet Ministers to ...” She didn’t say further.
“To replace me. I know. I didn’t ignore that possibility. They will do anything that money can do.” Earl clasped her hands. “They have been pushing us to make the amendments in the policies so that they could have more money. We have been avoiding them for years, Seerat. And I want to stop this once and for all. This is the time to tell them this government will be run by me, not them. The last thing I want is businessmen running my country.”
“What you have in mind, ma’am?”
“I have a plan that we will be discussing with RAAD and Top One.”
“Regarding the arrests?”
“No. Not about the arrests. It will happen, Seerat, and it is going to get ugly. We both know how powerful these people are. More powerful than the governments. That’s what makes them dangerous for everyone living in this or any other country.”
“Are we considering that there will be bloodshed?” She swallowed. “Is there any need of the Operation Blackbuck now?”
President Earl sighed. “We will discuss it tomorrow. Just remember this, Seerat: I am a human being first, and then a soldier, after that a citizen of this country, and at last the President whose campaign was funded by them. My humanity comes before my patriotism, and my life after my patriotism.”
Seerat nodded. “Have you talked with Rose?”
“Yes. She was at the airport. Leaving the country.”
“Why? We are not going to punish her.”
“We aren’t. She is a hard woman to understand. Her words and visions are mixed with her emotions and it changed the way she thinks. I let her go and didn’t ask to stay. It is temporary for sure. Let her take this moment and solve the things in her life.”
“Yes, ma’am. She is an example for everyone. She compromised her marriage to save the people who haven’t even met her. Courage she has.”
“Agree.”
“Are we going to tell the people about it? Her part in the operation?”
Earl shook her head and rubbed her hands. “There will be a threat to her life. I will reward her once we have all those people behind the bars. That can wait few months.” Earl relaxed and blinked. “I can have some sleep now. We will discuss the rest tomorrow.”
“As you wish, ma’am. Tomorrow then.” Seerat rose from the seat.
Earl lost in the thoughts. Especially about her name. Earl? It was so manly. Maybe she was born in Earling that’s why it was chosen by her mother. Often she wondered about it. Maybe her father wanted to have a boy but got a girl.
Seerat looked at her for few seconds.
“Madam President?”
Earl raised her head.
“It won’t be easy to apprehend them.”
She smiled. “I know that, Seerat. That’s why we have RAAD.”
Chapter
43
Three months later
Today
I find myself looking at the streets of Moga.
A small house I bought last month. It is big enough for me. There were bi
g mansions too that I could have bought, but it suited me well. To the east side of the house, wide green fields and long trees are. It gives me a soothing feeling. Even near our house in Earling, trees were enough to give satisfaction to my eyes. Coal let me choose the house then.
And yes, it is a girl. I got to know that when I was in Virginia. God listened to me! I am happy.
I wish Coal were here with me to share this moment.
There was not any day when I didn’t recall the conversations that we had. He misses those things too. Who to blame? It is me who pushed him away. He wanted to be with me. I wasn’t drunk that day, nor was I bovine. I just couldn’t live with him after he found about me; the pain of doing all the things behind his back and seeing my face would break him. He had said to start again. It wouldn’t have worked for sure.
I know Coal more than anyone. Me working for the President behind his back would make me a disgusting person. He would forgive me, if he hasn’t already. He has a kind heart but betrayal is not what he can handle, if we call it betrayal.
We both should leave it behind and hope that life will let us meet again. I haven’t lost the hope. I can go to Homeland any time and meet him. Not now.
I close the window and sit on the bed.
I don’t know what people would think of me when they find out the real story about the breaching in the Department. Will they think of me as a traitor? Or a patriot who saved thousands of lives? Or a senseless woman? I don’t care now. The guilt is there inside of me, not about the breaching or what the people will think but the trust that Coal had, which I might have compromised by nodding to have my part in Earl’s plan.
And then staying in Venhoa even when Coal had believed I was dead. Maybe I was not ready to leave him, or it was because I was ready to tell him the truth. Something stopped me then, even when I called him after my fake death. It was like I would be boring hundreds of needles in his heart. It was so devastating for me. He was not the only one who suffered, some part of me died with it.