by Stan Mason
‘For what reason?’ I challenged suspiciously. ‘You don’t have to take risks like that.’
He clapped his hands for the cups to be removed but instead of the giant Arab who had appeared earlier a beautiful young woman entered the room. ‘Let me introduce you to my daughter, Davina.’
She smiled at us sweetly and began to clear away the crockery. She was a slender attractive young woman with long jet-black hair that almost reached down to her waist. Her face was distinctly Eurasian with black eyes and high cheekbones. I was stunned by her natural beauty, forgetting in that instant my feelings for my wife or Penny. Even when she had left the room, the outlines of her delicate features and her lithe body continued to linger in my mind like that of a haunting refrain.
‘She is the reason for my interest,’ explained Menel. ‘I have all I need for myself. It’s my responsibility that my family can enjoy freedom for the next thousand years without fear or torture. I speak not only for her but for the many young people like her.’
I paused to think for a moment, coming back to reality. ‘Why don’t you present your case to the Chairman of Dandy Advanced Electronics? You might be able to persuade him to do some kind of a deal.’
‘It cannot happen that way. As a commercial organisation, they will still come under the auspices of the British Defence authorities. It would all have to be approved by them and I cannot see them trying to entertain such a request. It could never happen.’
‘If what I’ve been told is true... the oil running out... the rise of Islam... World War Three... the British Government would be foolish to ignore any measure to try to correct the situation.’
‘The British Government would never encompass such an idea. They always wait until it is too late to resolve matter. Peace in our time! Isn’t that what the Prime Minister Chamberlain said in 1939 when he returned from a visit to Hitler... even though intelligence indicated that the Fuehrer was building up armaments at a rate of knots? After that, at least fifteen million people died in the Second World War. We cannot trust any government. Almost certainly they will feel disinclined to act. The United Nations would be useless because many Arab states would use their veto on actions related to force. War would become inevitable if it wasn’t for the 21st Century Crusaders. The main way to resolve the problem is for you to obtain a copy of the plans. Will you do that for us?’
‘I need to give a lot more thought to all that I’ve heard before giving any finite decision,’ I replied unhappily. ‘Yes... a lot of thought.’
‘Good,’ he uttered, as though I had agreed. He removed a buff envelope from an inside pocket of his jacket. ‘This is a microfilm of the plans relating to the new laser gun prototype. They are spurious but you may need to substitute them for the originals.’
He rubbed his moustache with the middle finger of his right hand before passing the envelope to me. Then he clapped his hands twice and the tall bearded Arab reappeared. Menel conveyed an order to him in Arabic after which we found ourselves shepherded out into the street, trying to adjust our eyes to the bright sunlight.
We left the house and started down the narrow street with Menel’s words buzzing in our ears. As we moved out into a wider road, something caused me to turn and I saw the black car coming towards us at speed. It was the same vehicle which had tried to run us down before. I touched Penny’s arm to alert her to the danger and we both began to run towards the crossroads at the end of the road. The black car reached the point at the same time, it’s tyres screeching as it came to a sudden halt. The two front doors opened and a man and a woman slid out of the seats to crouch defensively behind the open doors. I could see that they were both holding revolvers in their hands.
‘Stay exactly where you are!’ commanded the man loudly through a megaphone. ‘Do not attempt to move! We will come to you!’
‘Run!’ urged Penny, giving me a push in the back to start me off.
Before I knew what was happening, my legs were pounding the rough pavement towards an unknown destination. It was obvious our pursuers were not the police... but who were they? I didn’t know and I had no intention of staying to find out. They were the hunters; I was the prey! I couldn’t remember how long I kept running. When I stopped, my body was soaked with perspiration and I could scarcely breathe through exhaustion. I hesitated for a moment to regain my breath, hiding in the shadow of a strange doorway and then closed my eyes. This was becoming a nightmare! But it was real and I was living it therefore I couldn’t afford to rest... not even for a moment... in case they were close behind me. The seconds were too precious to waster... I had to move on! My face felt as though it was on fire, my head throbbed with agonising pain, while the saliva in my mouth tasted strangle like blood. A sense of urgency raced through my tired body at the echoing of footsteps hammering on the rough pavement could be heard only a short distance away. It seemed that whatever direction I took they were bound to find me. I had no idea what had happened to Penny. It was my conviction that she was safe because all the footsteps appeared to be heading towards me.
There were only two of them yet they seemed to be covering every street and alley to prevent me from making my escape.
The footsteps came near but it was difficult to determine their precise location. The only advice I could offer myself was to run like the Devil for as long as possible despite the fact that I had no idea where I was going. As I was about to drag my weary limbs a little further, I heard the faint noise of an approaching motor car. If I could get a lift, I would be able to clear the area before anyone realised that I had gone. The vehicle came into sight some distance away. It was a bright red car racing at a fast rate down the street towards me. I stepped off the kerb waving my arms wildly n an attempt to make the driver stop. There was a loud squeal as he applied the brakes and the car swerved dangerously before coming to a halt. The driver leaned out of the window to hurl a torrent of abuse at me but, before I could get to it, he had restarted the motor and driven off. Dispiritedly, I returned to the comfort of a darkened doorway. They would soon be closing in! I ran down the next street and turned into an alley, leaning against a wall as my lungs heaved painfully in my chest as I gasped for breath. The voices of the hunters sounded very near and I pressed on to find myself confronted by a wall that was some ten feet in height. At the top there were long slivers of glass embedded in cement to deter unwelcome intruders. As the man and woman appeared at the end of the alley behind me, a voice called out my name above me. Penny held a large rock in her hands which she dashed down on the glass slivers, smashing them to pieces, Then she quickly laid a discarded rug over the top and leaned out over the wall extending her arms to help carry me over it. I glanced at the dangerous edges of the nearby slivers and hesitated for a moment.
‘Now!’ she called out imperatively. ‘It must be now!’
Ny fear of the known was less than the fear of the unknown however instinctively I grabbed her arms hoping that her strength was sufficient to get me over. She wedged her feet against the other side of the wall and pulled me up slowly until I could get my leg over the top and scramble over. Then we both ran through a strange house into the next street disappearing as fast as well could away from the area. The left leg of my trousers was torn and my knee was bleeding badly. We stopped for a moment while she used my handkerchief to stem the blood and then continued at a more manageable pace. We had left the hunters behind and had escaped.
But life was never going to be that simple. Less than five minutes later, the black car appeared before us again and once more Penny and I set off in different directions Not knowing the geography of the area, I hurried off in a westerly direction which led me to a line of warehouses at the edge of the docks. It wasn’t long before I discovered that every one of the warehouses was locked. The only protection afforded me were the cranes on the wharf. I chose a derrick with a jib, hoping it would maximise protection but, to my dismay, a gunshot rang o
ut as I began to climb the iron giant. This was followed by further shots which ricocheted off the metalwork. I had no means of escaping from my dilemma this time. In my condition, climbing the derrick was no mean feat but it was only a matter of time before they gunned me down. Then I heard the sound of a motor car approaching the area. My heart sank as I recognised the black car again. However despair rose to elation as it drove menacingly towards the first assailant. The man tried to race to the refuge of the nearest warehouse but his attempt was soon denied. The nearside bumper of the approaching vehicle struck him hard behind his legs and he was mowed down without mercy a long way short of the sanctuary. The car then turned swiftly moving towards the other assailant. He decided not to move, holding the gun in front of him, aiming it directly at the driver of the car. He fired four shots in quick succession which bounced off the bullet-proof windshield of the vehicle and was then struck with such fierce force that his body soared through the air like a missile to disappear into the sea.
The door of the car opened and Penny climbed out. ‘Some people are really stupid, you know,’ she called out coolly as though nothing serious had happened. ‘They left the keys in the ignition when they came after you.’
I was full of suspicion with regard to my secretary. How did she come to find the black car, let alone drive it? Why would the second assailant insist on firing his gun at the windshield when he knew it was bullet-proof. What was Penny’s role in all this debacle? There were so many questions flooding my mind! I climbed down off the derrick trembling like a leaf. I reckoned I had lost a few pounds in weight during the chase, not only from the effect of running but from the fear itself.
‘Come on!’ she continued with an element of amusement in her voice. ‘Climb in and I’ll drive us home in style. I’m not pushing the car into the sea when we can make use of it.’
When we reached Arlosoroff Road the telephone was ringing. I took my time to open the door but it was clear the caller intended to wait indefinitely for an answer. I picked up the receiver and grunted into the mouthpiece. The voice was imperative.
‘Jason! You mustn’t let Miss Smith know who’s calling,’ she began. ‘Just keep listening and say nothing. This is Davina... Menel’s daughter. We must meet as soon as possible. I’ll be at the New York, New York restaurant in Tel Aviv in twenty minutes. I have information about your wife. You must come alone and not tell anyone about this conversation. Just say okay if it’s all right.’
‘Okay,’ I answered quickly.
‘Good!’ she returned. ‘Twenty minutes. And say nothing to Miss Smith!’
The line went dead and I replaced the receiver into its cradle.
‘Who was that?’ asked Penny inquisitively.
‘Look,’ I told her without answering her question. ‘I have to go out for a while. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.’
‘But you need some attention to your knee,’ she said.
I shook my head. ‘It’ll have to wait. I’ll see you soon.’
A look of surprise appeared on her face as I walked out but I couldn’t afford to take any chances. I hailed a taxi which took me to the New York, New York restaurant and sat at a table waiting for Davina to show up. In my mind, I could not stop thinking about her long black hair, her dark penetrating eyes and her high cheekbones but after a while I began to start looking into the distance in anticipation for she was nowhere to be seen. Foolishly, I began to make excuses for her however there was little comfort in such deception. Twenty minutes went by, then forty, then fifty until an hour had passed. I became tired to look any more at my wristwatch. I wanted the information about Jan desperately but it seemed unlikely I would get it. Then after three cups of coffee, I decided to leave. I settled the bill and started to walk away. I had hardly taken a dozen steps when she appeared and took hold of my arm.
‘Davina!’ I said softly. ‘Where have you been?’
‘I’m sorry. It wasn’t possible to get here earlier,’ she explained briefly. ‘I couldn’t contact you. There are too many eyes... too many ears. Let us walk and talk!’
There was clearly an affinity between us. I felt strongly attracted towards her and, from the look in her eyes, she felt the same way about me. I took her hand and we strolled for a short distance without speaking. Then I stopped and faced her squarely, rubbing my hand gently across her cheek with affection. She leaned her face into it indicating her feelings. ‘You’re so beautiful... ‘I began passionately.
She placed the tips of her fingers to my lips to silence me. ‘Don’t say anything... please! This is merely a fleeting moment of our time... a single second spent in eternity. Let us carry it in our personal thoughts for the rest of our days as a cherished moment of our lives.’
I stared at her with a puzzled expression on my face unable to follow her train of thought. ‘What are you trying to say?’ I asked.
There was no immediate reply and we turned to walk on a little further. ‘In my world,’ she began, ‘our customs are ancient, our beliefs profound, and faith is total. In your world, love is important, pleasure ranks high, while freedom is paramount. What I am telling you is that you can fall in love with me but I am not allowed to do the same with you. You see, my father betrothed me at birth to the son of one of his friends and that’s a promise which cannot be broken. I am bound to honour my father’s wishes.’
‘Do you love the man? The one to whom you’re betrothed.’
‘It makes no difference whether I love him or not. Those are the facts.’
‘The facts!’ I blurted out sharply. ‘What are the facts? That one night over a few drinks many years ago your father and his friend made a foolish drunken promise designed to end in misery for their children. Is that what you’re saying?’
‘Believe me, nothing can change the situation.’
‘And what if I invited you back to England?’
She laughed for a moment and then sadness filled her eyes. ‘I must fulfil my father’s promise. It’s a bond that cannot be broken. The stars will record for eternity that Davina fulfilled her father’s promise to marry Musaph. The stars live on for ever; emotions of love or hate exist only for a brief span of years. But let us talk about your wife. My father has news of Jan... if that’s her name. She’s being held in the East End of London at St. Katherine’s Dock near Tower Hill. I hope I pronounced it correctly.’ She handed me a sheet of paper. ‘Here are the details!’ I took it and she clutched my hand firmly. ‘You’re a handsome man, Jason Scott. Perhaps in another time, in another world, in another life!’ She kissed my hand tenderly and darted away becoming lost in the crowd.
I stood for a long time in the same spot thinking about her. I had the feeling that we would never meet again. The responsibility of her father’s promise was greater than the love any many could offer her. If she failed to honour that promise, she would be filled with guilt for the rest of her life not only for reneging on her father but also of the religion. It was an invisible barrier to happiness that could not be overcome. Mankind had built many of them to mock civilisation itself. And at the end of it all, I had no right to think about her. I was not only married but I had a mistress as well. So I walked all the way back to Arlosoroff Road trying to expunge the image of Davina from my mind once and for all.
Penny met me with an inquisitive expression in her eyes when I returned. I could hardly blame her. ‘We have to get back to England,’ I informed her bluntly. ‘I have the address where they’ve taken Jan.’
‘Who gave you this information.’ she demanded suspiciously.
I passed the sheet of paper to her. ‘Menel’s daughter. She was the one who telephoned. She insisted I met her alone and told no one about it. I respected her wishes.’
‘She could have told you this over the telephone!’
‘You’ll have to ask her the answer to that one,’ I retorted.
‘I’d like to,’ she snapped in annoyance, ‘seeing you were gone for the best part of nearly three hours.’ She waved the sheet of paper in her hand. ‘Was this the whole message?’
‘Yes... it was.’
‘And it took nearly three hours to deliver it. What’s going on?’ She moved towards me jealously until her face was only a few inches away from mine. ‘What do you take me for, Jason?’
I put my arms around her waist and pulled her close to me. ‘What do I take you for? I take you for everything. My love, my heart, my life.’ Then I kissed her firmly on the lips.
Her body went limp for a few moments and then she broke away. ‘Jason Scott... you’re the biggest rogue I’ve ever known!’
‘That makes two of us, Miss Smith,’ I countered. ‘I thought of you as an innocent secretary only a few days ago, but you’ve told me nothing of the truth. And you’ve killed people in cold blood.’
My attitude mollified at the sight of her dismay and I moved towards her to hold her in my arms again. ‘There’s one thing I haven’t thank you for though. That’s for saving my life when Duran was about to kill me. For that I’m very grateful.’
She kissed me on the forehead tenderly. ‘One day, you may have to return the favour. I hope you won’t forget.’
I thought about her comment for some time wondering what she meant. No doubt, in the light of the things that were happening, the future would reveal the truth!
Chapter Seven
It was late in the evening when we arrived at Ben Gurion Airport. Penny decided to circulate while I bought the airline tickets. It was a busy night and I had to stand in a queue of people with the same purpose in mind. When it was my turn, I had to provide details which the computer operator started to commit to the computer. However, as soon as I mentioned my full name, she pressed a button on her desk and raised her left arm in the air. Within seconds, two security officers rushed to the scene. Before I knew what was happening, they took me by my arms and whisked me away down a corridor.