“So, how do you want to handle security?”
Andreas bit at his lower lip. “Shut everything down as much as we can.” He pointed to the town square only a few feet away from where they sat. One-story buildings, virtually all tavernas, surrounded a flagstone square containing a broad walkway encircling a slightly elevated central oval set off from the rest of the square by a foot-high stonewall. Within the oval children played and the town celebrated civic events and festivals.
“That walkway connects to the municipal parking lot at the far end. So does the path running along the front of the monastery and behind the tavernas on this side of the square. Vehicles aren’t supposed to use them, so let’s make sure we keep them out.”
“Yeah, but locals drive where they want.”
“Not tonight,” said Andreas
“What about people who want to get inside the church?”
Andreas shrugged. “No ticket, no laundry. If they’re not on the list they don’t get in.”
“I see, you’re planning on doing everything you can to piss off the locals,” said Tassos.
“I’m not running for mayor, I’m trying to keep my family alive. Which reminds me. I want a metal detector. Put it over there,” Andreas gestured with his hand toward an archway containing a brass-trimmed red door. It was the only door on the monastery’s four-story front wall. “And make sure to put it on the outside of the archway, before anyone can get into the courtyard and anywhere near the church.”
“How the hell are we going to find a metal detector, get it here, and up and running in time for the wedding?”
Andreas looked at his watch. “When is Yianni arriving?”
“On the noon boat.”
“Good, tell him that as soon as he lands to see the director of airport operations and borrow a metal detector.”
“The airport can’t do that, it needs the detector to screen departing flights.”
Andreas shook his head. “We’ll borrow one that they use for charter flights heading out of Greece. They fly out of a different gate than domestic flights.”
“I get it, let’s just delay and piss-off the tourists, not the Greeks,” smiled Tassos.
“No, wiseass, charters use two detectors, domestic only one.” Andreas waved toward the monastery. “And let’s make it obvious security is tight. I want to discourage as many bad intentions as I can, or at least force an uncalculated risk that might give us an edge.”
“Things could be set to happen when you come out of the church service.”
Andreas patted Tassos’ forearm. “I’m trusting you to make sure there aren’t any snipers out there. We don’t want another Syntagma.”
Tassos pointed to the sky. “If we want to get really paranoid, there could be a drone, one of those unmanned aerial vehicles, drifting around up there just waiting to take out the whole village.”
Andreas smiled. “Let’s just hope whatever might be planned is of human rather than divine proportions, and that nobody’s perfect, which should make the bad guys as worried as we are that something might go wrong.” Andreas stood up. “Come on, let’s take a look inside the monastery.”
“I already checked it out, and three of my Syros cops are stationed in the courtyard under orders not to allow anyone in without personal clearance from the abbot. Even then, no one gets to go anywhere in the monastery without one of my guys for company.”
“Sounds good. Thanks.” Andreas looked at his watch. “I guess I better get back to Lila’s. Our families are expecting me. Last chance to bust my you know what before the wedding.” He grinned.
Tassos nodded toward the monastery’s front door. “Come on, let’s take a quick look inside anyway. You won’t get a chance to appreciate the beauty of the place later. That’s what happens when it’s your own wedding.”
Or funeral.
The whitewashed rectangular monastery of Tourliani, with its blood-red dome, soaring intricately carved marble bell tower, and fortress-like perimeter walls cutting it off from the rest of the village was the architectural highlight of Ano Mera.
Andreas and Tassos stood in the stone and marble courtyard between the archway and the church. Stairs and doorways off that cloistered space led to the warren of rooms so common to monasteries. There seemed an endless number of places to hide.
Andreas waved his right hand at the doorways. “You’ve checked them all?”
“Every single room, nook, and cranny. The abbot assured me we saw places even the Germans didn’t find during World War II, and I don’t have to tell you how hard they looked. Whoever and whatever is in here belongs here.”
Andreas drew in and let out a breath. I hope so, he thought.
Tassos pointed at the church. “Let’s go take a look inside.”
Andreas followed Tassos the few steps to the church’s central doorway, but stopped just outside.
It was a Byzantine church at the center of the monastery, built upon eight slabs of marble. Three front doors opened onto three aisles draped with silver incense holders and crystal chandeliers. Each aisle led to the massive, elaborately carved, 18th Century baroque iconostasis separating the main part of the church from the altar area. The iconostasis was covered in icons and gold, and painted with red, green, and gold leaf flowers. Carvings of the apostles ran along its top and above it all loomed the elaborately painted dome of the church-with its four small windows.
Tassos pointed up at the windows in the dome. “We checked, and the only thing that could get an angle on anyone inside is a bird. And if one craps on you that’s good luck.”
“Thanks, I could use it,” said Andreas.
“Why are you standing outside?”
Andreas grinned. “For sort of the same reason you want a bird to target me. It’s bad luck to go inside your church on your wedding day without your bride.”
“Never heard that one before.”
“Probably because I just made it up.” Andreas laughed. “But doesn’t it seem an unlucky thing to do?”
Tassos laughed. “No argument here. If that’s your instinct, go with it. Mine is to light a candle.”
Andreas nodded. “Make it a big one.”
They were almost back to Lila’s parents house when Andreas’ phone rang.
Andreas looked at his phone. “It’s Yianni.” Andreas put his phone on speaker. “I’m here with Tassos. What’s up?”
“I found three cameras that were operating during the period of time we’re interested in. I’ve been looking at tapes non-stop since four this morning.”
Andreas looked at this watch. It was almost ten. “You must be bored to death by now.”
“Not really, amazing the things that go on outside bars at night. Especially in parked cars.”
Andreas looked at Tassos. “I’m sure you’re not calling just to chat about how easily you get turned on.”
“I’ll take that to mean you want me to get to the point. I’ll make it simple. About fifteen minutes ago, my time, the two Carausii brothers exited the bar with two women.”
“Could you make out their faces?”
“And just about everything else. The guys could hardly wait to get them to their motorbikes.”
“Spare me the details. Do you think we can get an ID?”
“I’ve sent the tape off to Athens to see if any of our vice guys recognize the girls as pros or can find someone on the streets who knows them.”
“I want a copy, too,” said Andreas.
Kouros laughed. “On your wedding day? It might tarnish your view of ‘love ever after.’”
“Just bring it, wise-ass.” Andreas looked at Tassos. “I’ll look at them tomorrow.”
“Will do. See you in a few hours. Bye.”
Tassos smacked his hands together. “Things are looking up. We finally got a break. Today’s our lucky day.”
Andreas smiled, “I sure as hell hope so.”
Chapter Fifteen
Andreas made it back with Tassos from the monastery in t
ime to spend most of his Sunday morning playing with Tassaki and reminiscing with Lila’s mother and father, his mother, sister, brother-in-law, two nephews, and niece. It seemed the best stories were those that made Lila blush and Andreas threaten to start shooting if another word were said. Maggie, Kouros, more friends, and family started showing up around two in the afternoon. It was fast approaching show time.
Traditionally, when two locals married, several hours before the service the bride, her family, and friends gathered at her parents’ home, and the groom did the same at his parents’ place. Amid singing, drinking, and nuts symbolizing fertility, everyone pitched in to make sure the groom was readied and the bride prepared. The groom and his entourage, accompanied by musicians, always arrived at the church first, to cool his heels waiting outside for his bride to arrive.
But Andreas was from Athens and staying at Lila’s family home, so the only traditions for him to observe were to keep out of Lila’s way and make sure that he made it to the church ahead of her. Two hours before the ceremony Andreas told his mother and sister that he was leaving for the church and that they should come with Lila’s family.
His mother laughed, calling him a “nervous bridegroom.”
Tassos and Kouros left with him.
It was a fifteen-minute drive to Ano Mera, most of it over one-time donkey trails and the last few on the main highway between Ano Mera and Mykonos town. At a road next to a walled-in field running from the highway up to the rear wall of the monastery Tassos slowed to make a turn. Andreas noticed that the access gates to the field were closed and two marked police cars sat in the field.
Tassos jerked his head in the direction of the police cars. “I told them no one gets into that field, and they’re to stay put until the ceremony is over and everyone’s gone.”
Andreas nodded.
Tassos parked at the upper edge of the monastery wall, taking care to block the entrance to the narrow lane running along the front of the monastery.
“That shouldn’t be a problem for Lila,” said Tassos. “She’s coming in from the other side. Does she know what to expect?”
“I told her Spiros went crazy on security, that he insisted on a metal detector and military.”
“Did she believe you?” said Kouros.
“I think so. After all, Greek government ministers aren’t very popular these days and she knows what an ass-kisser Spiros can be.” Andreas waved in the direction of the entrance to the monastery. “Let’s see how things are going over there.”
The three walked past the monastery’s fenced-in garden. Its gates were locked and two uniformed cops stood inside.
“So far so good,” said Andreas.
The wedding was called for six-thirty. Guests had been drinking for hours, either at Lila’s home or in one of the dozen tavernas surrounding the town square. Cops had been standing in the sun for most of the early afternoon with nothing much more interesting to do than look at each other and hustle an occasional passing girl. They were all young, and Andreas knew they had to be wondering what bad luck had them here, instead of at home with their families or hanging out with friends.
Kouros nodded toward the archway in the monastery’s front wall. “I’ll check on how that guy’s coming along with setting up the metal detector.”
“Those kids across from the entrance, are they yours?” said Andreas.
“Yes, they’re a crew of homegrown Syros islanders,” said Tassos.
Andreas walked over to a half-dozen uniformed cops. “Welcome to my wedding.”
The cops straightened up and looked at Andreas.
“I appreciate what you’re doing for me. Thank you.”
A mixture of nods and “you’re welcome, sir” came back.
“Let me tell you what we’re dealing with here today. In about an hour this area will be filled with government ministers, members of parliament, business and civic leaders, and, most important to me, my family. To some, those are called ‘targets of opportunity.’ I don’t have to tell you what our country faces. Political assassins, bomb throwing revolutionaries, criminal kidnappers, and terrorists willing to die for their causes. In other words we face the same challenges as the rest of the world.”
Andreas cleared his throat. “But we are not like others. We are Greeks, and we will not allow them to shut down our lives, threaten our family traditions, and attack us in our churches during our most vulnerable moments. No, we will not permit that. Ever. ”
Andreas looked each cop in the eyes and repeated separately, “Do you understand what I’m saying?” Each nodded yes.
“Thank you,” said Andreas and he shook hands with each cop.
While Andreas was shaking hands, Tassos walked over to Kouros and listened to him arguing with the metal detector technician. When Andreas joined them Tassos said, “Good thing our prime minister didn’t hear you. He might think you’re running for his job.”
Andreas smiled. “No comment.”
Andreas looked at the metal detector positioned outside the archway. It was right where Andreas wanted it to be but Kouros didn’t seem pleased. To non-Greeks, Kouros and the technician sounded as if they were about to kill each other. To Greeks it was just business as usual.
“What’s wrong?” Andreas said to Tassos.
“Don’t worry,” said Tassos. “Yianni will straighten him out. The guy wants to leave so he can watch a soccer match.”
Andreas nodded. “Oh, that’s why I heard Yianni say, ‘Would you like your nuts to be my soccer balls?’”
Tassos smiled. “Yes, the boy does have a certain way with words. So, what do we do now?”
Andreas looked at his watch. “Is there anyone inside the monastery?”
“Other than the florist, no. No one’s allowed inside until the metal detector is up and running. Besides, most of the guests will wait outside with you until Lila arrives.”
That was Andreas’ biggest concern. It was where he, and everyone else, was most vulnerable to attack. Inside, the monastery was a fortress, successfully withstanding generations of marauders of all kinds. It still had the slot above the archway for raining boiling oil and molten metal down on old time bad guys.
But standing around outside the church for an hour or so waiting for his bride to arrive-and tradition always had the bride arriving late-made Andreas and everyone with him easy prey.
The worst thing about the situation was that there was absolutely nothing Andreas could do about it. It was one of the most symbolic moments of the wedding: the groom standing outside the church waiting for the father and mother of the bride to turn their daughter over to him so that the two could enter the church and move on into their new life together as one. That exchange always took place outside the archway. If Andreas suggested a change, even something as innocent as his waiting for her in the courtyard just beyond the archway, it would send a red flag to Lila that something was seriously wrong.
“I’d like to start drinking,” said Andreas.
“Me too,” nodded Tassos. “But not today.”
Andreas shrugged. “Getting married sober was not how I pictured this day.”
Tassos laughed. “Coffee?”
Andreas nodded.
Tassos put his arm around Andreas’ back and led him up the few steps to the first taverna. Everyone moved aside to make room for the groom, smacking him on the back and teasing him as they did. That was the predictable way for people to treat the groom on his wedding day. Andreas hoped all else remained that way. Predictable.
It was now six-thirty and Andreas had successfully resisted most of what seemed a thousand proffered drinks. He had a slight buzz, but nothing he couldn’t handle. Or so he hoped.
The metal detector was up and running, military were positioned on the far side of the square restricting access to any building with a line of sight at the monastery, and a mix of cops and soldiers prevented vehicles from entering an established perimeter around the area. Everyone entering the monastery had to be on the
guest list, show proper ID, and pass through the metal detector. No exceptions. Andreas had done all that could be done, or so he hoped.
“Are you ready?” asked Tassos?
Andreas nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Good, your family just arrived and I think we should head down to the monastery entrance.”
“I’ll be right back.” Andreas stood and walked toward a door marked WC.
“Nervous!” said a matronly lady at a nearby table.
Andreas smiled. “For sure.”
The lady and the others at her table laughed.
The bathroom was illuminated by a single, bare light bulb over an unframed mirror above a tiny sink. Andreas pulled a few paper towels from a dispenser, moistened them, and pressed the wet towels against his face. He stood quietly holding them in place for a minute before throwing them in a bin. Andreas looked up and stared at the mirror. People always said he looked like his father.
“Well, Dad, the day is here. Wish you could be with us.” Andreas cleared his throat, combed his hair, and adjusted his tie. He took another look in the mirror and turned to leave. As he opened the door the light bulb began to flicker and would not stop. Andreas paused and looked back. “Love you too, Dad.”
Andreas and his family were standing in a line along the front wall of the monastery greeting arriving guests. When Andreas heard blaring car horns he knew Lila had arrived. He motioned for Tassos to come over to him and whispered in his ear. “No matter what I’d like to think, I know I’m going to be out of it from now until after the ceremony. I’m relying on you.”
Tassos smiled. “Don’t worry. Just enjoy your wedding.” He patted Andreas on the shoulder.
Kouros was in front of the metal detector checking identity cards against the guest list. The florist had done a terrific job of covering the detector in flowers, but it still had a serious purpose and a sounding alarm meant a mandatory, no exceptions, physical search. “Be courteous, but firm,” Kouros told the cops assigned to do the screening. “If the detector goes off, no one talks his or her way out of a body search.”
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