LOST AND LETHAL

by Fredrick L. Stafford

  Azzur spoke. “Your source in military intelligence gave you that information?”

  “Yes. I know you told me Uri and Molka aren’t cleared for information from that source, but obviously, they need to know now. Right?”

  “That is correct,” Azzur said.

  “My source also said that the leak came from within the Counsel and that unfortunately, you guys have not weeded out all the traitors from the Traitors scandal.”

  Azzur’s voice became agitated. “We do not need anyone from military intelligence to tell us that. Nevertheless, those operatives sent by the general’s country will undoubtedly have the general’s travel records of his previous trips to Cyprus and will put all the hotels he has used in Nicosia under surveillance. Do you agree, general?”

  “I agree,” the general said. “Although, that would take some time to organize.”

  Tariq spoke up. “I have a suggestion if that’s ok?”

  Azzur answered. “What is it?”

  “When we land, have Uri and Molka take the general to the hotel in Nicosia where his briefcase is locked away. It’s about an hour's drive from the Larnaca airport up to Nicosia. Once there, the general should recover the briefcase, and then Molka and Uri can secure them both in another location in the city and wait for you to arrive. I would suggest a hotel the general has never stayed in before.”

  Pause.

  “I agree,” Azzur said. “Molka, do you have any of the task expense cash left to obtain a ride?”

  “No,” Molka said. “That was lost too.”

  Tariq spoke up. “I can rent her a car at the airport with my credit card. I’ll also buy her a prepaid phone there.”

  “Your assistance is appreciated,” Azzur said. “Report to me at my Tel Aviv office Monday at 10AM.”

  Tariq smirked. “Sure thing.”

  Azzur continued. “Molka and Uri, you will take the general to Nicosia, retrieve the briefcase, and secure them both in a hotel that the general has never visited. I will call you back shortly and let you know when I will arrive in Nicosia to take over control of the situation. Do you understand?”

  “We understand,” Molka said.

  Azzur ended the call.

  CHAPTER 45

  Possible concussion, no problem. Uri got final clearance from the Larnaca airport and made a smooth, soft landing.

  He ignored further instructions coming over the radio and fast-taxied the aircraft toward the terminal and parked it and shut down on a little side apron area.

  Everyone unbuckled.

  Molka handed Uri his passport and pointed at a line of passengers deplaning down exterior airstairs from a smaller aircraft 40 meters away. “Perfect timing. We’ll go in with them.”

  After the foursome exited the Cessna, they waited for the passenger line to pass them and fell in behind.

  It took under 30 minutes for them to clear passport control—no serious questioning of Molka that time—and everyone headed to the nearest restrooms. Relief achieved; Tariq led the way toward a large seating area. On the way, Uri’s walk became a little woozy and Molka had to steady him a couple of times.

  Molka, the general, and Uri sat in the first row of empty seats they came to.

  Tariq pointed across the terminal at a rental car counter. “I’ll get your car now.”

  “Alright,” Molka said.

  Tariq departed.

  The general closed his eyes and resumed his nap.

  Uri stared at the floor.

  Molka unwound the keffiyeh from her head, shook out her ponytail, and fashioned the keffiyeh as a loose scarf around her neck.

  A moment later, Tariq’s phone in her pocket played dance club music. She pulled out the phone. The music was a ringtone: Azzur calling.

  Molka answered, listened, stood, walked a few paces over to a cellphone sales kiosk, borrowed a pen and brochure from the young, pretty salesgirl, and wrote down Azzur’s instructions.

  The call ended, and Molka walked back to her seat.

  About 15 minutes later, Tariq returned. “I rented two cars. One for you and one for me.”

  “Where are you heading?” Molka said.

  “I’m going down to Limassol and enjoy my last free weekend before I report to Azzur. And speaking of that devil, have you heard back from him yet?”

  “Yes. He’s chartered a jet and will land at Nicosia International Airport at 8:45PM.”

  Tariq offered Molka a puzzled look. “Nicosia International? It’s been closed for decades. Since the Turkish invasion.”

  Molka shrugged. “If that’s where Azzur said he’s going to land, that’s where he’s going to land. I have to pick him up.”

  Tariq’s face moved from puzzlement to contemplation, and then he looked to Uri. “How are you doing, Uri?”

  Uri gazed up with bleary eyes. “I’m fine.”

  “No, you’re not. I think you might have a concussion. You should get checked out.”

  Molka said, “I’ll drop him at the hospital when we get to Nicosia. You said it’s an hour away, right?”

  “Right.”

  Molka held out Tariq’s phone. “Thanks.”

  Tariq raised a hand. “Just keep it.” He smiled and glanced over at the young, pretty salesgirl in the cellphone kiosk. “I’ll pick up a new one for myself that Azzur can’t reach me on.”

  Molka grinned. “I don’t blame you.”

  “Well, time for me to leave.” Tariq handed Molka a car key. “It’s a new white Toyota. They’ll have it parked right outside the main entrance for you.”

  “Alright.”

  “Molka, thanks for getting me out of there and good luck to you.”

  “You too,” Molka said.

  Tariq turned and moved toward the cellphone kiosk.

  The general stood and called after him in a booming voice. “Wait! Tariq!”

  Tariq stopped and glanced back.

  The general waved him over.

  Tariq returned.

  The general addressed Tariq and pointed at Molka. “This woman is grossly inexperienced and needlessly reckless and got me captured and nearly killed on two separate occasions. I do not feel safe with her. Therefore, I think it is best if you accompany me to the hotel in Nicosia and remain in my company until Azzur’s arrival.”

  “That’s not my job, general,” Tariq said. “My part was done when you got on the plane. And no offense, general, but with your people on the way here to find you, the last place I want to be is in your company. Goodbye.”

  As Tariq moved back toward the cellphone kiosk, his face teased with an ultra-charismatic smile.

  Even with his facial injuries, the young, pretty salesgirl had a smile waiting for him.

  Molka addressed the general. “Ready to go, general?”

  “I am not ready to go anywhere with you.” The general sat down hard and folded his arms across his chest. “I will wait right here until Azzur arrives to accompany me.”

  “Azzur is not coming here,” Molka said. “I thought you heard him on the phone say he’s flying into Nicosia, and we’re to meet him there.”

  “Then contact Azzur and tell him to divert here instead.”

  Molka looked to Uri. “Team leader, a little help, please?”

  Uri kept his eyes on the floor. “Righteous mercy, my head is pounding.”

  Molka took a few steps away from the general and Uri and dialed Azzur.

  Azzur answered: “Yes, Tariq.”

  “It’s Molka again. We have a problem.”

  “What now?”

  “The general refuses to leave with me. He doesn’t trust me as a security specialist. We had some difficulties in Turkey. Would you like to hear about them now?”

  “No,” Azzur said. “If the general does not trust you, just tell the general I have appointed Uri as security specialist to see to the general’s safety.”

  “I don’t think that will work. Uri is—”

  Azzur interrupted with an annoyed tone. “Molka, you will get the gen
eral into a car and get him to Nicosia before I arrive by any means necessary. Even if you have to drag him out of that airport by his saggy old balls. This is now your task. And failure to complete it will result in your immediate dismissal. Am I clear?”

  “Yes.”

  Azzur ended the call.

  Molka returned to the general and Uri. “I’ll be right back.”

  The general said nothing.

  Uri continued his floor staring.

  Molka moved to the cellphone kiosk where Tariq still stood closely inspecting the merchandise.

  He also held a new phone purchase.

  “I have a problem,” Molka said.

  Tariq turned to her. “What’s wrong?”

  “The general still refuses to leave here unless you accompany him.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to ask you to accompany him.”

  Tariq chuckled. “Sorry I can’t do that.”

  “You could,” Molka said. “You just don’t want to.”

  “That’s right.” He turned his attention back to the salesgirl.

  Molka reached behind her head and tugged on the base of her ponytail. Then grabbed Tariq’s upper arm. Hard.

  Tariq’s eyes and face winced at Molka’s grip.

  “Can we talk in private a moment,” Molka said.

  “I guess I have no choice if I want to keep my arm.”

  Molka released her grip.

  Tariq spoke to the salesgirl in Greek, winked, then followed Molka to a nearby empty seating area.

  Molka sighed. “I’m in a tough spot. I really need your help.”

  “I’m sorry,” Tariq said. “But I wasn’t exaggerating about the general’s people. If they locate him, anyone they see helping him is going to die first and fast, and that’s not going to be me. Because above all, I’m a survivor.”

  Molka smirked. “Among other things.”

  Tariq smirked. “So you were briefed on me a little more than lightly. Fine. Yes, I offered my time and attention to some older lonely, neglected wealthy married women. And I made them feel desirable. And in their gratitude, they provided me with nice apartments and nice clothes and nice cars and nice vacations and a nice leisurely life. They were happy, and I was happy. What’s wrong with that? Then I was entrapped by your country. And just when I thought I escaped, Azzur entrapped me for life. And now things can’t get worse for me.”

  “Yes, they can,” Molka said. “If I tell Azzur about your moment of moral weakness.”

  Tariq frowned. “I saved your life today.”

  “And I do appreciate that, and maybe I can pay you back in some small way someday. But that is a personal issue between us. I’ve been instructed to get the general to Nicosia within the next three hours by any means necessary. And right now, you’re my only means. And if that means I have to call Azzur right now and tell him what you’ve done, I’ll have to do it. Even if it means my dismissal from the program because that will happen anyway.”

  Tariq presented a concerned face. “I’ve heard Azzur’s a man who deals out severe repercussions to people who cross him.”

  “Very severe.” Molka lied. “He might even order me to eliminate you on the spot. Which I will do.” She gripped his arm again. Hard. “And Tariq, you know I can. Because you’ve seen what I can do.”

  “But if I agree to help you, you won’t tell him. Ever. Right?”

  Molka nodded. “You have my word.”

  Tariq pulled away from Molka’s grip, turned, took a few steps, stopped, exhaled hard, turned back, and returned to her. “If I’m going to help you with this, we have to do it my way. That means no questioning and debating my decisions. Especially by Uri.”

  “Uri won’t be a problem,” Molka said. “He’s still out of it and getting worse. As I said, I’m going to drop him at the hospital as soon as we get to Nicosia.”

  Tariq sighed. “Ok.”

  “Do we have a deal?”

  “We have a deal.”

  Molka and Tariq moved back to the general and Uri’s seats.

  Tariq stood before the general. “General, I’ve decided to accompany you to Nicosia and stay with you until Azzur arrives.”

  The general grunted. “Good.”

  “What hotel is the briefcase at?” Tariq said.

  “The Promontory.”

  Tariq’s face flashed impressed. “The best in the city.” He removed his new phone from his jacket pocket and searched. “General, have you ever stayed at the Cadmus Hotel across the street from the Promontory?”

  “Never.”

  “Perfect,” Tariq said. “Anyone watching the Promontory will have their backs to it.” He addressed Molka. “You take Uri in your car. I’ll take the general with me. While you drop Uri off at the hospital, the general and I will go to the Promontory and do a little counter-surveillance to make sure we’re in the clear. If so, we’ll retrieve the briefcase, check into a suite at the Cadmus, and wait for you there. Then once you verify we’re secure, you can go pick Azzur up and bring him straight to the general.”

  Molka addressed the general. “Would that be acceptable to you, general?”

  The general grunted. “Yes.”

  Tariq typed a text on his new phone. The notification chime on his old phone in Molka’s hand sounded. “Ok, you have my new number. Now we need to get moving.”

  CHAPTER 46

  As the sun set, Molka and Uri in their white Toyota rental car followed right behind Tariq and the general in their black Toyota rental north on the A2 and A1 motorways for just under an hour to Nicosia.

  Tariq exited and headed northeast toward the downtown location of the Promontory Hotel, and Molka exited and drove northwest toward Nicosia Hospital.

  Molka parked and walked Uri into the hospital’s busy Accident and Emergency Department. When the language barrier had been established, an English-speaking nurse was located, and she asked Uri a few questions about symptoms, attached a wrist band on him, and pointed to the waiting area.

  Uri sat, and Molka stood over him.

  “I’m going to have to leave you here,” Molka said. “But I’ll let Azzur know where you’re at, and I’m sure he’ll send someone to get you.”

  Uri resumed his floor staring. “I know it looks as though I’ve been drifting in and out, but I’ve heard everything that’s been said, and I know what’s going on.”

  “Ok,” Molka said. “That’s a good sign, I think.”

  “Before you go, I want to tell you something. I’m not sure why, but I do.”

  “Alright.”

  “When I was locked in that dungeon with the general and Tariq, those two did a lot of conversing, and get this…all in Turkish. What do you think of that?”

  Molka shrugged. “Turkish is Tariq’s second language, if not his first by now. But you think they didn’t want you to join in their discussions?”

  “Yes,” Uri said. “I don’t know why they wouldn’t, though.”

  Molka surmised their conversation involved their mutual best interests in not telling Uri, and later Azzur, about Tariq’s deceit. She checked her watch. “I really have to go. So Uri, if I don’t see you again, I just want you to know I think you’re a great pilot. One of the best I’ve ever seen. You lived up to your family’s famous name.”

  Uri raised his bleary eyes to Molka. “Make sure you tell Azzur that too.”

  Molka texted Tariq as soon as she exited the hospital:

  Dropped Uri

  Heading downtown

  Tariq texted right back:

  Come to Cadmus Hotel

  Room 707

  The Cadmus Hotel was a modern, cylindrical-shaped, seven-story, black glass tower.

  Molka parked in the hotel’s parking garage and took the attached elevator to the seventh floor. The elevator doors opened onto a black and white checkered carpet hallway. Molka walked to room number 707 and knocked.

  The door opened to Tariq’s smile.

  He allowed Molka in
to the moderately sized suite decorated in black and white: nice but nothing special.

  Tariq walked past Molka into the suite’s living room area.

  Molka trailed him.

  Children’s cartoons played on the wall-mounted flat screen.

  The general sat on a black cloth couch watching the TV with his right leg crossed over his left. His right foot twitched with a nervous rhythm. His left hand held an unlit cigar. And he tapped the gold signet ring on his right middle finger on the couch’s armrest.

  Tariq turned to Molka. “How’s Uri?”

  “He was waiting to see a doctor when I left.” Molka scanned around the room. “Where’s the briefcase?”

  “Still locked in the safe across the street at the Promontory.”

  Molka’s face perplexed at Tariq. “Why didn’t you get it?”

  “Because we thought it would be best if you came with us for security.”

  “Did you spot any potential threats during your counter-surveillance?”

  “No,” Tariq said. “But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. So we would feel much safer if you came with us should anything arise. Right, general?”

  The general’s eyes darted from the TV. “Uh, yes, that’s right.”

  Tariq whispered. “You see how nervous he is.”

  “Ok,” Molka said. “I’m flattered by your confidence in me. But if there’s trouble, I don’t have a weapon to do anything about it.”

  Tariq’s face teased with an ultra-charismatic smile. “From what I’ve seen, your whole beautiful, perfect body is a weapon.”

  Molka smirked. “Ugh. Alright. If there’s trouble, I’ll do what I can.

  The general stood. “Then let us go now.”

  The trio rode the elevator to the hotel lobby featuring a distinctive black and white checkered marble floor.

  They exited through the main entrance, passed between two long, large decorative planters holding local flora, moved onto a pedestrian light sidewalk, and crossed a vehicle traffic-heavy street.