by Paul Heron
‘Carolina said they saw another Rolls bombing it passed them, headed in the direction of Madrid. I'm guessing Ahmad is taking matters into his own hands,’ Michael said, looking around the empty building site, the smell of wood chippings, wet sand and concrete lingering in the air. ‘Eduardo, fancy running around this place to make sure there’s not another exit.’
‘Sure!’
‘I’ll go with him,’ Ajit said, looking at his phone. ‘They're only five minutes away and counting so we gotta be quick.’
Michael looked at Ringo, a facial expression like he was figuring out a math equation, looking at the lorry. ‘You're planning something. I’m letting you figure this one out. You’re the guy with the driving skills.’
‘Crazy idea, Michael – taking a lorry. But brilliant. This is what we'll do: once our guys drive in, we get Alban to spin the car, and once the Mancini agent’s car comes in, I’ll reverse the lorry across the road, obviously as soon as Alban drives back out again. We block the Mancini car in, Scarlett can shoot the tyres out of the lorry so they can’t follow us in it.’ Ringo laughed. ‘This is going to work, pal. Go grab the Rolls and park it out on the road. I’ll go wait in the lorry.’
‘I’ll call Carolina and tell them what’s happening.’ Michael jumped into the car and drove it back out of the grounds, parking it on the verge fifty yards from the road's entrance.
Ajit scared Michael half to death as he pulled the car door open, coughing a lung up. Clearly his body didn’t enjoy the run. ‘We're good, no other exits.’
‘Listen!’ Eduardo stood beside Ajit, gasping. ‘I hear a car coming.’
‘That's the other Rolls,’ Ajit said. The three looked back towards the pitch-black entrance to the building site's access road. Nothing but the roar of the 6-litre engine tearing through the night air.
‘Shit, here we go,’ Eduardo hissed, as they watched the other Rolls make a sharp turn into the road and make it’s way into the site's car park. Ringo started the lorry but kept the lights out. Michael watched as he jumped out and ran to the back of the trailer, smashing the back lights.
‘Ringo's a genius,’ Michael laughed, as he pulled his phone out and called Carolina. Another car slowly crept up to the entrance, turning in. ‘Okay, Carolina, they're coming in. Are you on speaker phone?’
‘Yes, we all hear you, chief!’ Mohammad shouted. ‘Hope this plan of yours works. I'm hungry.’
‘Alban, just be waiting and ready to blast back out again. Ringo's in the lorry. They're coming in, this is it!’ Michael said as he and the other two watched from inside the Rolls. Michael's heart almost beat a hole in his chest. He felt like he was going to be sick. He swallowed hard.
Chapter Twenty-One
AJIT WAS WHISPERING as if doing commentary for the event. The Dodge drove up the path, the headlights splitting the darkness as it entered the site. It was creeping, almost at walking pace. Then it stopped before entering the fenced grounds. Michael knew what they were thinking. And what the agents were thinking was correct: they were driving into a trap.
‘Shit,’ Michael said, ‘they know it’s a trap.’ After popping the boot, he jumped out of the car hoping to find weapons. ‘Looks like it’s going to be plan b. Ajit, Eduardo, looks like we'll have to...’ He was interrupted by the sound of metal crashing against metal. He spun around and watched as the lorry’s dark shape in the lightless distance reversed right into the side of the Dodge, pushing it through the fence and into a ditch.
‘Yes, Ringo!’ Eduardo screamed as he and Ajit burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. Alban sped passed the wreckage exiting the site again. Michael, Ajit and Eduardo ran down the path to see if Ringo was okay, but before they got close, Ringo jumped out of the driver's side and ran.
Maria appeared from Alban's car and shot out the tyres of the lorry. ‘You four move your asses and get back to the car. We're leaving – NOW!’ she shouted. Gun shots were heard, one whizzed past Michael, followed by shouting. But the shouting was towards the shooter, they were told not to shoot Michael.
They all sprinted back to the Rolls. Ringo was behind the wheel again, bombing it back towards the farm with Alban and the others behind them.
‘Where's the president?’ Michael asked.
‘President Perez has been left at the drop,’ Mohammad said. ‘How’s the head?’
‘I’m all right,’ Michael said. ‘Lets just get back to the house.’
Touching the hard blood on the back of his head, Michael entered the house behind Maria, still feeling weak. He came over dizzy again. Trying to hide it from the rest, he acted like he was putting it on. The others were so pre-occupied that they didn’t pay attention to it. They all headed through the dining room, into the kitchen. The kitchen door was open, and Marcel could be heard laughing outside. He split up from the group during the president’s drop, accompanying Scarlett.
Carolina took Michael by the hand, keeping him behind in the kitchen while the rest went outside. ‘Michael, I saw that.’
‘What?’ He tried to laugh it off. ‘You saw what?’
‘Don’t bullshit me, Michael!’ She hissed, trying to keep her voice down. ‘I saw you stumble.’ She grabbed his face and pulled his head down to inspect his cut. ‘And look at the size of that cut, Michael. You’re hurt, you don't need to play the tough guy!’
‘Look, I appreciate your concern, but I'm-’
‘You’re clearly not fine, Michael. And you pretending you are, will put you and the rest of us in danger tomorrow. You know....tomorrow? When we only swarm the Spanish bullring for a fragment that’s going to be guarded more than the Spanish royal jewels.’
Michael thought about everything: Little Camberly, France, Mexico, Spain, Ireland...prison. It was all coming at him at once. He pushed past Carolina and ran to the sink. Within seconds the sink was covered in vomit.
‘Michael, what's happened to you today?’ She rubbed his back, as he coughed into the sink, the smell of vomit causing him to retch. ‘Have you eaten something or has someone drugged you? Something's not right.’
Michael started shaking, his skin developed a cold sheet of sweat. ‘I’ll be okay.’ He reached his trembling hand to the dish drainer beside the sink. Grabbing a glass, he ran the cold water and filled the glass, sipping it cautiously. ‘I feel like last Saturday morning after our night on the town.’
‘Like Eduardo.’ Carolina laughed. ‘Okay, let’s get you to bed. Try and sleep. We'll get Dr Rizzo to have a look at you. Maybe he can give you something to settle your stomach.’ She grabbed him, with his body limp she swung his arm around her neck and helped him walk.
‘Okay, but don't tell anyone. Just say I’m just taking some time out. We need everyone to stay focussed for tomorrow. The last thing we need is the team to be worried about me.’
They got to Michael's room. He was glad the window was left open, leaving the room feeling cool and fresh. As he got to his bed, he vomited all down Carolina's shirt and trousers. ‘Michael!’ Carolina complained.
‘Sorry.’ He ran towards his en-suite. On his knees, his head in the toilet, he coughed up bile, strings of spittle dangling from his mouth into the toilet water. He grabbed some toilet roll and wiped his mouth. When he was done retching, he got to his feet feeling sleepy. He returned to his room to find Carolina with her blouse open. ‘Nice body,’ he said as he studied Carolina's tanned athletic figure and enormous breasts. ‘I see what Marcel likes in you, sexy!’
‘Be serious, Michael, come on. My clothes stink now.’ She pushed past him into the bathroom. She went straight for the sink, taking the blouse off she set it in the sink and ran the water over it.
Michael looked at Carolina in a different way. His male instinct was to take her to bed and have sex with her. She’d shown her soft side to Michael and was now half naked in his bedroom. What else was he going to think about? He knew Marcel liked her a lot though and wrestled with the temptation for the good of his friendship with Marcel, and the group.
He sat on his bed, taking off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. He was ready to just curl up in a ball and sleep.
The door knocked as he took his trousers off and climbed under the covers. Before he had a chance to say something, Sofia and Marcel came in. At the same time, Carolina came out of the bathroom saying she was going to her room to get changed.
Sofia cleared her throat. There was an awkward silence. Carolina and Michael just looked at each other. Even though it was totally innocent, they still had that “rabbit caught in the headlights” expression.
Marcel's face was reddened, his jaws clinched, and his nostrils flared.
‘Marcel,’ Carolina said in Brazilian Portuguese, ‘why that face?’
Dr Rizzo arrived, timed perfectly to kill the awkward silence in the room. ‘Michael, what the hell have you done to yourself?’ the doctor said, sitting on the bed beside Michael. ‘You've done yourself no favours today, have you?’
Michael felt like something on display. And with Eduardo, Ajit, Mohammad and Scarlett turning up, everyone was getting a good look at their apparent leader on the bed, half naked, face as white as the expensive shirts they all wore.
They looked worried for Michael. This annoyed him, because he felt like some poor weakling. He knew his own body and he knew he was okay. Trying to convince the others of that would prove a little too difficult.
‘Feel like I’m on display!’ He laughed.
‘You’re nothing special, chief!’ Mohammad said, as he strolled over to the window. He dropped himself into the leather armchair, folding one leg over the other as if he was about to take the attention in the room.
‘Maybe it’s better if the rest of you wait outside? Give Michael and me some time alone,’ Dr Rizzo said.
‘No,’ Michael said, ‘they should stay. We're all in this together, so there’s nothing to be kept from anyone else.’
‘For God's sake, I wanted to go. I'm tired and not really interested anyway!’ Sofia teased.
‘Piss off,’ Michael laughed.
‘It’s good you guys have become close,’ Dr Rizzo said calmly, standing up. ‘Lean forward, Michael, I’ll stitch this cut up again. In fact, lie down on the bed, that’ll be easier.’
Michael rolled over, face into the pillow. He closed his eyes to ignore the fact someone was stitching up the back of his head. With his eyes closed, it wasn’t long before he fell asleep.
At three twenty in the morning, Michael woke. Still face down on his bed, he felt groggy, as if Dr Rizzo had given him something to knock him out. He rolled over, careful not to open the stitches again. He reached over and grabbed a glass of water on his bedside table. He downed it in one gulp, worrying he was going to throw it all up again, but his stomach was more settled. Perhaps Dr Rizzo had given him something. Either way he felt better.
Coming from his window, Michael heard Ajit and Eduardo talking in the garden. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he could hear the excitement in their voices. He slowly stood up, following the cool air towards the window.
‘What are you two doing up at this time, you should get some sleep.’ Michael laughed as they both jumped. Their shocked expressions were priceless. ‘Have I caught you watching porn or something?’ He chuckled.
‘I wish, amigo!’ Eduardo mumbled.
‘More important than porn,’ Ajit said.
Michael leaned out the window, rubbing his eyes. ‘Really? What is it, world chess championships?’
‘Piss off!’ Eduardo shouted. ‘Go back and get your beauty sleep. You need it. Ugly bastard.’
‘Good one,’ Ajit laughed, him and Eduardo sniggering.
‘What are you doing then?’
‘We only found the fragment,’ Eduardo said casually, as if it wasn't a big deal.
‘What?’
‘We think we've found it!’ Ajit corrected Eduardo. ‘We're not one hundred percent certain, but we think it is at the palace, as we thought, and they plan on revealing it at the Bullring tomorrow.’
‘I’m coming down.’ Michael threw his robe over himself and stepped into his slippers. He rushed out of the room and down the stairs, following the strong smell of coffee coming from the kitchen. ‘They must have downed some amount of coffee tonight.’ He laughed, grabbing the pot and poured himself a cup.
‘Pour me another coffee, too!’ Eduardo shouted.
‘And me!’ Ajit added.
After pouring three drinks, Michael stepped out into the back garden. Everywhere was pitch black, except for the table where the two were working. ‘Maybe some sleep would be better. You can’t sit up all night and expect to function tomorrow,’ Michael said, taking a seat beside Eduardo. Both Ajit and Eduardo snatching a cup of coffee each.
‘We’ll sleep on the plane tomorrow on our way to the cave,’ Ajit said, blowing on the coffee. ‘Where are the biscuits? There was a packet beside the kettle.’ He looked at Michael as if he should have known.
‘Keep your hair on,’ Michael said, heading back into the kitchen. He looked around the room, inspecting all the cupboards, then he jumped when he heard a voice coming from the table in the corner.
‘What happened between you and Carolina?’ Marcel asked, his voice displaying a man enraged. ‘Tell me.’
‘Marcel, you scared the shit out of me! You trying to give me a heart attack?’ Michael walked over to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down next to him. ‘I know what it looked like, but nothing happened, honestly. It was totally innocent.’ He watched Marcel's face redden, his hands resting on the table, fists clenched. Michael knew he'd have his hands full if Marcel wanted a scrap, given the feelings he appeared to have for Carolina. And team morale along with the kitchen would come out the worst. ‘Marcel, look!’ Michael sighed, shaking his head, ‘Nothing happened.’
‘You’re lying.’ Marcel shot up from his chair, sending it into the window. He grabbed Michael by the scruff, glaring straight into his eyes, pulling him up of his seat.
After a split second of shock, Michael composed himself. ‘I’m only going to tell you once, let me go.’ He tried to remain calm. ‘You don't want to do this, you're not stupid.’
‘What the hell's going on?’ Eduardo shouted, standing at the door. Marcel ignored Eduardo, continuing to glare at Michael. ‘Look, I don’t give a shit what you two clowns are crying about in here, but we’ve got a bigger problem. And if you don’t kiss and make up, I’ll kick both of your asses.’
Michael’s mouth stretched into a smirk, his eyes widened. Eduardo was about as intimating as a bowl of jelly and hearing his threat got them both to loosen up. Marcel struggled not to smile, but Eduardo had done the job in removing the tension between the two of them, if only temporarily.
‘Ahmad's been taken by Mancini. He’s being held at the palace.’ Eduardo said.
‘Great,’ Michael said sarcastically. ‘How'd you find this out?’
Eduardo went back out into the garden.
Michael and Marcel followed.
‘What's going on?’ Sofia said, as she appeared in nothing but her night dress, followed by Mohammad.
‘Nothing. It was an accident,’ Michael said, looking at Marcel. Marcel looked at Michael, then at Sofia, then back at Michael again, saying nothing. ‘Eduardo and Ajit have found a possible location of the fragment. Ahmad has been taken by Mancini agents at the palace, too.’ Michael said it all while looking directly at Marcel, emphasising every word with the hope Marcel would put aside his feelings for Carolina and what he thinks he saw in the bedroom. Big picture view was needed. He knew Marcel wanted to be more than friends with the Brazilian lady, but she didn't seem to feel the same.
Carolina and Scarlett both arrived.
‘What’s going on?’ Scarlett said, her silk robe open, her right thigh showing a pistol strapped to it.
‘We think Ahmad’s been captured by the other team. But to be honest, I think he could be working with them!’ Eduardo said. ‘Look how many times he’s put us all in danger.’
&
nbsp; ‘That's impossible,’ Sofia said. ‘Mancini agents are the last people he’d want to work for. Especially if he thinks they have his parents. I’m calling George.’ She put her phone to her ear and looked at Michael and Marcel, her eyes darting from one to the other, knowing they had some kind of altercation regarding Carolina. ‘Don’t be so stupid!’ She said to them both, walking across the garden.
Ajit was staring at the laptop screen as if in a trance. ‘Kissed and made up then?’ He looked at Michael, then Marcel, then back at the screen.
‘George,’ Sofia said. She paused. ‘Yes, George, or Dad! I know what time it is. We think Ahmad is working with Mancini. Is it possible he'd turn against us?’ She paused again and walked back to the table, sitting down beside Ajit. She put the phone on loudspeaker.
‘Ahmad is not stable, I agree,’ George said. ‘Is everyone listening?’
Maria and Enrique arrived, fully clothed and ready to go. ‘We’re all here, George,’ Enrique said.
‘Ahmad is a pain in the ass, I know. But put yourselves in his position. Michael, you of all people should know what he’s going through.’
‘That’s why I’ve given him so many chances. London was almost enough to get us caught before it even started,’ Michael said.
‘What Ahmad's feeling is guilt. He blames himself for his parents being taken,’ George said.
‘Why?’ Sofia asked, ‘Why does he blame himself? And where was this awesome Sirani Foundation when his parents needed them?’ She spoke sarcastically, with complete disregard towards her own family’s company.
‘Mancini agents visited Ahmad’s family home. They were in numbers, a large number. Ahmad’s parents told him to hide in the only place in the house they knew Mancini wouldn't find him. He watched his parents be taken away and now he lives with that image every day. Nothing matters to Ahmad more than getting them back.’