by Paul Heron
‘Michael, you go with Carolina, Scarlett, Eduardo and Ajit to the CCTV room. If you can get in there, you'll have the view of the entire arena. The rest of us will go out into the stand and blend in.’ Sofia turned and left heading towards the entrance.
‘Be careful,’ Marcel squeezed Carolina's hand, then looked at Michael. ‘Careful, amigo!’
‘Easy.’ Michael winked at Marcel. ‘Let’s go.’
As they pushed through the crowds, Spanish accents everywhere, people singing, acting like they were ready for a celebration. Michael thought how much they'd really be celebrating if they knew the severity of what their president was doing.
They could see the CCTV room. Scarlett stopped and shouted. ‘Okay. Here’s what we'll do. I'll knock. You see that camera above the office door,’ she pointed to a black camera. ‘They’ll look at that before answering, so make sure you’re not visible.’
‘And if it’s Mancini agents in there, which it likely is, then they'll recognise you straight away,’ Carolina said, fixing her hair as if Marcel's habits were rubbing off on her. ‘Actually, handsome, you wait here, out of the way of the camera shot.’ Carolina tapped Michael on the shoulder. ‘Let Scarlett and yours truly take care of this.’
Michael, Eduardo and Ajit tried to act cool. Michael checked his phone. He had a message from Sofia saying the crowds were flooding in. The spectator stand was packed tightly. She said they were beside a closed off section, which she thought was likely for the president. Then came a text from George; it was more telling them to keep their eyes open and that he was leaving England to join them as soon as he'd finished up some business in Little Camberly.
Ajit dragged Michael’s attention away from the phone. Scarlett was knocking on the security office’s door. Carolina was, again, nervously fidgeting with her hair.
A guard came to the door. Both Scarlett and Carolina were gorgeous, and the male guard came out to chat to them, but that was a mistake as before he got a word out, Carolina grabbed his tie, pulled it, instantly choking him, pushing him into the room.
‘Let's go!’ Eduardo said, being the fastest off the mark.
They walked with extra spring in their step, struggling not to run, certain that if they ran.
Entering the room, they found two guards. One stick thin male with short greasy hair and a gaunt expression, and an overweight female with a paper cup of coffee in one hand and a doughnut in the other. Both were reaching for the sky. Scarlett had her pistol on them.
Carolina produced cable ties. ‘Look,’ she hissed, pulling up the lady’s shirt cuff. ‘Lightening tattoo, you’re everywhere.’ She spoken in Brazilian Portuguese.
‘We can take care of this room.’ Ajit looked at Eduardo, grinning. ‘We'll go back through the surveillance recordings and see if we can spot anything useful.’
‘Great idea,’ Eduardo agreed. ‘You guys go to the stand, join the rest and we'll be your eyes of the building.’ One of the guards tried to move. Eduardo kicked him and shouted at him not to make a sound. ‘We'll tell you when we pick up the president on the cameras. You guys will know when he's coming.’
‘When we leave, you two lock yourselves in,’ Scarlett said, tying up the female guard. ‘Don't answer the door to anyone other than one of us. You’ll be trapped in here, but it may be worth it if we can have eyes of the whole building.’
Michael pressed his ear piece. ‘Maria, are you on the line?’
‘Yes, we’ve just got Guillermo. Michael, it's swarming with people out here. I don’t think the president anticipated so many people. Talk about overcrowding.’
‘Well, maybe the crowds will be a good thing. More people to blend into. We need one of you to come and keep an eye on the CCTV room,’ Michael said. ‘Ajit and Eduardo are staying inside. They're going to monitor the movements of President Perez around the building, so we know where to get him, hopefully with the fragment.’
‘I'm on my way,’ Maria said.
‘I'm coming, too,’ Enrique added. ‘We never travel alone.’
‘What is that from, Sirani 101 manual?’ Mohammad joked. ‘Think you guys need to come and see this. We have the president making his entrance already, he’s surrounded by people.’
‘I’m guessing the fragment is with him. They're guarding him as if expecting to be attacked,’ Sofia added. ‘Think this is about to get underway.’
Michael looked at Scarlett then Carolina. ‘Let's go.’ They were about to leave when George called. Michael quickly answered. ‘George, we're just on the move.’
‘What's going on?’
‘We're leaving Ajit and Eduardo in the CCTV room to monitor Mancini agents.’
‘Dangerous, Michael!’ George said. ‘Don't forget-’
‘Last week, I know, George. I know, but we've got to move. The president has just arrived, and we're going to try and get the fragment as soon as we can.’ Michael opened the door, being met with the overwhelming noise of the public. Maria and Enrique stood twenty feet apart from each other. Enrique was stuffing his face with a hotdog, Maria looking a little more sophisticated. ‘I’m struggling to hear you, George. There's too much noise. I’ll update you when I get a chance. Or I'm sure you can tune in on some Spanish T.V.’
‘Be careful, Michael!’ When George said this, Michael began to worry. He always did. He knew it was a well wish, but he could do without it. He glanced in Maria's direction as they passed the two Spanish agents, Enrique still wrestling with his foot-long hotdog.
‘Be careful,’ Maria said.
As they proceeded up the steps, through the sea of people that led out into the arena, Michael received a message from Ahmad.
Michael, the Mancini agent that I’m paired off with likes to gossip. He's let slip that Mancini agents know Sirani agents are here. The president isn’t going to unveil the fragment until after today's show. He said the president is having someone arrive with the fragment just before the end.
Michael was confused. If the president wasn't going to showcase the fragment until after the show, why was he being so heavily guarded? This didn’t make sense at all.
‘What's got your attention?’ Sofia said, as Michael joined them on the second from bottom row, grateful they were in the shade instead of the blinding sunlight.
‘Look at this.’ He handed her his phone to look at the text. ‘Look, they're clearly carrying something.’ Michael nodded his head in the direction of President Perez and Diego Rodriquez. The president was sitting down surrounded by Mancini agents with Rodriquez by his side. Rodriquez, with his sleazy grin, whispering something in the president’s ear.
‘What's Ahmad talking about later? They've clearly got the fragment with them. If not, what the hell is in the steel box the president is carrying?’
‘I’ll find out for us!’ Mohammad shouted. He whistled for six pigeons to swoop down from the roof, descending on the president. Startled, the president’s first reaction was to reach for the container. ‘It's in there,’ Mohammad said.
Marcel rubbed his hands, grinning. ‘Let's go and get it.’
‘Not so fast. Why are they feeding Ahmad lies?’ Sofia said.
‘That's what I want to know!’ Michael said.
‘They know he’s feeding us information,’ Scarlett said. ‘Oldest trick in the book.’ She checked that her pistol was still in the holster. ‘He’s in danger.’
‘I’m going to get him,’ Michael said, tapping his earpiece. ‘Ajit, we think Mancini know Ahmad’s feeding us info. It’s about to kick off.’
‘Okay, what are we doing?’ Ajit responded. ‘Eduardo has set the arena’s cameras on a three-minute repeat, so whatever we do now won't be caught by the CCTV.’
‘I'm calling Alban,’ Carolina said. ‘I see this escalating as fast as it always does.’ She put her headphones in to drown out the sound.
Michael was looking all around. The stadium was now packed with people, the yellow and red stripes of the Spanish flag draped everywhere. The atmosphere was almost eno
ugh to leave him breathless. The smell of fried food lingered in the air. ‘You guys wait here. I’ll go get Ahmad, we’re not leaving him behind.’
‘Let's go,’ Scarlett led the way.
‘The rest of you wait here,’ Michael said. ‘Keep your eyes on that box.’
‘As soon as you get Ahmad, we’re getting this fragment,’ Sofia said, turning to look at Carolina, ‘Have you spoken to-’
‘Chopper’s ready to come in,’ Carolina finished Sofia’s sentence.
Michael and Scarlett ran up the steps, back into the halls. People were everywhere. There was going to be thousands of videos of them grabbing the box, and Michael didn't care how they'd have to get it, or what they'd have to do. He was focussed.
As they got to the food area, Scarlett grabbed Michael.
She whispered in his ear. ‘I’ve seen Ahmad's mother and father!’
‘You're shitting me!’ Michael felt everything coming at him all at once. ‘Okay, Scarlett, what the hell do we do?’
Chapter Twenty-Five
SCARLETT WAS LOOKING directly at Ahmad's father, shaking her head in confusion. ‘He's looking at me like I'm a complete stranger.’
‘You know him well?’ Michael asked. Scarlett nodded. ‘And his mother?’ He gestured towards the lady beside him. ‘You know her?’
‘I’ve known both for years, since I was a teenager.’ Scarlett grabbed Michael's hand as if they were an item. ‘This is strange. We'll get Ahmad first. We can’t approach them now.’
They made their way through the crowd of rowdy Spaniards, bumping into almost everyone, nobody seeming bothered, they seemed distracted, certainly excited about the event.
Approaching the entrance to the stadium, Michael spotted Ahmad. He looked to be involved in deep conversation with the other agent. Just as they approached the exit, about fifty yards and a few dozen bodies stood between them and the beginning of the “shit hitting the fan”.
Michael's nerves kicked in and he began to spot things he wouldn't normally: he was aware the exit door was badly chipped around the lock, possibly signalling that forced entry had taken place. He noticed three individuals sitting on three randomly located chairs beside an equally out of place vending machine that served sweets, crisps, and soft drinks – Spanish brand. One of the three was dressed as a bull and was sitting very seriously, arms and legs crossed, not looking like they were enjoying themselves at all. A whispered argument between a couple thirty yards away was completely audible. The couple was in an argument because the man wanted to have some fried chicken, but the lady was complaining because it always gave him severe heartburn.
Michael laughed. ‘Heartburn? You wish that was all you had to worry about.’
Scarlett grabbed him by the hand, dragging him over to the wall, directly below a six by six foot ceramic crest – the coat of arms for the Madrid community in all it’s glory. ‘Whisper something in my ear and kiss me.’ She spoke into Michael’s ear.
‘What?’ He was caught off guard. ‘What are you-’
Before he could finish, Scarlett pulled him in close and kissed him. Michael drew her in closer to him and kissed her back. Eyes were closed and the feeling of Scarlett’s soft wet lips on his, they slowly walked into the wall. Scarlett was against the wall, Michael had his back to the crowd. After about thirty seconds of feeling like floating, Michael felt Scarlett's lips straighten up into smile, then stop.
‘You're not a bad kisser.’ She laughed, wiping lipstick off his mouth.
‘What was that for?’
Scarlett’s eyes were scanning over Michael's shoulder as they remained in their intimate position. ‘A few guys were watching us.’ She looked in Ahmad's direction. ‘Maybe undercover Mancini agents watching from afar to see if anyone tried to contact Ahmad.’
An announcement was made. The president was about to address the Spanish people, and the world.
‘Looks like we’re out of time!’ Michael said. He touched his ear piece. ‘Ajit-’
‘Michael, we’ve seen Mancini agents all over the building. Every exit is covered. You're lucky-’
‘Sorry to interrupt, Ajit,’ Maria said. ‘We've got a few agents making their way towards the CCTV room.’
‘We can see them on the camera,’ Eduardo said. ‘They've just knocked the door.’
‘Let them in,’ Enrique said. ‘Maria and I are approaching.’
‘Okay, get back to the arena once that's done,’ Michael said, staring at Ahmad.
‘Alban's on his way in,’ Carolina confirmed. ‘The president's on his feet.’
‘They’ve brought a bull out already, so I don’t know what they're doing,’ Mohammad said.
Michael and Scarlett made their way towards Ahmad and the other agent. The agent was an imposing size in both height and width. He made Ahmad’s six foot frame look like a child. About ten feet away, as if knowing they were behind them, Ahmad turned, and, caught off guard, his reaction caused the Mancini agent to turn. Face to face with Michael – the guy they were all hunting down – his expression spoke volumes. Michael threw his phone to the shocked agent. The agent’s first reaction was to catch it. This was followed by Michael sending a high-speed foot in his nuts, dropping him instantly.
Ahmad was surprised to see Michael and Scarlett, but not so shocked that he couldn't swing a lightning fast kick to the agent’s head as he tried to get up, knocking him out.
‘Right, Ahmad help Michael get him into that toilet. Tie him to something and lock him in. I’ll watch the entrance.’ Scarlett handed Michael a bunch of cable ties.
As they dragged the agent to the toilet, Ajit came through the radio. ‘Good kick, Michael.’ He laughed. ‘We're heading back to the arena now.’
‘We have the fragment. We see the fragment’s container!’ Marcel's voice bellowed. ‘Guys, we have eyes on the fragment. You need to get back here, now.’
Ahmad took the agents mobile and radio. He handed it to Michael to listen to what was being said over the radio before Ajit activated L'amico.
‘Get your asses back to the arena, now!’ Carolina shouted.
Scarlett came to the door of the toilet. ‘What are you doing, waiting for an invitation to leave?’
Ahmad pulled the door open. ‘Keep your hair on.’ They closed the door and locked it from the outside. The hallways were empty.
They ran up the concrete steps and out into the arena. The atmosphere was heavier than that of the stadium in France just a few days earlier. Mohammad was waving them down to where they stood. Michael led the way, then Ahmad, followed by Scarlett. Michael was glad to see the entire group was together. All looking towards the closed off area reserved for President Perez and Rodriquez. Shoving through streams of overly enthusiastic public, they finally got to the others.
‘Are you ready?’ Sofia shouted in Michael’s ear. ‘Ready to take back what my ancestor was murdered for?’
Michael smiled at her, looking at the rebellious glint in her eyes. ‘Let's make this one a memorable event in Spanish history, but not in the way Rodriquez wants.’
Just as Michael said this, Carolina shout in his other ear.
‘Michael, I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.’ She was pale, looking as if she was about to be sick. ‘I know I always say this, but how many times have I been wrong?’
Michael looked at her, staring into his eyes. Carolina was tougher than most of the group, probably even more so than Marcel. But she clearly had a gift that others weren't aware of. Perhaps it was also gifted by Elisabetta or it was something she just had. But Michael was beginning to feel confident in it’s accuracy. She was right, she’d never been wrong.
He looked around at the rest of the group, it was becoming nail bitingly tense. Mohammad's busy fingers in his mouth chomping on his nails was testament to the fact.
The one thing Michael knew was certain was that in a few hours time, the whole world would yet again have videos of this group snatching something that the world believed to be a valuable
, new source of energy that scientists would be unable to explain. A new phenomenon that would leave the world baffled about how or what, or even where does it come from. And of course, this would be the Mancini Corporation’s way of taking control. By being in control of something the world thinks was so valuable. Then the penny dropped.
Michael watched as the president stood up to address the Spanish people. From his section of the stand, President Perez was all smiles, Rodriguez by his side, like a faithful parrot perched on his shoulder. Now being interviewed by a reporter for World News, he spoke through a microphone, promising a nice surprise at the end of the day's event.
‘Okay, good!’ Marcel said. ‘At least we have enough time to plan things. We’ve got until the end.’
‘Screw that,’ Mohammad said. ‘We're not standing here watching some animal slaughter a bull.’
‘This is bigger than a bull, Mohammad,’ Marcel said. ‘We can't just charge at him. We're not bulls.’
‘He's right, Marcel,’ Sofia said. ‘I’m not standing here watching this!’
‘We're not hanging on until the end,’ Michael said, as the show got underway. ‘That's what they'll be expecting.’ He looked at the sky, hoping they'd get to the end of the day without seeing the inside of a prison cell.
Maria and Enrique arrived, Ajit and Eduardo in tow.
‘What are your thoughts?’ Maria asked Michael, as she discreetly checked her pistol. ‘It needs to be timed perfectly. Alban needs to land at the exact time we snatch the fragment because the second we do, all hell's going to break loose.’
‘And Mancini will have a lot of their agents here,’ Enrique said, also checking his pistol. ‘Ahmad, do you have anything to help? What have they got here?’
‘They've got agents on every exit. They've also got undercover agents in the crowd!’
‘Brilliant,’ Eduardo shouted sarcastically. ‘I wish you didn't say that.’