Alina's Revenge

by Greg Van Arsdale

  The blow propelled Alina half way across the dirt yard, and she went down again. She could not take much more of this punishment.

  That is when she noticed the knife on his belt.

  Mustering her remaining strength, she forced herself to her feet and ran at him. She feinted a jump kick. That made the man’s hands come up. Then she dropped, sliding along the dirt between his splayed legs.

  She came up behind him, ripping the knife from its scabbard as she rose. In one swift motion, she tilted his head back and sliced his throat.

  She covered his mouth, hushing the gurgled scream. Slowly, she followed him to the ground, still holding his mouth. In seconds, the man was dead.

  Alina sat down heavily and held her aching head. She tried to get up, only to fall back again. She sat a few minutes, catching her breath and waiting for the world to stop spinning. Then slowly, she rolled to her hands and knees. The spinning stopped.

  Bracing against the wall, she staggered to her feet and took a long, deep breath. She stayed like that a moment, holding the wall. Once she regained her balance, Alina shook her head vigorously, clearing her vision. Her head throbbed, but she was okay.

  At last, she was ready. She picked up her gun and cocked it. She approached the door and tried the knob, turning it ever so gently.

  It was unlocked.

  She took a breath and rushed inside, slamming the door in her wake.

  Before her, sitting on the couch, were Delic, Sokolovic, and the two other men. She recognized them from Itsakovic’s lair. In a chair opposite them sat a man with a full black mustache, dressed in a tunic, his head wrapped in a turban.

  “Hello, gentlemen,” she said. “Mind if I join you?”

  Chapter 27

  “You must be Alina,” Delic said. “I thought you were dead.”

  “Not quite. You killed a lot of good men trying to get to me. Do you know that?”

  Delic nodded and smiled. Why was he smiling?

  “Your people have been trying to kill me for weeks now. When are you going to learn that I do not die easily?”

  “Perhaps never,” Sokolovic said. His eyes darted left.

  Alina turned in time to see a man coming from the kitchen. In his hand was a pistol. She spun and fired, hitting him the chest. She looked back. Every man had their gun in hand.

  Alina sprinted to her right, firing under her left arm as she ran.

  She hit Sokolovic twice. Her other shots went wide, but they had their intended effect. While Sokolovic slumped, the remaining men hit the floor, giving her time to reach the kitchen.

  Shots boomed. Bullets smacked a wicked rhythm into the wall by her side, and then she was out, running through the dirt backyard.

  More slugs whizzed by her head. She whirled, skidded to a stop, and leveled her gun. She fired off five quick rounds. Men dove for cover in separate directions. Alina vaulted the adobe wall lining the yard.

  She ducked low from the barrage of lead smacking off the wall. She rose and fired twice without looking. She was already heading down the street as fast as she could.

  Behind her, four men scaled the wall and gave chase. They kept shooting, but no bullets came close.

  Alina turned the corner, shooting once again. Delic grabbed his arm and slowed, but the other three kept on.

  Sprinting down the sidewalk, she thought of making a dash for the truck. She dropped that idea the moment she ducked beneath another volley. Not enough time.

  Desperately, she ran through the night. She turned right and glanced back. She was out distancing them, but Delic had rejoined the chase. She had a block lead. When she turned left at the next corner, their view was obscured by a house set close to the street. She immediately slipped over its front yard wall and dropped to the ground.

  She heard their footsteps coming fast. They passed her, coming to a stop at the end of the block.

  “Where did she go?” Delic asked.

  “I don’t know. You take the left. I’ll go right.”

  Footsteps receded down the street.

  Alina slowly rose, her breath coming in ragged gasps. No one was in sight. However, with all the turns she had made, she was now lost. She would be hard pressed to find her car at night, especially with four men searching for her.

  It was just a matter of time before they figured out she had doubled back. She was about to scale the wall when she heard running footsteps coming from the side of the house.

  Frantically, she looked around. No place to hide. She was in the front yard of a house. She sprinted for the door. It was her only chance.

  Thankfully, the door was open. She slipped through and gently closed it. Behind her, a man sat with his wife at the kitchen table. Alina motioned them to be quiet with a finger to her lips and then listened for any sounds of pursuit.

  “Nothing,” Delic said. “You see anything?”

  “No. She must have doubled back.” A slight pause. “Nothing in this yard. You two check this street. We’ll go back to the house. She must have a car. She may be trying to get to it.”

  Then they were gone.

  Alina breathed a quick sigh. She turned around to see the man and woman still sitting at the kitchen table, quietly watching her with no sign of alarm. Slowly, she approached them.

  The man wore black slacks and a white shirt. His thick salt-and-pepper hair was combed back, his beard neatly trimmed. The woman wore traditional garb, a flowing dress of sparkling aqua green.

  The house was simple. A living area on the left opened to the kitchen on the right. Before her, a hallway led to the bedroom.

  “Are you American?” the man asked in English.

  Alina shook her head. “I’m sorry to barge into your house like this, but some men are trying to kill me.”

  The man rose, motioning her to come in. “Here, sit, sit,” he said. When Alina hesitated, he said, “There’s no need to worry. We mean you no harm. Come in, please come in and have a seat.”

  Alina panned the room, looking for someone else who might be lurking in the shadows. Still on edge, she entered the kitchen. The smell of cooked meat aroused her hunger. She had not eaten all day and she was hungry.

  The man noticed her staring at their plates and motioned again with a smile. “Please, I beg of you. You are welcome in our house. Have a seat. Let us get you something to eat.” He turned to the woman. “Dersima, please attend to our guest. She looks famished.” He turned back to Alina. “I am Ramyar. I teach English at the university. At least I did before the war. Now, I sit with my wife and wait for the fighting to stop. Please, have a seat and tell us your name.”

  Alina sat down, placing the gun on the table. She looked quickly around. No one there. Finally, she took a deep breath.

  “My name is Alina.”

  “Welcome, Alina,” Ramyar said. “Our home is your home. You can stay as long as you like.”

  Dersima placed a hot plate of lamb and flat bread in front of her. Alina picked up a fork and took a bite.

  “This is good,” she said.

  “So glad you like it,” Dersima said with a smile. “Would you like some water?” Without waiting for an answer, she picked up a glass from the counter and filled it with tap water. She placed it in front of Alina. “My apologies, but we do not have much else. It is the war, you see. Food is very expensive these days. It is very difficult to get it.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Alina said, pushing the plate away. “Then I shouldn’t be eating yours. Please, take it back. I don’t want to impose.”

  Dersima persisted. “No, you eat. It is but a small price to pay for your company.”

  Alina took another bite and motioned them to their seats. “Sit down, please. Don’t stand on my account.”

  “Why are men trying to kill you?” Ramyar asked, dragging his chair closer to her.

  Alina scooted back, the gun instantly in her hand.

  Ramyar rose and placed his chair in its original position at the far end of the table. “I am sorry. I did not
mean to frighten you. Again, we mean you no harm. We are peaceful here. There is no war inside these walls.”

  Alina looked behind her again, smiled demurely, and put the gun back on the table. Then she thought better of it and tucked it in her waistband. “Sorry,” she said. “I guess I’m a little jumpy. People have been trying to kidnap or kill me since I got to your country.”

  “Oh, I am so sorry for that. Please accept my apologies on their behalf. They do not know what they do. They are just trying to protect their homes. Do not think less of them.”

  “Think less of them? You think protecting their homes calls for kidnapping people and chopping their heads off? Is that normal for you?”

  “Oh, no!” he said. “Such barbaric acts are not acceptable at all in Allah’s sight. They are mostly simple-minded men who have been led astray by religious zealots. In peaceful times, they are much like any other farmer in the world. They just want to be left alone.”

  “I can understand that. I was raised on a farm myself.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Bosnia.”

  “Bosnia? Oh my but you have traveled far to get here, but you have not answered my question. Why are people trying to kill you?”

  Alina told her entire story while she ate, ending with trailing the drugs to Iraq and killing Sokolovic.

  When she finished, Ramyar said, “You threaten them. It is no wonder these men want to kill you. They are bad men, evil men. I have met such men myself. It is good you are trying to stop them, but there are other ways—peaceful ways.”

  “The only way to stop them is to kill them.”

  “Kill them? But why? Allah does not allow us to harm another person. It is forbidden.”

  “Yeah? Tell that to them.”

  “It does not matter what they think. What matters most is what you believe. I still do not understand why you want to kill. There must be another way. Perhaps you could talk with them?”

  Alina shook her head. “Not these men. Not even if I wanted to. I’m out to destroy their drug operation. They will kill me the first chance they get. That is why they hunt me tonight.”

  “I understand what you are saying. Forgive me when I say this but you have brought your current situation on yourself.”

  “And just how do you figure that?” she snapped.

  “If you had not killed that man Sokolovic, would they be hunting you now?”

  Alina thought a moment then shook said, “No, I guess not.”

  “There, you see?” Ramyar said.

  “But they were in the middle of a drug deal. Yes, I had my gun on them, but they had me outnumbered. They would have killed me for sure. I was just defending myself.”

  “Yes, but if you had just called the proper authorities, this would never have happened. Listen to me, Alina. You must stop the killing. Allah demands it.”

  “Well, I’m not a Muslim.”

  “Then would Jesus do such a thing as harm another?”

  “No.” She hung her head.

  “We revere Jesus as well.”

  Alina looked up. “You do? I didn’t know that.”

  “Oh, yes!” Dersima cut in. “He is a great prophet in Islam. We also honor Moses, whom I understand you also revere. It is written by Moses that you should not kill. You must obey these words.”

  “How?” Alina said, her voice rising. “You keep telling me to stop killing. Tell me how to stop when they are trying to kill me and I’ll do it! There is much more involved than just revenge, here. There’s the matter of the heroin. I cannot quit on this. I made a promise to Colonel Demir I would stop it.”

  “Yes, but did you promise the colonel you would kill them?”

  “Not in so many words, but I took it he didn’t care how I stopped them as long as drugs quit coming into his country. The fact I want them dead is a bonus.”

  “I still insist you turn it over to the commander of your base,” Ramyar said. “I am sure he will handle it in the correct manner.”

  Alina shook her head. “Can’t. I still lack proof. The only way I know they’re tied to drugs is hearsay.”

  “Tell him what you told us. That may still be enough to stop them in a peaceful manner. There is a peaceful way to resolve everything. The important thing is that you seek to find it.”

  Alina shook her head again. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right, but I’ve wanted them dead for so long...I just...I just don’t know how to stop and let it go. I’m sorry, but I simply can’t do that.”

  Ramyar looked at his wife, who nodded. He looked at Alina and said, “It is not wise for you to go out tonight. Why don’t you stay here with us where it is safe?”

  Alina looked at him. “Why are you being so nice?”

  “It is our way. It is the way of Allah.” Ramyar rose slowly, his palms extended. “Please, let us go into the other room where we can talk. We have much to learn from each other.”

  They talked late into the night with Alina going into more detail of her story. Ramyar took the lead in telling her how a gun was not the way to resolve a conflict and that revenge had its day in court. In the end, he emphasized why she should stop the killing.

  Finally, Alina burst out, “But I’ve repeated many times, how can I stop now? If I don’t kill them, they’ll kill me!”

  “Soothe your spirit, Alina,” Dersima said, her voice was calm and soft. “Do not be angry. You have a warrior’s spirit. There is nothing wrong with that, but you relish in the fight and do not realize all this killing is just killing you. Bit by bit, with each death, you lose a part of your soul. Don’t tell me you haven’t felt that. Don’t tell my you haven’t been haunted by each man you killed.”

  Alina nodded ever so slightly.

  Dersima then added, “Take time now to be calm. Be at peace with the world, like Ramyar and I.”

  “Be at peace?” Alina gawked at her. “How can I do that? How can you do it, for that matter? I mean with so much going on, all the killing, how can you sit there so calm, like you’ve no care in the world?”

  “Oh, we care. We care very much. What you see is the product of years in the making, to be happy and at peace no matter what is happening around us.”

  Alina looked at them as Dersima poured her another cup of tea. Finally, Alina said, “Can you teach me that kind of peace? I admit I have never been happy since my childhood. What do I have to do?”

  Ramyar said, “There are some things one can change and other things that cannot. We now know the difference. It took us time, patience, and prayer to figure out the two, but when we did, the stress of life let go. It was as if we were pushing against the side of a mountain. When we finally realized we couldn’t move the mountain, we went around it. You see? There are many paths to reach one’s goal.”

  “That is a good point,” Dersima said. “To be content, one must have a goal in life—and doing one’s best to pursue it. We feel it is best to contribute to the community or the world, the wellbeing of others, rather than ourselves. So that is our goal now, to make other people’s lives a little better in any way we can—just as we are doing with you, Alina.”

  Alina paused a moment, looking at the floor. “I appreciate what you are trying to do, but the only way I can contribute to the world is by ridding it of the kind of men I am after. Killing them is the best way to do that. That is my goal.”

  “But there is such violence in the path you chose,” Ramyar said, “and violence is detrimental to the peace you seek. If peace of mind and soul is to be your goal, you must choose another path to bring these men to justice.”

  “You mean let the courts handle it.”

  Ramyar nodded. “That is one path you can take, and a good one. If bringing these men to justice is your goal, then we must find a way to bring them to court without destroying the inner peace you seek.”

  “So that’s it, then,” Alina said. “To be peaceful like you, all I have to do is bring these men to justice without killing them.”

  Dersima shoo
k her head, her eyes wide. “Oh no, my dear. There is so much more you have to learn.”

  “Like what?”

  “You are so focused on the world around you. To be at one with yourself, you should take the time to notice the beauty in the world around you, not the ugliness of war and hate. Tell me if it isn’t so, that when you look outside these walls all you see is destruction.”

  “What else is there?”

  “Do you ever look up and just enjoy the sky?” Ramyar asked. “Do you ever stop to let the sun soak your skin, to feel its warmth flow through you? Some of the trees have survived the ravage. There is beauty all around us if you care to notice it. All you have to do is look.”

  “And the people,” Dersima added. “You may not believe it because of what you’ve been through, but there are beautiful people in this world. Ramyar and I have such beautiful friends. That’s what life is about, having friends we can talk to, to laugh with. Most of them are like us, people who just want to live in peace.”

  Alina said, “I don’t have any friends.”

  “That is because you won’t let yourself have any. I know people just like you, Alina. You keep people at arm’s distance. You never let anyone in close. You hide your emotions, but you should not.”

  “There was Goran. I let myself love him, and he died because of me.”

  “I’m sure he loved you,” Ramyar said. “Just because your love was so short does not make it any less meaningful. The important thing to learn here is that you can love. You still possess the power to love, Alina. Do not worry. You will love again.” He leaned forward. “Just look at what you accomplished! In the midst of all your hate, your pain, and all this violence, you allowed yourself to get close to someone. And when you did, you found love. I am most certain you had some level of peace then.”

  Alina nodded. “Yes, that’s true. I actually thought about abandoning all this for Goran.”

  Ramyar clapped his hands. “There! You see? You did it before. I am sure you can think that way again.”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t think I can take that kind of loss again.”