Destination Eden
Page 22
Chapter 22
Both women slept later than they intended. As Janet had tried to go to sleep, she had heard Jasmine speaking in Arabic as she said her prayers. Her own prayers were said as she lay in bed. Eventually the sleep of exhaustion overtook both of them.
After their showers and breakfast, Jasmine and Janet went down to the Police Station. Janet glimpsed the person she had originally reported Eti's kidnap to, but he scuttled off in the opposite direction when she made eye contact. This time she was ushered into a plush office occupied by a uniformed man with a lot of gold braid. Also in the room were a man in a suit who showed some type of Identification Card that meant nothing to her, but which Jasmine acknowledged, and another uniformed man with a row of medals upon his chest. The men spoke initially in English, but would occasionally forget themselves and break into their native language.
While Janet was eager to understand everything said, she realised that if she kept interrupting, nothing would be achieved, so she took a back seat to Jasmine in the belief that she would be filled in later.
When they left the Police Station, they went to a cafe. Jasmine said that it was not the one Ishmael had visited. She filled Janet in on the Police meeting.
"The suited man was from the Turkish Security Service; a spook, you know, a spy. The one with the medals was from the army. They are taking it all pretty seriously, but don't rate Eti's part in it. They are concerned that the kidnapping is the work of Kurdish rebels. They are causing quite a lot of cross-border trouble at the moment. They want self-rule separate from Turkey and often attack Turkish Police and Government buildings. I filled them in on what Ishmael had told me but didn't reveal my source. Like elsewhere in this world, the Jews do not have an easy time of it here. I didn't want to give the government authorities any reason to harass the Jews."
"You told them why we think Eti was kidnapped?"
"Yes, but I had the feeling they did not believe me. Oh, they agree that Eti has been kidnapped okay, but they prefer the version of Kurdish Terrorists doing it rather than our version of evolutionists verses creationists."
"You are not surprised are you?"
"Not really. They don't want an international incident on their hands with an internationally funded expedition being subjected to kidnapping for ransom. They prefer it to be a Kurdish problem."
"So they are not going to do anything. Is that what you are saying?"
"Yes and no. They will follow up Eti's kidnapping but will do so by harassing known Kurdish sympathizers rather than simple criminal elements."
"So they don't believe Ishmael?"
"In a word, no. Having said that though, I think the spook will probably sniff around a bit: just in case. He would love an International incident as his funding would increase."
"Politics."
"Pure and simple."
"So where does that leave us?"
Before Jasmine could answer there was an interruption. A waiter approached them and handed Jasmine an envelope. He said that a gentleman had handed it to him and said that he had seen her drop it. He was unable to point out the man as he had apparently left. His description fitted the majority of men the world over.
Jasmine opened the envelope, ignoring forensic rules that she would jeopardise any evidence it might have attached to it. Again, there was a sheet of paper with letters from a newspaper glued to it. Jasmine scanned the words written in Turkish. She read them aloud.
"One thousand American dollars, Nemrut Dagi in three days for Solomon. We meet you."
As Jasmine translated, Janet reached out and gripped her wrist.
"That's it?" asked Janet. "Oh, thank you God, thank you God."
"Allah is indeed great," agreed Jasmine.
"Do we tell the Police," asked Janet when she settled back down?
"What do you think," countered Jasmine?
"I'm tempted to do this by ourselves," replied Janet. "Do you think that would be wrong? Like, they will be wild if they find out that we haven't told them everything. Perhaps we should have told them"
"No, I think that would be the safest thing to do; less chance of over reaction and people getting hurt."
"Three days to Mount Nemrut seems to be a long time though doesn't it? Eti and I reckoned on one and a bit at the outside."
"You are forgetting that we are dealing with Muslim men. They would not believe that we women could travel as fast, or faster, than them so they are giving us extra time."
"So what do you reckon? Do we get there early or just in time?"
"Let's be early. That way we can have a bit of a look around and familiarise ourselves with the area; just in case some urgent decisions are required."
"Okay, I'll go and get the money and you give Jay a call and let him know what we are up to."
Janet and Jasmine left the hotel the next day just as daylight started to push darkness to one side. Janet had her own backpack and Jasmine used Eti's. Jasmine said that Jason had reservations about their plan but he did not forbid it. In a money belt under her clothing, Janet carried the ransom money plus a bit extra.
By the end of the second day after receiving the ransom demand, Janet and Jasmine had made a thorough search of the Nemrut area. The crater, which they estimated to be about 5 miles across, contained a large cold-water lake along with smaller pools with some of them quite hot, due to hot springs nearby, and suitable for swimming. It had taken a mere four hours to get from Tatvan to the crater edge. Apart from oak and birch trees on the southern slope, the mountain was bare.
"Eti said that this has not erupted since 1597 and that it is now dormant," said Janet. "Mind you, in New Zealand we have dormant and active volcanoes and I don't trust any of them."
"Oh, I think it will be safe enough," said Jasmine. "At least if there is a problem, there are quite a few others to share it with."
She indicated the tourist party groups with their guides.
"Actually," she continued, "I wonder why they want to do the swap here in such a public place?"
"Perhaps to make sure that if there are any Police then they, the kidnappers, won't be shot at for fear of hitting a tourist."
"Yeah? They obviously don't know the Turkish Police then. Could be though.
"What say we go back down to our camp at the base and come back up here tomorrow? I know it is another climb but actually spending a night on a volcano doesn't sit right with me."