by John Fajo
For a while, he didn’t receive an answer, then a faint voice said: “Just let me out here.”
He stopped by a corner and she got out. He wished her luck, and then went back to his hotel.
****
He rolled in his bed for some time and then sat up. He simply couldn’t sleep. He was too excited and proud of himself. Finally, he had been capable of an act of brilliance, proving that he had deserved to become the inspector, he thought. He amused himself with the punishment he imagined the cabdriver and the hideous character were given for the blunder they had made. He didn’t feel a bit sorry for them, though. He felt it was a just revenge on his part to thwart their plans. The hideous character must have raged after finding out that he had been so mischievously deceived, the inspector thought. Anyway, he wouldn’t have problems with them any more. The first line of defence of the baron was beaten and he knew there would be a change in tactics. There would be no more punching brigades. A more sophisticated team would continue trying to hinder him. But he was confident now. And he realized that he would have to change his tactics as well in order to fulfil his mission. A single day in the city proved enough for him to realize that it would take much more to reveal the identity of the baron than he could muster. Therefore, he had to make the baron come to him instead of the other way around. But he was aware that the baron would only come to him as a last resort. The inspector knew this was a poker game, in which he would have to risk everything. If the baron managed to glimpse any of his cards, the match would be over. It was therefore vital that he kept his lack of knowledge concerning the baron a secret.
He sighed in satisfaction and attempted to sleep. He was dozing when the telephone rang unexpectedly. He picked up the receiver.
“Hello,” the inspector said inarticulately.
“Never do that again,” said a voice he couldn’t recognise.
“Never do what?” he asked.
“Never tamper with our affairs. You hear?”
“Oh, get lost,” he shouted and ended the conversation.
So the second line of defence was in motion, he thought. At least the baron now knew where he resided, he mused. The inspector was complacent. Everything was working out the way he had wished.
He peered out of his room’s window at the city and felt himself as far from the buzzing around him as he could be. He heard the muffled noises of the nocturnal life of the metropolis, saw the lights shining and shadows changing place constantly on the ceiling. Yet as he sat there, as much as he was unused to city life, he felt calm. Calmer than ever before. Perhaps this was simply the prelude of the imminent confrontation, he thought. Perhaps he was satisfied more than ever. Whatever it was, he had a sensation of being on an island, deserted and uninhabited, far away from all the commotion and danger. Somewhere, where fear did not exist. It was an ideal place. Nevertheless, something was missing. Or rather someone. Suddenly the countenance of his passenger emerged before his half-closed eyes. He hadn’t given it too much thought earlier, but now he had to admit that she had been very attractive. Especially as vulnerable as she had been. It might have been a mistake to leave her in the midst of one of the city’s uncountable squares. Maybe they could have united forces against the baron, he mused. If it was the baron she had been after, he added. Then he shook his head. After all, he thought, the time of chivalry was over, and he certainly wasn’t the knight who would save the world. He wasn’t about to make useless acquaintances. Besides, he liked to work alone, to be alone. He couldn’t tolerate detours that could jeopardize his success. With this thought, he leaned back and turning from the glowing lights went to sleep.
****
He awoke with an ingenious idea that matched the overtaking of the taxicab in simplicity. He quickly got up and arranged his thoughts. He would forge a document indicating that important people stood behind him. Then he would make sure that this document ended up in the baron’s hands. He just had to make sure of its credibility. This could prove difficult though. He couldn’t afford slip ups; it had to be perfect. Not too detailed yet believably meaningful. No names could be mentioned. This would discredit the document at once, he thought. Besides the baron had agents everywhere, naming one of them would have been unwise. Also, to indicate someone not involved seemed to him abhorrent. He didn’t want innocent people to get hurt because of his poker game if things went wrong. It was his fight, he had to fight alone.
He set to work. He worked diligently throughout the day, piecing together the document meticulously; it was late afternoon when he finished with it. Then he ordered a satchel, a handbook and a map of the city from the receptionist. When he received these items, he put the document, the book and the map in the bag. He was almost ready to go. There remained, however, one important detail unsolved. He didn’t entirely know how he should organize matters. He was sure that he would be followed as soon as he left his room; no doubt his phone was already tapped. But how should he lose his bag afterwards? He couldn’t just drop it somewhere, he thought. That would be too obvious, something the baron wouldn’t buy. He had to make it seem as if he had to depart from the satchel in haste and unwillingly. He paced the room up and down while getting dressed. He tried to find the solution. He was putting on his shoes when it occurred to him. He sighed in satisfaction. He left the hotel, his bag placed under his arm.
The inspector noticed the men following him instantly. There were two of them, one carrying a newspaper, the other pretending as if looking in the shop windows. At the beginning, one of them was following him on the other side of the street, but soon the road broadened to ten lanes and both of the men had to keep pace with him on the same sidewalk.
He thought he would test the skills of the baron’s servants before actually implementing his plan. Therefore, he entered a huge shopping mall and got lost in the crowd. He went up two flights with escalator. Then, making a detour he came down again and exited the mall. There was no trace of his followers and this worried him because he needed them to pick up the satchel he wanted to lose; it seemed he had managed too well in getting rid of them. He was confused what to do for some time, waited for his followers a block from the mall, then retraced his steps stunned and upset. The ineptitude of his followers angered him. He felt unchallenged. He thought the baron would have sent more capable men if he was more important. Now he had to find them in the mall. He hurried from floor to floor. At the top, he finally found the men; they were sipping coffee in a cafeteria and it seemed to him that they had given up the chase. He looked at them despisingly and imagined his fingers folding around the baron’s neck. He sat down by a table so that the men could see him, ordered a cup of tea and tapped with his fingers in anticipation. He was waiting to be seen. But the men were occupied. He thought their working hours must have been over or something. He drank his tea and still nothing happened. He was becoming unnerved. At last, he decided to take charge of the situation, boldly went forward, and as if by chance, pushed one of the men off his chair.
“I beg your pardon,” he said, and acting on instincts rather than common sense punched the other man with full strength.
Then the inspector ran. Finally, the men were on his tail. He pushed his way through the crowd, and headed towards an underground station. He had to descend fifteen flights. He stumbled here and there, but kept his meagre lead. In the meantime, he looked back several times not trusting his followers’ following ability, so they could keep him in sight.
After he had arrived at the underground station he jumped in a subway car that was about to depart. The men followed close behind. Then just before the doors would have closed, he disembarked. It was perfect timing. The door closed on his bag and clutched it. He pretended to be trying to free it in vain. The subway began to roll and he gave up. Or so his followers were meant to believe. As the car receded he could see them taking possession of his satchel and felt satisfied.
****
The inspector was beginning to get used to the city and was surprised how much th
e city grew on him. He felt as if he had lived there for an eternity. His earlier life seemed distant and unimportant; he didn’t feel homesick. Actually, the city was his home now. He looked out of his room’s window and peered into the distance and wondered if it was worth it at all to embark on his mission. So far he had gotten nowhere. Days passed on and all he could do was to wait patiently; the baron hadn’t made his move yet. And as time went it seemed more and more unlikely that his plan would work. But he hadn’t given up hope just yet.
In the meantime, he went sightseeing, at times accompanied by followers. Nevertheless, he got the impression that he could do anything he wanted unhindered as these followers weren’t too eager and he could escape from them any time. He mused whether this meant that he was seen simply as an annoyance by the baron or quite the opposite, someone to recon with. He was certainly worried that his cards had been revealed. Was the document he had forged believable, he asked himself. Uncertainty was frustrating. He was fed up with the whole game and the pretension, but he had to go on; he had no other choice. He had to keep pretending that everything went the way he wanted, working on the assumption that he was still perceived as a dangerous antagonist by the baron.
Now he looked at the night sky, but there were no stars to be seen. The city was too bright and he was in the middle of it. The only star he could perceive was a bleached yellow decoration on the wall of a cinema that was a shabby place next to one of the skyscrapers. Despite its squalidity, there was a continuous crowd in and out of the movie theatre. He thought this contrast between the skyscraper and the cinema was pertinent to the city. He could never understand how, if in any way, the metropolis was organized. There were the large apartment blocks built of concrete and scattered among them, small wooden houses could be found as if hiding in the shadows of the giants. He thought this made the city look ragged and in disarray, yet it certainly added some flavour.
He often looked at the city at night. He believed it was more interesting then than in daylight, it had some mysterious and mesmerizing aura. But he thought he wasn’t about to watch enchantedly for much longer for he was running out of money. He only hoped the baron would make his move soon.
****
Finally, the baron made his move.
The inspector stopped in front of his room, taking a deep breath before entering. He had been visiting museums earlier in the day and when he had returned to his hotel he noticed at once on the face of the porter that something was about to go down. He hadn’t been able to tell what made him convinced of that. But he had been certain.
Now he stood in the hallway and could hear some strange noises emanating from his room. His conviction turned out to be true when he stepped inside the room.
“Come in,” said someone relaxing in his easychair and watching television.
“And you are?” the inspector inquired.
The man turned away from the television set. He could see a bulky figure dressed in a workman’s suit. He grinned. He could tell the baron from anyone.
“You should know who I am,” said the baron loftily.
The inspector simply nodded in answer to this and seated himself. “State your business,” the inspector said, while looking at the baron in disgust, who was eating peanuts and drinking beer. Instead of answering, the baron tossed a bowl full of peanuts towards him and continued watching television. He looked in amazement and pondered whether he should turn the table on his visitor or not. Then he decided not to.
After some time the baron said: “An interesting game, isn’t it? I bet a hundred on the team in the blue.”
“Are they winning?”
“What a question. Naturally. But either way I win. That’s the way it always goes.” The baron glanced at him. “Perhaps we can make a deal as well.”
“Perhaps not,” he rejoined.
The baron shook his head and drank his beer. “I hope you don’t think that I believe that the document is genuine.”
“Then what on earth are you here for?” the inspector asked.
The baron didn’t answer. For some time they were silent. He stared at the baron. Then he said: “I thought you were someone. But I was wrong. You are just a measly creature.”
“An interesting thought.” The baron laughed, then waved his hands. “But you aren’t the tough guy I imagined you to be either. I hope you are not trying to intimidate me with your muscle power.” The baron laughed heartily again.
“Perhaps not,” the inspector said.
The baron nodded haughtily. “Listen...,” he crunched some peanuts, “I could use a man like you. Young, strong, intelligent and eager. You know what I mean.”
“Yes,” the inspector answered. “But there is only one way you can stop me. And that ain’t money.”
“If you force me to...”
“Maybe that is what you are supposed to do. I have no idea what the Commission’s plans are.”
“Of course. There we have it. The mysterious Commission you mentioned in your document.”
“I didn’t mention anything,” the inspector said knowing that the baron was attempting to reveal his cards.
“So you say. But there isn’t anyone who has heard of this Commission whatsoever.”
“It’s secret,” the inspector exclaimed. “And it shall deal with you.”
The baron flicked a peanut into his mouth. “Is that so? And how shall they,” he accentuated the they “deal with me, may I ask?! Skyscrapers don’t come tumbling down, you know.”
“I disagree.”
“Then we have nothing else to discuss unfortunately. If, however, you change your mind just say so to my men,” the baron got up. “I’ll leave the peanuts and the beer here. They would do you good.”
The baron exited the room.
****
“...now that we have discussed the most urgent transactions, I would like to inform you of a possible conspiracy unfolding,” said the baron. He was speaking in a large cave far beneath the surface. His voice echoed in the distance. A creek was flowing close by. There was a round table placed in the middle of the cave, it was here the Group of Five was seated. It was here that they voted on matters. Secluded from the world. Undisturbed. “There is a man calling himself the inspector,” the baron continued. “We have found a document connecting him to some unnamed highly ranked individuals. I wonder if you know anything about this matter.”
“I haven’t heard of any unnamed individuals,” the general moaned. Nor had the secretary of operations, the businessman or the lawyer. The baron looked at them with sharp eyes. It was clear that he was displeased.
“I don’t like double crossers,” the baron shouted and jumped out of his chair. “If I find out that any one of you is involved in the conspiracy you will pay. Dearly.”
For a time there was silence in the cave, only the splashing water could be heard. Then the lawyer said: “Could I see the document you have been referring to?”
The baron tossed the document angrily to the other end of the table. He started to circle around the other four members of the Group of Five.
After a while the lawyer said: “But this contains absolutely nothing. I say it’s a hoax.”
“So it’s you, is it?!” the baron exclaimed in rage.
“What?” the lawyer inquired.
“I don’t understand any of this,” the businessman told the baron. “Are you trying to frame someone based on a piece of paper?”
The baron looked at the four of them with hate. “Someone is attempting to undermine my power. Who else would dare to try if not one of you? Or is it all of you?” The secretary of operations couldn’t open his mouth, the baron didn’t allow him. He continued loudly and with pathos: “I promise you there will be a purge. A purification. And all those who have changed sides will be dealt with...”
****
The inspector didn’t know what to make of the baron’s visit. He had been hoping to get more out of it but the baron had provided him with no lead. He analyzed the
events over and over again. The baron had mentioned nothing, nor did his physical features distinguish him from others; he could see countless workers looking like him day after day. Thus, the baron seemed to him just as inscrutable as before. He felt his mission had become meaningless and he didn’t know what he should do. He was achieving nothing. He got more and more frustrated and was close to admitting failure. But then something unexpected happened which gave him the lead he so much desired.
He was walking along one of the main avenues near the centre of the city. It was late afternoon and the sun glittered in puddles left after a thunderstorm. He winked with his eyes as he took deep breaths of the fresh air he so much missed since he had arrived. The wind blew mildly over his face. His cheeks were ruby for he had jogged a couple of streets. There was little traffic and the storm had cleared the city of people and rubbish, which had filled the sidewalks earlier. He was strolling at a comfortable speed and enjoyed the sunrays.
Then a sudden thunderbolt stopped his sauntering. He had never experienced anything like it and thought the entire city had collapsed upon him. An echoing crash filled his senses and ran through his bones. He fell to the ground and thought that he would never get up. Then the thundering noise subsided, though it left his ears tingling. He looked around from his prostrate position and saw a large cloud of dust swirling that was about to engulf everything a couple of blocks ahead. He kept staring at the sight for a while in absolute astonishment, although there wasn’t much to be seen. Perhaps this was the most disturbing. He remembered that a renowned skyscraper had been standing where now the cloud of dust eddied.
Then he started to run. He realized that this event held the clue. His mission was saved after all. He entered the vortex of dust. He stumbled ahead. He could see very little but perhaps it was all the better. Among the rubble of the collapsed skyscraper, there were body parts scattered around. It was an abhorrent scene. He was horrified. He stopped and looked around. The devastation was complete. The skyscraper must have demolished at least a dozen other buildings and collapsed the road. There wasn’t anything he could do. No one could have survived. He turned around and limped out of the dust. He could do nothing to save the victims now, he thought, but he had the power to prevent any such events from occurring again. All he had to do was to destroy the baron. “Skyscrapers don’t come tumbling down...,” the baron had said. But it seemed to him now that they did indeed. And he was without a doubt that the baron had been involved in their construction. This was the lead he had been looking for for so long.
