Meeting Max

by Richard Brumer

  “I don’t fear it. Glory be to Allah,” Jassu shouted. “He will always be there for me in life and after. I will live until I die, then my soul will leave my body and I will live again for all eternity. It is a gift from Allah for us to be here in the first place, and it is a gift to us to have noble passions and fight for them.”

  “I wish I felt the way you do,” Elena said. “I think about death a lot. Sometimes I imagine myself buried underground, in a wooden casket, rotting away, my flesh falling off my bones. It scares me. I think about it too often.”

  “I know how you feel,” Jassu said. “It is human to feel that way. If you will excuse me, I promised my auntie I would have tea with her. I am happy to hear of this plan. It is good and we will do well because of it. We have a noble cause and Allah is with us.”

  Jassu raised his hands in front of his lips, closed his eyes, and nodded to each person as he left.

  “Elena, it is too bad Jassu and the others had to leave. We have a nice lunch prepared. Would you like vegetarian and some white wine?” Kamran asked.

  “Yes, absolutely. Thank you.”

  Two servants attended to the meal, which included a thali of vegetable stew, rice, roti, two curries, dhal, chutney, pickle, and a bottle of chilled Vernaccia di San Gimignano from Kamran’s collection of Italian white wines.

  Tea and gulab jamun were presented after Elena and Kamran ate the other food. For Elena, the gulab brought back thoughts of Rick.

  Oh my God, if Kamran only knew what sentimental memories this dessert has for me.

  Kamran saw her smiling as she ate. “I see you like it. It is a deep fried dough rolled into balls with some seasonings in sugar syrup. It’s served a lot at weddings. Have you had it before?”

  “Yes. I had it on the plane coming over. The man sitting next to me had it also.”

  “Jassu mentioned him to me. Rick, isn’t it?”

  Elena’s hands trembled. Her face was flushed and warm.

  He knows his name.

  She blew it off and switched her mind to memories of the laughter she shared with Rick when they enjoyed their “fried balls.” It was a brief distraction from the seriousness of the day, away from the talk of killing, bombs, kidnapping, and explosions.

  Damn, why am I doing this?Just run.

  She thought again of her plight. It was no longer her cause. It sounded noble at first, and the excitement of fighting against injustice thrilled her, but it was too extreme, too political. When Elena was an activist and carried a sign, she yelled and screamed with fervor. This was different. It was all about them and how they would benefit. The only thing she felt good about was being in India.

  Kamran asked Elena to wait as Emir spoke to him in Urdu. Then Emir bowed to Elena and left.

  “Thank you so much for being part of this meeting. It means so much to me,” Kamran said.

  Elena frowned and squinted at him. “You’re welcome. I’m sure we will be successful, but I’m still scared.”

  “Elena, my dear Elena. You are not to worry. I would never let anything bad happen to you. All I ask is that you stay until after we take the minister. You have been a comfort to him in the past when you shared a little romance. Please, I beg you. Stay with us.”

  “I’m still scared.”

  “Two of my men will escort you off the biplane before it takes off and take you to the safety of the terminal. You would honor me to do this one thing for me and I will personally guarantee your safety.”

  “And then I can go?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “But there might be many aircraft there. We don’t know. You said the operation would have to be called off if there was too much of an IAF presence.”

  “Did you see who I was just talking to? It was Emir and you know who he is. I know you do because you presented me with a valuable decoded cipher which mentioned his code name.”

  “Yes, but I didn’t associate it with Emir.”

  “I think you did. He told me there would only be one IAF fighter plane at the airport, at the most two. With a low Indian Air Force presence, we will be good to go.”

  “Okay, we have a strong force. I know we will be successful, but please have two of your men take me to the terminal as soon as possible.”

  “I give you my word as a gentleman, dear Elena, that you will be escorted off the biplane after spending a few minutes with the minister and assuring him he is in good hands.”

  “Thank you, Kamran. Salam Alekum.”

  “Alaikum as Salaam.”

  Elena knew about Emir, all right. She was the only one other than Kamran who knew he was a spy, but Elena had one piece of information that Kamran didn’t. She knew he was a double agent.

  Chapter 17

  At Kamran’s suggestion, Elena met Sudar for lunch the next day at the Bukhara restaurant for some northwestern Indian cuisine. The purpose of their meeting was to discuss some of the finer points of the plan, including another review of the operation with emphasis on the part Elena would play.

  As they shared an extravagant lunch from the tandoor, Elena forced herself to be calm and go along with Kamran’s operation. She would do it, it would be over, and that would be it!

  Sudar was fifty-three years old, painfully shy, and trapped in an unhappy arranged marriage. He had one daughter, already in her thirties, and she was, shamefully, unmarried.

  “Sudar, I never thanked you properly for picking me up at the airport.”

  “It is not a problem, Miss Elena. It was, for me, a great pleasure. So, from where do you come in the USA?”

  “New York City, a big place.”

  “Yes, very big, I am sure. Too big for me. I grew up in a small town called Abhaneri, not far from Jaipur, but I live in Delhi now because my wife and daughter prefer a big city. But I feel my small village keeps calling me.”

  “And your daughter is in her thirties?”

  “Raaka will be thirty-three in January.”

  “Oh, so you’re married a long time.”

  “Yes, I married Lakshmi when I was only seventeen. It was arranged by our families when we were still children. My wife and I are different about everything. Our families thought of all the practical reasons why our marriage would be good, and we thought we would fall in love in time, but that did not happen.

  “I wanted to find a nice boy for my daughter so that they can marry. It was difficult for me because I could not provide a suitable dowry. It is different now. I met Kamran and am part of this plan. I will be well taken care of and my daughter will benefit with a significant dowry so she will be accepted in her husband’s home.”

  “Sudar, you’re a good father.”

  “It is what I must be.”

  “So, I assume you were in the army, since you’re part of what’s going on,” she said in a low voice.

  “Yes. I was a member of the Para Commandos, basically a Special Forces unit of the Indian army. Previously, I was in the Parachute Regiment. That was maybe twenty years ago.”

  “When was the last time you parachuted?”

  “Only recently. Maybe one month. It was in Agra, where I met some of the men from my old unit. We meet there for a few days every year, and we have some fun doing practice jumps. We always end the day having dinner at the Rooftop Restaurant at Saniya Palace Hotel, where we can eat and look at the Taj Mahal.”

  “Sounds great. I always wanted to skydive, but it’s scary.”

  “Yes, for sure. It was for me as well. But you have to understand, when you jump out of a plane, you are moving horizontally at the same speed as the plane, so that makes it very good.”

  “I’m not sure why it’s so good, but if you say so, it must be.”

  “Yes, Miss Elena, it is a very good thing to be traveling at the same speed as plane for first ten seconds. You will not feel you are falling. Let me know if you would like to try it sometime.”

  “I might. You’ve got me thinking, Sudar, you really do. So, Kamran said you can tell me about the…�
��

  “Uh, yes, but I changed my mind about talking here. It might be nice if we go to the Lodi, where we can walk and talk out in nature.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  ***

  In the serene surroundings of the Lodi Gardens, they only heard the sounds of the birds as they walked along the garden paths. The surroundings were, indeed, filled with peace, but what they had to talk about was anything but peaceful.

  “Sudar, I don’t know why Emir was present. Is he part of the mission?”

  “Oh no, Miss Elena. He is a servant of Kamran and a very nice man.”

  “I see, and yet he was at the meeting.” She stopped walking and turned to Sudar. “Why do you think he was there?”

  “Oh, I do not know the reasons for these things. I trust Kamran, and he must have a reason. I will tell you only one thing and will say it once. Emir was responsible for gathering much of the details necessary about the Indian government to make our mission possible. I will not say anymore. It is necessary.”

  “I understand.”

  “It is important that I tell you that Kamran would like you to stay in Jaisalmer until the operation begins so we could be in contact. I will drive you there tomorrow. It is a long trip from Delhi, and it is not far from the Pakistan border. I will take you there and make sure you are settled into a fine residence. You will have a wonderful time exploring Jaisalmer.”

  “Thank you. I understand the fort in Jaisalmer is very old.”

  “It is, indeed. It was built around 1200, one of the largest forts in the world, and many people live inside it.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “You are an American and I do not know how you became interested in our cause, but to keep respect between us, I will not ask. I thank you from my heart for the good things you do, and I know you do many charities as well and help the children in India.”

  “Thank you, Sudar, and thank you for taking me to Jaisalmer.”

  “Yes, it is a very busy place inside the fort, but there is much to see. You will be staying at the Hotel Paradise. Very nice indeed. You have gained our trust, so I will be open with you about our plans because we may have to call on you for your help.”

  “My help will always be there for you,” Elena said convincingly.

  “You asked a good question of Kamran at our meeting, about what will happen if the government ignores us. The government may not be offering a response for many reasons. One is that they need the time to allow the Intelligence Bureau to execute counterintelligence acts to gather information about us. If they find us, we will be tortured for information and then killed. That is why, after a short time, we must send the finger with the ring and follow with his body, then take the UN ambassador.”

  “Yes, Kamran explained that, but I didn’t remember that the guideline for the government’s response time was limited to one day. Timing is so critical. How will the ambassador be taken? From where and how? And why did we not choose the Ambassador to the UN to be kidnapped instead of the defense minister, if it was so easy?”

  “Yes, Miss Elena, it is true that timing is critical, but we have it worked out quite well. The UN ambassador is not as important as the defense minister, so it is vital to take the minister first. Thanks to you, the government’s code for communication is now known to us. Only Kamran and I know this, and maybe one other person. How were you able to do that? I was always fascinated in code breaking.”

  “From the time I was very young, I have always been interested in ciphers and puzzles. It was an addiction for me. It became effortless. Sometimes I found a solution in minutes. It was just something that came to me naturally.”

  “How did you actually do it? The coded exchanges involving Emir?”

  “It took some work before I figured out the key word in the coded messages the Indian government used for secret communications. Once you know the key word, figuring out the cipher text to determine the plain text is easy. I found out the defense minister’s travel plans in detail and who will be travelling with him by solving key word ciphers. The same with the Indian Ambassador to the United Nations, with all the private details about his schedules.”

  “It is amazing that you know these things. I could never do it.”

  “It was just a curiosity that stayed with me since I was a child. Then a lot of practice creating ciphers, then decoding challenging codes just for fun. Why do you think the Indian ambassador to the UN was chosen as the second choice?”

  “For two reasons. The United Nations is a world organization, and, even though our acts may be condemned, our name will be heard throughout the world. Also, the ambassador, Sharish Singh, chairs the counterterrorism committee in the UN. Capturing him will show that we have the power to do it. It will also demonstrate we are not a terrorist group who kill innocent people, but we are a group that uses harsh tactics against the government and military as a last resort to achieve justice.”

  “And here we are, Sudar, walking together and talking about killing people. Just the two of us speaking about it in a friendly, calm way in a lovely garden. There’s something wrong with killing, but I know it must be done. I’m glad we are talking about it in these peaceful surroundings.”

  “Yes, it is safe in the Lodi. You can see a few couples, maybe lovers, around us who come here to meet because their parents disapprove of them being together. I always smile when I see them. Come, do you want to sit?”

  “I always hear that about the lovers and parks,” Elena said. “If it’s such a well-known custom, why aren’t they found out?”

  “The lovers meet in different places maybe. I am not sure. I never had that experience. That is a good question.”

  Sudar and Elena walked to a long green bench and sat. Lodi Gardens was not like any other part of Delhi. Once inside the park, an unseen door to noisy Delhi shuts, blocking out the tumult and craziness, leaving only the sound of birds.

  Elena felt it was out of place to be talking about bombings and killings here. She closed her eyes, breathed the scent of the flowers, and sighed. She listened to the birds sing their happy songs which blended with the rustle of the leaves as the breeze flowed through the trees. It was another momentary breather from the heaviness in her heart.

  “I can see you are a very spiritual person, Miss Elena, from your brief meditation.”

  “I just needed to escape from some of the pressure I feel inside.”

  “Everything will be good, I promise you. All will be well and Allah will be with you always.”

  “Yes, I know. Thank you”

  “Kamran is a good man. He is a smart and caring person and he always feels the pain of others. That is why it is important for him to bring justice to people who cannot help themselves.”

  “I’m not clear about how we would take the UN ambassador. Kamran glossed over that.”

  “Glossed?”

  “Uh, he went over it briefly without going over the details of how we would do it.”

  “I see. It is a simple plan. Our attack team in Delhi has determined that the ambassador leaves his residence under the protection of two National Security guards between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. every morning. We know from our recon that this schedule will continue through October and November.”

  “What if he’s sick?”

  “He is generally a well man and pays quite a bit of attention to his health. He is a religious man, a Hindu, and is a very well-respected ambassador and diplomat. India has always been proud of his deeds at the UN. I feel sad that we have to take such a nice man hostage, but it is necessary.”

  “Why is it important for me to know this part of the plan?”

  “First, it is because you seemed interested, and also, Miss Elena, Kamran wanted me to include it as part of this discussion for your general knowledge.”

  “Okay, I am interested. Tell me.”

  “The Ambassador lives in Rajouri Gardens, which is an upscale neighborhood in West Delhi. Fortunately, he lives on a main thorou
ghfare with his house set back a bit and protected by a wrought iron gate. Two tall buildings on each side of his home are about a thousand meters away from his residence.

  “Reconnaissance tells us that he leaves his home for work at different times, but they are always within a half hour window. An official car is waiting for him with two of his trusted bodyguards who usually wait outside the car. We will have four snipers, each armed with Dragunov high accuracy rifles and…”

  “Wait, what if one of the guards who stands outside the car sits inside the car instead?”

  “That would be a rare occurrence since our observations show that both men are heavy smokers and are always seen outside the car. We have plans in place in the event different guards show up, which is unlikely since the regular guards have intimate knowledge of the ambassador’s habits and even his visits to a lady friend.”

  “I understand,” Elena said, nodding.

  “After the ambassador appears, our men will take out the guards, which is easily done from the buildings, with headshots by modern sniper rifles. Then our ordinary looking car, covertly armored and with tinted windows, will swing by to take the ambassador into custody and hold him in a safe house.”

  “And what is the alternate plan if things don’t work out?”

  “We don’t have one because the plan is a good one. It is a risk we have to take. If we fail in taking him, or call off the operation, we have another team prepared to take a different cabinet minister.”

  The more Elena listened, the more she wanted to run away, but she knew too much. They would find her and kill her. There was no doubt about that. Their kind words meant nothing. They were ruthless.

  Elena thought of stopping this mission by going to the Indian authorities and warning them, but it was already too late for that, and she was being closely watched. Besides, Kamran already had some of the Indian authorities in his pocket and it could backfire.

  I’m not the activist I thought I was. I don’t want to put my life on the line.

  She decided the best plan of action was to complete this mission, be finished, and limit her future activism to street protests...maybe not even that. She was done.