by D. E. Daum
Even as a young girl, when her father, John Coley, would send her to Melbourne to spend the summers with Grandma and Grandpa Coley, she wished she could stay in Australia. Grandma Coley would sometimes take her to church—they were Presbyterians—so she was able to compare both religions firsthand, something very few other Muslims have done. In church, she was a person, since Christian churches were fully integrated and everyone sat together, worshiped, and visited. Meanwhile, Muslim women in mosques were forced to pray in a separate room from men, like they were lepers or something. How archaic. Islam could be a good religion. It had some good points like helping the poor, but men wouldn’t let it reach its full potential.
After attending school in America she never saw Islamic society in the same light. In America, she knew the meaning of freedom. Then she foolishly let Saleem take her back to Saudi Arabia, which was more repressive than Malaysia. There she was with a Master’s degree—a Master’s degree, mind you—and she couldn’t work. She may as well be a dumb, uneducated slave, but Saleem, bless him, had taken her away from that awful situation and she would never go back to that suppressive country.
Can you imagine, a mother removing her daughter’s clitoris, calling it female circumcision, and a father or brother killing his daughter, in so-called “honor killings” for some perceived embarrassment? Women being stoned to death for adultery, while men not only marry multiple wives, the rich ones often go on sex junkets to the Orient. The hypocrisy is unbelievable. Sure, these things are not prevalent, but they happen and are tolerated. If you’re fortunate enough to be born with a penis, you are master. Conversely, if you are born without one, you are often ignored by your father, and sometimes treated as a slave by your husband.
Mariam welcomed her husband with a huge smile. “What did you do today, my husband?”
Kelly was mesmerized. Mariam’s almond shaped eyes were the most beautiful he’d ever seen. “I introduced myself at the office, met everybody, and talked to a few employees.”
“I suspect that everybody working for a charity is nice, is that right, my love?”
“I wish. Some are nice, but the Deputy Administrator is a snake. He is a known terrorist named Ali Kaba, and he hates me for taking his job.”
This seemed to concern Mariam, “What is a terrorist doing working for The Hand of Allah?”
He was pleased for an opening for his distasteful task. “You really don’t know, my innocent wife? The Hand of Allah is a front for The Sword of Allah, Suhar’s own revolutionary organization. Suhar sent me to London to coordinate, not only our attacks, but attacks from other such organizations against our enemies.”
Mariam, suddenly sat up straight and asked, “What kind of attacks?”
“Oh, things like chemical weapons and dirty radioactive bombs. What do you think of that?”
She was horrified. “I think it is terrible. Why do you do it?”
Kelly felt badly, but it had to be done. “Because Allah sent me back to do his will, my love. You know that.”
Mariam was irate. “Allah sent you back to kill and maim innocent people? I wish Allah had kept you! Are you sure it was Allah and not Satan acting like Allah? Only Satan would approve of such a thing!”
Good for you! “Mariam, you know we are at war with the infidels. We have been at war for over a thousand years, and I must do my duty.”
Mariam was now distraught. “And your duty includes murdering women and children? To think I wanted to have children with you. To think I even let you touch me, let alone implant your seed in me. Saleem, I don’t know you. I thought we believed alike, but I see now I was wrong, so wrong.” Mariam swung her open hand at him, but he caught it before it landed.
I hope Jane is getting this. “You wanted to leave Arabia, and this is how I accomplished it. Would you rather stay there?”
Mariam’s eyes were watering. “One does not have to sell his soul to leave hell, only to get in. I’m sorry, but I cannot live with you, knowing this. You should never have told me.”
“Mariam, I love you. Please, let me explain. I too, do not feel comfortable doing these things, but I do not know how to get out of it. Suhar is a vicious psychopath. He would kill us both in a heartbeat, if he thought he had a reason. What do you think of contacting Kelly’s friend, Jeff Wiggins, to see if he can help?”
In Haman’s room, he and Jane and listened to the conversation fed by the wire that Kelly wore. Haman said to Jane, “I told you she was good person,” in his broken English.
“Yes, you did. We’ll see,” said Jane.
Mariam exclaimed, “I know you’ve already been seeing the Americans. Did you forget from last night when you swore that you would tell me what was going on? Now you talk as though I didn’t know or at least suspect.” She noticed a small wire protruding from the bottom of Saleem’s loose fitting shirt. She reached for it and tugged. It wouldn’t budge, but they heard a faint chirp.
“Is this some kind of test? Take off your shirt.”
“Dearest one, calm down. Why would you want me to take off my shirt? It’s certainly too early for bed.”
“You’re wearing a wire, aren’t you? Whomever you are, come out and see me, face to face! Maybe you will tell me what my husband won’t.” She sobbed.
Jane looked at Haman wide eyed and said, “C’mon, big guy. We’ve got problems” They dashed across the hall. She used her passkey and entered, saying, “Hello. Mariam, my name is Starbird, and I am Saleem’s handler. Saleem is working for us and against the terrorists. He wanted to tell you, so we arranged this little test. Do you have a problem with your husband fighting terrorism?”
“Of course not!”
“Good. Are you against your husband working for the Americans?”
“Not at all. What kind of name is Starbird? Why is Haman with you? Oh, I get it, he’s also with you.”
“Very good. Now, here is a big question. Would you like to put your money where your mouth is and help us fight the crazies?”
“Miss Starbird, I have spent the last two and a half years in hell, imitating a nobody. I would be a maid if I could finally do something, anything productive.”
Jane turned to Kelly. “I like your wife; she’s got spunk.” She told Mariam that working for the Company could be dangerous and unrewarding. In addition, she might be asked to do some unpleasant and sometimes untidy things in the name of freedom. “Do you still want to work with us?”
“Yes, but only if you truthfully answer my question. Are you Jane and did you sleep with my husband?”
That startled Kelly. He swallowed wrong, then started coughing violently. Jane ran into the bathroom and filled a glass with water. She gave it to Kelly, who gulped it down. Jane looked at the expectant Mariam and said, “I think I’d better sit down.”
* * * *
The room was the basic hotel room with a king size bed and two Formica nightstands. There was also a Formica writing desk, a table, and two chairs.
Kelly and Mariam took the bed and lay back against the headboard. Haman and Jane took the chairs at the Formica table.
Jane said, “First, Mariam, I need to ask you how you knew my name?”
“Saleem said it in his sleep, when he first came back from wherever you took him.”
“Hmmmm. Has Saleem told you of his special circumstance?”
“You mean the bit about visiting Allah, which I doubt, or the part about having some of Kelly’s memories?”
“The latter, but there’s more to it than Saleem having some of Kelly’s memories. It’s more like the other way around.”
What’s she talking about? “I’m not following,” She said.
“Kelly’s mind is in Saleem’s body.”
Mariam’s head was spinning. It was a good thing she was lying down. She’d suspected something similar, but having it verified was different. Saleem tried to hold her hand, but she brushed off his advance. She was still getting used to the idea that she’d truly enjoyed deep, personal, and intimate sex with
this man. Yes, he was her husband, but he was also a virtual stranger. Mariam didn’t know what to say, so she said, “Go on.”
“We had Kelly at a ranch in Wyoming for a little over two weeks where he received a crash course in Saleem Rhamsy, Islam, Arabic, and terrorism, after which he went to a two-week boot camp where I was his instructor. He was my only pupil, and we spent a lot of time together both day and night. Do you want me to go on?”
Ah ha, she did have sex with Saleem, or is it Kelly? This is so confusing. She nodded, so Jane continued, “You and your husband are both extremely attractive people. Saleem is a magnificent specimen, and he can be a magnet, as you would be, for the opposite sex. When someone is that attractive, sex can be a potent weapon in one’s arsenal. I would have been remiss, as an instructor, not to develop and perfect his sexual attributes.”
“So, you did have sex with my husband.”
Jane looked at Kelly and Haman. “I need to talk with Mariam alone for a few minutes. I’ll call you on the phone when you can come back.”
Kelly nodded and they went to Haman’s room.
“Okay, we’re alone now. Time for true confessions.” Mariam bellowed, sarcastically.
“Mariam, you have good reason to be angry with me, but I need to clear the air. Will you hear me out?”
She nodded and waited for the explanation. This should be good.
“First, Kelly was my agent long before he bizarrely took Saleem’s place as your husband. Kelly was a good agent and a great guy, but unlike Saleem, he was never a ladies’ man. If anything, because of his background, he was a little backward when it came to the opposite sex in general and sex specifically.”
“Just what is my new husband’s background, if I may ask?”
“Like you, Kelly comes from a mixed racial background. His father is black and his mother, white, but it would be better for him to fill you in on that. Meanwhile, I need to lay out my rationale for seducing your husband and truly, I did seduce him. Kelly has the potential to be not only a great agent, but to be a great man as well. As one of his instructors in Wyoming and later in Quantico, it became apparent to me that he was too shy. Here was this well-built, great looking hunk, who should be able to make any female within eyeshot swoon. Yet his sensuality and more importantly, his confidence, wasn’t there.
“I am a sexual person and my sexual attraction is a potent weapon in the espionage game. It could and should be for Kelly. . . Saleem, whatever you want to call him, as well. Kelly was a sexual novitiate. He probably wouldn’t have fooled you. As it was, you noticed the little things. If I hadn’t given him that training, it would have been a big thing—sex—which you noticed, believe me. Therefore, I decided to instill a sexual backbone in Kelly. He needed confidence, and I gave it to him. He needed to feel sexy, and I gave him that, too. In essence, I fed his ego while I gave him necessary training.”
Mariam interrupted Jane, “I know you were the redhead—his favorite—my husband talked about. I can see why, but who were the other three girls?”
Jane was confused. “What other girls? What do you mean?”
“Saleem told me there were girls at the sex camp, and each took their turn. You were the evening girl.”
“Mariam, there was no sex camp! And there certainly weren’t any other girls.”
Pleased, she said, “Initially, I thought he was joking, but when the redhead he mentioned turned out to be real . . . I just assumed he wasn’t joking about the rest.”
Jane said with a grin, “What a stinker! I don’t know if it’s any consolation, but it was just me. I instructed Kelly in the art of lovemaking, as well as the art of killing. Your husband is an attractive man. I’ll admit to enjoying it, but it was still my job to make him the most effective agent I could. If you are serious about working with us, you also must be trained. You need to be trained even more, since you will be starting from scratch. Kelly had been trained previously, but not as intensely.”
“It certainly does sound like it was quite intense. Would I be in line for such intense drilling?” She smirked.
Jane seemed to ignore the heavy sarcasm, “Your husband could probably instruct you in the amorous aspects, but otherwise yes, you would have to endure a rigorous exercise program and a crash course in counterterrorism.”
“Where and when would this training take place?”
“It should be started immediately. We have a farm just outside of London. Kelly and I have an urgent mission, that would be a good time for your training.”
“Urgent mission, I see,” She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, “and what, pray tell, does this mission consist of, an updating of carnal techniques? It’s not unusual for Saudi men to have mistresses, since they are less expensive than second wives. If I may be so crass as to make a pun, when Saleem was fornicating with you, it is now obvious that he was out of his mind.”
Jane smiled. “I have sometimes been accused of fornicating men out of their minds, my dear. As to what our mission is, we cannot officially discuss it with you until you have received a sufficient security clearance. I will say this. It may take us to Las Vegas, which I’m sure you know is a place where lovers often visit to be alone. Unfortunately, Haman will be along, and I will be invisible, so your husband’s chastity is assured.”
Jane seemed to be finished. Mariam just sat and stared at her, trying to absorb all that she’d heard. Finally, she said, “I can see why Saleem fell under your charms. You are indeed a beautiful woman. I too, am a—how did you put it—a sexual person. I don’t know whether to slap you or thank you. You have succeeded in turning my husband, no matter who he is, into a magnificent lover. I look forward to your training and working with you. Shall we bring the men back?”
Jane came over to Mariam and hugged her. “Yes, but remember, everything I have told you is strictly between us and must never be repeated to Kelly.”
* * * *
Haman had been quietly listening to the discourse before he and Kelly left. He’d been unaware of Saleem and Kelly’s special circumstance until then. Though he was amazed at what he heard, he displayed no change in his demeanor. When Kelly and Haman came back to where the women were, he suddenly spoke up in stilted English, “You two be friends.”
Mariam smiled at Haman, put an arm around his waist and said, “Don’t worry, I think we will be.”
Kelly, who had dared not speak until then, said, “Is everything all right then?”
Mariam replied, “We have much to talk about, but everything is all right. I will keep your secret and train to be an agent against terrorism. When I’m not fighting terrorists, I will pretend to be a good and obedient Islamic wife. I will be no trouble and I hope to be of help. In any event, we will talk about this later, my stallion.”
Chapter 4
When Mordecai entered the office, Ephrem asked him to shut the door and sit down.
“Two things have come up. I talked to Starbird. He said that Rhamsy is their number one anti-terrorism weapon. He told us hands off.”
Mordecai wasn’t buying it. “Did you tell them we have incontrovertible proof that he was behind the bombing in Aqaba and the one that killed their agent, Kelly Rogers?”
“Yes, I did. He said Rogers was expendable, and Rhamsy, who has been turned, was the one, as we suspected, who provided the information for the Tel Aviv attack. He also provided information on other proposed attacks, which are sketchy. As an insider, we are to believe him. We are to keep our ears open for any chatter regarding these attacks. Additionally, he is said by his confederates to have met with Allah in heaven, who having a purpose for him, sent him back as his emissary. As we know, he is now known as The Chosen One or The Right Hand of Allah. His recently elevated status within the radical fundamentalist segment of Islam was precipitated by the fact that he was brought back to life in the bombing that killed Rogers. He has since avoided an assassination attempt by the notorious Free Arabia, The White Cobra’s group.”
Mordecai whistled. “It is f
ortuitous that we made no move toward Mr. Rhamsy. Did you tell your American contact that he is being followed?”
“Aye, I did. Starbird also said they expect to get additional information shortly. They will forward anything pertinent immediately.”
“One more thing. Our whole operation is being temporarily reassigned to Tel Aviv to prevent this ominous terrorist threat. We leave tomorrow. Be here at 7 A.M. sharp. We will all go to the airport together.”
* * * *
When Rulan got to “The Hand of Allah” offices before nine, he noticed a commotion. There were a couple of police cars, an ambulance, and numerous bystanders. Rulan spoke English, but this was an Arab neighborhood, so he asked anyone who would answer in Arabic, “What happened?”
