Kidnapped and a Daring Escape

by Gian Bordin

  "I hope he’ll have a few sleepless nights, the bastard."

  * * *

  One of the things that has been bugging André since their arrival in Bogotà is how to get the US twenty-dollar bills out of Colombia. When he took them in ‘le vilain’s’ hideout, he didn’t give that aspect any thought. It was a spontaneous grab. He knows it is foolish even to try to get the funds out of the country. But he isn’t willing to give up without exploring all possibilities.

  Putting it into the check-in luggage is the obvious solution. But he expects that Colombian airports are now also scanning all luggage of outgoing passengers. He does not want to run the risk that the scanner picks up the notes on the X-ray screen. If they do, he will be taken off the plane, his luggage searched, and once the money is discovered he will be grilled by the agents of the secret service as to where these bills came from and how he got into their possession. The assumption would be that either they are the proceeds of a drug deal or he intended to buy drugs. He doubts they would believe his story that he stole them from his kidnappers. And even if they did, he would be in trouble for not reporting to the police after he escaped. In all likelihood they would confiscate the money, even if they let him go.

  Would it be possible to hide the bundles between books? If packed cleverly, the scanner may not be able to differentiate the notes from the books.

  Another possibility is to carry the notes evenly distributed on his thighs and stomach, making it look like he has a small potbelly. Since people are only scanned for metal objects, he may be able to slip through, unless they do a thorough body search, which is unlikely when leaving the country. Identifying himself as a journalist who travels frequently, he is unlikely to be searched upon arrival in Rome. But a potbelly does clash with his slim athletic built. Besides, it would be highly uncomfortable, nor is he sure that the combined effect of six thousand tiny metal strips in the bills might not trigger the scanner.

  A third possibility is to deposit the notes with a local bank. Once he has new travel documents this could work. He could then arrange for a subsequent transfer of the fund to his bank account in Switzerland. The resulting exchange loss would amount to ten percent. There is though a real risk the bank may notify the authorities, since the sum is so large. They may even be required to notify the Central Reserve Bank of any transaction of that size. If he happens to fall on a suspicious bank clerk, the latter may also call in the police right away. Counting that many bills will give the police ample time to arrive. And how to explain the bullet hole in one of the packages? No, using a bank is simply too dicey.

  Finding a shady middleman to do it for him would probably be the surest way to get the funds out, except for the risk of being swindled by the middleman and the high commission on the transaction. But he doesn’t have such contacts, and there is not enough time to find one he would risk trusting.

  Sending it via an international courier service? Don’t they X-ray all packages crossing national borders like the post office does? That is why he doesn’t even consider sending it by post.

  He also doesn’t want Bianca to be involved. It is a real dilemma. Should he simply forget about it? Spend as much as they can on various things, jewelry for Bianca, his mother and sister and himself? Electronics and other gadgets? It goes against his grain to spend in an extravagant manner like this, although with the tickets they have already used almost four thousand dollars. He would rather give the money to a charity.

  As is his habit when faced with a dilemma that does not require immediate action, he lets it simmer in the back of his mind. He still has at least another two days before he has to make a final decision. Sometimes, a solution emerges on its own.

  They eat dinner in a small restaurant just around the corner from their hotel and go to bed early.

  12

  Wednesday, they pick up their new passports. André’s driver’s license will have to wait until he is back in Switzerland. In the afternoon, they go sightseeing.

  "André what’s the matter," Bianca questions when they look at the view from a hill above the city. "You seem preoccupied."

  "Yes, I am. I’ve not yet figured out how to get that damn money out of this country."

  "You mean you took that money without having figured that out beforehand?" She says with a mocking smile. "You sometimes fail to plan ahead?"

  "Yes, love, I took that money on the spur of the moment. It was too tempting. And I never claimed to be perfect."

  "You would be boring if you were perfect," she answers, chuckling.

  "Perfect, like ‘noble’ Franco." His wink says it all.

  She winks back. "Yes, just like Count Franco. But can’t you put the bundles in a suitcase which we check in?"

  "No, they are all X-rayed."

  "Oh."

  He briefly explains his various thoughts.

  "Maybe the best is to give it to a charity," she remarks in the end.

  "That’s easy for a rich girl to say. I’m a poor man and will soon bear the marital cross of a wife."

  For a moment she is thrown, but then she sees him grinning mischievously.

  "You dare calling marriage bearing a cross," she cries, feigning outrage.

  "I would never dare such a thing. Did you hear ‘bear the marital cross of a wife’? I thought I said ‘share the marital bliss of ma’ life’, didn’t I?" His eyes sparkle with amusement. "Do you have any doubt that I love you more than my own life? Come, give me a kiss."

  She cannot help smiling at how he twisted the words around. He bends forward, his lips half open to receive the kiss. She playfully bends away, letting him wait a second or two before she relents. Yes, she believes that he loves her more than his own life. He has proved it more than once.

  "Still, it may be a good idea to give that money to a charity. My father is bound to give you a fat reward. He is that type of man. He likes seeing his name in the papers for his generosity." She is certain of it.

  "You think so?"

  "Yes, for sure. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gave you a check for fifty or a hundred thousand euros."

  "No matter how much he gives me, it will never match the reward that I already got."

  For a second she is puzzled by what he means and then she smiles and plants a kiss on his cheek. "I love you," she murmurs.

  "All right," he nods, giving her the smile she is so fond of. "Let’s spend a few thousand more of that money on other worthy causes, such as buying you some jewelry, maybe some jewelry for my mother and my sister, new watches for both of us, and replace other items we lost, like the cameras, or things we like when we see them, and then give the bulk to a charity. Anyway, that money has served its main purpose of stopping the bullet intended for us."

  Yes, she thinks as a slight shiver creeps up her spine by this reminder. She is though surprised. She hasn’t expected that he would part with that money so easily and loves him even more for it.

  Back in possession of their passports, they exchange four lots of one thousand US dollars into pesos at different banks and currency exchange dealers and buy an exquisite Swiss white-gold watch for Bianca and a sporty watch for him, as well as several native Indian silver and precious stone earrings, a finely crafted silver necklace, a fun armband, and jewelry for his mother and sister, the same small Sony camera ‘la bête’ stole from him, as well as a new genuine Swiss army knife.

  That night, after a delicious meal in an expensive restaurant, they dance the evening away in a disco.

  * * *

  Thursday morning, André convinces her to call her parents once more to inform them of their flight number and arrival in Rome’s Fumicino Airport.

  "You say ‘we’," questions her father. "Who will be coming with you?"

  "André Villier, you know the man who rescued me. He will be with me. He has looked after me ever since and paid for the airfare. I’m very indebted to him." She thinks a hint that he should think of a hefty reward for André may not go amiss.

  "Well, in
this case I may well use this opportunity to express the thanks of our entire family in an appropriate way."

  She winks at André. He shakes his head.

  "As you know, your mother is arranging a huge welcoming party for you," her father continues.

  "Papà, I begged mother not to have a party. I need a few quiet days. I have to sort out several things. Please, no party."

  "It is too late for that. The invitations have already been sent out."

  "Then send out another notice, canceling the party. Use any reason. That I need rest or something. I don’t care."

  "No, you will enjoy seeing all the family and Franco, and this would just provide the right venue for thanking Signor Villier. So you must bring him to our house. I will send our chauffeur to pick both of you up at Fumicino. How does Signor Villier write his name?"

  Bianca spells it out. After the call ends, she moans: "I don’t want to face these people. I don’t want to see Franco yet."

  "I’ll be there with you."

  She smiles and then adds triumphantly: "See, I told you that my father will give you a hefty reward."

  "So you did, love, so you did."

  This cryptic remark puzzles her. She expected him to be pleased by the prospect of getting fifty thousand euros, especially after giving up the loot from ‘le vilain’, but there seems to be a hint of scorn in his mien.

  "Aren’t you pleased?"

  "Bianca, you are my reward, the only one that counts."

  She decides to let it go and instead says: "Let’s find a charity for the dollars."

  He searches Colombian Internet web pages for a suitable institution or organization. After some heated arguments — Bianca wants to give the money to an orphanage, while André opts for a center that looks after battered women or rape victims, pointing out that the latter will find it more difficult to raise funds than an orphanage — they settle on the Bogotà Women’s Refuge Center. She feels happy about that.

  He phones the contact number given on the website. It turns out to be lawyers’ offices. After stating that he wishes to make a substantial donation to the Women’s Refuge Center, he is connected to Maria Pasqua.

  "Señora, I am a foreign visitor to this country and happen to have come in possession of about 100,000 US dollars in twenty-dollar notes by somewhat unusual circumstances. It is either the proceeds of drug deals or ransom money."

  "What does this have to do with the Women’s Refuge Center?"

  "Since that money has no current owner, I wish to donate it to your center."

  "I see." Several seconds of silence follow. "May I know to whom I’m speaking?"

  "All I wish to tell you is that I’m a journalist. My name is of no relevance."

  "I see." Another silence. "Before I can say whether or not I would be willing to accept this money on behalf of the Center, you need to tell me how you got in possession of it."

  "I understand. My fiancée and I visited the archaeological sites of San Agustin twelve days ago and got abducted, presumably to extract a ransom for our release —"

  It feels good that he refers to her as his fiancée, Bianca muses.

  "Ah, I heard about a kidnapping of two foreign tourists near San Agustin. There was a small note in the local newspaper. Nowadays, kidnapping doesn’t get much copy unless it’s somebody famous."

  "And we are definitely not famous. We were kidnapped, drugged, and then marched into the mountains. I managed to escape and rescued my partner two days later from the remote settlement where she was kept prisoner. During that rescue, I came across bundles of US dollar bills and, on the spur of the moment, took them along. We then escaped to the Caqueta Valley and back to Popayàn, where we collected our luggage."

  "I’m surprised that in these circumstances you had the presence of mind to take that money, not to mention the risk you incurred. You must be a very quick-thinking man."

  "Thank you. As I said, it was opportunistic. There may also have been an element of revenge."

  "But how did you manage to rescue your partner and get away. Few instances of attempts to escape are ever successful."

  "That’s too long a story to tell over the phone. Are you willing to accept that money."

  "Oh, given its provenance, I have no scruples of taking it and using it for our center. It’s though yours. Why don’t you keep it?"

  "Too risky to smuggle that many bills through airport screening, both on departure and on arrival. No, we would rather give it to a worthy cause. So, when would it be convenient to bring this money to you? We are flying out of Colombia tomorrow morning."

  "Ah, let me check my diary … I’m free at three o’clock for an hour. Can you make it for then."

  "Certainly."

  "You know my address?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. So I will see you at three."

  * * *

  André and Bianca arrive at the lawyers’ offices exactly at three — Swiss precision — the bills inside the carry-bag he bought in Timbio. Maria Pasqua greets them at the reception and says: "I have taken the liberty to call a friend of mine to witness the hand-over of the money. She is a reporter for the local newspaper and will write a short piece for tomorrow’s issue. We have to take advantage of every opportunity for publicity for our cause, I’m sure you understand."

  That’s not what he wants. No publicity before their departure. Better, no publicity at all. "I wish you hadn’t done that. Our escape from the kidnappers has not yet been reported to the DAS since we didn’t want to go through lengthy debriefings with them and have our departure delayed."

  "Oh, I apologize, but didn’t you say you will fly out tomorrow morning?"

  "Yes."

  "So, by the time the DAS becomes aware of the article, you will already be on your way. I see no danger that you will be delayed. My friend will simply refrain from mentioning that you are bound to leave tomorrow morning. Are you happy with that?"

  "I guess that should be enough of a safeguard. Thank you."

  "Come then." She leads the way to her office.

  André immediately likes the young woman reporter. He trusts his instincts about people. She photographs Bianca, him, and Maria Pasqua, all three standing behind the desk, with the pile of ten bundles of five hundred bills heaped in front of them, including the one that still has the bullet lodged in it — they kept one bundle of ten thousand to take along. She records André’s brief summary of the kidnapping and the escape on an audio cassette. He discloses that one of the kidnappers fell to his death when the man tried to stop him from escaping. He mentions their skirmish with the pursuers and their second escape by taking one of their motorcycles. When questioned about who he thinks did the kidnapping, he repeats the analysis he gave Baldetti. Bianca tells of her fright of going to be raped, just before André’s miraculous appearance.

  They leave the offices with the journalist and spend more time with her in a nearby café. They exchange e-mail addresses.

  "Are you happy?" André asks, as they walk back to the hotel.

  "Yes, I am. I feel much better that most of that money goes toward a good cause."

  "I must admit, I’m greatly relieved to be finally rid of it. It was becoming a burden."

  "I’m also thrilled that there will a report in the local newspapers."

  "I’m not thrilled about that at all. You know what this means? … By Friday night, it will have been picked up by all news services across the world. There will be a dozen or more reporters waiting for us at Fumicino. Your dad will get more publicity than he bargained for."

  * * *

  Back in their room, they make love. Resting afterward side by side, he leisurely lets his right hand caress her body. She loves that he does this so often after they make love. The touch of his hand feels light as a feather. She smiles and he returns the smile.

  He kisses her nose and then asks: "When will you finish your university degree?"

  "In June. The final exams are scheduled for the second week. Why?"
>
  "I just wondered when we might get married. Do you want to get married as quickly as possible after our return, or do you wish to wait until the end of June or early July?"

  She has not given this any thought. The fact that they are going to get married is the only thing that counts. "The 28th of June is the date set for the wedding with Franco, at my parent’s house. I think my mother has already hired the caterers for it."

  "Ah, ah, ah. We agreed not to let Franco into our bedroom."

  She feels the heat rise in her cheeks. The words slipped out without any conscious thought about it. "Sorry," she murmurs.

  "It’s all right, love. Unfortunately, he will remain an ominous presence for both of us for some time to come yet. So, what is it to be?"

  She is grateful for his understanding. "What would you like?"

  "As quickly as possible."

  "But I want to finish my degree."

  "I also want you to finish your degree, but we still can get married earlier. I’m currently a man of no fixed abode and flexible about where I stay during the next few months. I could stay in Rome. We get married and rent a studio or small apartment. I do some freelance work, while you study. Sounds great to me."

  "Yes, let’s do that. Oh, André, it makes me so happy."

  "And are you willing to do this with or without your parents’ blessing?"

  "Yes, I don’t want to be separated from you even for a day."

  "Nor do I. I promise that our hearts will never be separated, even if our bodies may sometimes have to be physically apart."

  She laughs. "You missed your calling."

  "How’s that?"

  "The way you manage to twist the meaning of words, you should have become a lawyer."

  "I’d rather be a poor journalist."

  "And when will you introduce me to your parents?"

  "Any weekend. We can fly to Geneva and within an hour we are at their house."

  "You think they will approve of me?"