by Kells, India
“First, start to put a smile on your face as you talk to me. It will help.”
Quickly, perhaps a little too quickly, he turned his frown upside down. “As you wish, honey. Now, explain.”
“Don’t look directly, but do you see the pregnant girl in the corner?”
Sully nodded and rubbed his stubble cheek against her skin. “Yes, frightened out of her wits, I see. And out of place, too. The clothes looked like a nurse uniform. Do you think she escaped from somewhere? Maybe kidnapped, do you think? Seeking refuge?”
Gabrielle risked a glance at her again, and discovered the girl had visibly relaxed.
“I would guess as much. No shoes, and her feet are bleeding.”
Sully took her hand and leisurely started tracing the lines on her palm. “Honey, are you thinking of taking a slight detour in our mission?”
It was her turn to smile and she kissed his cheek. For cover purposes only. Well, almost. “Darling, you’re a very sensitive man.”
“Yeah, and you know many places on me that are sensitive, honey.”
Gabrielle laughed and pinched his thigh. At that moment, something flashed through the window. A dark car had stopped and armed men came running out.
“Guns! Down!” Gabrielle yelled as Sully dove to the floor. The door and window exploded, sending concrete shrapnel and glittering glass all over the waiting room. Gabrielle started shooting as she hit the ground. Two black shadows retreated. They were professionals, a single glimpse at their equipment made that clear. Sully had crawled his way near the door and it was obvious now that they were surrounded. Black SUVs were aligned on the street like a mighty gate. Most of the patients in the clinic scurried away by a side door, but by the sound of shooting, they were falling into a deadly trap. Gabrielle turned to soft sobbing. The pregnant girl was hiding beneath the bench. In her arms, she held a terrified little boy, his black skin gray with dust.
“Shit! Shit!” Thank goodness Luke was still alive, crouching at the far end of the waiting room. “Hey, guys, what’s happening?”
Hurriedly, Sully surveyed the street and cursed. “I don’t know, but we must get out quick. They’re preparing a second attack, and from the explosive I see, we won’t need plane tickets to go back home.”
Gabrielle crawled toward the pregnant girl, closer to Luke. “Is there a way out to the roof?”
“Yeah, in the back room, on the far end corner, there is a trap. It leads up.”
Gabrielle assessed their situation and decided it would be tricky. The blown window and door gave a direct view into the waiting room. As soon as they made a move, they would be moving targets. They needed a diversion.
“Luke, any possibility that you possess some kind of bomb, or explosive? Anything to shield us from them, only for a second or two?”
“As a matter of fact …” The young doctor rolled out of sight for a moment. As far as she could see, nothing moved outside, and she didn’t like it a bit. Only minutes before the small clinic would be invaded. Luke slithered back.
“There, take that, it will resemble toxic gas, but it’s not.” He handed her a clear glass container with a cloudy liquid in it.
“What is it?”
Luke rolled his eyes. “You want the long or short explanation? Just throw it, and as the liquid mixes with oxygen, a yellow smoke will be produced. Something I confiscated from a kid. Do it, okay?”
Gabrielle turned toward Sully.
“Catch it. Don’t break it. Then throw it outside. When it explodes, come back here. We’ll escape through the roof.”
Sully nodded. “And who’s going to carry the girl? And the kid?”
Gabrielle smiled. “I would never steal such a noble act from you, sailor.”
“Hell. Grab the kids, honey. I’m going to blind the neighbors.”
Smoothly, she threw the bottle and Sully caught it one-handed.
“Show off!” Gabrielle heard him laugh at her remark, a second before a mild explosion sounded outside and yellow smoke billowed at an alarming pace.
Luke grabbed the small boy. Sully crooned gently to the frightened girl, and cradled her in his arms.
“Honey, my gun is in my waistband, if you need it.”
Gabrielle nodded briefly and took her own before glancing at the back room. So far, nobody in sight. As Luke said, the trap was there, with a ladder fixed on the wall. Gabrielle knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park for Sully, climbing that with a pregnant woman in his arms. On Luke’s side, the boy had stopped crying and grabbed his savior in a deathly grip. She climbed first, gun ready. As she pushed the trap door, she peeked and couldn’t see a soul. So far. Luke came behind her swiftly. Sully was slower, trying not to jolt the poor thing, crooning sweet nonsense to her. Once on the roof, there were not many options. They had to jump down to the next building. A six-foot drop on uneven terrain. Gabrielle looked around and froze when she saw Sully staring intently at something. She followed his gaze and saw a warehouse, about a mile away, his rooftop white with satellite dishes. Was it a coincidence? Probably not.
People running and shouting downstairs, brought them back to more urgent matters.
“Jump, I will hold them back.” Sully was clearly not agreeing with her, but there was no other choice. Luke lowered the kid first before jumping. Sully rubbed the arms of the girl who wasn’t okay with what he was telling her. Then, without waiting for an acknowledgment, he grabbed her hands and dangled her to the next building.
A noise brought her attention back to the trap; they were about to blow it off. Somehow, they had an ax and succeeded in making way through the dry wood. Enough for throwing grenades.
“Go!” Sully turned and leapt, catching his hand. The good thing was they couldn’t throw them very far, and that the poor building wouldn’t be able to sustain another blow. They had only just made it to the other roof when the explosion shook their world once again. This time, bad idea to wait. Sully hauled the pregnant girl back into his arms and ran. Luke had the boy by the hand and Gabrielle made damn sure they were not followed.
From a distance, she saw the bright white building crumbling onto itself. Hopefully, a couple of mean guys would be trapped by the explosion.
They ran for a little while, making their way over the rooftops, choosing paths that would give a chance to Sully and his trembling load. The SEAL kept a steady pace, but Luke was tiring fast. They had to find an escape plan. They were out in the open and vulnerable. Heaving, Luke stopped for a moment to catch his breath. The little boy pulled him by the hand. Luke said something she didn’t understand and the boy replied back and shook his head. Gabrielle checked, making sure they were not followed so far.
Sully readjusted the weight of the girl. He was dripping with sweat. His body must be screaming with the effort, but he didn’t say a single word. Gabrielle knew that what appeared effortless seldom was.
After a moment, Luke nodded. “His name is Baki. His house is around the corner, two buildings down. He said that his father owns a truck we can use.”
Gabrielle doubted it was a good idea. They didn’t know the boy, after all. But obviously, they couldn’t run forever, especially out in the open. As if reading her mind, Sully acknowledged her. In silent agreement, Luke asked for direction and the boy made them jump a couple more houses before pointing at a trap. The young doctor opened it and Gabrielle made sure there was no threat in there. Someone was cooking inside; she could smell food and spices.
Before she could prevent it, the little boy jumped into the trap, waving them all to follow him.
Gabrielle didn’t see any better solution. At least they would be hidden for a while.
“Nothing ventured … and all that.” She pocketed her gun and jumped in. It wasn’t deep. The boy, Baki, pulled her sleeve and gestured toward several wooden boxes in the corner. Understanding, she started pushing them around, making a decent step for Sully. When she turned, Baki was going through a door, leaving it open. From a distance, she heard voices, male and
female. No screaming. Was this a good sign?
Once all in the attic, Luke closed the trap door behind them. She came behind Sully and made sure his T-shirt was hiding the gun in the small of his back.
Then, all three passed the door. The staircase led to an opened space, the kitchen, with a man, a woman, and five children all around the table. Gabrielle hesitated for a moment; Luke peeked and spoke again to Baki. Smiling, the small boy made a gesture for them to come down. Gradually, they came down, standing on the edge of the kitchen, ready to flee if necessary. Gabrielle placed herself between the man and Sully. The SEAL growled, but stayed in place. She suspected that next time there was a load to carry, she would be up for the task. He clearly didn’t like to be in a vulnerable position. And she could understand.
The man took a step forward, and when Gabrielle took one back, he lifted his hands in a peaceful gesture. He started talking. Luke answered back. The discussion continued with the woman, too. So far, no hostility, which was good.
The man extended his hand in their direction. She turned to Luke, who nodded before shaking his hand.
“He wants to thank us for saving his son. Well, I told him that it was more you and the big guy who did it. I was just along for the ride.”
Gabrielle exhaled and smiled. The woman shushed the kids that were starting to laugh and pointed to a chair.
“She offers a seat and food for all of us. She asks Sully to sit the girl at the end of the table.”
The girl tensed and Sully sighed. “Sweetheart, I need to put you down for a minute. Otherwise, my arms are going to fall off. And we don’t know how long it will be before I have to carry you again.”
The girl turned slightly, lifting her eyes at him. “But you won’t leave me here, will you? Promise?” It was her first words. Her voice was so young and scared, it broke Gabrielle’s heart.
Sully gave her a full wattage smile, sure to reassure even the most frightened creature. “I’m keeping you close, sweetheart, until I know for sure you’re safe.” He walked around the table and sat her on the chair. Luke stayed nearby. Sully came back beside Gabrielle, stretching his muscles. Baki’s family moved to the other side. The woman returned to her meal and the boy started chatting away, pointing at each of them in turn, making the noise of gunfire with his mouth and the one of an explosion. The children answered in awe, but Gabrielle frowned.
“Luke, tell them it would be safer for them if they wouldn’t repeat that story ever again. We don’t know who came after us. They may be coming after them as well if they knew.”
Luke translated and the man shook his head, silencing the children. When Luke finished, he answered something.
“Baki’s father told me that it would be safer for everybody if we could leave as soon as possible.”
“But to go where? We can’t become visible without a destination.” Sully’s voice didn’t hide his annoyance.
Baki’s father must have guessed Sully’s worry as he talked some more.
“He has a closed truck. Small, used for delivery. He can drive us out of town.”
Sully rubbed his neck. “We cannot go back to your place, Luke, it’s too obvious.”
Gabrielle turned. “I don’t have a plan B, Sully.”
Sully hesitated and frowned. Definitely, he had an idea, but didn’t like at all. “I do.”
***
For an hour the four of them had been huddled in the back of Baki’s father van. Hot and uncomfortable didn’t begin to describe the situation, and Gabrielle couldn’t imagine how poor pregnant Alie felt. Finally, after a meal and some sort of reassurance from Sully, the lithe blonde girl opened up a little. She was only seventeen, a daughter of a security officer assigned to the US ambassador in Windhoek. She had been missing for at least ten months, but she suspected more.
Gabrielle tried to jog her memory, but she couldn’t remember hearing any news about the disappearance of an American girl in Namibia. Although, since she hadn’t had the time to listen to the TV in the last year, it was no surprise.
Alie only remembered bits and pieces of her abduction. She’d been waiting for the embassy security car to pick her up from school. When it arrived, she got inside, but didn’t recognize any of the staff. Someone immediately put a piece of cloth over her nose and she blacked out. When she woke up, she was in a vast room, with a locked door and bars on her small, unreachable window. Not long after they came in, they drugged her, and she woke up back on her bed. She saw different nurses, and doctors—even a security guard checking on her, but they never truly talked. Then, some weeks later, she realized she was pregnant. In that moment, she realized nobody would come for her. Escape was her only hope.
An opportunity arose when she woke up in an examination room earlier than expected. She had never seen one of those before. Somehow, her body didn’t fall asleep as deeply as everyone had planned. Rounding up the corner, she saw a staircase, which took her up to the roof. She was elated to see she was still in Windhoek and made her way, from roof to roof until she could get down. When she saw the red cross at the clinic, she decided it was her only option. She couldn’t wander the street all by herself without drawing too much attention.
As she told her story, Alie inched closer and closer toward Sully, until she almost climbed on his lap. He let her, the good man. He even wrapped his arms around her, listening to her, a pained expression on his face. She sported the same outraged grimace. Luke stayed silent beside her, riveted. The young doctor seemed to be aging by the minute, appearing so much older now—as if the danger and atrocities of the last few hours had peeled additional layers off him, making him raw and exposed.
Sully started to rub the small of her back and the young girl relaxed. “Sweetie, can you tell us more details about the building where you were kept? Was it far from the Luke’s clinic?”
Alie turned her face to him, her hand on her belly. “Not much. I have seen the inside, some of it, and the rooftop. The only thing unusual was the number of satellite dishes on top. Never seen so many in my life.”
Now, Gabrielle couldn’t help but lock gazes with Sully. The dishes again. Time stilled, but Sully kept rubbing Alie’s back. The poor thing was so tired, her eyes drooped, her head nestled in the crook of Sully’s shoulder. But questions still whirled in Gabrielle’s head. After Alie’s revelation, she couldn’t help but wonder who the bad guys at the clinic were really after?
When she turned her head to talk to Luke, she tried to keep her voice as low as possible. “How is she holding up, in all honesty?”
Luke sighed. “I couldn’t do any examination. She seemed in general good health, considering what happened. The way she described her captors, they seem to take good care of her … well, for kidnappers.”
“How far along is she?”
“To term, I would say. The baby should come any time now. It’s tricky, in certain situations, stress can either delay or trigger birth.”
Gabrielle hoped they could find a secure place soon. At least to protect Alie, until she had her baby and they could hand her back to her family.
The van slowed down a little and Gabrielle grabbed her gun. Sully moved to free his right hand.
The door opened and light flooded the dark interior. Baki’s father made a sign to tell them they had reached their destination. And where was the destination exactly? Sully had been sketchy and irritated since he made his phone call, which made her wonder what slug he had to swallow to find a safe hideout.
“Riviera Café?” Gabrielle blinked twice when she stood in front of the most out of place, provocative, and weird diner she had ever seen. If it was a restaurant to begin with. It was like a 50’s café had a fucked up night with a Goth bar meets Victoria’s Secret. There was no possible trend capable of describing the huge square building adorned with copper 20’s statues, a Darth Vader at the entrance, and feathers? Really? “What part of this is supposed to be inspired by the French Riviera?”
Sully came beside her, Alie standing close
by, as Luke thanked Baki’s father before he drove away.
“Colette Riviera. The contact’s name.”
Gabrielle hadn’t realized she had spoken out loud. “Trustworthy?”
“Should be. She was recommended by someone trustworthy.”
“May I inquire whom?” Gabrielle didn’t like the way she had to extract information from him, not one bit. Or she didn’t like the way Sully reacted when he talked about it.
“Lance Sorenson. My swim buddy.”
Swim buddy, as in the guy you were teamed up with during Hell Week, the ultimate test to be accepted to SEAL training? Weren’t swim buddies inseparable after such an ordeal? The way Sully looked, he didn’t seem very happy to reach out for his help.
When they pushed the door open, the place was empty. The decor was even worse inside; so eclectic it was almost sickening. Gabrielle had to take another peek when she didn’t believe a deer’s head on the wall was wearing lipstick.
