by Thomas Ryan
The traffic lights at the bottom of the hill turned red for vehicles and green for Leka. The prosecutor crossed and disappeared through an opening between an apartment building and a row of shops. Barry checked in the side mirror. Morgan, Bethany and Basholli were on the footpath only halfway down. Leka had got quite a distance ahead of them.
The lights for Barry turned green. He estimated that Leka should have reappeared on the other side of the buildings by now. A hundred metres on, he stopped, blocking cars that wanted to turn into a car park. The driver behind stuck his head out the window and yelled for Barry to move. Then Leka appeared. The commotion caught his attention. He looked directly at Barry. Barry was looking directly at him.
Barry looked away quickly, but it was too late. For an instant Leka had frozen in his tracks, mouth open.
Barry struck the flat of his hand on top of the steering wheel and drove off.
Avni Leka knocked on the hotel room door. The small dark man with the goatee beard who opened the door didn’t fit any of his preconceptions at all. He thought he would be bigger. It was on the tip of his tongue to say he must have chosen the wrong room when an impatient gesture signalled he should enter.
‘I am Halam Akbar. This is my brother, Zahar. You are late.’
‘I was delayed. I ran into a colleague in the street who wanted to discuss a case. I brushed him off as quickly as I could. Please accept my apologies.’
‘Accepted.’ With the door closed, Halam appeared to relax. ‘Sit, my friend. You look nervous. Is something wrong?’
‘Er. No. Meeting face-to-face. It’s just that it holds . . . dangers.’
‘I understand this. But do not worry. We are as anxious to conclude our business and be on our way as you are.’
Leka would very much like to not worry. But the surprise on the face of the man in the UN vehicle had unsettled him. It was the look of a thief caught with his hand in the cash register. He had seen enough of these looks throughout his career. Was this the net closing on him? He dared not think too much on that. His nerve had to hold. He determined he would leave Kosovo this very day.
The minute this meeting was done.
Barry circled the block and returned to where the others had gathered on the pavement opposite the Dance Until Dusk nightclub. At night, when he had driven past, the disco sparkled with pulsating lights. But in the afternoon sun, it looked drab and rundown. An oversized padlock secured a chain threaded through the main entrance’s door handles.
He parked. Basholli, Bethany and Morgan climbed in.
‘Bad news,’ Barry said. ‘The bastard looked straight at me. I’m afraid I reacted liked a stunned mullet. I think I gave the game away.’
Basholli shook his head. ‘Prishtina is a small town. To bump into the same people all the time, this is normal. Maybe he has seen you before. He will think nothing of it.’
‘I hope you’re right. Where did he go?’
‘Into the hotel with the Albanian flag outside. You see it?’
‘I can. We’d better tell this to Jeff. Bethany, you and Morgan get down to the mall and bring Jeff and Sulla to us. Quick smart, eh?’
‘Excuse me?’ said Bethany.
‘Jesus, woman. Okay. Bloody please, then.’
‘Better.’
Leka felt in no mood for the usual etiquette of drinking tea before getting down to business. He placed the briefcase on the table, flicked the catches open and spun it round to show the contents to Halam.
A glance. No change of expression on Halam’s face. ‘So much money. One million euros. A good day’s work.’
‘You wish to count it?’
‘No, my friend, this will not be necessary. We can trust each other, can we not?’
A snap as the case closed. Leka pushed it across to Halam. Halam passed it to Zahar who dumped it on the bed.
‘Now to the future,’ said Leka. ‘You must wait a few months before I can send you any more projects. Security is tight after Slovenia, but this will pass. Now that our business is done here, I am leaving Kosovo tonight.’
Halam drew back with raised eyebrows. ‘Leaving? Why is this?’
Zahar placed three cups on the table and poured tea. ‘I have pushed the boundaries of one of my enterprises too far. The authorities are asking awkward questions. It is time to re-establish.’
Halam and Zahar exchanged a glance. ‘They suspect you have involvement in our activities?’
‘No, no, no. Nothing like that.’
Leka realised he had stumbled onto dangerous ground. Both brothers were now sighting him with narrowed eyes. He knew it was absolutely vital to avoid any hint that his own troubles could reflect back onto the Akbars. So he related the events that led to the botched vineyard scam.
‘So, you see because of this New Zealander and the American woman, there is bound to be an international investigation. I will simply cut my losses, and turn my attention to more important concerns in my business.’
‘I understand.’ Halam sounded quite relaxed. ‘For me and my brother, always the time comes when we need to move on. But what is different for us is that no one knows our identity . . . until now.’
Halam’s steady regard of him made Leka’s blood turn to ice.
‘This is Kosovo.’ Leka’s voice barely had the strength of a whisper. He cleared his throat and took a sip of tea. ‘Kosovo is not a country. There is no real law here. And there is no proof of any crime on my part. If I leave, the trail stops cold. I think it best not to tempt fate. I have contingency plans in place. My business outside of Kosovo will remain uninterrupted. Nothing needs to change.’
‘Yes,’ Halam said, and smiled. ‘Nothing needs to change.’
‘Then if there’s nothing else, I will leave you. I must make preparations.’
‘By all means.’
Leka stood. The brothers both stood as well. Out the window over Zahar’s shoulder, he spied a UN vehicle. It was too far away to make out if anyone was inside it.
When he was safely in the corridor, he collapsed against the wall. Unsteady legs carried him to the top of the stairs. Holding on to the railing he slowly made his way down to the foyer. In response to his nod the receptionist threw him a perfunctory smile then returned to the more important task of filing her nails.
Leka pulled up short of the entrance and peered through the window. He couldn’t tell if the UN vehicle parked a few hundred metres away was the same vehicle he had seen earlier. The people inside were just shadowy shapes.
Act calmly, walk calmly. Lose them at the first opportunity. If there is a them.
He stepped out onto the pavement.
Barry nudged Basholli in the ribs. Basholli’s head shot up.
‘Leka’s leaving.’
‘Ah ha. No suitcase. The payment has been made.’
‘I think you’re right, mate. Don’t look at him.’ Barry averted his face as Avni Leka passed on the opposite side of the street. ‘What do we do now? Watch the hotel or follow Leka?’
‘The suitcase. We can easily find Leka later.’
‘Sounds good to me.’
47.
Leka leaned against the wall in the corridor outside Fatmire’s apartment until his hands had stopped shaking. He slid the key into the lock and managed to open the door without making any noise. It closed behind him with a soft click that sounded like cannon fire to his ears. He froze to the spot, heart hammering, and listened for indications he’d been heard. Nothing.
Clutching a hand to his chest Leka sank onto the coat-rack seat and tried to catch his breath. Had he oxygen enough in his lungs he would have breathed a sigh of relief. Here at least was sanctuary. No one knew of this apartment, not even Osman Gashi. Leka’s reflection in the hall mirror startled him. He looked nothing like a confident chief prosecutor. More like one of the haunted men he regularly tossed into priso
n: pale, haggard, exhausted.
He closed his eyes. The unbidden memory flooded back into his mind of another time when things had spun out of control. He had been in Slovenia, driving from the airport to Ljubljana. It had snowed heavily for two days. He was late, irritated and in a hurry. With disregard to the risks he was speeding to make up time lost by his delayed flight. The car hit a patch of black ice.
Out of control and certain he was about to die, Leka experienced an almost spiritual calmness and clarity of mind. He knew enough not to touch the brake and pulled both feet away from the pedals. He drew his hands back from the steering wheel and dropped them to his lap. Whatever was about to happen, he accepted the inevitability of it.
The car spun across three lanes of traffic, miraculously missing oncoming vehicles. He hit the median strip barrier and slid to a stop. And, as now, he sat breathless and feeling dizzy.
So here he was again, but spinning across a different kind of highway. And more than ever he needed the same calmness and clarity of mind. Making the right decisions over the next few hours would be crucial to his escaping Kosovo and remaining alive.
He needed to get to his office. Money and passports were in a safe hidden behind the portrait of Skanderbeg. The twenty thousand euros would be enough to get him safely across the border. His international bank deposit numbers and important files were on a computer memory chip hanging from a chain round his neck. He felt genuine sadness his Kosovon life was over. He would miss the children. But he’d miss his own life more.
He had to move.
First he needed to tie up loose ends.
Fatmire was in bed napping as she often did in the afternoon. She would be naked under the blankets. Leka stood at the door and studied the contours of her body in the dim light of the curtained room. The milky skin of her shoulders. What a marvellous, beautiful creature. The thought of leaving her pained him. She was his confidante, his lover and his friend. She could always make him laugh when his spirits needed lifting. She had made him happier than any woman he’d ever known.
A glance showed him the gentle rise and fall of Fatmire’s chest. She often made little sounds when she slept. He had found them endearing. He opened the bottom drawer of the cabinet beside the bed and took out his pistol. As he affixed the silencer he found his sight swimming. Yes, at this of all moments he shed tears of love for her. He placed the gun against her temple. First tension release. His eyes squeezed closed. The pop informed him the second release had engaged and it was over.
He sat in silence, concentrating upon one spot on the wall. A hand rested gently on Fatmire’s exposed thigh. He stayed that way until her skin began to cool. When he finally looked at her, blood had soaked into the white pillowcase like wine on the finest table linen.
He stood and whispered a farewell prayer then left the room.
He gathered up documents crucial to his business and put them in the small red bag Fatmire had bought him at New Year. It took barely ten minutes. All other papers he stuffed into the small coal-fired heater and set them alight, poking the burning paper until it had all turned to glowing ash. Satisfied he had taken care of everything, he left the house.
The key he slid back under the locked door.
Jeff, Morgan and Sulla were waiting for Lee Caldwell in front of the shopping mall as arranged by phone. When a Bondsteel helicopter rattled overhead and disappeared somewhere behind the mall, Jeff guessed it’d be Caldwell arriving. Sure enough, within minutes he appeared from a side alley and approached them on foot.
‘What the hell’s going on?’
‘We followed Avni Leka to the Prishtina hotel,’ Morgan said. ‘He went in with a suitcase and came out empty handed.’
‘Where is he now?’
Jeff shrugged. ‘Who knows. Barry and Blerim made the decision to stick with the money and let Leka go. They figured you can pick him up later. I agreed with their assessment.’
Jeff knew Caldwell would be pissed at hearing this but would be careful not to show emotion. With satisfaction Jeff observed a small vein engorge on Caldwell’s forehead.
‘Surveillance on Leka, Bradley. No more. That was the deal. What if Leka takes off?’
‘Firstly, the agreement was I do it my way.’ Jeff knew his pleasant tone would get up Caldwell’s nose. ‘Secondly, I thought you said you didn’t give a shit about Leka.’
‘Well, I don’t. Not ultimately. But if he’s in the net I might as well pull him in along with the others.’
Jeff’s eyes scanned the vicinity. ‘Where are your men? Aren’t they watching us? Why aren’t they trailing Leka?’
‘They’re assigned elsewhere.’ Caldwell pulled out his mobile. ‘I’ll call them back now.’ He stepped out of earshot. Jeff saw him listen and call off then redial at least three times. When he rejoined the three his face wore something close to a scowl. The vein on his forehead stood out still. ‘No answer.’
‘It looks like you’re stuck with just us,’ Jeff said.
‘For the moment. We need to split up. Keep the hotel under surveillance and find Leka.’
‘You want the bombers,’ Jeff said. ‘And I want Leka. Morgan and I will go check out Leka’s office. Morgan, we’ll need to use your car.’
‘Sure. Let’s do it.’
‘Just a minute. I take it you don’t have a weapon. Have you considered Leka may be armed?’
Jeff displayed empty hands. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll keep it to reconnaissance only. Like you said.’
At last Jeff noted a bending of attitude in Caldwell. Almost a smile on his face. Of exasperation maybe, but a smile nonetheless. ‘Be careful.’
‘Come on, Morgan. You and I are out of here.’
48.
Caldwell let Bethany lead him and Sulla back to where Barry and Basholli kept watch in the SUV. They climbed into the rear seat. Barry leaned over from the driver’s position.
‘Rooms Six and Seven. Second floor. Blerim went in and spoke to the receptionist after Avni Leka left. It’s a small hotel, no other guests.’
Caldwell delivered a sharp glance at Basholli. ‘I hope you were careful. We can’t afford to have the receptionist warning them.’
If Basholli took offense at the American’s acerbic tone, he gave no sign of it. ‘I gave her a hundred euros. It is enough to keep her mouth shut. She does not care about the internationals, only money.’
‘Do we know their names then? What these guys look like?’
Basholli’s hand rustled in an inside pocket of his jacket. Two folded sheets of paper appeared. ‘The receptionist was very helpful. She photocopied their passports for me. Halam and Zahar Akbar, maybe they are brothers. They are both dark-skinned with black hair and Halam has a short beard.’
Raised eyebrows as Caldwell surveyed Basholli. ‘Good work Basholli.’ He studied the photocopies. ‘I don’t believe I’ve ever seen these two before. They must’ve been operating well below the radar.’ The photocopies disappeared into his inside pocket. ‘Anything else?’
‘These men asked her to make up their bill. They are leaving.’
Caldwell went quiet. Four pairs of eyes studied him. ‘We need to keep the situation contained. Trap them in the hotel. If these men make it onto the street, anything could happen. We have to assume they’re armed.’
Caldwell’s head bobbed and swivelled as he checked out the vicinity. At the same time the options available to him ran through his brain. His two men could not be contacted. Backup from Bondsteel was an hour away. Bradley had the most experience of the people he had in Kosovo. But he was not immediately to hand. Basholli and his two men had combat experience, and no doubt Sulla could handle himself. Barry was the problem.
‘Barry. You need to stay out of the way.’
‘Like hell, mate. I’m in.’
Caldwell shook his head. ‘Now why did I know you were going to say that? All right.
I don’t have time to argue. Basholli, where are your two men?’
Basholli leaned out the window and made a beckoning motion with his arm. Two men leaning against a battered VW Kombi further down the street tossed away their cigarettes and hurried to the SUV.
‘I take it you’re all armed?’ asked Caldwell.
A nod and a pat of Basholli’s breast pocket.
‘Very well. Here’s what we’ll do. Barry, you and Basholli will cover the back. The rest of us will go in the front. Basholli, I want one of your men to cover the street.’
Phrases in Albanian followed. Caldwell’s eye landed on Bethany. Her hands rose in surrender. ‘I know. I stay with the vehicle.’
Caldwell pulled out his own pistol and checked it. ‘Basholli. Don’t take any chances. If anyone feels threatened, just shoot. You don’t have to worry about what the police might think.’
But even as he spoke, Caldwell was fairly sure from the expressions on their faces that Basholli and his men had not the slightest concern at all for the thoughts of any policeman.
Halam and Zahar packed up their bag.
‘What now?’ Zahar asked.
‘We will get a taxi to the Macedonian border and walk across. There will be taxis on the other side. We could stop the night in Skopje, but I think it better to move on to Bulgaria.’
Zahar scratched the top of his thigh, a habit he engaged in whenever something troubled him. Halam knew this and bided his time until his brother was ready to say what worried him.
‘To me Leka looked nervous.’
‘I think we would make anyone who knew us nervous, Zahar.’
‘No, Halam. Too nervous.’
Halam knew better than to dismiss his brother’s instincts out of hand. It had got them out of many difficulties over the years, even if sometimes it was difficult to distinguish between instinct and paranoia.
‘Very well, brother. We shall be cautious.’
