The Quantum Cypher

by Aaron Maximus

“Are we missing something. Maybe he knows we will go to the police and did not want any trouble as there was nothing much in the wallet and as you know the Credit Cards require a pin to make a purchase. One important point! The Hotel key card does not carry any information. So how did he know which Hotel and most importantly, which room?”

  “He must have followed us from the Hotel, or has somebody on the inside working for him,” added Cara.

  “Worse, he could actually be working in the Hotel."

  “You are right,” said Andy.

  "Any one of those options is a possibility. So now we can't complain as a wallet is back and nothing is missing. So we have to take the case back from the police.”

  “I don't want to stay in this Hotel,” declared Cara. “It's a huge risk and the thief might come back as he knows where we stay and God knows what he has done. What if he has installed a camera and is watching us right now.”

  “Not sure about that. I am not a millionaire nor do I work for the Government that he has to go through all this trouble.”

  “I am leaving, period!” announced Cara. “With two kids in a foreign city and a thief who has been into your hotel room, you must be insane to even question the idea.”

  “We've already paid in full for the room. We will lose everything. Why can’t we request a different room?” argued Andy.

  “No way! What if the thief is an insider and is still in the Hotel?Think about the kids. I don't care about the money. I just want to move to a different Hotel.”

  CHAPTER 11

  Andy opened his laptop and started looking for a hotel booking portal. A few minutes later, he called out to Cara, “I've got a room! Look its close from here, just 10 minutes. If you are fine, I'll book the room.”

  Cara was desperate to leave the hotel and asked him to go ahead.

  Andy called the hotel reception to request for an early checkout. The front desk manager offered to transfer the family to a superior room with no extra cost. Andy politely declined while he explained that his wife was not comfortable and it was not the hotel's fault, but just a personal choice.

  “Can I view the CCTV footage of the floor? It might provide us with the pictures of the thief?"

  “Unfortunately, we can only share it with the authorities. My apologies," said the Manager.

  He went on to enquire about their choice of hotel. But Andy sternly refused to part with any information. Requesting for a taxi, he placed the phone down and set out to arrange their luggage.

  Andy loaded the luggage into the taxi and asked the taxi driver to drop them at the Landmark Mall. Cara looks confused but stops herself from asking any questions. Heading into the mall, Andy heads over to the customer help desk and inquires about another exit.

  “I don’t want to leave any trace to the hotel where we will be staying. I felt this was the best way to avoid anyone from following us or enquiring with the taxi driver. Now we can catch another taxi and head over to our destination undetected."

  Cara looked pleased with the efforts that Andy had taken to ensure their safety.

  20 minutes later, they found themselves at the Manraytan hotel. It was a small place with amazing interiors and facilities. It was close to Victoria Harbour but did not have the view the previous hotel offered. The kids quickly settled in for the night and Andy double checked all the windows and doors of the room. The rooms were spacious and luxurious. As Andy closed the curtains, he noticed a man staring at the hotel. Feeling that he was acting paranoid, Andy headed over to pick up a bottle of wine and two glasses. Glancing once again through the window, he noticed the same man standing a block away and gazing at the hotel. “Cara”, he called, but quickly realised his blunder. The last thing he wanted was to attract her attention, which would lead to further complications. He was not prepared to usher the entire family to another hotel in the middle of the night and apart from that he had made sure that they were not being followed. Cara looked at his worried face and enquired if there was anything she should know.

  “Nothing to worry. I’m glad we switched hotels. Now we can enjoy the rest of the holiday without any further misadventures.”

  “True, but I still can’t get the thought of someone stealing your wallet and then going through all the trouble to return it back by breaking into our hotel room and not stealing the jewellery."

  “Relax," he said handing over a glass of wine and turning on the music. Holding her hand, they danced to the music while Andy knew this was far from over.

  CHAPTER 12

  Andy woke up with startling thought. It was 4 A.M. Walking over to the table, he gingerly switched on the lamp making sure he did not disturb Cara. He opened his wallet and started to comb through the contents one by one. He opened the change pocket to find his USB stick, which contained copies of his passport, driving licence and Emirates ID (a personal identification document for all UAE residents). It also contained the passport copies of Cara and the kids. Nothing had been deleted. Moving on, he removed and checked on the credit cards, they were all there. He then checked for his driving licence and Emirates ID, both were in place. He emptied the cash and counted, HK$ 1200 was also there. Just as he was going to close the wallet, he realised the family photo was missing. The photo was taken during their wedding anniversary last year. Cara wanted to take a photo before Eric’s teeth fell out. It was a monumental task to get Eric to do the photo shoot as he insisted on not wearing a formal dress. It took a great deal of cajoling and convincing that a pair of shorts and T-shirt was not acceptable for a family portrait. The photo would remain as a fond memory for years to come. They made a large portrait, album and 4 passport size copies for each of them to carry. The official album of the photo shoot took one month to be prepared as the photos had to be digitally enhanced to look good. The result was amazing. Even Andy was surprised at the quality of the photos and recommended the studio to his friends and family. So why would someone take only the family photograph from his wallet? The only reason Andy can think of was that the thief wanted to recognise the members of the family. He was sure all his identification documents were copied. This meant that the person who stole his wallet knew his personal details, where he worked and how they looked. If this was a crime syndicate, then they could kidnap the children, Cara or even Andy and hold them for ransom. Having all the details and knowing how they looked could enable them to track their whereabouts in Hong Kong. His family’s life was now in danger and his mind was racing. Should I cancel the vacation he thought and head back. If something should happen to his family, he must take the full responsibility and the guilt would probably kill him. He switched on his laptop and looked for the first flight out of Hong Kong. Unfortunately, all the flights were full and the flights via Kuala Lumpur would require a 9-hour layover. This meant they would have to spend an entire day in the airport before boarding the flight to Dubai. Since they were due to leave Hong Kong in three days Andy wondered whether it was worth the trouble or he’s just being paranoid. His analysis of the situation was correct but was he overreacting about his fear of kidnapping and extortion. He needed advice and the best person he could think of was his dad. Ted Clarke was an engineer by profession and was known for his decision-making skills. He was one of the pioneers involved in hydropower generators. He had helped set up plants around the world. When Andy ran into a wall, he would reach out to Ted for advice and always looked up to his father’s calm and collected approach to life. He had rarely seen him get agitated or overreact to situations. He called it as passive decision making and felt that most of the issues you have in a day will sort themselves out if you give them some time. Ted had done well for himself as an active player in the stock market and had gone on to make his fortune based on his wait and act philosophy. Ted was also consulted by friends and family for his decision-making skills but would only approach him when the time was not a constraint. It was 9 P.M., in London, Dad would be awake. It's time for his evening walk, thought Andy. He placed the call. The phone rang twice an
d Ted answered. Speaking in an excited voice, he said, “4 in the morning! It must be important, especially for a person who hardly wakes up before 7,” he laughed.

  CHAPTER 13

  Andy quickly explained the situation to his dad and asked him what to do?

  “You need to think about this situation carefully, as the thief returned the wallet and did not take anything except your family photo. So, the entire exercise was for the photo? To kidnap the kids or Cara doesn’t seem to fit well, as he didn’t have to come back to the hotel in the first place because he had the photograph with him already and your personal details too. I don't think the kids and Cara are in any danger. I think the person we are dealing with means no harm. But, I still can't figure out what he wants? Did you search the luggage and hotel room carefully? Has he taken something you are not aware.”

  “I have searched the suitcase dad. There's nothing missing, I am sure of it.”

  “How long do you think the thief had in your room from the time he picked your pocket?"

  “Maximum 1 hour. I got off at the next station and immediately headed over to the police station after that I called the hotel." “So that's the only time he would have had but I guess he knew where you were staying because he was in your room before you called the hotel and the staff had a chance to change the keys. He timed the pickpocket in such a way that you could not get off the train."

  “Yes, you are right! He picked my pocket as I was entering the train and there is absolutely no way that I could have got off. That gave him enough time to get away.”

  “The kids were already on the train, so I was in no position to run after him.”

  “Did you see him?”

  “No, it was very crowded and I had no time to react. I did look around but there were so many people on the platform.”

  “There is something that we're missing. But don't worry too much. I don't think that you are in any danger. Keep the kids close and enjoy the rest of the holiday. If there is something then it will reveal itself soon. He has to make a move if he needs anything from you. Call me every day in the morning and evening so that I know you are fine. Let's keep this between us and I will not tell your mother. No point involving her, there's nothing much that she can do about the situation.”

  “Okay dad,” said Andy.

  In his eagerness to get his dad’s input Andy totally forgot about Cara, who was now wide awake and was looking at him. Not knowing where to start he just said that it was dad.

  “I heard everything,” she said. “So what have you decided?”

  “I just discussed the whole episode with dad. I think there is no real danger apart from that we have only two days. I have checked the airlines and the layover in Kuala Lumpur is between 9 to 12 hours. Being stuck with the kids in the airport for that long will be a real mess.”

  “I can't believe that you were going to keep all this away from me and put your family in danger, “said Cara.

  “It’s not like how it looks. I wanted to leave as soon as possible,” said Andy, in his defence.

  “Why don't you look at spending a day in Kuala Lumpur. We can see another city and relax without worrying.”

  “I have to look into the visa issue, plus the return tickets have to be cancelled. It’s going to cost us, are you sure?”

  “Yes, I am positive. Go ahead and do the booking. I'll make a call to the reception and ask them about the checkout and the cost associated with cancelling our existing booking.”

  "The flight to Kuala Lumpur leaves in six hours, ” said Andy. “We need to get ready quickly and leave to the Airport.”

  "I have booked the Hotel tickets and requested for the documents required to apply for a visa on arrival. The Hotel sent us the letter with the reservation details which have to be presented at the visa desk at Kuala Lumpur for a Transit Visa."

  The kids woke up disoriented, “What is happening?” they enquired.

  “We're leaving for Kuala Lumpur," said Cara with a smile. "It’s the capital city of Malaysia.”

  The kids were terribly upset about the change in plans as they wanted to visit Ocean Park in Hong Kong. Ocean Park comprises two main attraction areas: the Waterfront and the Summit, subdivided into eight attraction zones: Amazing Asian Animals, Aqua City, Whiskers Harbour, Marine World, Polar Adventure, Adventure Land, Thrill Mountain and the Rainforest.

  The kids argued about why they needed to leave immediately. Slowly, the thoughts of being kidnapped took hold of them and they agreed to co-operate.

  CHAPTER 14

  The phone rang in the hotel room. Andy answered and it was from the concierge desk. They had called to inform him that the taxi has arrived and the checkout papers were also ready. Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang and the bellboy assisted them in carrying the luggage down to the taxi. After settling the bill, Andy got into the taxi and left for the airport. Looking out of the window, he could not help but feel sad. He had looked forward to this vacation, and it is turning out to be a nightmare.

  Andy was surprised as Eric pointed at the Pier and started telling about how you could get there. The kids had learnt the roads of the city so quickly.

  Soon, Ava and Eric fell asleep in the back seat.

  After 30 mins drive and crossing the bridge, they reached the airport.

  “We're here,” informed Cara to the kids.

  At the airport, the driver helped them with the luggage as Andy dressed to get a trolley. Once inside, they headed to the check-in counter. Loading the luggage and obtaining the boarding pass, the Andy’s headed over to the immigration counter. Thirty minutes later, they were sitting on the plane. As the plane took off, Cara held Andy’s hand, “Thank you,” she said.

  “I know it was a lot of trouble," she smiled and looked out of the window. Then, Ava came with a brown mail envelope with the strange symbol on the backside. It was closed with a wax seal. “Who uses of wax seal these days?” wondered Andy, taking the envelope from Eva. “Where was it?” he asked.

  “It was in my backpack, dad. It was open and it was right on top."

  Looking closely, he saw his name written on the envelope. Holding it up to the light, he could see a letter inside.

  “Open it,” said Cara.

  Andy pulled out his phone and carefully placed the envelope on a tray. Taking photos of the seal on the back of the envelope and a close up of the seal he proceeded to open the envelope. Inside was a letter simply mentioning, “Sorry for the trouble,” and US dollar 2000 in crisp new bills!!!

  CHAPTER 15

  “Oh, my God,” shouted Eva. “That’s a lot of money.”

  "Shush," whispered Cara.

  “Keep your voice down."

  Andy was lost for words.

  “A thief who gives money! Now that's a first,” he said. “This episode is getting stranger and baffling by the minute. Why would a thief give us money and how did he put it in Ava’s backpack?"

  “When did you last check your bag Ava?” asked Cara.

  “Yesterday,” she replied.

  “When we checked out of the room, there was nothing in there. This means it must have been put in today, but by whom and when? The bag was with her all the time and the only time they were removed was at the immigration. It could have been the taxi driver. But how did he know we were leaving, as the message clearly states. This person or group were very careful not to cause any harm to us and are in fact making sure that we are compensated for all the trouble they may have caused. But then, why?"

  “Two Italian and two oriental meals," said the hostess with a smile.

  "Thank you," said, Andy.

  The Italian meal was baked mac and cheese.

  "Fruit and chocolate dessert. Anything else?” she enquired.

  “Two glasses of red wine and two glasses of orange juice for the kids,” requested Andy.

  His mind quickly retreated back to the mystery.

  “There's something that is missing here. The person or group, either targeted the wrong
person and wanted to make amends, or they want something from us in the future, and this is a way of gaining our trust. Either way, we are out of Hong Kong, and I don't think they mean any harm. They have all my personal details and contact numbers. So it’s not in our hands. Now let's hope for the best and enjoy the holiday.”

  "Hope it does not dampen the holiday, or what is left of it," murmured Cara.

  The captain's voice cracked on speakers, “We will be in Kuala Lumpur shortly and the local time is 2:30 P.M., and the temperature is 38 degrees. Thank you for travelling with us and wish you a pleasant stay in Kuala Lumpur."

  CHAPTER 16

  Arriving outside the Kuala Lumpur airport, they were greeted by the taxi driver assigned by the hotel for airport pick up. He was holding a signage which had 'Andrew Clarke' written on it. Andy signalled him and they all moved towards the car to load their luggage.

  Kuala Lumpur is the sixth most visited city in the world, with 8.9 million tourists per year. Tourism here is driven by the city's cultural diversity, relatively low costs hotels, wide gastronomic and shopping variety.

  Arriving at the Hotel, the kids wanted to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities. Andy was also tired and agreed to spend the day by the poolside to enjoy the sun and Jacuzzi. The next day Andy woke up to the ring of his phone. It was his dad.

  “Are you alright?” asked Ted.

  “Why didn't you call?”

  “Sorry, dad. I sent you an email.”

  He went on to explain what happened in detail. Listening intently, Ted said, “Looks like the thief is more scared of you than the other way around. Stay in touch and call without fail."

  Cara stretched and looked up questioningly at Andy.

  “I had promised dad that, I would call him every day. Just to make sure that somebody is aware."