by Farah Zaman
“Yes, they were waiting here for the other two men to bring Jumana in,” said Zaid in a disgusted voice. “Zahra and I walked right into them. Five of us might have stood a chance against them but two of us didn’t. Not when they carried rifles. They tied us up with the rope I had around my waist.”
Layla glared at Hala. It was her fault they had all been caught and tied up with their own ropes.
“There was no way we could have warned you,” said Zahra. “The Mole Man and his friend have been guarding us since they caught us. I think the other two are keeping watch at the cave entrance. They’re probably waiting to hear from Al-Aqrab.”
“Something must have happened, that’s why the third man came to get these two,” said Adam. “Maybe they’ve heard from Al-Aqrab.”
“What a fiasco this has turned into,” said Jumana. “We miscalculated and now we’re at the mercy of Al-Aqrab.”
They were all silent for a moment as they contemplated their predicament.
“How come Hala’s with you?” asked Jumana.
Tariq explained what had happened. Hala’s expression was downcast, as if she knew her sneaky stunt would not endear her to him in the least. They became quiet as they heard voices and saw three people being shoved into the cave by the Mole Man and his companion.
It was Hatem, Miftah and Suha.
“Abu,” Hala cried in surprise.
Miftah’s eyes probed the dimness of the cave and he looked dumbfounded to see them all.
“How did you all get here?” he exclaimed. Turning to their captors, he said, “I don’t know what the meaning of this is, but you’d better release us if you know what’s good for you.”
Ignoring him, the Mole Man and his partner started to tie the threesome with the leftover rope. Miftah glared at them while Suha looked angry and agitated. In contrast, the head groom stood silent and impassive. After the three new prisoners had been restrained and set on the ground, the Mole Man and his partner settled down to wait again. They looked up as their other two companions burst into the cave, gesticulating and speaking agitatedly in Domari. After a minute of frenzied back and forth, all four men left, still speaking heatedly.
“Abu, how did you know we were here?” asked Hala.
“We didn’t,” said Miftah. “We came to rescue Jumana.”
“You came to rescue me?” said Jumana. “How did you know I needed rescuing?”
“I told him,” said Hatem. “When you went riding alone, I was worried. Especially after you were kid…it’s not always safe for a woman to ride alone. I asked Raj to follow you. He soon came back in a panic, saying you had been grabbed by two men who were riding towards the hills.”
Layla’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Hatem. I’m sure he had been about to say kidnapped. How had he known Jumana had been kidnapped before? He seemed to be an ally, so he couldn’t be Al-Aqrab’s accomplice. Was he the Hooded Horseman?
Miftah said, “Since all the others had gone to Khaldun, Hatem told me and Suha. We called the police but didn’t know how long it would take them to get here. They’re a slow lot in Khaldun. Hatem said he was coming to look for you and Suha and I decided to come with him. When we got to the hills, two men pulled guns on us and forced us to come here. Now tell us how you all got here.”
They looked at one another. Who would start the tale and where would they start from?
At that moment, they heard a great clamor, waves of sounds that vibrated around the cave like distant thunder. To Layla, it sounded like a herd of wild elephants all trumpeting at once. They looked at each other in mystification. What could be causing the commotion?
The sounds became fainter until there was silence once more.
“I wonder what that was all about,” said Zaid.
“It sounded like the Mole Man and his partners were having a really loud shouting match,” said Adam.
A shadow moved at the head of the cave. As they stared at the spot, a man stepped forward into the circle of light. He was wearing a hood with a covering that concealed almost his whole face. In his hand, he held a rifle and a dagger.
“The Hooded Horseman,” Adam exclaimed.
“Who are you?” demanded Miftah.
“A friend,” came a low, deep voice.
“Then show us who you are,” said Jumana.
Without a word, the Hooded Horseman pulled the hood from his head and the covering off his face. There were exclamations of shock.
“Uncle Rashid!” Tariq cried.
Chapter Twenty-Six:
Shocking Surprises
“No, it cannot be you.” Suha looked at Rashid, her eyes wild. “Al-Aqrab told me you’re dead. How can you still be alive?”
There was a shocked silence.
Layla cried, “Suha is Al-Aqrab’s accomplice.”
“Who’s Al-Aqrab?” said Miftah.
“He’s a monster who’s got blood on his hands,” said Hatem, to their surprise.
“Suha,” Miftah said in a dreadful voice. “Is this true?”
“Yes, it’s true,” Suha spat out. She rose to her feet, throwing aside the ropes Al-Aqrab’s men must have just wrapped around her. Gone was the amicable woman they knew. In her place stood a shrew, her eyes looking wild in the glow from the flashlights.
“Who’s Al-Aqrab?” asked Rashid. “And what does he want?”
Suha gave a brittle laugh. “He’s your own blood. And he’ll get what he wants when you’re all dead. His men will soon return and put bullets in you. Or maybe Al-Aqrab will send some of his scorpions to sting you to death.”
Layla shuddered. She was relieved when Rashid said, “Your men won’t do any good unless they learn to fly. I lured all four of them into a deep shaft. You must have heard them shouting and cursing at me.”
So that’s the commotion we heard.
“There are always more men…and women.” Suha pulled a revolver from her pocket and held the weapon to Hala’s head. “Throw down your rifle and knife,” she told Rashid. “Or I’ll shoot Hala in the head.”
Her voice rose an octave higher as she screamed, “Do it now!”
With reluctance, Rashid threw down his weapons and Suha moved forward and kicked them into the darkness. With the pistol now trained on Rashid, she said, “Untie Hala’s hands and feet.”
Rashid complied and a minute later, Hala was free. Suha then ordered Hala, “Take the rope and tie Rashid’s hands behind his back. Tie it tightly and don’t do anything stupid or you’ll get a bullet in you.”
With a glare at her stepmother, Hala began to tie Rashid’s hands.
“Tie it tighter,” Suha said in a shrill voice.
After Rashid’s hands were tied, Suha commanded, “Now both of you go and sit with the others.”
“You wicked witch,” said Hala. “I knew your sweetness was all a pretense. You’re rotten to the core.”
“Shut up.” Suha’s face was a mask of hate as she raised her hand and gave Hala a violent slap across the face. Hala screamed as she stumbled with the force of the blow. She cowered before her stepmother. How the tables have turned.
“You had that coming, you spoiled brat,” said Suha. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”
“How could you do this, Suha?” asked Miftah. He seemed to have aged ten years in ten minutes. “How could you do this to us?”
“He’s the one to blame.” She pointed an accusing finger at Rashid. “He should have married me. But I had to settle for a disgusting old man like you.”
Miftah drew back as if she had slapped him. He stared at her in dazed silence.
“You were the one sending those anonymous letters, weren’t you?” Rashid said to Suha.
“Yes, it was me,” said Suha in a gloating voice.
“What were the letters about?” asked Jumana.
Suha chuckled. “They
warned your beloved fiancé not to marry you or he’d die a horrible death. I signed them with Lamis’s name. I could see how they rattled him.”
Jumana looked at Rashid in shocked comprehension. “So that’s why you were acting strange and wanted to delay the wedding. Why didn’t you tell me, instead of letting me think the worst?”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” said Rashid. “I was also embarrassed because I suspected someone from the household was sending them. I thought you might have second thoughts about marrying me if you found out. The last letter came while you were there. It was so poisonous, I got alarmed. I thought it best to delay the wedding until I found out who was responsible. I’m sorry for all the distress I caused you. Please forgive me.”
“How touching,” Suha sneered. “Do you know why he was alarmed about that last letter, Jumana? It’s because I accused him of molesting Lamis and other maids at the castle. And I threatened to tell you and your father if Rashid didn’t call off the wedding. Imagine how your dear father would have felt had he gotten such a letter. He would have called off the wedding at once. I’m sure he wouldn’t have wanted such a molester for a son-in-law.”
“You’re despicable, Suha.” Jumana’s voice trembled. “How could you tell such filthy lies?”
“You think I was going to let him marry you when he had rejected me?”
“Is that why Al-Aqrab tried to kill me?” asked Rashid. “So I wouldn’t marry Jumana?”
“No, the plan was to prevent the wedding, not kill you. But on the night of your argument with Jumana, I saw you going to Tariq’s suite. I wanted to know if you would tell him what you and Jumana had argued about. I hid in the sitting room while you were in the bedchamber. I heard you telling him you were receiving anonymous letters. That you were planning to go to Ghassan City and find a private investigator to come and investigate. We couldn’t allow that to happen, so Al-Aqrab decided to get rid of you. We weren’t worried about Tariq because he was sick at the time and seemed to have fallen asleep. But one of our men heard him talking to the guests in the garden. Tariq told them he suspected you were murdered though he couldn’t recall much of what you told him. We couldn’t take the chance of him remembering. Al-Aqrab decided Tariq had to be eliminated too.”
“I guess that explains the stone in Jasim’s saddle and the scorpion on my bed,” said Tariq.
“When did you decide to bring the investigator to the castle?” Jumana asked Rashid.
“After our meeting in the courtyard,” said Rashid, sharing a look with her that spoke volumes.
“What about us?” asked Zaid. “Why was the Mole Man following us in Ghassan City? Was he the one who pushed Zahra in front of that car?”
“The Mole Man?” Suha looked puzzled. Then she giggled. “Oh, you mean Wajdi. Yes, Al-Aqrab told him to make sure something happened to one of you but Wajdi bungled it.”
“But why did Al-Aqrab want to harm us?” said Zahra
“He wanted you to leave. He had a grand scheme up his sleeve and didn’t want visitors here when he carried it out. That’s why we told the Woman in White to scare you. And why we locked you in the dungeon. But it didn’t work. The same goes for Jumana. We wanted to scare her away, that’s why Al-Aqrab arranged her first kidnapping. But Wajdi’s men were incompetent. When we found out the gypsy woman had been running her mouth off, Al-Aqrab took care of her. Then Layla found out Mrs. Haddad was the ghoul. I gave Mrs. Haddad the scorpion to take care of Layla but Mrs. Haddad botched it. Al-Aqrab was furious because that was the end of his grand scheme, thanks to these wretched kids.”
“Why kidnap me today then?” asked Jumana.
Suha chuckled. “It was for the ransom your dear Papa would have paid to get his precious little girl back. We had no idea you were going to set a trap. Now Al-Aqrab will have to get us out of this mess. I called him before we left. Miftah thought I was calling the police.” She threw a scornful look at her husband.
“What was Al-Aqrab’s grand scheme?” asked Tariq.
“I can’t give away all our secrets now, can I? But I’ll give you a hint. Mrs. Haddad would have played the leading role.”
“If you tell us who Al-Aqrab is, we’ll let you go and start a new life elsewhere, Suha,” said Rashid. “You don’t have to listen to him anymore.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere else,” Suha shrieked, stamping her foot like a child who was being denied a toy. “Before my father died, he told me to stay at the castle and make sure you marry me. He said it was my right and I was entitled to it. If you hadn’t refused to marry me, none of this would have happened.”
As Layla listened to Suha, other pieces of the puzzle fell into place. “You’re the one who stole Jumana’s bracelet and pushed Lamis out of the tower, didn’t you, Suha? When you found out Mrs. Haddad was Lamis’s aunt, you fed her a bunch of lies so she would fall in with your plans.”
“You’ve figured it out, have you?” Suha shoved the gun in her pocket and sat down on a rock several feet away. “It was Lamis’s own fault that she died. My favorite diamond pin fell off outside Jumana’s suite when I took the bracelet. Lamis found it when she passed by and put two and two together. She had the nerve to tell me I should return the bracelet, or she would tell the family I stole it. I told her not to tell anyone, and to meet me in the tower at midnight so we would talk more about it. She was gullible enough to fall for it. One of Al-Aqrab’s men was lying in wait behind the door and helped throw her out the window.”
“How did you get Mrs. Haddad to believe your lies?” asked Zahra.
“It was after Rashid had supposedly died. I caught her going through the drawers in the office late one night. I had gone to see if I’d left my cell phone there. She told me a lame lie about looking for a map. I suspected she was up to something. I searched her room the next day and found an old letter from Lamis. That’s how I learned who she was. When I confronted her, she told me she was trying to find out the truth of Lamis’s death. That she suspected foul play, that’s why she became the Woman in White. She pleaded with me not to tell anyone. I told Al-Aqrab and that’s how he came up with his grand scheme. To make sure Mrs. Haddad helped us, I told her that Rashid and Sulaiman were to blame for Lamis’s death. That I myself was molested by Rashid. And someone who was also wronged by the family would help us to find the evidence she needs. Mrs. Haddad was getting impatient. That’s why she took matters in her own hands and screamed in Sulaiman’s room that night. When I came back from Ghassan City, I convinced her we were close to finding some evidence. That she would get it before she leaves. She believed every word I told her. She and Lamis were stupid women for all their education.”
There came a shriek from the head of the cave.
“Suha!”
Mrs. Haddad erupted into the cave, dressed in a long black gown and holding a flashlight in her hand.
“You lied to me,” she screamed at Suha. “You killed Lamis.”
Suha got to her feet. “Mariam, how did you get here?”
Mrs. Haddad looked at Suha with burning eyes. “After you sent me to hide in Khaldun, I started to think about what Layla told me that night. I became guilt-stricken and began to have doubts about you. I had to speak to Nura to know if Layla was telling the truth. I took a taxi back to the castle, wearing a face veil like some of the maids so I wouldn’t be recognized. I found Nura and she told me what I wanted to know. She said Layla was alive. But you didn’t have the decency to tell me, did you?”
“You botched it,” Suha said with a contemptuous curl of her lips. “You should have stayed in Khaldun.”
“That would have suited you, wouldn’t it?” said Mrs. Haddad. “My mistake was in telling you what Layla told me. I realize now you wanted me out of the way, so I wouldn’t question Nura. I was going in search of you when Nura told me you and your husband had left to go rescue Jumana in the caves. I became suspicious. I got a horse from th
e stables and came here. While I was hiding to see what was going on, I saw a hooded man coming. I followed him into the caves but lost him along the way. It took me a while to find you, but I did, and I heard everything you said. You almost made me commit murder because of your lies. You were using me all this time. You made me apologize to Ghazala after our argument, so the Shaykh wouldn’t fire me. You wanted to keep me here for your own evil ends. I won’t let you get away with this…,” Mrs. Haddad’s voice trailed away as she advanced towards Suha, an implacable look on her face.
“Mariam, stay back,” said Suha. “I have a gun in my pocket and I won’t hesitate to use it.”
“I have nothing more to lose now,” said Mrs. Haddad. “I’m already a criminal because I believed your lies.”
With sudden swiftness, she pulled a short knife from her pocket and lunged at Suha. Suha dodged the knife and latched on to Mrs. Haddad’s hand. With a strength that belied her slender frame, Mrs. Haddad jerked her hand free. Before she could raise the knife, Suha grabbed hold of the tutor’s hand again. The two women struggled together, grunting and snarling like wild animals determined to draw blood. Across the cave they grappled with each other, watched by the helpless prisoners.
Suha stumbled over a dip in the ground, losing her grip on Mrs. Haddad’s hand. With a guttural cry, the tutor’s lips drew back in a snarl. She raised the knife and plunged it into Suha’s stomach. Suha gave a piercing scream and swayed like a tree in the wind. Panting, she fumbled for the gun and pulled it out of her pocket. She aimed it at Mrs. Haddad with shaking hands and fired. The weapon went off with a thunderous bang, hurting the eardrums of the prisoners and fouling the air with an acrid stench.
The cave trembled with a frenzy of echoes, loosening bits and pieces of rock which rained down upon the prisoners like hailstones. Layla shielded her face as best as she could, hoping the stalactites would not break off and come toppling down on them. Thankfully, the tapering icicles withstood the tremors and remained in place.
The prisoners watched as Mrs. Haddad staggered and fell against Suha, the knife dropping out of her hand. The two women swayed together in a grotesque embrace. All of a sudden, the earth seemed to swallow them up. They vanished from sight, their cries echoing in the cave until there was abrupt silence.
