Gate Deadlock (27 page)

Alex winked at me. ‘And that’s my sister.’ he
whispered, adding

‘
She’s not in her best mood, as you
see.’

I turned around to look at the tall slim woman
dressed in a long blue dress who had just dashed into the kitchen.
She had dark hair that she wore in a bun. Her inquisitive dark eyes
were examining me suspiciously.

‘Angelica, meet Emma. Emma, this is the contact
I told you about.’ Sebastian’s voice was cooler now.

‘Nice to meet you.’ I stood up to greet Angelica
with a handshake that never happened. Angelica turned her back at
me and started whispering to Sebastian. He nodded, his eyes fixed
on the floor. Then he looked at the dark-haired woman.

‘That’s all we’re asking. Thank you Angelica. I
knew you wouldn’t let me down.’ He turned to me. ‘I’m afraid you
have to be patient for a couple of days. You’re staying here until
Angelica gets in touch with Plato.’

My eyes widened in surprise. ‘Here?’ I asked,
doing my best to hide my disappointment under the fear that
Angelica might change her mind. ‘But…’

‘Do you have a problem with that?’ I perceived
the hint of warning in Angelica’s tone.

‘No, of course not. I just don’t want to be a
nuisance.’

‘Well, some things take time, you see. The whole
world can’t be moving around you.’ Angelica’s scornful voice
scolded.

Alex intervened as a pacifier. ‘Angelica,
please. Emma already feels bad, it doesn’t help if you make her
feel unwelcome.’

Angelica glared at him but Alex ignored her. His
eyes were on me again.

‘Don’t worry Emma. There’s plenty of room.
Besides, my sister spends too much time with her students and I
really need the company.’

‘So, you’ll be all right?’ Sebastian asked,
looking at me first and then at Angelica.

‘Yes Sebastian, we will.’ she said before
leaving the room.

Her reaction had taken me by surprise and I was
trying to get over her attack.

‘Sebastian, my car is in Monemvasia. I have to
take it back.’ I said.

‘I’ll take care of it. Here’s my phone number,
in case something goes wrong.’ He gave me a small card with the
address and phone number of “Pelagos”.

The three of us walked to the car. Unbearable as
he had been to me all morning, I hated to see Sebastian leave. I
didn’t know those people. My insecurities stroke me suddenly like a
whip.

‘Listen,’ Sebastian told me in an unexpected
tone of compassion, ‘you’ll be all right with them. They’re good
people. I’d never leave you if I didn’t know you are in good
hands.’

I nodded, trying to keep myself
unabashed. I shouldn’t behave like a child. I had to ignore the
strong urge to ask Sebastian to take me back to Monemvasia.
Besides, my instincts told me that those people would take me
closer to Christopher. The best thing to do was to cling to this
thought. Christopher’s thought.

Sebastian sat behind the wheel,
looking undecided for a few minutes. He turned to Emma. She looked
so helpless as she smiled to him guardedly. Her sad face distressed
him. She was still a child for God’s sake! How did she get into
this mess?

‘Emma, just…find Christopher and… take care of
yourself.’

‘I will.’ I said. Was that a tear in the corner
of the old man’s eye? I wasn’t sure. But I didn’t have time to find
out, as he started the engine and set off, leaving a thin cloud of
dust behind him. I was able to understand what Christopher had seen
to this man that made him feel so close to him. The frowned, angry
Sebastian had vanished, transformed into a sweet, caring,
father-like figure for those last few minutes.

‘He’s right you know.’ Alex’s voice sounded
reassuring behind me. ‘Despite my sister’s unpredictable
countenance, we’re in general terms good people.’ He was standing
next to me now. ‘So how about a walk? I’d love to show you
around.’

Aware of my reluctance to confront Angelica’s
hostile behavior, I had no option but to accept his offer.

It was still quite hot and I felt the drops of
sweat slide down my back, damping my T-shirt. We walked up a small
hill that overlooked the whole area. I could even make out the dim
shapes of the buildings of a city, probably Athens. We sat silently
on a flat rock, under the cool shade of a pine tree.

‘When there’s no smog you can see as far as the
sea.’ Alex said in a dreamy manner. ‘But it’s at night that I think
it’s best.’

‘So, what is Christopher to you?’ he asked in a
carefree manner, startling me.

Sooner or later I’d have to explain to him and
Angelica the reason I was looking for the Crusaders anyway. Those
people had offered me their house and deserved an explanation. I
wasn’t sure how much Sebastian had revealed to Angelica but there
was no reason for more secrets. I had been so tired of keeping so
many secrets from so many people. Alex was a Confidant, I could
tell him everything without putting his life at risk. In fact, I
wanted to tell someone, share my aspirations, my fears, my
suffering.

‘Christopher is my life.’ I said, matter-of-
factly.

‘Is he a Crusader?’

‘Ex. He’s in the Squad now.’

‘The Squad?’ His repulsed expression made me
smile. He shook his head taking a deep breath. ‘Sounds dangerous.
And what would someone like you have to do with a Squad guy?’

‘It’s a long story.’

‘I have plenty of time. And, as it seems, so do
you. So let me try again. How did you meet him?’

Right there, sitting next to a stranger, in a
place I wasn’t sure I could locate on a map, unsure of where I
would be spending the night or where I would be the next day, I
started talking about Christopher. I recalled all the details. When
I finished the story of my life, it was already dark. The lights of
the city were flickering in the darkness. I sighed, still lost in
my memories of Christopher’s gorgeous face.

Alex’s voice startled me.

‘Honestly, do you want to make up with him?’

‘Don’t you understand how I feel about
him?’ I glared at him. ‘What we had was…so special.
He
was so special.’

‘He’s just a killer. He was involved in your
father’s murder and then he came here to make you fall for him.
Can’t you see? This is them, it’s how they work in order to
accomplish their purpose.’

His prejudiced attitude and his accusations
irritated me. He didn’t even know Christopher, how could he be so
critical of him? I made a last effort to convince him.

‘He has regretted everything about the past. You
just don’t get it, do you?’

‘Okay, let’s just think it over. A killer
has a moment of epiphany and saves a girl and
that
erases his crimes? Makes him a saint? He’s a
trained killer. What makes you think he can change? If you ask me,
he’s where he wants to be.’

‘I have faith in him. And I don’t have to
explain myself to you.’ I said dryly.

‘Don’t get me wrong but you need a normal life,
Emma. The way things turned out, however hurtful it might have
been, it’s for your best. Forget about him. You need to be with a
normal guy.’

‘Really? Like you, for instance?’ I couldn’t
help being ironic.

‘Why not?’ He smiled broadly, unaffected by my
comment. ‘You could at least try.’ His smile made me furious.

‘Are you always so irritating?’ I looked at him
with a frown. ‘Can we go back now?’ I asked anxiously as I stood
up. He shrugged and then he stood up to follow me.

Luckily, Angelica was not in the house. I helped
Alex make dinner, burgers and chips. Loss of appetite had probably
been the first side effect of the stress I was under, because I had
hardly touched my food. Feeling guilty, Alex was now in his best
behavior and did everything to make me feel at home. There was no
more reference of Christopher, as if our argument had never taken
place. I had decided it would be unwise to keep a long face to my
hosts. Alex wasn’t bad after all, if I could just forget his
earlier attack about Christopher, we would get along. I needed a
friend desperately and, despite the fact that I’d only known Alex
for a few hours, I really liked him. Under the circumstances, he
was the only friend I had at that moment.

When Angelica showed up, she didn’t say a word.
She just disappeared behind her bedroom door.

Second side effect. That night I hardly slept at
all. Alex had offered me his room and he had slept on the sofa. But
that wasn’t enough. My mind was on Christopher, the same as any
other sleepless night. If only Angelica had been able to put aside
her unsubstantiated dislike for me and reveal how and when she
intended to contact the Crusaders instead of keeping me in the
dark…

For the next couple of days I was still in the
dark. Alex hadn’t left me alone for a minute. Acknowledging my
frustration about the delay in my mission and about his sister’s
behavior, he did his best to make my stay at the camp as pleasant
as possible. He introduced me to the elders of the camp who
insisted on organizing a feast to honor me, considering me as one
of Angelica’s friends. Angelica was their benefactor and with good
reason. When Alex took me to help the children while they were
redecorating their school, a prefabricated single classroom painted
in lively colors, with a handmade artistic sign on the door, I saw
a dozen of huge boxes that Angelica had brought for them with
things that intended to transform the pre-fabricated container so
that it would resemble a school classroom; books, posters, maps,
and colorful cartons. Alex saw my amazed expression and joked that
most of this stuff would go on the black market sooner or later. He
could be right, but I thought that the excitement on the children’s
faces was worth the effort.

I was really impressed by the simplicity of the
Roma life. Things that other children had for granted, were
priceless to them. I was impressed by their enthusiasm and next
thing I knew, I was opening boxes of colorful children’s books and
started organizing the bookcase. I didn’t stop until Alex saw me
swallowing a couple of pills as the first signs of tiredness had
made their appearance. My body was still fragile, I had almost
forgotten.

All this time Angelica pretended to ignore me.
When Alex insisted on having a break, his sister didn’t have a
choice. Right then, the camp chief brought ice creams and beverages
for everyone. Angelica sat next to me for the first time. I didn’t
dare speak to her. I just hoped that her cold heart might have
relented by now. It was my heart that was throbbing with excitement
when Angelica spoke without looking at me, concentrated on the
bubbles of the sparkling coke in her glass.

‘Tomorrow morning we’re going sailing. You could
have told me it was so urgent.’

Last summer, Christopher had explained to
me that
Sailing
was the code
word for meeting a League member.

‘Urgent?’ I was mystified. Who had Angelica
talked to?

‘For some strange reason, you seem to be very
important to them.’

‘Have you talked to them?’ I asked unable to
conceal my enthusiasm.

But Angelica ignored my question. ‘Alex told me
your story. I don’t know what you expect the Crusaders to do for
you, though. But…it’s your life.’ She shrugged.

‘I’m looking for someone.’

‘I know. Did it occur to you that he might not
want you to find him?’

Not her too, I thought. Of course it had
occurred to me. Even more, he might have changed; he might have
stopped loving me.

‘I’ll give it a try.’ I said calmly. ‘I have
to.’

Angelica looked at me as if she wanted to say
something more, but eventually she stood up straightening her
dress.

‘Come on kids. Time for a shower. Line up.’ She
turned to me. ‘There’s only one shower. Not enough water, I’m
afraid. You can use the hose in my house. ‘

‘I know. Alex told me.’

In fact, Alex had said that the main reason he
couldn’t wait to go back to his house in Corfu was his longing of a
normal bathroom where he could take a real shower. At that time I
had thought he was exaggerating but when I saw the hose I had to
use in the narrow bathroom, I sympathized with him.

Alex sat next to me. ‘Well? Did she tell you
about tomorrow? Big day for you, right?’

‘You knew this? And you didn’t say anything all
morning? I don’t believe it!’

He wasn’t sharing my enthusiasm, I was aware of
that. Nevertheless, he retained his good mood and his smile made me
forget the bitter discussion with Angelica that had awakened all my
doubts and insecurities about Christopher.

That night Alex suggested a celebration for the
occasion was in order but I was aware of the fact that the occasion
was just about saying goodbye.

He took me to a fair in a nearby village,
Megara. I had accepted the invitation without second thoughts.
Besides, the alternative would be to stay at home with Angelica and
her pessimistic forecast. But soon I came to regret it.

Alex suggested going to the funfair, a huge
amusement park. I hadn’t been to such a place for years but I found
it an absolutely invigorating experience. We tried almost all the
games, shooting bottles with ball pistols being my favorite. Alex
was better at it than I was and he won a teddy bear at the second
shot. It was very cute, with a pink hat on and a pink heart sewn on
its chest with the phrase ‘Thinking of you.’ Alex’s childlike face
revealed his contagious excitement and his sparkling eyes were
fixed on mine, making it hard for me to escape his stare.

‘I want you to have it.’ he said seriously,
giving me the teddy bear.

I took it from his hands, pretending to ignore
the tension in his voice.

‘Of course I’ll take it, silly. What do you need
a pink teddy anyway?’