Meeting Max (23 page)

“Please, come sit and we will talk. We have a very well-stocked mini bar. Please, what would you like?”

“Nothing for me right now,” Elena said, slipping her hand into Rick’s.

“I’m okay, thanks,” Rick said.

“Fine. We can talk for a while and then have a nice lunch. Rick, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Kamran smiled pleasantly as he spoke. “Jassu has told me you are a biology professor. It is a noble profession. It is a good thing to pass your acquired wisdom to your students. Each generation must absorb what has gone before.”

“It helps me too,” Rick said. “The students invigorate me and keep my mind going with their questions,” he said nervously. “Biologists are delusional optimists. We keep searching for dramatic new directions.”

“Such as what?” Kamran asked, opening his palms.

“The Genome Project, for one, sir. Sequencing holds great promise to eliminate many diseases. We’re busy learning the language of genes.”

“It may be the language of God,” Kamran said with a shrug.

“Maybe, sir. You never know.”

“Knowledge is a wonderful gift, Rick. It reshapes our civilization and constantly creates new ones. It is too bad there is so much cruelty in our world. We have had wars since the beginning of time. Why do you think that continues?”

“It must be part of man’s basic nature to make war. We call ourselves civilized and yet we go on killing people.”

A chill passed over Rick. He was standing in front of a man who intended to kill many people quite soon. Kamran explained it all away with his dogma, and Rick believed he deceived even himself.

Kamran sat back in his chair and stroked his chin. “What you say is true, but wars have contributed to innovation. Think of the Great Wall of China and your Manhattan Project during World War II, which I believe was a necessary war.”

“Yes,” Rick replied. “A lot of learning took place as a result of your examples. Some evil people can convince the masses to believe something that is wrong will be good for them. Hitler, for example. I’m happier with other innovations, more positive ones.”

“Such as?” Kamran leaned forward.

“Well, space exploration, for one. I see our planetary system becoming the back yard for Earth.”

“Well, that could bring wars too, even on a grander scale.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think it will. Ever since the 1950s, space exploration has been a unifying experience between nations. It’s just the beginning for us. There are no new places to find anymore on Earth. We know where everything is. We have to go beyond our world to other planets. True, we’re only a dot in our galaxy, but it’s
our
dot and
our
civilization.”

“I like your thinking,” Kamran said, nodding. “Although I am not so sure that we have explored all aspects of our planet. I believe we are polluting the air and our oceans will get warm. Everything we have here on Earth now is the result of the building blocks of the past. Maybe new science will lead us to other heavenly bodies when earth will no longer support human life.”

Rick felt that Kamran was a thinker, but he knew the dark side of his politics and his ominous sense of justice.

For a man who thinks war and violence is a bad thing, he isn’t living his beliefs, and he’s putting on an act for us. I have to keep him engaged in conversation. I need time to think of an escape strategy.

Rick hoped against all odds that if Kamran saw Rick and Elena as kindred spirits, he might let them go. Anything could happen, but Kamran was in control.

“Rick, it seems you and Elena have a liking for each other,” Kamran said, smiling again.

“Yes, we plan to marry.”

“Shubh Kaamnaayein
. Good luck to you both.”

“Thank you. Sometimes, love just happens.” Rick smiled.

“Yes, of course. Has she told you anything of our plans?”

“Not really, except that many people feel Pakastani Nationals are being held in Indian jails for no reason and that you’re planning an action in Delhi to protest their imprisonment.” Rick spoke with a straight face, trying to act naïve.

“I see. A demonstration, you mean, and she told you nothing else?”

“No, nothing, but I think it’s good that people protest against injustice. In the sixties, in my country, there were demonstrations against the war in Vietnam. It was a protest rally against injustice, like the one you are planning. It brought positive change.”

“So, it was
demonstrations
she told you about?”

“Yes, but why the guns?”

“What guns?” Kamran answered, frowning.

“The guns Sudar and Tariq carry. I saw them.”

“India can be a dangerous place. It’s difficult for me to believe that Elena didn’t tell you more. After all, you are lovers.”

Rick smiled and shook his head. “Lovers don’t bother with serious topics.” Rick felt Elena squeezing his hand. “Politics were the last thing on our minds, if you know what I mean.”

“Well, I have to tell you, Rick, I don’t believe you know so little, but maybe Elena’s feelings for you told her that it would be better for you if she left you in the dark. I cannot take the chance that you do not know more than you say. We plan something more than demonstrations.”

“Uh, well, that’s good. I didn’t know that. Sounds like you’ve got something great going on here. Would it be all right for us to leave after lunch? We still haven’t told our parents about our marriage plans. It would be a wonderful surprise for them.”

“Well, that might not be a good idea for two reasons. One is that our plan is very important to us, and two, I believe you have knowledge of it, so it would be in
our
interest for you to stay with us until tomorrow night. Elena probably used her usual good judgment and perhaps did not tell you everything, but you must know that it would be prudent for me not to take that chance.”

“Please, sir, let us leave after lunch. We would disappear.”

“Even if I considered it an option, we would still need Elena’s services at the airport.”

“Please reconsider. You’re a very sensitive and caring man. I feel it. Please, let us go,” Rick begged.

“That is something I cannot do. Our plan is to take the defense minister hostage. Elena’s presence will put him at ease. She will be with him for a few minutes, then you are both free to go. Within weeks, a large sum of money will be left for Elena in her Indian account. Use it well. I wish the two of you the best of luck in your lives together.”

“Kamran, I give you my word as a gentleman that neither I nor Elena will divulge anything about your operation. Please let us leave after lunch. Elena and I love each other. There appears to be a human quality about you that I respect. What Elena and I share is beautiful. We want to be married and be together always. Can you please trust us?”

“I request you both stay with us until after our job is done. Elena has been very helpful getting the information we need. I will assign someone to stay with you, Rick, and protect you at the airport. Elena will be protected as well, so you will have nothing to worry about.

“After Elena leaves the biplane with the defense minister on it, two well-trained commandos will deliver her to you. I will not fail you in this matter. I am human and aware of your feelings for each other. You can trust me.”

He ‘requests’ we stay with them. They have the guns!

After a lavish lunch, Elena and Rick were shown to a fashionable suite in the hotel. Kamran assured them he would post two men outside their door in case they needed anything. The staff of the Suryagarh Hotel had been advised to fulfill their every request.

The suite was the paramount of wanton luxury. It combined modern and medieval styles. A king-size bed with a canopy sat in the middle of the bedroom, covered with a quilt of the finest fabric.

The sitting room had a well-stocked bar complete with an assortment of the finest liquors and mixers. The large bathroom had an oversized pink tub with a colorful tropical fish tank embedded in the wall above it. Full bottles of shampoos, bath salts, sandalwood soaps, and lotions were arranged around the tub. Hanging alongside the door were two plush, white, terrycloth robes.

They ordered two Masala dosas as a snack to have with a bottle of 1997 Bollinger Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Francaises , which they saw on the menu for a mere five hundred USD. They ate in order to be energized in case they had to run.

Rick looked through the draperies. He saw Tariq standing on the street across from the entrance to the hotel.

Damn. We are hostages. We should have left the desert and gone to the train station, but Sudar said they had already looked for us there and the airport.

Elena and Rick were exhausted, but felt that they would not be in any real danger. After all, Elena had done her job. She gave Kamran the necessary time schedules of the defense minister. The last thing she was asked to do was to assure the minister that he was in safe hands during the operation, but too much hung over Rick and Elena. Kamran’s mission was like a suffocating blanket.

It will be over soon.

In the lush bathtub, only candlelight surrounded them. They poured some of the cold bubbly champagne over each other’s hair and watched the bubbles of the expensive champagne stream down their faces. They kissed, said nothing, then went to bed and lost themselves in passion. That was their escape, for now.

Sudar knocked on the door at four in the morning. “Come, come, you have twenty minutes.”

They dressed, checked for their passports, and left. Soon, they would be free.

Chapter 20

They arrived at the airport at five in the morning. The sun would not rise until nearly seven, and it would be dark for almost two more hours. Ali had already placed two high impact C4 explosives in the road that led to Jaisalmer, and Nasim, Raj, and their team were in town with a van full of containers of gasoline, explosives, and blasting caps. Elena was on the biplane, and Kamran was nowhere in sight

The airport had limited scheduling this time of year, but a few people were lined up in the terminal to check-in for the only outgoing flight to Jodhpur, which was almost fully booked. Sudar and Rick were at the end of the line, acting as passengers.

“Soon, you and Elena will be on your own,” Sudar said, putting his arm around Rick in a friendly manner.

“I can’t wait.”

“I am wishing you very good luck in your marriage.”

“Do you think I can trust Kamran when he said Elena will just spend a few minutes in the biplane before they let her go?”

“Kamran is a gentleman, a man of his word, and she will be well-protected by our commandos.” Sudar patted him on the back as if they were brothers. “You are not to worry.”

“I hope so.”

Rick watched Sudar as he looked at a green light flash on his two-meter ham rig. He held it to his ear and raised his hand. The action began.

***

Two men who were part of the attack team, dressed as passengers in the line, started a fake fight. The only police officer in the terminal ran to break it up.

Sudar yelled, “Kill him, kill him!”

One of Kamran’s men shot the officer three times and left him on the floor with blood spilling out of his mouth. The attack team, as a distraction, set off harmless flash explosives in the terminal to prevent everyone from noticing the commotion going on outside. The blasts sounded through the terminal and gave off spirals of black smoke.

Everyone was traumatized, shaking and coughing as they sought cover behind stacks of luggage, diverting their attention away from any outside activity. Then everything went black. Not even the backup generators worked.

From the terminal, Rick surveyed the scene outside. He saw no activity from the fighter planes and assumed they were disabled by sniper fire. The lead car was in flames. He watched the second car, the one carrying the minister, come to an abrupt stop.

Rick’s heart pounded and he hoped Elena would be safe in the biplane. It was far from the action. The police officer and the two security officers in the minister’s car came out wielding semi-automatic weapons. It only took three headshots from the snipers on the roof of the terminal to kill them, but Kamran’s men arrived too late and the minister evaded capture.

Tear gas was thrown into the terminal. Rick ran out, covering his face, and stood at the entrance behind a large bronze statue. Flames, gunfire, and explosions surrounded him. Terror rocketed through him.

The power was still out, but he was able to see a fiery glow and flames in the distance coming from the city of Jaisalmer. Indian commandos in armored cars appeared out of the dark and started shooting at Kamran’s men.

Rick saw Elena in the distance as an Indian commando escorted Elena off the biplane. The defense minister ran toward an entrance at the side of the terminal for safety. Rick was sneezing and coughing from the tear gas. His eyes were swollen and painful.

The commando next to Elena was hit by a series of bullets from a semi-automatic rifle. A moment later, the biplane went up in flames. Elena ran toward Rick through the flames and smoke, her hands reaching out.

It’s over, finally over
.

They would be free.

A shot rang out and Rick saw one of Kamran’s men wielding a gun and running behind Elena moments before commando forces took him down. Rick heard Elena cry out, but she continued running toward him until she fell into his arms. After a moment, she slipped to the ground.

Rick screamed. “Oh my God. Elena’s been hit!”

He protected her with his body. “Elena, Elena.” Bullets flew over them.

She looked up at him, her eyes fluttering, her body limp.

“Rick, help me. I can’t see you. You’re in a fog. I can’t move. What did I do? I can’t breathe. It hurts. Help me.”

“I will,” Rick answered, tears flowing down his cheeks. “You’re safe now.” He ran his hands over her head, holding her close to him. “Shh, just relax, honey. Everything will be all right.”

He leaned over and held her as her warm blood flowed over his shirt. He carried her to the entryway of the terminal and screamed for help.

“This woman has been shot. She’s bleeding. Please, someone help!” he shouted.

He was on his knees covered with blood, screaming for help with no place to hide. Explosions, flames, and flying bullets surrounded him.

“Please, someone help me!” he yelled again.

Rick took off his shirt and pressed it against the wound in Elena’s back. His white shirt was quickly drenched with Elena’s blood. Her body was trembling and gasping for air.. Everyone was too busy tending to themselves to notice him. The airport was surrounded by smoke and flames. People were screaming and crying out for help. Chaos was everywhere.

An Indian officer approached and identified himself. “I am Meher. I am a medical officer, a doctor. I will help you. The phones and cell towers are down, and I have no medical equipment with me, but let me see what I can do.

“The bullet appears to be lodged in a difficult area, and she is in shock. She needs immediate treatment, but the airport ambulance has already left with other wounded people.”

The officer removed his shirt, directed Rick to keep pressure on the wound to curtail the bleeding, and ordered two of his men to transport Elena in their van to Shri-Jawahir Hospital. Time was of the essence.

Meher covered Elena with a blanket to conserve her body temperature. He looked closely at her face. “I know this woman. I have seen her before.”

As the van sped away, Elena opened her eyes and made an effort to speak. “What happened? It hurts so bad and my head is spinning. I can’t catch my breath.” Elena’s teeth dug into her lower lip as she strained to breathe. “Rick, please stay with me. Please, I don’t want to die alone.”

“I will always be with you, honey. We said forever, remember? Lie still. We’re on our way to a very good hospital. We will be there in one minute. I’ll stay with you and we can talk after you get in a hospital bed. They have very good doctors there.”

“But I want to talk now,” she whispered.

“Not now. Try to relax.” Rick’s voice trembled. “You’re going to be okay, I promise you. We’ll talk later.”

“I love you so much. When I get better, I’ll be your wife. I’m so happy with you. You make me happy. You’re so…”

“Shh. Please rest for now. We’ll talk after you’re treated. Everything will be okay. The soldier is driving as fast as he can.”

Elena’s voice was weakening and faded to a whisper. Her eyes were shut tight and she bit into her lip until blood flowed.

“Do you think I’m…”

“Shh, just be quiet and rest. I can see the entrance. We’re here now. You’ll be in a real hospital. Everything will be okay.”

“I love you, Rick.” Quietly, she said, “Kiss me.”

He looked at her writhing in pain, her face white. His lips touched her trembling mouth, and he felt her weak breath going into his lungs. Then she was quiet.

Rick tried to bring her back by giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He felt her carotid artery. There was no pulse. He started chest compressions, but that only forced more blood to gush from her wound. He wasn’t sure what to do, but took a deep breath, held her nose closed, and, with tears running down his face, gave her mouth-to-mouth once more.

He checked her pulse again. Nothing. She was still, her face beautiful and at peace. Rick sobbed uncontrollably. In her final moment, they’d shared a kiss, her last breath still inside him.

***

Rick knew the truth, but he refused to accept it. They arrived at the dimly lit hospital entrance. Rick ran through the doors yelling, “I have a gunshot victim, shot in the back! She’s in the van. Help her, please help her!”

A young female doctor ran out to the van and put her hand to Elena’s neck. She looked up at Rick and said, “There is no pulse, sir.”

“Can you use a defibrillator—something? She was still breathing minutes ago.”

“I am so sorry, sir,” the doctor said, lowering her head. “So sorry. She is gone. We will make room for her near the emergency department.”

Rick stayed with Elena in the hospital. Someone brought him a scrub to cover his bare chest. He held Elena’s soft hand and kissed it.

“I love you, Elena. I love you with all my heart. You will always be part of me. You will live inside me. I promise.”

The emergency room was filled with the wounded and dying. He saw victims whose arms were shattered, some with their legs missing, and others with sheets covering their dead bodies. Rick felt he was dead too, empty inside. How could he live now? Nothing mattered anymore.

Rick heard Meher’s voice. He was shouting orders to medical personnel as he tended to the injured. Radio communication was now operative, and a helicopter brought additional medical teams to the hospital. A nurse entered the curtained off cubicle and pulled the white sheet over Elena’s face. Rick sat on a stool next to a gurney and sobbed.

A man in green scrubs entered and presented Rick with a plastic hospital bag. “I am sorry, sir, but we must take her now. I have prepared her personal belongings for you.”

Rick took the bag and tearfully said goodbye to Elena. He looked on as her body was wheeled away and then felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Sir, it is me, Meher. I am so sorry. Let us go back to my office and talk.”

Rick told Meher about his relationship with Elena and how they’d met again in Jaisalmer after she disappeared. He wiped away his tears. His eyes were red and swollen from crying and from the lingering effects of the tear gas. His hands trembled for a moment, and then he relaxed.

Meher spoke softly. “Sir, you must know that…”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Meher. My name is Rick. Thank you for trying to help us.”

“Rick, I am so sorry for this to happen. Let me prescribe something to relax you. We could go to the pharmacy together and—”

“No, Meher, thank you. I want to feel what I’m feeling and keep her in my life for as long as I live.”

“Yes, yes, of course, but as a favor to me, I would like to give you something mild. Trust me, it will help you,” Meher pleaded.

Rick paused and was silent for a moment. “Okay, something mild might help.”

They walked to the pharmacy. The pharmacist handed Meher a metal strip containing small white tablets.

Meher looked at Rick with a sad face. “It is time we talked about Elena.” He hesitated. “I’m sorry to bring it up, but there are decisions that must be made.”

Rick lowered his head. “I know. I will contact her parents and tell them,” he said as his chest heaved. “I’m sure their number is in Elena’s mobile, which is with her belongings. She was their only child.” His voice was heavy with sorrow and he tried to refocus his thoughts. “Meher, are you from Jaisalmer?”

“Yes, I am from right here, Jaisalmer. I grew up here and worked at my parent’s restaurant in town. I completed medical school at Sawai Man Singh Medical College and, two years later, enlisted in the Indian Air Force. My father died two years ago, and my mother still continues the restaurant out of her small apartment in town.”

“Oh, what is your last name?”

“Vidya…Meher Vidya.”

“Oh, I know your mother, and so does Elena. I mean, she did,” he added quietly. “They were friends. Remember when I told you I met Elena again, after not seeing her for a long time? It happened in your mother’s restaurant. Your mother was there looking after us, and now you are doing the same, but in a different way. Elena would have seen the spirituality in that.”

“My mother had spoken of an Elena with whom she had many talks about life and India. I know they were friends. We have met several times. It seems we have shared the same people.”

“We did. It’s an amazing connection,” Rick said, rubbing his eyes. “I have to get my thoughts together and call her parents.”

Meher handed Rick a tablet. “Here, take this. It is lorazepam and it will relax you for now. I think it is best that you call them soon. They will feel what you are feeling, but it must be done. It will not be an easy thing to do, but I have to tell you something you may not know.

“Elena got word to the authorities that there would be an attack at the airport. To make sure her message would get through, she called my mother and asked her to tell me about the attack and I reported it as well. She did not give all the details, but it was why our commandos were there. She is a true hero and has saved many lives, including the defense minister.”