Fortunes Obsession (7 page)

     Fahd spoke first. " I spent an enjoyable afternoon driving your man crazy.  You gentlemen, with all due respect, must realize that I am a professional.  It is an insult to me send your amateurs after me.  You must also know that I deal with honesty and integrity.  This is what I am known for.  If I tell you something,

it is the truth. I know that you have searched my room. Didn't you know I would set traps?  Please my friends, I would like to do business with you as gentlemen."

     Bey smiled his sly smile. " My dear Fahd, surely you must know that this is not a gentlemen's business.  My humblest apologies, my friend, for any indignities you have suffered."

     Fahd looked smug and triumphant as he smiled. " It is forgotten, my good friend.  Now, let us get down to the business at hand.  I want one million dollars for my information."

     Bey shook his head. " We have been in contact with our people and frankly, they question the value of any operation at the Cape.

After all, the NASA program has suffered many setbacks in recent months.  Lost exploration vehicles, damaged antenna systems and distorted optical lenses.  The space program no longer means to Americans what it used to."

     Fahd sensed a bluff here. " If this is the way you feel, my good friends, then certainly we have nothing to discuss. You were only my first choice in this matter.  I have, of course, with my vast experience in international matters, many other sources."

     With this, Fahd stood up as if to leave.

     " Sit down, my friend, I think that with a little negotiation, we can still salvage this.  I did not say we didn't want your information.  I merely stated that it had diminished in value. We have been authorized to give you three hundred fifty thousand for the goods."

      " Fahd looked outraged. " This is of course, an insult. I

will leave now.  Please contact your people and let me know.  You know where I am.  Please do not have your flunkies following me around. I find them extremely annoying."

     Bey looked at him with a helpless countenance. " We are, of course, empowered to do nothing more at this time. It will take some hours to make the proper overseas calls.  Suppose you come back at nine in the morning for breakfast. I am sure that at that time we will be able to come to an amenable solution."

    The other two just glared at Fahd with smirks on their faces as he walked out the door.

     As soon as he got back to his room he dialed Dara.  He was feeling better about her and had long forgotten his jealousies of the night before.  When the phone rang twenty times and her answering machine did not pick up, he hung up and dialed again, praying that he had dialed a wrong number.  When it happened a second time, all of his raging jealousy returned.  His arrangement with her was that she would always be available.  Her answering machine had a feature wherein she could leave a message for a caller.  All the caller need do is dial two numbers after the signal and her message would be heard.  If for some reason, she was out of the apartment, she would always let him know where she was.

     This woman was getting out of hand.  The minute the cat was away, the mouse would play.  He would teach her.  Before he cut her loose, he would find a way to punish her.  He had a key to her apartment and he could get back many of the expensive possessions she had gained through her association with him. The Porsche was

leased by Trans-Orient Silks and could be taken back at any time.

If she was doing what he suspected, she deserved more than financial punishment.  Time would tell.

                   ***********************

     Dara and Peter arrived at Peter's apartment. Dara had changed to jeans and a sweater and carried a small overnight bag. Peter showed her around his apartment proudly,  showing her artifacts picked up on various trips and explaining them at length.

She admired his taste and thought that the apartment was exceptionally neat for the residence of a single man with no servants.  His taste in decoration was exquisite.  She thought that she could easily live here.

     " I've been saving this for last", Peter said, " This room is my studio and my favorite hobby is photography.  Look on the walls and you'll see some of my best work.  I'm going to change into jeans.  I'll be back before you know it".  He kissed her gently on the lips and left the room.

     She walked around the room and marveled at his beautiful work. His composition and subject matter were professional.  It was a full five minutes before she got to the cork wall.  A chill went through her.  There, before her very eyes were four pictures of a group of people on a park bench.  At the very left in each picture, was the unmistakable presence of Ibrahim Fahd.  She felt faint and sick to her stomach.  She had the feeling of being in the middle of a strange nightmare; one that played over and over.  She sat down on a leather chair and visibly slumped. At that moment, Peter

entered the room.

     " What's the matter, honey, are you sick? You look pale as a ghost."

      Her eyes were fixed on the cork wall.  " I want you to tell me about those four pictures."

     " Funny you should ask. Before you came into my life, those pictures were my obsession."

     He then proceeded to tell her the whole story, starting with his trip to the park and including his futile meeting with the police.  He told her how he had lost sleep over this situation for weeks and how he still believed that something sinister was going on.

     She walked over to him and put her arms around him. " Peter, I don't want to lose you.  You're the best thing that ever happened to me..........but............there are things you have to know about me......right now.  Pour us a drink and come in the living room and sit down.  We have to have a serious talk."

    " What you don't understand", he said sincerely, " Is that anything that happened up until the moment I met you means nothing to me and what's more, I don't want to hear about it."

     " No......you don't understand. This is far more serious than you think.......trust me. Please, come in and sit down."

                  *****************************

     Fahd was beside himself with rage and bored by being trapped for several days here in Detroit.  He felt helpless and out of control.  He dialed Mustafa's home phone number.

     "  Mustafa, I am so sorry to bother you in the evening but I have something very important for you to do.  I want you to go to Dara' apartment building and talk to your friends, the doormen.

I want you to find out if anyone has visited her and if she left with anyone.  Find out everything you can."

     Mustafa, ever the obedient servant, promised to get back to him as soon as possible.  He was apologetic, informing Fahd that there was a new night doorman whom he did not know but that he would check with the day people the next day.

     " That is fine, my good friend, just make sure that I know everything as soon as possible................and, by the way, if you do find there is someone, find out who he is and where he lives if possible.  Understood?"

     " Yes Mr. Fahd, I have nothing else to do when you are gone. I am your humble servant."

     After hanging up, Fahd called a number known to him in the Detroit area.

     " This is Pyramid, I am in suite AA in the Airport Marriot I want two of your best girls for the night.  Put it on my account."

              ***********************************

     Bey spoke to his compatriots over strong black coffee.

     " I have just spoken to the Colonel and he is very enthusiastic about the possibilities of a Cape Canaveral operation.

He has authorized us to go for a million."

     Mahdi looked through quizzical eyes. " Ah but Fahd does not know this.  Is it not possible for us to pocket the difference

between the million and anything we give Fahd?"

     Bey smiled, " Oh you are such a glutton, my friend.After all, it is we who will plan and run the operation after the information is paid for.  Just think of how much we can skim off the top....and you want more?

    The other two, in unison, laughing, shouted, " Yes!'

    Bey laughed in turn." This is why you are my most trusted lieutenants.....you never disappoint me."

    The three men were all smiles, licking their lips with the anticipation of great riches coming their way.  In addition, they would get to do what they loved and what they did best. Destroy people and property.  There was a blood lust in each of them that was comparable to sex. It was something that demanded constant satisfaction.

     " We must close with him tomorrow morning." Bokaar said, suddenly serious, I am getting bored with sitting around here and we have much planning to do."

     Bey looked at the others, " The Colonel is against sabotaging a launch.  He feels that the public would perceive it as another Challenger disaster and not even suspect terrorism. Let us remember that the prime purpose of terrorism is just that.  To cause terror in the enemy camp.  He thinks we should destroy the entire complex.

This would be a logistical nightmare.  We will need people, material and much explosives.  We will have to have weeks of training and briefing with the people we choose and afterwards, most of them would have to be eliminated."

     " I was thinking of something earlier today that I wanted to bring up to you, " Mahdi said, a serious look coming upon his visage.  " This astronaut, the one we were contemplating having eliminated.  Wouldn't it be preferable to have him work with us.

After all, he knows everything that is in the dossier like the back of his hand."

     Bey stroked his chin. " It's too bad we don't know who he is.

We could eliminate Fahd altogether.  What you say is true my learned friend, his location must be part of the deal.  After we use him, perhaps we will kill him and perhaps he would be useful in other matters and should be kept alive and at our disposal.  You, see, Bokaar, all of your impulsive talk about killing this one and killing that one could be detrimental to our cause. We must not act rashly at any time.  Everything we do must be thought out again and again before we make a move.  We will make Fahd wait until tomorrow, so that he stews a little longer.  I think we can get him for seven fifty and pocket two hundred fifty for ourselves."

     Bokaar shifted impatiently in his chair.

     " What the devil is the matter with you?" Bey asked, " Are you getting cold feet after all these years?"

     " Me, cold feet?  Do I have to give you examples of my courage. You have seen me in action for years. No.....I was thinking of the girl."

     " You crazy bastard, is that all you have on your mind?"

Bey softened, " Look Ali, I'll attempt to make it part of the deal,

but it's not going to be the deal breaker. If Fahd says no, it's

no......is that clear?

     " Fair enough", said Bokaar, " All I ask is that you try".

     "  I will call Fahd, right now," said Bey, " We will inform him that tomorrow morning is our final meeting.

               **********************************

     The two young ladies were exquisite.  Ibrahim Fahd, code name, Pyramid, was one of the best customers of Detroit's most upscale madam.  She provided girls for high level auto executives, visiting foreigners and other members of the affluent classes.  Pyramid was a favorite customer with most of the girls.  He tipped outrageously and he never beat them.

     At the moment the phone rang, these two exquisite naked creatures, one a cafe au lait black girl, and the other a stunning redhead, were rubbing oil onto Fahds naked body.

     " Fahd here", he said, hoping it would be Dara, so he could humiliate her by describing his companions and what they were doing to him. " Oh, yes, certainly.....I'll be there at eight sharp."

     He hung up and was pleased. By tomorrow afternoon, he would be on his way back to New York and arrangements will have been made to add even more money to his ever growing coffers.

    He pushed the redhead's head between his legs. " Ah, yes, good, oh yes.......that's a good girl."

     *******************************************************

     Farley Collins picked up the phone and dialed Delta Airlines.

He was tired of calling the silk company and would head for New York on Thursday morning.  He knew that the silk company was still

in business.  If it weren't, there would have been a recording telling him that the number he dialed was no longer a working number.  He surmised from the many unanswered rings, that the office was a one man office and that if the bald, bearded man wasn't in, then no one would answer. He thought that if he went to New York and camped in front of the office door, that eventually his quarry would turn up.  He also knew that men who dealt in this sort of information were bound to be dangerous.  He took out his antiquated .45 caliber service automatic and a box of shells. It was neatly packed in cosmoline, the grease used to protect firearms. He set to work washing it in a tub of solvent, carefully removing every speck of grease.  Afterwards he stripped down the weapon and oiled all of its parts with a light gun oil.  Later, he visited the local shooting range and after donning a pair of ear protectors, fired at the small, hanging targets from various distances.  He fired in the old fashioned way , facing left of his target and using one hand.  Collins pumped the bullets into groupings that made the bullet holes hardly discernable from one another.  He was a crack shot with this most difficult and heavy of handguns.