Meeting Max (13 page)

Chapter 16

Sudar drove Elena from the airport through the noisy, horn honking hordes of cars and trucks that polluted the night air. They passed under a splendid canopy of trees, where Elena caught a glimpse of the twinkling stars peeking through their leaves. It gave her a peaceful feeling, an opportunity to escape her thoughts and what she knew was yet to come.

They drove past the Lodi Gardens onto the upscale Prithviraj road and stopped at a stately mansion.

Sudar escorted Elena through a wrought iron gate, along a travertine pathway to the oversized dark wooden door of Kamran Chopra’s house. Elena’s face turned serious and she heaved a deep sigh as Sudar rang the bell.

They were greeted by a female servant and entered a massive foyer. A luminous crystal chandelier floated down from the high ceiling on a single, almost invisible wire, reflecting colors of red, green, blue, and gold in faint hues.

Ahead was a spacious, smartly decorated living room, with an even larger crystal chandelier casting its sparkle throughout the room, highlighting colorful batik paintings of the God Shiva in varying positions of repose. Rooms with closed doors were to the left, as was a winding marble staircase. The house was pure opulence.

A short passage revealed a formal dining room on the right and a well-stocked bar on the left. The curved black marble bar was surrounded by six bamboo stools covered with plush, Italian leather seats. A balmy floral-scented evening breeze wafted in through the open service window behind the bar. An archway further along led to a spacious kitchen with gleaming stainless steel appliances, a wheel of hanging copper cookware above the central workspace, and an adjacent family room with a theater-size TV screen

The servant guided them through French doors to a flagstone patio amid a jungle-like atmosphere with low mushroom lights lining the pathway. A freeform swimming pool dominated the center of the patio, its inner sides covered with sparkling blue and white glazed chips which made the pool glow with a soft luminescence in the moonlight.

The figure of a mermaid in small chips of ceramic tiles swept along the bottom of the pool. It showed her long, flowing black hair, golden hoop earrings, tan skin, and deep chocolate eyes, which stared upward, as if observing all that was going on around her. The lower half of her torso was morphed into the body of a lime green fish with a huge split tail consisting of bright yellow dots scattered on deep green.

Elena and Sudar followed the servant along a crushed stone path lined with exotic tropical plants. Along the way, they passed tennis courts, playful statues, and children’s swing sets until they reached a lush garden steeped in orchid trees, jasmine, frangipani, and palms. A stand of tall, Hawaiian, red stripe bamboo stood next to a candlelit patio table where Kamran sat. He was a stocky, muscled man, about fifty, with a jet-black mustache. He stood and folded his hands in front him.

“
Namaste,
my friends. It is good to see you.”

They acknowledged the greeting, but soon Sudar excused himself, saying that his wife was waiting for him. Kamran thanked him for his services and turned to Elena.

“Elena,
Ap kaisee hain
, how are you? It is good to see you,” Kamran said as he embraced her. “Come, come, please sit. You must be exhausted from your trip. Were you able to get any sleep?”

“Not very much,” Elena said weakly, drained from the flight and her apprehension.

“We will talk about important things tomorrow. For now, eat and then have a nice long sleep. You need a rest from your journey.”

A brief call to the kitchen staff brought three servants who carried bowls of fresh fruit, hot mini-samosas, warm Roti, and pots of tea and coffee.

“I am sorry you were not able to sleep on the plane,” Kamran said sympathetically.

“I slept some. It’s nice to be in India. I would love to live here. It definitely speaks to me.” Elena couldn’t help being awed by these surroundings, despite her weariness and the trepidation that lurked beneath her reassuring smile to Kamran.

“I am aware of your love for India. There are many good people here, but the cruelty of their politics spoils it all. Pakistan, too, is a beautiful land. Its politics are reasonable and well-meaning, but there are times when India intrudes on our values, and we have to fight for what is right.”

“Will Jassu be here?” Elena asked. “I talked to him on the plane, but didn’t see him when I got off.”

“He will be here in the morning, with the others.”

Elena ate a vegetable samosa as they talked, but soon found herself nodding off. She sipped some hot tea and excused herself. One of the female servants showed her to her room in a private wing of the mansion. She helped sort her clothes and put them away. Elena sat at the edge of a chaise lounge as the servant massaged her neck and shoulders, prepared her bath, and left.

Elena luxuriated in the hot water and felt it relieve her aching muscles. After a long while, she patted herself dry, then slipped into a fluffy, oversized white cotton robe and sat on the bed, wondering how she had gotten herself into a position from which there was no escape.

She thought of her history as a radical and questioned the reasons for her activism. It came from her parents, she thought, convinced it was related to their actions as Hungarian revolutionaries fighting the Soviets.

Elena felt believing that something was unjust was not enough and speaking out against injustice was not always enough either. Sometimes it was necessary to take more dramatic action, physical action, especially if the cause was compelling. She had fought for gay’s rights to marry and women’s rights to free choice. She protested the invasion of Iraq in front of the White House and took some jail time. Her friends cheered her on into the police wagon.

This time it was different. What was about to happen was extreme. She had never been part of a scheme where others could be killed, where she could lose her life. This was Kamran’s cause, not hers, but she was now part of it, and there was no escape.

Elena thought about Rick’s words.

Just because you believe something doesn’t mean it’s true.

She no longer believed in Kamran’s cause. At first, it did ring true for her as a good cause to fight for, but Kamran never mentioned anything about all the killing that would take place. He just glossed over it. Her knowledge of the basics of the plan kept her imprisoned in the scheme and she could not back out without extreme consequences. She took off her robe and slid under a thick, white down comforter, but couldn’t sleep.

She reflected on her flight to Delhi and her conversation with Rick. He was smart, funny, and more innocent than he realized. Maybe that’s what attracted her. He was a thinking person and passionate about his beliefs. She felt close to him emotionally, but that was crazy. She hardly knew him.

During her earlier trips to India, each day had been an adventure, and she had loved every minute of it. Bombay and the contrast of its slums and high fashion malls, the holy places of Varanasi, the houseboats of Kerala, the Jewish synagogue in Cochin, the mountains of Munnar, the Gandhi museum in Madurai, and the luxurious hotels kept her spellbound. It was all so different now.

Elena first met Kamran at a wine tasting event in Key West. He encouraged her to visit India again, even though she had been there many times. She did, and they met later that year at the Leela Palace Hotel in Bangalore, where she was captivated by his ideas and his willingness to fight against injustice.

Then she thought of Rick again. Something always drew her to him.

What must he be thinking? He was so sure we would meet again, but I knew I couldn’t do it. It would put him in danger. If he only knew why I had to go to India. He was so gentle, so nice. I could live with him forever. I liked him when he first spoke. It seems so silly.

Elena’s mind was not peaceful. She felt powerless. Her hands sometimes trembled and her eyes ached. Her thoughts were too heavy, but meeting Rick had helped her escape her present dilemma for the moment. They didn’t really know each other, but she felt a connection.

Elena heaved a deep sigh and focused her eyes on one particular fan blade as it went ‘round and ‘round until she became dizzy and fell into a deep sleep.

***

Morning came. A servant knocked on the door and offered tea and dosas, but Elena opted to have breakfast on the patio. She showered, dressed, and walked down a circular staircase. Then she walked through the double doors to the patio. She sat alone, sipped her tea, and read the
Hindustan Times.
A few minutes later, Kamran appeared.

“So, how was your sleep?” he asked in his usual gentle voice.

“Fine. I was up at three in the morning for about an hour and then fell back asleep.”

“Ah, it takes a few days. That’s the way jet lag is. Before I forget, let me return your Glock 19 that you left with me last time we met. You do want it, don’t you?” Kamran said, passing the pistol to her.

“Yes, absolutely. Thank you.” She tucked it in her bag.

“I know you are very good with it. I have never known anyone who could shoot with such accuracy. It must be a gift. I also know you have much work to do. You perform many charities, and that is a good thing, yet you still make time for our cause. Thank you for that.

“We will be ready to go in two weeks. The information we have is confirmed. The defense minister will arrive at the Jaisalmer airport Friday, October twenty-eight to visit his grandmother. We have already planted our substantial bribes in the right places.

“I cannot thank you enough for your help. Without you, it would be impossible. Being an American, you were trusted, and you convinced the minister and others that you were sympathetic to their cause.” Kamran smiled.

“It’s my honor. I would like to go over my part again.”

“I will discuss the entire plan and will answer questions when the others arrive. Then we can walk in the Lodi Gardens for awhile and feel its peace.”

“That would be nice. I love the Lodi,” Elena replied, certain that she would prefer
not
to be there with him.

Jassu and Tariq arrived. Elena only knew Jassu. Another man, Emir, known only as a close friend and devoted servant of Kamran, was also present. After the servant cleared to the patio table and left, Kamran spoke in a low tone.

“The others already have the knowledge of our plan.” He took some papers out of a black leather briefcase and put them on the table. “But those of you who are here today have been out of the country, and it is for me to update you about the details of what we must do.” Kamran breathed a deep sigh, sat back on his swivel chair, and put his hands behind his head.

“The plan is simple, but it contains many details. We will kidnap the defense minister of India and hold him hostage for the release of Pakistani prisoners who are unjustly held in Indian jails. In the event of any unexpected happenings, we have alternate scenarios in place for each segment of the mission. Our attack force will consist of fifteen men. Elena will not be part of this group, but she will have one special objective on the night of the attack. Does anyone have a question?”

“Are the date and time still firm, as we discussed?” Jassu asked.

“Yes, they are. On twenty-eight October, Defense Minister Shiv Mishra is scheduled to arrive at the Jaisalmer airport at 6:30 a.m. by a private government plane. It is the custom of the minister to pay regular visits to his grandmother, who lives in town. The dates and times are kept secret. However, Elena has been helpful in securing this information, and we thank her.” Kamran looked toward Elena and nodded appreciatively.

“I will be in charge of the special ops, and Ali, who will be here later, will be my first officer and second in command.”

Elena lowered her eyes as Kamran spoke. Her face was solemn. Her heart was beating erratically and perspiration dripped from her forehead. Kamran continued.

“At the airport, we will have two trucks, one blue and one white. In addition, we will have one Jeep, two Ambassador Sedans, and one biplane in place. Each truck will carry four men with semi-automatic weapons. The white truck will also contain detonating equipment and explosive material.

“When the minister arrives, he and his bodyguards are greeted by Jaisalmer police officers at the terminal, and he is usually driven into town using two cars. One is a lead car, and the other follows behind with the minister. The lead car is driven by a police officer who will be accompanied by a national security officer. The second sedan is also driven by a police officer, with the defense minister seated in the rear seat with a national security officer on each side of him.

“Both cars will depart the airport on the only exit road into Jaisalmer. At a specific point, we will detonate an explosive device under the lead car, destroying it and leaving it in flames. The second car will then be attacked by our men in the blue truck and from snipers on the roof of the terminal.

“They will kill everyone except the defense minister. Then, Basant and Prabahakar, whom you all know, dressed as police officers, will pull up to the second car in the Jeep. They will tell the minister he will be taken to safety and assure him that he will be protected. They will put him on the biplane, whose engines will be running and ready for takeoff, and he will be flown to Lahore.” Kamran paused briefly. “I know that was a great deal of information. You must have questions.”