O-Negative: Extinction (9 page)

She’d made a conscious choice to recruit people based on recommendations from Salem and Rahmaniah, therefore keeping herself out of the spotlight.  The less people who knew about her role the better.  Salem had proved to be a surprising asset as he was an astute reader of people and having come from a poorer branch of a rich family knew exactly the sort of person who’d make an ideal host.  Rahmaniah was also a skilled operator with regards to the women but had a tendency to pick ‘rebels’ when what Javeira was looking for was ‘trendsetters’ i.e. those who wanted to work largely within traditional boundaries.  It was one of Rahmaniah’s hosts who’d brought the religious police down on them in Riyadh. After that Javeira had laid down strict procedures for the hosting of the gatherings.  The provision of alcohol for example was prohibited and she’d imposed a strict ‘no use of bedrooms’ rule.  Though it was unlikely, given the clientele, she still didn’t want the gatherings to become Saudi ‘knocking shops’.  Similarly to prevent the events becoming an opportunity for Saudi men to pick up non-Saudi women she’d instigated a ‘Saudis’ only recommendation.  Of course in reality there was some flexibility in the rules and it was not uncommon to find people bringing modest amounts of illegal alcohol with them to the gatherings.  Similarly with Saudi Arabia filled with so many peoples from other Islamic nations it wasn’t always possible to ensure a 100% Saudi participation but the fact that there was such a recommendation in place set down a marker to the hosts and hostesses about what she was looking for from the events.

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By the time she reached the apartment she was soaked to the skin.  The quick rain shower had turned into an unusually prolonged downpour and she was beginning to regret her ‘free spirited’ decision.  Rahmaniah gave a cry of astonishment when she saw her.

“Javeira please tell me you did not just walk home in the rain?”

She looked at her sodden reflection in the mirror “err yes I think I was hoping the rain would ease off somewhat”.

“It’s a wonder people didn’t try to give you money – you look like one of those old women you see on the streets in Amman”.

“I didn’t notice anyone looking at me, though it has to be said there weren’t that many people on the streets”.

“Exactly they all had more sense.  Right well you better get yourself a bath sharpish if you want to be ready for when the first guests arrive.  There’s probably going to be about 30 people coming this evening.  The only no shows are the hosts from Madinah.  I think they double booked their own event on the same night.  I despair sometimes.  Anyway everyone else will be here though.  Be exciting to meet your team hey?”

“I’m looking forward to it.  I hope there aren’t too many of your ‘moderniser friends’ amongst the women?”  She said it with a smile but Rahmaniah knew what she was saying.

“Oh Javi you won’t ever let me forget that mistake in Riyadh will you.  I can assure you all the women I’ve recruited are as boring and uninteresting you”.

Javeira smiled, she hoped not otherwise she’d be out of a job.

By the time she emerged unnoticed into the main living quarters a number of the hosts and hostesses had arrived and were busily chatting away about their own individual franchises.  She went over to where Lila and her friend Melita were serving fruit cocktails to the guests.  Both women were wearing bland and conservative clothes, the last thing Javeira wanted was for them to attract more attention than the Saudi women present at these events.  She exchanged a few words with them while they made her a banana smoothie and then turned back to run her eyes across the assembled hosts.  As she did so a smartly dressed man with a well groomed beard and lighter than usual skin caught her eye and approached her.  He gave a quaint sort of nod of his head to her as he reached her and spoke with a subtly accented Arabic.

“Good evening I’m Rashid al Shiddi the host of the Tabuk events”.

Javeira thought about exchanging polite greetings and then moving on but reminded herself that it was her job to get to know the hosts this evening and to do this she was going to have to engage in conversation with those present.

“Pleased to meet you Rashid I’m Javeira err”.  At this point she paused as revealing her family name might say more about her than she wanted to reveal at this point.  She needn’t have worried as Rashid immediately replied.

“Ah Rahmaniah’s assistant for the Jeddah events.  It is a pleasure to meet you Javeira blessings upon you and your mother and father”.

For an instant Javeira felt a frown pass over her face at the fact that Rahmaniah had been passing her off as her assistant.  She was also concerned that the statement about her mother and father meant that Rashid knew who she was.  But then she realised that the greeting was in keeping with the more traditional way of speaking that people from the north used.  And on reflection being known as Rahmaniah’s assistant could turn out to be quite useful.  She replied in the same manner.

“Blessings to your mother and father Rashid it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance”.

During this exchange she found herself looking into Rashid’s green eyes for somewhat longer than was perhaps politic for an unmarried woman and realising this looked down at her drink.  Rashid also looked a little abashed and turned away from her to sip his drink and look out across the living room.  When he spoke again he did so without looking directly at her.

“Have you worked for Rahmaniah for long?”

Javeira smiled at this and couldn’t help answering.

“No not long. Not long at all.  In fact the role is new to me”.  As she said this Rahmaniah looked up from her conversation excused herself and made her way over.  As she joined them Javeira greeted her.

“Mistress Rahmaniah have you met Rashid Al Shiddi I was just telling him that I’ve only newly become your assistant here in Jeddah”

Javeira couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at Rahmaniah’s face when she used the honorific ‘Mistress’ which would normally be used with someone above her own social standing.  Rahmaniah however realising something was in play hesitated only slightly as her attention switched from Javeira to Rashid.  .

“Wonderful wonderful Javeira, and so pleased to meet you Rashid.  I trust your trip from Tabuk wasn’t too tiresome?”

“Not at all Rahmaniah it was a straightforward flight.  May I say what a wonderful home you have?”

“Of course you may I’m pleased you like it.  The interior designer was an absolute pain to work with but the results are their own reward as they say”.

Javeira made sure her face remained as placid as before.  She’d done all the interior design on the flat as Rahmaniah well knew.  She decided an even higher level of false humility was called for.

“err Mistress Rahmaniah is there anything you need me to do? I know how much you’ve worked on this function and I feel like I should be doing something to assist”…

Javeira smiled her sweetest most docile smile at Rahmaniah in the hope of causing her just a hint of embarrassment but Rahmaniah had no shame and simply tossed her long brown hair to one side before saying.

“Oh Javeira you’re such a princess I really don’t know what I did before you came to work for me, would you mind making sure the chairs in Mr Salem’s lounge are all correctly  arranged, you know how the servants are….”  At this Rahmaniah gave Rashid a quick glance noticing his well-groomed beard and smart looking attire before looking back at Javeira for a moment and then turning back to Rashid “oh and Rashid perhaps you could help Javeira?”

“Of course it would be my pleasure”.

“Excellent, oh look the hosts from Riyadh have arrived please excuse me” and at that Rahmaniah took off to greet the new guests.

Javeira had to admit Rahmaniah was playing the role she was born to play and that when it came to the cut and thrust of social politics Javeira was totally outmatched.

Rashid looked at her and commented “She is a remarkable lady.  Had we better see about those chairs?”

Javeira sighed.  It had seemed too much to think that any man might retain more than a passing interest in her once they’d met Rahmaniah.  However as if he’d guessed what she was thinking Rashid followed up with a wry expression.

“I wouldn’t like to be her husband though, I’m not sure I could compete with all that flouncing”.

It was said in such a genuinely felt way that Javeira laughed out loud.  And found herself putting her hand on Rashid’s arm like she did with her brother Abdullah when he made her laugh.  Rashid noticed this touch almost immediately and Javeira realised that the gesture was way too familiar for a Saudi woman who had only met someone five minutes ago.  She quickly took away her arm and looked down at the floor again.

“Err ok we better go and see about the chairs…” 

She looked across at Rashid briefly and found his green eyes staring back at her.  God she could get lost in those.  He looked away first but not before looking slightly embarrassed at the directness of his gaze.

“Yes yes the chairs…”

He fumbled for the phone as it continued to vibrate with an annoying and disquieting consistency.  He picked it up and was temporarily blinded by the glare emanating from the screen of his cell which appeared to be showing him a withheld number.  ‘Great 4.00 a.m. and an unknown person was calling him’.  He considered just switching it to voicemail but he was awake now and probably wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep.  There was a moan of complaint from the other side of the bed and he murmured “don’t worry go back to sleep” he rose from the bed and answered the phone.

“Congressman Mitchell?”

“Yes who is this?”

“Colonel Richardson House liaison officer.  We met not so long ago at Senator Kirby’s barbeque for the troops”

“Yes Colonel Richardson I remember. Err can I ask why you’re calling me at 4.00 in the morning on my personal cell number – which by the way I don’t recall giving to you?”

“Yes sorry for the early hour Sir.  There’s been an incident in Antarctica and a mutual friend of ours suggested you might want to call a meeting of the Homeland security committee and ask for a briefing?”.

“Antarctica.  What the hell’s there that would be of interest to the Homeland security committee?  Or for that matter our ‘mutual friend’?”

“I’m sorry Sir that’s all I know at the moment.  Maybe the request for a briefing will elicit more information?”

“Great thanks.  I’m sure all my colleagues in the committee would love to change their busy schedules to accommodate an unscheduled meeting on the whim of their most junior member who’s heard ‘a rumour about a problem in Antarctica’ - which falls completely outside their ‘domestic’ sphere of interest”.

“Sir?”

He sighed.  “Thank you Colonel I’ll get on it”.

“Thank you Sir. If you need me I’ll be reachable on the normal duty number” he started to hang up before David realised he had no idea who to request a briefing from.

“Colonel hold on a second any idea who to request this briefing from?”

“Not really Sir but it might be worth asking the ‘Nex’ team in the first instance.”

“Oh this is getting better and better.  I’ve never even heard of the ‘Nex’ team – I need a name Colonel a name someone I can call.”

“I think Congressman Wyatt has a number for Mr Lynch.  He’s probably your best bet”.

“Brilliant. Well you’ve been an absolute fount of information Colonel I can see why they appointed you as the liaison officer”.

“Glad to be of assistance sir” he said without any trace of irony, thereby indicating he’d singularly failed to pick up on the heavy sarcasm laced into the last statement.

“Goodbye Colonel” he put the phone down and muttered “God I hope I never have to contact you in an emergency”.

He looked at the time on his phone 4.22 a.m.  Whatever support their ‘mutual friend’ had provided in the past there was no way he was going to start calling his fellow congressman at this time in the morning.  He’d wait till 7.30 when most of them would be up and about.  He returned to the bedroom and got back into bed.

“Who was that?”

“Oh nobody just an over eager liaison officer at the house.  I need to go in tomorrow for a committee meeting.”

“On a Sunday?  Is that usual?”

“Not really.  Probably some cock and bull that could have waited till Monday but I’ll still need to go”.

“Well sounds like there’s nothing you can do right now….and now that we’re both awake?”

He smiled and moved closer “Yes this is true maybe there are some benefits to being woken at 4.00am?”

Megan laughed as she pulled herself closer to him.  Their relationship had started shortly after she’d started six months ago and though they’d kept it pretty quiet it didn’t take long before everyone in the office knew.  Megan still kept a small apartment on the edge of the city but he couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept there.  His vast wardrobe space, which had previously looked somewhat forlorn in its emptiness, was being utilised much more comprehensively stocked as it now was with Megan’s clothes and shoes.   

Once in a while he’d experience a stab of concern that their relationship would become public knowledge and that this would cause problems for them both but as their relationship had blossomed these worries had largely faded into the background.  Greg hadn’t seemed too bothered, noting that he wasn’t married and neither was she and though she had an important and non-American father her mother was from a well to do (Republican voting) family who ran a successful distribution business in Atlanta.  Megan pressed her body against his again and his mind shifted to more earthly concerns.

He entered the committee chamber at five to ten, 20 minutes before the meeting was due to start.  Not every member had been able to (or wanted to) rearrange their schedule but he’d been able to pull together a quorum.  4 of the 6 Republicans would attend and 3 of the 6 Democrats including the Chair congressman Trip Wyatt.  Originally Wyatt had been dismissive of the need for a meeting and he’d thought he was going to have to go back via Tessa to let Chad know he’d been unable to arrange the briefing.  However when he’d mentioned the name ‘Mr Lynch’ and ‘the Nex group’ Wyatt had become more circumspect. 

“The ‘Nex group’ David?  Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while.  Can I ask where you came across that?”

He’d realised that perhaps Trip Wyatt wasn’t quite the bumbling Chair he appeared to be.

“Well I’d rather not say Trip but let’s just say I was intrigued to learn of a group I’d never heard of before.  Can I ask what you know about this ‘Nex’ group?”  He knew the only way to get off the back foot was to reply to Trip’s question with one of his own. 

“Too be honest I don’t recall that much about them – and I’m not just fobbing you off David last time I saw anyone from that group was about 10 years ago. Something about strategies for coping with national disasters”.

“Ok, but do you know a ‘Mr Lynch’?”

“Ah yes I know a Mr Lynch.  To be honest with you I’ve known more than one Mr Lynch.  It’s a pseudonym.  All government agents who don’t want to reveal their real name use it.  But yes I probably have a number for the right Mr Lynch.  I’ll give him a call assuming it’s the same person.  When do you want him to give us a briefing?  I’m assuming this is going to be a closed door hearing?”

“I guess so given it all seems pretty cloak and dagger.  Do you think we can get this Lynch in this morning?”

“If he’s based around Washington I’m sure we can.  Shall we make it ten fifteen?  I’ve got a golf game that I don’t really want to miss this afternoon”

“Yep fine sounds perfect”.

In the 3 hours after he’d had this call he’d spoken with the other Republican congressman and showered shaved and breakfasted.  Megan walked him to the front door and then kissed him while standing on the doorstep of the brick town house.  He’d inadvertently caught himself looking down the street as she did this but the feared group of photographers obviously had better things to do than hang around the house of a junior congressman on a Sunday morning.  He realised that if he wanted to avoid these bouts of irrational concern he was going to have to formalise their relationship in some way or another.  He wondered how she’d respond to this – she obviously liked him but she was only 23.  Did she really want to be tied down right now?  He wasn’t sure he wanted to be tied down either but knew it couldn’t go on much longer as it was – a wife and everything that entailed was pretty much a pre-requisite for further advancement in the Party.

She waved as she shut the door and he walked down the 6 steps to the gated driveway.  As he was pulling out in his car the street was deserted, apart from a neighbour who lived 3 doors walking his dog.  He raised his hand in greeting and his neighbour nodded politely as he pulled his dog away from the verge outside David’s house.  Apparently Megan had had a bit of run in with this neighbour a month or so ago when she’d caught his dog doing the dirty.  She’d let him know exactly what she thought of this.  Since then the neighbour had made sure there was no fouling outside their house.

Given he was 20 minutes early he hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the committee room, which was located two floors down and situated off one of the quieter corridors in Capitol Hill.  In fact, sitting on a chair near the front of the room, was a man dressed in a smart grey suit with short cropped hair.  Though he must have been in his mid-50’s the man sat like a much younger man; he’d obviously kept himself fit.  He was holding a slim attaché case and was slowly tapping his fingers against the chair as if playing out a favourite musical symphony.  As David entered he rose and came towards him.

“Congressman Mitchell.  Mr Lynch.” Lynch held out his hand which he took and shook.

“Mr Lynch good to meet you.  I’ve heard so little about you”.

“Ha ha I see what you’ve done there Congressman yes we’re don’t get about so much these days.  More in vogue back in the good old days, Cold War relic really”.

He smiled.  “So given the Cold War ended some 20 odd years ago can I ask why you and your colleagues are still on the government pay role?”

“Congressman that is a good question.  But perhaps best left for the briefing?”

He laughed “Fine fine I can wait for the briefing”.

With that Congressmen Wyatt and Harper entered the room.  Trip approached greeting David and then extending his hand to Mr Lynch.

“Mr Lynch it’s been a while”.

“Congressman Wyatt.  Good to see you again Sir you’re looking well”.

“Am I?  My wife keeps telling me I look older every year”

They all laughed politely before Trip introduced Andrew Harper to Mr Lynch.

A number of other Representatives then entered and Trip suggested they take their places.  He and the others went to sit up on the raised pulpit like platform situated at the front of the room while Mr Lynch returned to the chair situated directly in front of the wooden dais.

Trip turned on his microphone and addressed his first statement to the guard standing at the committee door.  “Lenny you can close us in now.  No disturbances please.”  The guard at the back of the room nodded towards the Committee members and then exiting the room shut the door behind him.

“Ok well thank you gentlemen for joining me for this impromptu committee session.  I’m afraid I’m as much in the dark on what we’re here to discuss as the next man but Congressman Mitchell our newest member has requested our presence and here we are.  With that in mind perhaps Mr Mitchell can introduce the session before we receive a briefing from Mr Lynch who has kindly made himself available to us at short notice.”

He was on.  He felt distinctly nervous as all eyes turned to look at him.  The uncertainty came not from speaking in public, which posed no problem for him after the hundreds of stump speeches he’d made, but more from the fact that he had absolutely no idea why he’d actually been asked to call the meeting.

“Thank you Chairman and my fellow Representatives for meeting like this on a Sunday morning.  I’m sure all of you have much better things to be doing than being cooped up in a room like this.  Following on from Congressman Wyatt I’ll be the second to admit that I too am somewhat in the dark about what we’re all doing here.  However having said this it has been brought to my attention that an event has taken place in the Southern Hemisphere that potentially impacts upon National Security.”  My God I hope that’s true or these guys are going to have my guts for garters he thought.

He coughed and went on to say. “Err with apologies for this limited introduction I think it best if we now ask Mr Lynch to outline for us in more detail what exactly the organisation he belongs to does and what information he might be able to provide us with in relation to the issue I’ve raised.  Mr Lynch the floor is yours.”

“Congressman Mitchell thank you for the introduction.  Can I start by apologising for the lack of interaction with this committee in recent years.  In fairness to our small organisation there has in fact been very little need, but nevertheless it has been too long.  Though our remit is limited in scope, and there has been little that warrants further scrutiny from this committee, it is nevertheless not best practice to become a ‘forgotten group’.”