My Stilled Life: Chapter 10
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When I woke the next morning, I was alone with a bladder that was prodding me to be emptied. I made my way into the bathroom, taking extra care because my manly appendage felt like it had been dislocated and reset at an odd angle. Don’t get me wrong, after a night like last night I wasn’t complaining, just trying to figure out how to aim the thing.
I flipped on the hot water in the shower as I passed on my way to the toilet. When I finished voiding urine, which took forever, I stepped into the shower relying on the restorative properties of near scalding hot water to bring me back into focus. I stayed in the shower until the water was only lukewarm, then dried as best I could. Helen must have showered before she left because all the towels were wet.
I'd fulfilled all of the three tasks that Mai Le’s diminutive cousin had instructed me to do. So I had no firm plans for today. At first, I thought I might just lounge around the hotel, but at breakfast, Mr. Gad had materialized with instructions to take me sailing.
Across the Cornish from the hotel, a whole flotilla of for-hire feluccas waited to whisk overly prosperous tourists on an outing up and down the Nile. After a suitable amount of haggling, Mr. Gad secured the services of a felucca captain by the name of Mohammed who invited me onboard.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you must go alone,” Mr. Gad said to me.
“I don’t think so. I’m not getting on that fucking boat.”
“The instructions I got were that if you want to find what you seek, you’ll need to have a little faith.”
“Instructions from who?”
“I don’t know, sir. Just a female voice on the phone who said she was your sister.”
"Forget it, I'm not putting myself in jeopardy any more than I already have. ”With that, I turned on my heels and headed back to the hotel while the boatmen and Mr. Gad continued to argue.
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I was having a Coke and a plate of French fries by the pool when Helen showed up.
“Hi big boy, what do you have planned for this afternoon?” she asked as she ducked under the umbrella and took a seat across from me.
"Why, Ms. White, it's a pleasure to see you again. You look lovely this morning and that dress is so-o-o very becoming. And as far as my plans go I don't have any. I was going to go sailing but that fell through. What about you?"
"Sailing sounds like a great idea. After you finish gorging yourself on that indifferent American fare, let's go back to my room. Then later this afternoon we can hire one of those boats across the street and take in the sunset from the Nile."
“Jesus woman, I still haven’t recovered from yesterday. Aren’t we a little old to be this enthralled?”
Helen stood up, took my hand and gently but firmly led me away.
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Four or five hours later, we left the hotel and scampered across the road. I guess scampered is not quite the right word. She scampered but I pretty much hobbled to the boat landing. I held back and let Helen approach the boatmen and bargain for our outing. She was more adept at haggling than I was by far. It wasn’t long before I saw her press some notes to a captain’s hands, turning to wave me over.
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Since the building of the high dam at Aswan, a kind of mist has hung over the Nile Valley, so that the sunsets now are not nearly as spectacular as they once were. But it is still one of those romantic metaphors that one should still avail oneself of if the opportunity presents itself.
We tacked south for a good half hour and then turned and lowered the sails, letting the current push us back towards the hotel. Helen was in a sultry mood in a lazy manner as she lulled next to me. A muted sunset accompanied by the sound of the wind soothed us into a meditation on existence, companionship and the need for continuing carnal knowledge.
Our silent revery was interrupted by the thumping of an outboard motor. I had my eyes closed in a kind of mindlessness, taking solace in a few moments without questions or worry.
I heard the captain yell something in Arabic and felt the boat jostled, accompanied by a cracking sound and then the clatter of someone jumping onboard. I opened my eyes to find a young man swathed in a Palestinian keffiyeh holding a gun pointed at me. Only his eyes were visible, and they looked humorless.
“Are you Mr. Price?”
“And if I am?”
Stand up, sir, I want to be sure that you are Mr. Price,” our new passenger ordered. He pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture and compared me to it. I got a glimpse of it, noticing that it was of me in front of the statue.
Once he was satisfied, he ordered me into his boat. Since I can’t swim, I was doubly cautious as I made the transfer.
At this point, I was going along with whatever this was on the off chance that Mai Le had orchestrated this abduction.
“Helen, don’t worry, everything will work out. Don’t call the police. This may not be what it seems. I hope to see you again, soon.”
She just looked at me as the motorboat moved off, turned and headed south.
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“Mr. Price, sorry for the theatrics but all possible stealth is necessary. We will transport you to rendezvous with your sister in Edfu. As soon as this boat lands we’ll transfer to a van and continue south. I’m afraid that you’ll need to be hidden until we are far away from Luxor.”
“How do I know that you are from my sister? All of this seems so unreal, so unnecessary.”
“Just think of it as a scavenger hunt. It will all make sense when you win,” as he pulled up my picture on his phone again and showed it to me.
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The first half of the ride was unbearable. I had to hide in a rear compartment that was hot as hell and smelled of goats, making it difficult to breathe. Around midnight we pulled over and they let me out from my ‘tiger cage.’ They led me into a dilapidated house to refresh myself and wait for a while.
"We don't want to get to Edfu too early. There will be too much of a chance you will be spotted before you can make contact with Mai Le.”
I went out back and tried to use the stoop toilet but just couldn’t get into the right position.
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They woke me at a little after 4 am. I felt disoriented, wishing I was anywhere other than here. After a breakfast of flatbread, beans, and sweet tea, I was hustled back into the van. We moved south at a more rapid pace.
“Mr. Price, we'll get you close to Edfu temple. At that point, I and my friends will leave and you’ll be on your own. You must be cautious. The temple opens at 7 am. Stay in the van until then. Then buy a ticket and go inside. It’s important to blend in. Act like a tourist. God willing, someone will find you and lead you to your sister.”
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The sun had just begun to rise when they parked the van on a quiet side street. My companions got out to bid me farewell.
“Sir, wait here until 7 o’clock. The entrance is right down the block, around the corner to your left,” the driver said as he pointed to the south.
“Why do I wait. And where are you guys going?”
“We are going home, sir. You must wait until the temple opens so you can blend with the other visitors from the tour boats. Purchase a ticket and enter. It’s a grand structure even if it is dictated to pagan gods. Enjoy yourself. If everything goes as planned, someone will contact you. They will know you and you will know them by the picture they carry. Go with God, Mr. Price. You have a most wonderful sister.”
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It had been a long night of anxiety and wondering if I was a fool for going along on this dubious scavenger hunt. I was thirsty as hell. I went looking for something to drink.
I walked in the opposite direction of the temple. As luck would have it I found a little hole-in-the-wall place that was just opening. The shop catered to the tourists from the Nile cruise boats that were docked a couple of blocks away. I dug in their cooler pulling out an ice-cold Coke, then found a box of Twinkies from which I pulled a pair of the golden cream-filled cakes wrapped in printed mylar.
After my purchase, I walked a few blocks away and found a perch where I could watch the Nile and consume my illicit treats. There's nothing better than a caffeine and sugar rush to help me deal with the overriding anxiety that I felt. I was almost feeling calm when a group of urchins accosted me with their shrill call for baksheesh.
I yelled at them to go away but they just moved in closer, trying to surround me. I made my break and hurried away back in the direction I’d come. A couple of blocks later the little vagabonds had relented and I was able to stop at the refreshment stand once again to swig down one more Coke before I headed to the temple.
The van was no longer in the side street as I walked towards the temple entrance. My captors had either come back or someone had decided that it was fair game. When I rounded the corner onto the street where the entrance was located, I found a little niche in the surrounding wall where I could stand in the shadow and watch what was going on.
Large groups of tourists were brought in 2 or 3 at a time by for-hire horse-drawn carriages. That way some of the visitor's money is spread throughout the community. Several tour leaders are clustered around the ticket window purchasing large bundles of tickets to hand out to their charges as they enter the temple.
When the line thinned out, I made a discreet dash up to the window, paid my 35 pounds, and got my paper ticket.
Once inside I made my way through the lively groups of visitors from all over the world. I walked around till I found a group whose leader was speaking in English. I lingered near to hear the guide relate the story of one wall relief that purported to show ancient builders levitating a large pavilion into position. Many in his group asked if alien visitors could have been responsible. With much laughter, he moved on to the next wall.
I had moved out of the temple and was standing in the courtyard next to the large statue of Horus when one of the urchins who I'd seen earlier handed me a folded message and asked for payment. After handing the young lad a ten-pound note he scoffed, "Baksheesh! Baksheesh.”
"Here, you fucking little bastard," I said as I handed over another fifty. He moved just out of my reach as I unfolded the paper and stared at the message.
“Follow the boy.”
I turned from the message to the boy. And as he flashed my picture at me, he began moving. It was slow going as we made our way through the throngs, but once outside and away from the temple, he began a slow trot. We'd just come to the end of the street when he came to a stop. He held up his hand in a stop motion while he peered around the corner. He looked back at me smiling.
"You can see the lady from here," pointing down the next street.
I moved up to the corner and stared down to where he was pointing and with relief, I said, "Thanks, I can handle it from here.” I put another fifty in his hand and made my way towards Mai Le.
She was a couple of blocks away standing next to a table at an outdoor cafe. When she saw me she raised her arm in acknowledgment. I was a few hundred yards away when a black SUV came screeching up beside her and two black-clad guys jumped out. They yelled something at her. Then started beating her with what looked like cricket bats.
I was yelling "Stop" as I raced towards them. Mai Le had just fallen to the ground. She had balled herself into a fetal position trying to protect herself as best she could, but the blows continued to rain down on her.
I ran full blast into the guy closest to me, knocking him down. I was doing my best to gouge his eyes out when I was whacked from behind, knocking me senseless for a moment. When my vision cleared I was looking up into the barrel of a gun. I started to yell for Mai Le but was cut short by a thud on the side of my head and a flash of brilliant light that warped into a blackness that swallowed up my universe.
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Through the ringing in my ears, I heard a thin voice “Mr. Price. Mr. Price, can you hear me?”
Everything was dark and I seemed to be floating except for my head which felt like a block of concrete.
Someone grasped my hand saying, “Mr. Price, if you can understand me, please squeeze my hand. I am Fritz Dulles with the American Embassy. I’m sorry to meet you under these circumstances. I know that you’ve been through a harrowing ordeal and I’m here to help. I just need to confirm a couple of matters to expedite the investigation and bring the culprits to justice.
"From the reports I've received, you went to the aid of a woman who was under attack by two assailants wielding clubs. Did you know the woman? Squeeze once for yes and twice for no."
It took me a minute to realize that he must be talking about Mai Le.
I squeezed once.
“Do you know why she was killed?”
My world whirled as I came to grips with the idea that Mai Le was dead and that she'd been murdered. Had I led the killers to her?
After a minute or so, I squeezed twice.
“Were you being robbed?”
I squeezed twice.
“So you have no idea who attacked you or why. Is that correct?”
I squeezed once.
“Mr. Price, was the woman your sister?”
I squeezed once.
“She was a French citizen?”
One squeeze.
“OK, sir… Because the Egyptian National Police have classified this as a terrorist attack the US Ambassador has arranged for you to air-vac out to the U.S. military hospital in Germany. You have major injuries. I was hoping to be able to speak with you at length, but when I arrived I found that you are being readied to travel. The medivac ship is waiting on the tarmac, so I or someone like me will visit you at Landstuhl once your conditions have stabilized. We’re hoping you can provide information that will help lead to the killers so that we can put an end to them! The brutality of this attack has been front page news back home and in France.
"I will call the doctor and let him know they can move you now. I'm very sorry for your loss, sir. I will pray for your early recovery. Again, I’m Mr. Dulles with the U.S. Embassy and you're in good hands now. " He squeezed my hand again and left.
After a few moments of silence, the room erupted into cacophonous activity. I felt my bed being moved. I felt panic begin to rise in my throat. I wanted to scream but I could only emit a muffled grunt.
Someone placed a calming hand on my shoulder. "Sir, don't worry. We've covered your eyes to aid in their recovery. The gun was very close to you when it was fired. Your face and eyes received powder burns. We have done our best here but you'll receive more advanced treatment once you've been evaluated at Landstuhl. Try not to worry. We're sedating you now to help with your discomfort and the long plane ride. God go with you, sir."
I felt something cool entering my veins while my senses drifted away.
All materials are copyright 2017, Ronald Gary Dunlap