Would she and the people around her become just a report on the news like those awful reports they'd seen earlier..? Her whole body trembled as she prayed for God to make the whole thing come to an end..
Finding her heart beats fastened, and cold sweat running over her back, she found herself asking God to end this difficult situation quickly, she prayed it finishes anyway.. If these men wanted to kill then go ahead.. This waiting was just inhuman..
- Whom did they kill..?
That whisper came from the blonde waitress on her left, who heard a part of their chat.. "Nadia" saw the waitress leaning towards them slightly to hear better.. "Nadine" whispered in her soft voice, while moving her leg that stiffened from sitting on the floor for a long time:
- A girl was murdered, and they disposed the body in the bathroom so that no one sees it..
"Nadia" felt the waitress's body shivering, and mumbling in a low voice that she only got from:
- ..... don't wanna die .....
The girl mumbled the words crying, which made"Nadia" feel sorry for her, but she was afraid to make any move to comfort the girl, and one of their watchers see her, so she just patted on the girl's hand silently, as if trying to make her feel she wasn't alone.. She knew that this for sure wasn't enough, but that was the only thing she could think of at that moment.. She felt the girl's hand as cold as ice against her hand.. She was no longer a blonde attractive woman that "Nadia" envied for her looks, but rather a miserable frightened girl that didn't differ from her a bit..
Sensing the girl looking towards her, "Nadia" gave her an encouraging smile, while still looking in front of her.. She tried to put as much confidence in her smile as she could to calm the poor girl sitting next to her, and maybe manage to calm herself too.. She felt the girl's fingers pressing on hers thankfully, before whispering again:
- Why us..?
- Because they need the money.. I guess they don't know another way to get it if you look at the subject from their point of view..
"Nadia" smiled bitterly answering the girl in a low voice, while moving her eyes around to see where the men were looking to make sure they weren't noticing them.. She found the girl shaking her head slowly saying:
- Didn't mean that.. I meant why did it have to be us who pass through this.. There are millions of people in this country.. Why us..?
Feeling tons of grudge with the girl's last words, and not knowing how to answer, "Nadia" stayed silent.. She thought about the same thing a while ago, and she answered herself then by the same answer she's going to tell the girl, that was:
- No point of these questions now dear..
The waitress didn't seem to even hear her, while her eyes kept wondering around, then the girl on her left entered the conversation answering:
- She's kinda right if you ask me..
The waitress mumbled frowning:
- Like this is gonna make any difference..
"Nadia" kept looking at the men nervously, wishing the two of them would just shut up for a minute, or else someone would notice the three of them, as all this talking became of no use except damaging their nerves more and more.. She heard "Nadine's voice answering..
- Hone.. If you're waiting to hear something like all this is an ordeal and a test for our patience, then I'm afraid you came to the wrong person.. All I got to say is that all of us have just one life, and for all the people here, being in this café at these bloody moments is a must stop that most of us didn't choose..
Now you got two choices, either choosing to believe in a larger entity that can take you out of this, which at least can help you by making you feel a little safe, knowing that up in the skies, there is someone watching over you.. Sometimes he puts you in difficult situations that you wish you never passed, put you try to put your trust in him hoping he can get you out of this safely.. The other choice is to think about a way that gets you out of this bloody place.. There is no other logical thing to do if you want my opinion..
The coarse confident sound interrupted her:
- I thought we told you to stay quite woman..
The three of them looked horrified at the one speaking, to see the gangster who was at the beginning of their row, looking at them boldly.. They closed their mouths right away and looked in front of them silently..
"Nadia" felt that the girl said this to comfort her own self more than to comfort the waitress.. The girl might've thought that putting her thoughts in the form of words might make them have stronger effect on calming her than they do while being just adrift thoughts inside her brain..
But all of this didn't matter now.. She saw the man coming frowning, so she looked in front of her innocently, but their time almost came.. The guy was now taking the belongings of a woman just four persons away, and that evaporated all the comforting thoughts from her brain.. All that was left in her mind now was plain monstrous fear.. She felt warm tears running down her eyes for the first time since all of this started, and then she heard the ambulance's siren coming clearly from outside..!!
****
-14-
"Sameer"
Things didn't go out well for us at all, specially that girl who killed herself before we came, and that ambulance which was on its way, probably along with the police.. I looked at the "Boss"to see what would he do.. I saw him smiling calmly at the people sitting helplessly in front of us, before saying:
- I guess this is a good reason to make you hurry up to give us your things so that we could leave as soon as possible, right..?
Good that he took it that way.. If I were him, I would've probably lost my temper and acted stupid..
I looked at the rest of the team to find them speeding up, to collect as much money as they could before we leave.. I saw "Kareem" leaning on one of the many columns in the place, and completely unaware with what was happening around him, though he tried pretending to be tough and attentive..
Good kid.. I guess I would've liked his company if we got to know each other in a different way.. But unfortunately each one of us will only remember the other one with these bloody moments, though we knew that both of us were blackmail victims of "Khalid's gang.. Didn't know the whole story, but I knew that he was forced just like me to do this, but his story was totally different from mine, because there was no one as stupid as me.. You want the details..? They weren't much I'm afraid..
Short story it was, that ended before even starting.. I was called to "Khalid's office someday.. I thought it was about that Mexican old lady that I just had a fight with two hours ago, as I worked in his casino.. My holy mission was to exchange the customers dollars for playing chips..
Consuming job and the worst part in it was dealing with customers and money, especially if they were drunk, like almost all of them..
All I could think of when I knew he wanted to see me was that the old witch went to him to complain my (attitude) like she threatened me she would..
(As if her threat was supposed to make me afraid and apologize.. Kiss my ass old witch..)
So I went to his office and all I could think of was how she drove me nuts about the damned chips I gave her, and how I miscalculated and gave her less than her money's value..
Dear.. You are supposed to be dead at least five years ago.. Count well before you come bugging me.. I told her directly my thoughts so she went mad and I didn't know why, and didn't leave except when I called the security..
I stepped over the red carpet that covered the long hall leading to his office, passing on my way by the grey walls with their pretending-to-be-original oil paintings while I was sure they were just cheap copies from the originals.. Wasn't used to coming here often, because I wasn't the called-to-the-manager's-office type..
I started preparing my defense to be ready when I enter.. I prepared and revised every word to be said..
Should I tell him about her being a pain in the ass..? About her looking like an old witch..? About her too much make-up that didn't go with her age at all and made her ev
en more provocative, besides her rude way of talking that made me completely mad..?
Knocked on the door, then waited till I heard his voice coming from the inside telling me to come in.. I took a deep breath as I reached for the handle and turned the knob, getting ready for the next part of the play..
My feet sank in the fancy rug.. He was standing near the surveillance screens that showed him everything in different parts of the casino.. Gamblers, drunkards, people watching the running ball nervously, wishing it would stop at the number they chose to take them to rich people rows, While others put their hands in their pockets furiously, in a desperate attempt to try their luck again, wishing they would win this time, while sweat ran heavily on their foreheads, fearing loss again, and finally those who collect the money they just won happily..
"Khalid" wasn't as angry as I thought he'd be.. He just stood there, starring silently at the many screens in the corner of the office, while having a cigarette.. When he heard my steps he left what he was doing and turned to me.. In a small ashtray he buried his cigarette, then gave me a quick smile..
- How is everything going..?
- Good.. I guess..
That wasn't exactly the beginning of the conversation I was expecting.. I watched him as he walked away from the screens, headed towards his desk, then sat down on the comfortable leather chair behind it, pointing at me to go sit on one of the two chairs in front of his desk..
I tried to remember my prepared defense as I headed to the small leather chair, then sat silently waiting for him to start the conversation, passing time by looking at patterns covering the huge rug that occupied the whole distance between the desk and the door.. I raised my eyes to him as I heard him asking:
- Do you know why I wanted to see you..?
I shook my head refusing..Let's play dumb till I know what he was up to..
- It's about that old woman and her chips, right..?
I changed my mind.. Let's get through with this so each one of us can go on his way.. He smiled before lighting another cigarette answering:
- No...
- I don't know then..!!
I answered directly.. Why wouldn't he just say what he wanted instead of these childish plays that weren't fit to his age..?
He looked at his cigarette for a second, then told me calmly that he knew about the money I've been taking secretly from the safe.. He didn't know how I did it because it was complicated enough, but he told me he knew I did it, which wasn't exactly far from the truth..
Yes.. I did it..!!
Depending on some of the gamblers being drunk, and depending on the continuous change in the price of the dollar, and finally some luck I thought I had, I used to keep some money for myself.. When the first time went undiscovered and nobody even noticed it, I got used to do it every day, but obviously I wasn't as smart as I thought.. He told me that he knew for some time, but he wanted to give me the chance to stop (And maybe I would regret it and come tell him myself) according to his words.. I sat there without emotion on my face or words in my mouth, like some kind of a bad boy waiting for punishment, while he kept talking.. A long bloody poem about the importance of honesty and all this crap.. Who was he trying to fool..? Both of us were thieves, and maybe he was even worse than me.. I heard him talking about some evidences he got and the cameras that filmed what happened, but I was sure he was bluffing at least about the cameras, for I knew well that the safe I was responsible for was in a place with no cameras in, cause I wasn't a fool..
(Good God.. Unless the old bastard placed secret cameras - other than the ones I discovered - that I didn't know about, which made sense, since he didn't trust anyone.. )
He told me that he didn't know exactly how much I took, but he knew that it was a big amount of cash, the thing that made me shiver, as he didn't pretend to be smart or pretended he knew everything.. Didn't fake or exaggerate about his information..
I cleared my throat, thinking that he just told me what really happened and what he really knew, which meant that the cameras and the evidences were probably true too..
He said a lot of crap about us being one family and he not wanting to ruin my future, then he finished his speech by saying he was ready to forget what happened and have a fresh new start, if I made him a favor, and since I wasn't exactly in a situation that could give me the power to negotiate, I had to say yes even before knowing what the favor was, and when I knew, it was too late to escape..
He could finish my whole life just like he said if his evidences went to the police.. I knew his work wasn't exactly clean, but at least he was able to cover his dirty laundry so far, and even if I managed to expose some of his dirty secrets, he'd be able to bribe enough people to forget it, then he'd turn on me, which wouldn't be exactly in my favor..
My guess was that the rest of the gang too were here for similar reasons, except maybe that guy we call the "Boss" who seemed professional..
Little weird gang that was, that's why they didn't care if we showed our bare faces to the victims, because they had no care of what would happen to us after that.. I looked towards the windows and the pulled down curtains when I thought I heard something.. Was that the ambulance they talked about, or did I finally go crazy and started imagining stuff..? Few seconds passed and nothing happened, which made me realize I was really imagining.. Dammit.. My nerves were really starting to break down.. But at least that meant it wasn't over yet.. Still some fun waiting for us.. But would it be a happy ending for everyone..? For anyone.. ? I doubt that..
I watched nervously as they were collecting the people's money and precious stuff, while the people were completely silent and obedient.. Hurry up you bastards or else we'll go to jail for at least 10 years.. I looked at the old photographs hanging on the walls, and all I could think about was how breaking into all those foreigners lives was making me feel sorry.. Somehow, I always tried not to hurt anyone deliberately, physically or emotionally..
(Except for the little-borrowing-money-from-my-safe incidents..)
Maybe because of the community mask you got to put on your face, and maybe because I didn't want to risk the idea of the Karma coming back to haunt me or my family one way or another.. But now I've deliberately broken that rule.. knowing we haven't hurt anyone here physically or killed anyone of them didn't make it any better, as those moments of horror and tension and tears they were living because of us won't be forgotten easily..
****
-15-
"Sherif"
And since my car was out of service and was being fixed since yesterday, I had to take the subway, to be able to catch up with "Sohair".. I hurried to the closest subway station to my office, which was (Elshohadaa station).. I knew it would be like hell now since it was the middle of the day, but it was the only way to save time after I left the office late, as soon as I passed the inner gate I saw the crowds, but it was predictable so let's not pretend to be shocked.. I stood between the crowd, ready for action, and the moment the subway stopped and its doors slid open I got ready to jump, but the damned door wasn't fully opened, so pressure on entering through the small opening was the double.. Did I mention hell a while ago..? I guess I wasn't overreacting..
Jumping into the train in the last moment, I heard the doors sliding behind me.. The train started moving, so I grabbed the back of the chair next to me, and along the way, I remembered the last chat I had with my work partners.. They thought I didn't have much time, and should finish my mission with that beauty fast because it took too much time, and they didn't like the way things were going.. The idiots thought I was in love with her, which was the thing that worried them about the whole case, while she wasn't my favorite type at all.. All what I was doing was pretending to be civilized, at least till I get what I wanted.. Maybe she thought too I was in love with her, which would hopefully give me more points, and maybe I could manage to convince her to testify against my customers' work-competitor, but if she thought I was intending to leave my wife, then she was compl
etely wrong..
Not out of faithfulness.. At least not faithfulness only.. She was a good wife that I couldn't possibly manage to find another one that can stand me.. There was the kids and the idea of the family waiting for you no matter how much you traveled or got busy at work.. You might name it familiarity.. You might name it whatever you like.. What was important was that "Sohair's subject wasn't romantic at all.. Not from my point of view at least..
I was late for her today because I had many cases at the office, and had to do many paper work before leaving, and many witnesses I had to make a list with their names to turn to them when needed to get my clients out of trouble..
I must say that I'm a good lawyer.. Too good actually and that wasn't out of boasting as you guys might think.. I never leave something to coincidence, and no part of any case that comes under my nose goes without good study.. That was how I managed to win almost every case I got since I joined that office, and that was how I was intending to keep things..
Why "Sohair " in particular..? Because she was the mistress of "Khalid Sabry", the emperor of the underworld of Cairo.. His growing power started to worry my clients, which was considered to be bad luck for him because it made me go after him.. After many investigations and help and money and secret detectives, we managed to know that "Sohair" was almost his only point of weakness, so I managed to break into her life, in a way that appeared accidentally, to her at least....