Algeria Here I Come
by: E Walk
(© 2008 by the Author)
 

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Chapter 5
He’s Not Who He Seems To Be

I looked at Brahim lying beside me and he looked so perfect.  I leaned over and kissed him.  “Bra, please can we make love tonight.  I don’t want to have sex.  I want to make love.”

He looked at me, “But Ed, when the problem at the refinery is resolved, you will be leaving and then where will Allie and I be?”

“Brahim, we can’t foresee the future.  We need to do what feels right to us now.  For all we know, I might be dead tomorrow, especially if these mysterious enemies have their way.  Please just love me like tonight is the end of the world.”

Brahim relented and believe me I never felt so loved.  When we cleaned up the mess that we had made, he hugged me.  “Mr. Ed Waller, I love you.  When you leave for the States, I am going to feel like a piece of me is missing.

We were awakened the next morning by Allie. “Get up. Wahib is delivering our breakfast.  We need to go to the other room.  Wahib has an envelope for you,”

When we got to the room Wahib made a motion to indicate that I should close the equipment that was interrupting the transmissions from the room.  I did as he suggested and closed the two pen-like devices and put them in my briefcase.  He handed me an envelope.  There was a note on the envelope that said, ‘Pretend like this is another normal day.  Talk about anything that will make your adversaries think that you don’t suspect that they are monitoring the conversation.”

I passed the note to Brahim and he read it as did Allie.  I started, “Wahib, tell the chef that these omelets are really wonderful.  Do you know anywhere where we might find some new clothes for me?  I didn’t have time to pack the proper ones for this climate before I left home.”

Allie interrupted, “Mr. Waller, when I was out walking yesterday, I saw some really nice stores that you might like.  They aren’t too far from the hotel.  We could go there after we take our showers if you promise not to sing again.”

Brahim added, “Yeh, I could hardly get to sleep because of how you sang.”

Wahib looked at me and laughed, “Mr. Waller, I’ll bring you some ear plugs for the two gentlemen when I come to get the dishes and make the three beds in your suite.”

That caused Allie to react, and he went to make sure the three beds looked as if they had been slept in.  The note had also requested that we meet Inspector Khalid at some restaurant at noon.  I just hoped that Brahim or Allie knew where the restaurant was.

After the showers, the two guys were making fun of me for taking so long.  We left the hotel and walked to the shopping area that Allie had seen while he was walking around.  I bought some new clothes for me and for Brahim and Allie, as well, over their strong objections.  I asked the store to deliver the merchandise to the hotel.

As we were leaving the store, I looked at the guys and signaled that they should not say anything.  I pointed to my shirt pocket and pointed to my ears.  “Guys, why don’t we go to that restaurant we saw close to the hotel?  It looked as if they had some interesting food.”

Brahim answered, “Oh, you must mean Khalid’s.  They do have good food.  I think you will enjoy it.  Why don’t we go there now?” 

I took the transmitter out of my pocket and held it, “Okay, but first I need to go to the bathroom.”

Brahim and Allie took me to a public bathroom and I flushed the transmitter down the toilet or whatever they call it in Algeria.  I hoped the person on the other end enjoyed the rushing water sound.  The guys lead us to the restaurant where we were to meet the mysterious Inspector Khalid.  The host took us to a small room and pointed to a  door.

Brahim led us out the door and a sedan with darkened windows was waiting.  The driver motioned for us to get in and we were greeted by the policeman who knew where I was staying.  He turned around, “Good afternoon, gentlemen.  My name is Khalid.  I work for the Department of Internal Security which is responsible for the safety of foreign dignitaries to our country.”

I looked and the man. “Mr. Khalid, I hardly qualify as a visiting dignitary.  I’m a petroleum engineer who was sent here to determine why the output from the oil refinery is not what it should be.”

“That, Mr. Waller, is why it is so important that we make sure you are not harmed.  We have received word that the oil is being sold to some of the insurgent groups who want to cause chaos in our country.  They must feel that you are a threat to them.  Now let’s go eat.  I’m sure that Mr. Alexander Graham Bell is getting hungry as am I.  I am going to take you somewhere that I bet neither Allie or Brahim have ever been.”

Allie couldn’t let Inspector Khalid’s comment pass, “Sir, what have I done to cause you to know my full name when I have done nothing wrong.”

Inspector Khalid turned and smiled, “Allie, you have done nothing wrong.  We have checked you and Brahim out and you are both clean and are just what Mr. Waller needs to make sure he‘s safe.  You and your slingshot have already done some great work.  I suggest that you take it wherever you go and make sure you have some good stones handy.  I think that you both will be a help in this case even more than you already have been.  Now let’s go.  We can talk more while we eat.”

We went to a back door of a restaurant.  Inspector Khalid pushed a button and the door opened and we entered the building.  Even the driver was with us.  When we were seated, he said, “Mr. Waller, I would like to introduce my assistant Mr. Amir.   He’s not very fluent in English but knows enough to get by.  Brahim and Allie can talk to him and explain what is needed.  I am assigning him to you for the duration of your visit as your personal bodyguard.” 

I looked at Brahim, “But sir, where is he going to sleep?”

“Look Mr. Waller, we know that you and Brahim are sleeping in the same bed.  Mr. Amir can sleep on the rollaway or whatever Allie isn’t sleeping on.  He has no family so he will be available twenty-four hours a day.  You just need to make sure that he gets fed.  He will have a way to contact me at anytime.”

We ate in a private room and the food was excellent.  I would need to ask Allie and Brahim what it was that we had eaten.  After the meal, Khalid was driving and he took us to a dark garage where we were told to get out.  The four of us walked to the hotel as if we were returning from lunch.  Brahim and Allie were talking to Amir in Arabic, and I hadn’t the foggiest idea what they were  saying.

When we got to the 32^nd floor, Wahib was waiting for us.  “Gentlemen, the adjoining suite is yours for as long as you are here.  It is registered in Mr. Amir’s name.  I think you had visitors in the suite again, so I suggest that you be extremely careful.”

Amir turned to Brahim and they started talking very quietly.  Brahim turned to me, “Mr. Waller and Allie, we are not to even acknowledge that Amir is in the room with us.  Let’s go into the suite and pretend like we’re going to get ready to go out while Mr. Amir checks the room.  Whoever placed the bugs in the suite last night has probably changed the equipment so we may not able to combat them as we did last night.”

We entered the suite and opened the door to the adjoining suite. I decided to divert any intruding ears by making a phone call.  I called the desk, “I would like to place a call to my office in Houston.  Can you tell me how to do it, please?  … Oh, so I can do it from my room and charge it to my account? … Thank you for your help.”

I dialed the long distance number and I was connected to an answering machine as I knew I would be at this hour of the day.  “This is the office of Mr. Jim Thomas, please leave a message and Mr. Thomas will get back to you the first opportunity he gets.”

“Hey, Jimbo, it’s Ed Waller.  I toured the oil refinery yesterday.  I took today off to recuperate from the food I ate last night.  I’ve had to go to the bathroom repeatedly.  I’ll go back to the refinery tomorrow and see if I can figure out what’s happening.  I’ll call you when and if I find out anything.  Talk to you later.”

Mr. Amir turned on the television in the sitting room making sure that the volume was turned on loud.  I watched as he went into the bathroom and started the shower.  When he returned, he motioned that we should go into the adjoining suite.

We went into the adjoining suite and he carefully closed the door.  He started talking in Arabic and both Allie and Brahim were shaking their heads. 

Brahim started relaying what he was saying to me.  “Allie and I are going to pretend that we are leaving to get some things from our house.  Amir says that he can read and write English better than he can speak it and wants to communicate with you on your computer if he needs to.  He will always enter and leave via the door to this suite.  We are to use the door to the other suite.  We are to make sure that when we leave, the door connecting the suites is always locked on both sides so the persons who are monitoring your moves do not realize that we are using the adjacent suite.”

Mr. Amir started typing on he computer, “I am in constant touch with Mr. Khalid.  I am wearing a transmitter and I have a receiving device in my ear so they can get in touch with me immediately.  Now let’s go to the other room and start the charade.”

I started to laugh and wrote, “Mr. Amir, you’re more fluent in the English language than you are letting on are you not?  No one can write a foreign language as you just did and not speak the language.”

He wrote, “Yes, but I don’t want anyone to realize it just yet.  We need to keep it that way for now.  That is why I was assigned to you; plus, I am gay and will not be offended by anything that happens between you and Brahim.”

“Do Brahim and Allie know that you can speak English so well?”

“Mr. Waller, they don’t know, and I would like to keep it that way for now.  Please delete this conversation before they can read it.”

I did as he requested and he motioned for us to go back into the other suite.  He motioned for me to follow him into the bathroom.  He turned the water off.  Brahim called, “Mr. Waller, Allie and I are going to our house to get some more clothes.  We’ll be back in time to take you to dinner.”

Amir motioned for me to speak, “Okay, Mr. Safi, I’m going to take a nap and see if I can start to feel better.  I‘ll lock the door so you may need to wake me when you get back.”

The door slammed and Amir went to lock it and we went to the other suite and shut the door between the two suites.  I looked at Amir and whispered, “Where are Brahim and Allie going?”

“Don’t worry Mr. Waller, they will be back shortly. We’re going to see if we can bait the enemy into making a mistake.  Just so you know, how important your mission is to the Algerian government, there are three more security people in the hotel area as we speak.”

I was getting concerned, “Why do I get the feeling that Brahim and Allie do not know everything that is happening?  Is there a security problem with them knowing?”

“Mr. Waller, they have both been checked out and are completely trustworthy.  Inspector Khalid thinks it best that they not know everything especially for Allie’s safety and well-being.  Not that either of them would deliberately say anything, it’s just that we are attempting to make it safer for everyone.  I don’t want them to know how much English I can speak yet either.  So, please, play along with me.”

There was a knock on the door and Amir went to answer it.  Brahim and Allie entered and Brahim started, “The car has been moved and is now in the garage where Inspector Khalid left us today.  We entered through the back door and took the service elevator up.  I don’t think we were seen.” 

He repeated what he had said in Arabic and Mr.  Amir nodded.  Mr. Amir was speaking to Brahim and Allie and they in turn were relaying what Amir had said to me and all I could think was, ‘What kind of game are we playing?  Why all the secrecy?’

Mr. Amir and I went back to my regular suite and he indicated that I should go to the bedroom.  A chime rang and I realized for the first time that there must be a doorbell.  I went to unlock the door.  When I opened it, Allie started to laugh, “Mr. Waller, shouldn’t you have more clothes on than that.  What if there had been a lady at the door?”

I stuck out my tongue, “I was asleep and I never even thought about putting on any more clothes.  Besides they can’t see anything exciting anyway.” 

Brahim was acting like he was panting and I looked at Amir and he was having a difficult time trying not to laugh.  Brahim shook his head, “Mr. Waller, why don’t you get dressed and we’ll go get something to eat and see if we can get your stomach to settle down?  Allie why don’t you watch some television?  I have an errand to run.”

I watched as Brahim left via the suite door and Amir went through the door to the adjoining suite and shut the door. 

I went into the bedroom and called, “Allie, could you help me.  I just lost a button on my shirt and can’t find it.  Could you help me, please?”

I booted up the computer and started to type.  “Allie, do you have any idea what is going on?”

“No, sir; everything and everyone are acting so mysterious.  All I know is that there are some people who don’t like you very much.”

Allie called out, “Mr. Waller, I found the button.  If you give me your shirt, I’ll sew the button back on.  There is a sewing kit in the bathroom.”

He went into the bathroom and came back with the sewing kit. He left it on the night stand as if he had used it.  We were interrupted by the arrival of Amir and Brahim.  They didn’t say anything but Brahim typed on the computer, “Mr. Waller, get all of your valuables and important papers and we'll store them in the safe in the other room.  Make sure your safe in this suite is locked, so that the bad guys think that you still have things in there.”

I thought to myself, ‘This is getting scary now.  Someone must know something that I don’t know.’

I did as I was told and we went into the other suite.  I was beginning to feel like I was playing musical suites.  After we had everything of value stored in the adjoining suite, we took all precautions as we made set for the departure for whatever the evening was going to bring.

To be continued...
 

Feedback always welcome:     

 Editor's Notes:  “Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice.”  Alright, as a long time enthusiast of mystery stories, I smell a rat.  Something is going on that is not making all that much sense.  Why doesn't Amir want the other two to know he can speak English. I am having a little bit of a creepy feeling about him right now.  Of course, maybe I am supposed to have that, and he really is a good guy pretending to be a bad guy to fool the bad guys into thinking he is a bad guy pretending to be a good guy. Well, that didn't make much sense, did it?  I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens next, and maybe we will find out something else. So far, I am quite confused.

Please hurry with the next chapter.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 11/28/08