Chapter XXII. Play it carefully

Sitting on the seat in front of the window in the VIP suite, smoking his cigarette.

– The voice behind him: How was the day with Ruslan?

-Ozcan: Very good, I told you before, it’s out of the box already

-The voice: What next?

-Ozcan: He is in his room, thinking about our conversation, his mind diagnoses things for him, and reminds him that he is an Islamic revolutionary and that I am an intelligence man, and I must be manipulating him, this is its strong point, it will question my intentions, perhaps I intend to recruit him to work against his group, or against my opponents. It will try to convince him that this is an advanced form of brainwashing and will distract him with doubt, and uncertainty, about who I am.

His memories in Iraq, his childhood, are very old, he will not use them now, he will use the nearby memories of Syria, and its strongest card is my personality, my intentions, my goals, it will give him the solution. You have to escape from this intelligence man and his malicious intentions against you, your group, and your beliefs, and return to Syria.

-Will he get over it?

-We have prepared the place well, a luxury hotel, his mind has never seen anything like this, he will demand more, he will decide the possible risk for the sake of knowledge, so long as we do not terrorize him with strong, successive blows.

-So, he won’t run away?

-He sighed, remember something: I do not think, his mind is now in a struggle, it wants to escape with it, but wants more from this place at the same time, maybe after a week is enough, and it decides to run away, but not now, and what we need is an extra meeting or two, no more.

-The voice in a skeptical tone: you said this with…….

-He interrupted him: I made a mistake then, I started with her from where I started with Ruslan, and she was not ready for this stage, she had to be injected first.

-Are you going with him tonight?

-No, let him relax, enjoy, let his mind think that what he heard today is a temporary thing that will not be repeated.

In the evening his phone rang, the caller was Ruslan,

-Hello brother, shall we meet?

-Ozcan: I am not in Adana, brother, I will come back in two days, forgive me, as soon as I return, I will come to you.

-Ruslan: What do I do now?

-Ozcan: You can move around freely in the city. You have many activities in the hotel, enjoy them, and do not forget. This is only a resting point. The show will end, and after two days we will meet.

-Ruslan: Regarding your words today, I would like to say…

-Ozcan: I do not want you for this, I was just sharing some of my strange ideas with you, do not give it too much.

He was silent for a while, then added in a reassuring tone: Do not be afraid, for what you heard today is nothing but a passing brainstorm, and it is over.

Hung up, moved his finger on the phone screen, and audio clips, and press a folder with the name of Khadija’s favorite songs.

Played a clip, of a famous Arab singer from the time of the forties and fifties of the last century, Um Kulthum sang:

You had the most beautiful story in my entire life

For whole years, I have never experienced a love like him

Years passed like seconds; I love you

And if I can love again, I love you

He laid his body on the bed, and closed his eyes, yes he made a mistake that day, he knows that it is one shot, and the cup cannot be repaired if it is broken, and he broke it and broke everything between them. He should not have started with her from this stage. He had to inject her first, but he refused. He trusted their love, he was shocked, her mind got hold of her, and it ran with her away.

He took pictures of her about him, reminding her of his cheating on her with Katrina, making her repeat the videos over and over again, pictures of him and Katrina naked, bottles of wine everywhere, the nights of promiscuity and corruption that he lived through while she is burning with longing for him.

Her mind whispered” you cannot forgive him anymore, do not believe all his lies, even if he swears and proves the sincerity of his intentions, even if he says he was forced for noble goals. No noble in this world can justify his betrayal, he slept with her for months, traveled with her, drank wine together, they lost consciousness, they did dirty things, what a filthy crook, how do you accept to continue with him anymore!

-He sighed bitterly, I wish I had not tried with her, I wish I had not challenged her mind…

Moments… He fell into a deep sleep; nothing kills time like sleep.