Gina- Border of Pakistan and Afghanistan 4.12 am
It was in the cold air of the mountains that greeted Gina and Selma as they climbed, stiff-legged, from the black Land Cruisers. They were shown inside, a dimly lit house set back amongst paved paths and well-tended gardens. Upon entering, the house was rosy with ornate brass lanterns and subdued lights and smelled sweet with incense candles and exotic spices. Gina was shown upstairs by a middle-aged scarved Pakistani woman and taken to a bedroom. Upon entering, she was shown the en-suite bathroom and a covered tray with both dried and fresh fruit, bottles of water and pieces of hard biscuit, with small pieces of soft, fresh-smelling goat's cheese. The woman smiled, pointed to a fresh set of long night clothes, and then left her.
The door was locked but Gina was now too tired to care. She eat her fill of the food, drank two of the water bottles dry and found toiletries in the bathroom. Within an hour, she drifted off to sleep in the soft satin bedclothes. The dreams came hard and fast. She dreamt of Joff and her abduction, of her children and most disturbingly, her suave, handsome dark-skinned captor.
She woke, as the sunlight flooded through the slats, in the bedroom. She stirred and looked around the room. She hadn't noticed the room much last night. It was simply furnished but light and airy. The bed was excellent and supportive and she could tell it was expensive. The whole impression of the room and what she could remember about the house looked well-maintained and even opulent. Her musings were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door, and it opened. In case the small,scarf-wearing woman from the night before. The woman brought in a ray with an ornate coffee pot and a small round cup.
Gina stood up and walked into the en-suite bathroom, relieved herself and used the toothbrush and paste in her small zip bag. At least, her captives had brought her a few comforts with her when she was taken. She was left for an hour, to gather herself. Gina used that time to dress herself in fresh clothes left by the small woman. She looked out the window and saw the mountains, shrouded in the distance and then to the activity in the garden, below. Both uniformed men and women came and went, and she saw Zaihad once or twice, talking to different people. He was dressed in a khaki uniform, with gold-coloured insignia on the collar of the shirt. He was an athletic man, the others around him followed his orders and she possessed an air of authority. She saw him look up at her, Gina moved back away from the shutters. She moved to look again, and he was gone.
The door opened and Gina looked over as Selma, now dressed in a similar khaki uniform, entered, and matched the headscarf.
"I hope you slept well, Mrs Caine. Colonel Zahid wishes to see you. Please wear the scarf to cover your head." Selma beckoned her over.
"Are you a soldier? Gina asked.
"I was captive and now I am free. My service to my Colonel is the price of my freedom." She answered simply.
In the garden, the air was fresh but the sun was warm and green and felt peaceful. The surrounding galleried walls were painted white, and Gina found Colonel Zaihad sitting at a small table, sipping a glass of steaming tea. He stood up as Gina approached.
"It is good to see you looking so bright, Mrs Caine, or may I call you Gina? Zaihad smiled and proffered a hand to the empty seat opposite him.
"I suppose as I am your captive, you can call me, whatever you wish." Gina didn't want Zaihad to be in any doubt of her feelings.
"I would prefer you consider yourself our guest." Zaihad smiled. " You are completely safe here. We...I need your help recovering the funds secreted away over 20 years ago." Zaihad turned as Selma approached and handed him the files, and walked back into the building, that Gina had been looking through in the hotel room, back in Stansted. "These were recovered from your room. Please review them and furnish me with your suggestions, on where the funds might be and how they might be recovered. If you are successful, you will be awarded 5% of the recovered funds as a finder's fee and taken to Karachi and placed in the hands of my friends, at the British High Commission."
"Are you serious?" Gina was shocked. "Are you going to let me go?"
"Of course. I am not a blood-thirsty heathen, who slaughters hundreds, as your foreign office would have you believe." Zaihad's easy smile returned to his bearded face. Gina noticed his white even teeth and his liquid brown eyes.
"What are you then? Just a kidnapper?" Gina retorted.
"Yes. On that charge. I am guilty." Zaihad.
"Did you set your men to abduct me at my house?" Gina leaned forward.
"No. that was not my doing." Zaihad answered, handing Gina an iPad, "You will see photographs of the two men in the company of a representative of the Taliban and other criminals. It was they, who attacked you." Gina looked at Zaihad, wondering if this was some sort of trick.
Gina swiped through the photographs, scrutinized the images and then looked up. Selma had returned and stood behind Zaihad, she bent down and whispered something in his ear.
"Ah, we have a visitor. Someone who you are familiar with." Zaihad looked over and Gina followed his gaze and saw Mr Collins and Joffrey Mokrani walking towards them. Gina's eyes widened and she placed. Collins wore a wrinkled pale grey suit and carried his usual slim brown suitcase. Joffrey in a well-cut summer weight pale cream suit. Collins walked up and stood beside Zaihad. Joffrey walked over to Gina. She stood and he held her tight in his arms.
"Mr Collins." Zaihad stood smiling warmly and they shook hands.
Gina simply looked up and scowled at Collins.
"Mrs Caine. It is good to see you again." Collins spoke thinly, aware of the consternation he saw in Gina's face." Please allow me to inform you that your children are in excellent health. They are in no danger from Colonel Zaihad or myself. Also, Mr Mokrani, as you can see is fully recovered and accompanied me to ensure your safety in these trying times."
Gina breathed. She was relieved to know that her family was safe and that Joffrey was there with them. "Can I believe you, Mr Collins? As you seem to be in cahoots with my kidnapper?"
Zaihad chuckled. " Mr Collins is here in an unofficial capacity as a representative of your government." Zaihad took a moment to see Gina's face, her eyes were bright and her pale skin was quite lovely.
"You are from the government?" Gina repeated, her skin flushed.
"Mrs Caine, her majesty's government has to deal with many people, who are...not able to be...welcomed openly by the PM in the gaze of the media." Mr Collins offered. "The mission, I set before you is still the same. We, the government of Great Britain do not want the sum of millions of dollars in the hands of either the Taliban or The Government of Iran or Pakistan. We would prefer the money to be recovered and put to good use."
"By propping up a warlord, like Colonel Zahid?" Gina said quietly.
Zaihad laughed out loud, he was suddenly amused by Gina's forthright manner. "Indeed, Gina! Her Majesty's government would prefer me to be here, as an independent entity, rather than my homeland being swallowed up by Taliban insurgents or Pakistani soldiers or anyone else who would turn my home not a burned-out battlefield."
Gina looked at the two men and then tossed the file on the table. "I don't know anything."
Joff couldn't take any more. He stepped forward "Gina is not trained for this." He wanted to defend her, but he regretted making her sound vulnerable.
"We will help you uncover anything that might lead us to the fund." Zaihad smiled and asked Selma to escort Gina inside. We will speak again this evening. Please take your time with the material. I know it is hard but please believe me, you will be safe here."
Selma and Gina started to walk back to the house, but Joffrey followed them. Selma turned "What can I do for you?"
Joff looked at Gina " I would like to talk to Gina, if that's anything to do with you?" He could feel his hostility rising despite the precarious position he was in. Gina stepped forward. She wanted to hug him but couldn't equate the dynamics of him being here. She frowned.
"How are you here? I mean what are you doing here?". Gina asked with a swirl of mixed emotions. Gina was pleased that he was unhurt, and she had to restrain herself from letting her feelings out. She wanted to hold him again. She brushed a stray hair from her face and unconsciously bit her lip. Her eyes softened as he looked at her.
"Gina...I can't say how sorry I am. Listen, Collins had spoken about a plan, it's a dirty little plan to find a way to get at the money. I didn't know. The whole thing is out of my hands. "Joff looked shamefaced and looked over his shoulder at Collins and Zaihad, "It seems that we are now allies, of sorts. Collins has in deeper than even I thought."
"Enough! ", Selma ordered, " Mrs Caine and I will be going inside now" Selma injected herself between them.
"Please... "Gina pleaded but Selma took her arm firmly and led her away. Joff looked after her, wanting to follow but knew this wasn't the time and not the place. He turned and saw Colins sitting with Zaihad sipping tea, like old friends, Joff was very aware that they indeed are exactly that. He walked over to them and stood behind Collins. His face was toned but he felt uneasy and had begun to look after and surreptitiously surveying the immediate area, for Zaihad's personnel.
Zaihad looked up at Joffrey and regarded him with faint amusement." Do not look and try to count my people Mr Mokrani, I am not your enemy." Zaihad smiled and looked across to Collins. Collins simply relaxed back into this chair and sipped his tea.
"Mr Mokrani is an excellent close protection officer, had I not provided you with her location and asked you to spirit Mrs Caine away as you did," Joff's jaw tensed as he listened to the flat even tones of his superior," had you not had that advantage, Mr Mokrani would have made not been such an easy opponent."
With that Zaihad laughed out loud, Joff tensed again and Zaihad smiled " You are probably right Mr Collins. I think you should return him here and continue with his protection duties. Are you ex-army Mr Mokrani?" Zaihad enquired his black hair fluttered in a sudden cooling breeze from the surrounding mountains. His dark eyes scrutinized Mokrani, he was amused by this tall but quite impressive man. "Of course, I know you were with the Yorkshire Regiment in 2009, were you not?" Zaihad stood up and walked over to Joffrey and held out a firm handshake, "I am also honoured to meet another fellow soldier."
Joffrey scowled, "Fellow soldier? Are you army or just strolling about in khaki uniforms?" His voice was tense.
