Sitting in the back of the car that took him to the airport to return home to Khahazan, Hackim stared absently outside through the window while his friend and faithful companion Amid typed on the screen of his tablet with his fingers made dexterous by practice. Curiously and contrary to his habit, the thoughts of the young king were not all turned towards any problem of his country. No. All his thoughts and despite his efforts to turn away from them were focused on a single name, a single face, a single body of which he had the slightest reliefs so far discovered inked in his mind. This name, this body and this body were those of Mia Khelani. Amid's last words swirled around in his head. Did he really have an ulterior motive for wanting her in the Khahazan ? Hackim could lie to himself by claiming yes, but more than anything he hated lies. That's why he always made a point of telling the truth no matter what impact it might have. He therefore had to be frank with himself and admit that he did not have the answer to the disturbing question that his friend had asked him a few days earlier.
-Your Majesty, we have just received official government authorization to extradite John Smith. Do you want me to bring him to the airport to leave with us or do you prefer that I bring him directly to the Khahazan once we are there ? Pulling him out of his thoughts, Amid watched him waiting for his instructions.
- I see. Get this scammer in immediately. We will land together on my land. Lands that he believed himself capable of swindling with impunity. He ordered in a throaty voice, fixing Amid with a dark look of anger that did not bother him because all that anger that could be seen in his Majesty's eyes was not intended for him. Far from there.
-Good. In addition, they authorize you to leave with three people whom whom we suspect of having worked with him, subject to dismissing these people safe and sound if their involvement is invalidated. If not, you should contact them to discuss arrangements for sanctions against them. Are there people you would like to take with us ? Hamid completed as Hackim redirected his gaze to the outside of the car, which was moving slowly through awkward traffic.
-No Amid. It is obvious that this manure to work alone. He would have denounced his accomplices for a long time with all the threats I made otherwise. These people are not the loyal type. He will be the only one with whom we will leave. He finally answered after a few seconds of silence.
-Are you sure ? Is there really no one? Insisted Amid to the great astonishment of Hackim who did not really see where the man was coming from, whose wisdom was sometimes totally incomprehensible to him.
- Where are you coming from Amid ?Today more than every day, I have no patient to listen to or try to guess the meaning of your riddles. Hackim got impatient, keeping his gaze straight in the eyes of his friend who in a calm voice explained to him.
- The day we located Mr. Smith, he was not alone as far as I know. There was a woman with him. There is no evidence that the latter was not in league with him. It would therefore be more prudent in my opinion to take them both in order to confirm or not her involvement. It will only be a matter of a few days, two weeks at most.
Hackim straightened up in his seat, wrinkling his brow, convinced that his friend was not really telling him what he was thinking. And for good reason! He never believed in the involvement of Mia Khelani, since it was her whom he was talking about. He had, moreover, missed no opportunity to make it understood implicitly or explicitly. So what game was he playing with him?
- I'm not fooled and you know it well. So you better tell me what you're up to, Amid. His low yet threatening throaty voice would have disturbed anyone but not this man who had seen him grow up and who today was the man closest to him. It is therefore without being a little disturbed by the intonations of the voice of his king that he shrugged his shoulders casually before saying.
-This your majesty was only my humble opinion. Nothing obliges you to take it into account. You are the sole decision maker here. We can just leave Miss Khelani here and go with the prisoner if that's okay with you.
Clenching his fists furiously, Hackim would have gladly broken something to calm himself down if he could. But alas the cramped interior of the car did not give him a certain mobility in his actions.
-What are your final orders your majesty?" Asked Amid again, impertubably.
- Do as you see fit. He replied without looking at him.
Taking him at his word, Amid pulled out his phone and started making a few calls.
- What are they doing in front of your building ? Camilla asked, looking straight ahead towards Mia's building, who after a few days at her friend's was finally going home.
Following her friend's gaze, Mia looked up from her safety belt that she had just unfastened before swallowing painfully when she saw these three men all dressed in black suits who were in front of her building.
-I do not know. I don't even know who they are. Do you believe they are there for me? Panic Mia
-Who but you is talking to King El-Hassan in this building ? They are there for you. Why ? I don't know, but we'll find out soon enough. Affirmed Camilla getting out of the car followed closely by her worried friend. Wasn't he supposed to be gone two days? What were his men doing here?
As soon as they were close enough to be heard Camille asked.
-Why are you here ?
-We are here on orders from His Majesty and the government to take Miss Khelani to Khahazan. One of the three guards politely explained in broken English.
-And why that ? She asked again when at the mention of the government Mia had lost all analytical skills. What could she do against the government's decision? Even Camille couldn't get her out of there this time. She can only count on the miraculous Help of Heaven to get out of it.
-What ? But that's nonsense! Suspected of complicity in a scam against the Khazan ? She didn't even know the country a few days ago.
The noises of her friend who was more than anything offended brought her back to reality.
- My friend is not going anywhere with you. She wanted to impose herself while the guards, losing patience and in accordance with the orders received, wanted to seize Mia, but she intervened before the situation degenerated.
-Allow me please to take some things before. Mia asked to the guards
She understood that there was no point in fighting. The fight was lost in advance. She just hoped to be quickly cleared and that beyond all this was not just a conspiracy hatched by King El-Hassan to punish her for everything he blamed her for.