Amira's POV
I stood facing the screens, the blue and green lights emitting on our faces, that showed the areas we were going to cover due north and the general overview we had of the site we were going to land on. The commander was briefing the rest of the crew about the onset of their journey and how he planned to proceed with the mission.
"Our plane is going to land just outside the ring of the mountains, on the opposite side of the valley, along with the rest of our artillery," he said, pointing at a specific place around the desired region. "Entering into the base should be fairly easy considering the rest of our teammates are already present there. However, we will begin the attack simultaneously, where our signals will be commutable once on the other side of the valley. The onset of our attack will obviously be heavy where we will be using most of our fire power, but we will need to be careful with our resources and be prepared for any kind of setback."
He begins to show the weapons that he and the other officials have selected and decided to bring to the mission along with them, and discusses various of its aspects, specialties, and functions, while safely demonstrating how to use them.
I wanted to stay focused but it was so easy to zone out since now I didn't know what to make of the situation. So many twists and turns had happened along this journey that it seemed foolish to even think of a plan, because when did things ever go the way we planned them to be?
To a person who can think rationally, I should be happy. "Your father is back from the dead, what more could a daughter want?" one could ask. Well I was happy, there was no denying that. It is why I had come back to Pakistan and devising all the plans with the team, negotiating where I could (since it was the army that we were dealing with here) and contributing my keepsakes and connections, anything that would help bring my father out of the enemy's jaw and back to safety, even though my own security was at risk here. We were staying at the army's headquarters, the safest place in the country. An eye was kept on the country's borders and the areas most at risk, the operations were ensued, the message relayed, the troops deployed and proceedings began so forth. I knew there was no threat here, not unless the establishment itself wanted it, however I also knew that no one was to be trusted from now onwards.
Apart from that, my friends were risking their lives for the sake of my father. Jala and Salman would have gone on the mission regardless, because we were thinking of initiating war with the Mother idea, way before we came to know that my father was alive and entangled within the whole mess. Coming to Egypt might have been a bigger leap of faith for them than it was for me, since I was coming here to my grandfather, to the only living member of my family I had left, and they had left their families and homes by choice. It has always been a matter greater than family or any bond for them, but now that my father was involved, I couldn't help but feel responsible for putting them in danger's way for my own sake.
"How are you holding up?" Ali came by my side and asked me.
"Not well," I answered, truthfully. "Have you received any message from Dawood chacha or any member of the team recently?"
"Yep," he said, tucking his hands into the pockets of his black slacks. "They have successfully made it inside the base, settling down into the new environment and some of them have even started searching the premises."
"Obviously, Salman or Jala can't pull off any such stunts since they just joined the base and it will take time before they can earn the trust of the enemy, or at least make themselves acquainted with them and their whereabouts."
"I'm in no such hurry," I replied calmly, looking at him.
"Didn't say you were."
"But you implied it," I argued back.
"Did you hear about the caretaker prime minister?" He said, changing the topic.
"Oh I've heard about him, alright," I said relenting, nonetheless.
"He had a meeting with the army officials not too long ago. They say he is a promising one. Public seems quite pleased with him too."
He was from our wing and I was surprised that this was a unanimous decision taken by the whole party, including the coalition. I was surprised they had agreed to it at all, since they were quite opposed to any idea brought forth by our government and always complained of not being given enough power. However, it was true that Babar was a man of potential and had enough intellect to rule the party affairs wisely and had the decision making skills necessary to run the government. His intentions, however, were yet to be determined.
The behavior of the members had also matured and inside reports suggested that the government was getting along pretty well. Their only problem seemed to be with me or my father.
Despite the common belief of the public against politicians, I truly did want what was best for my country. It is true that I had taken some questionable decisions during my rule, whether voluntarily or involuntarily I cannot say for sure, but that doesn't mean I didn't love my country. Even now, I enjoyed being back, regardless of the circumstances. What people don't understand is that many of the choices we make are not our own, but are made under pressure and mostly against our will.
"Ms. Amira?" A member of the staff addresses me and breaks me out of my thoughts. "A letter was delivered assigned to your name. I thought you might want to give it a read." He said, extending his hand holding the letter, towards me.
"Thank you," I muttered, taking it and examining the envelope. I flipped it back and sure enough, my name was mentioned there in neat, cursive handwriting.
Ali didn't ask me who the letter was from, respecting my privacy, which I was grateful for, but it didn't matter since the name of the sender was not mentioned on the envelope.
I excused myself from the gathering and made way towards my room, entering into one of the many hallways of the kent. It was a place divided and dedicated to the residence of the army staff, where all the officials had their own house. The colony was grand and aesthetic, equipped with high security and grand facilities and infrastructure, one would die to have in this country. The place me and Ali were staying at, was where the official guests stayed if they had to spend a night or two, although most preferred to fly back to their homes.
I entered the cool, well-lit hallway, one that would take me to my room. It was little more than a room, with a spare room for leisure activities like television, and board games. A mini bar was set up along with a microwave and a coffee maker on a shelf in one corner of the room. The mess was pretty much how I left it since I told the maid to leave them be and locked the room before leaving. The documents I had gone through a little while ago were still scattered along the table and couches. Two empty mugs of coffee were also there along with the files.
I opened the envelope and a wave of anxiety hit me at what I would find in the letter. I took a deep breath and looked inside. There was a blue sapphire ring along with the letter, which I recognized as the ring my father used to wear when I was still a child.
"You might be surprised at finding your father's old ring and perhaps a bit scared at finding it after all this time, along with this letter you have received in the current circumstances," the letter began. "This letter is not as unexpected as it might seem to you. In fact, I should have told you this a long time ago, what I am about to tell you now. However, I am afraid if I don't disclose this information at the present moment, it will be too late and I wouldn't help but feel responsible for your fate and the fate of your friends. I have heard that you are embarking on a mission with some that you call friends, your grandfather's men and also took the help of the army to rescue your father, who the enemy has held hostage. But the nature of his captivity might be contrary to what meets the eye.
I can not disclose much here for both your sake and mine, so I cordially invite you to meet me in Alberto casino at the F9 park before you embark on any such mission, because the consequences will not end there.
Please leave your security patrol behind, because if I wanted to harm you (or your friend), it would have already been done, since the foundations of the Headquarters are weaker than you think.
Regards,
Your Father's former friend and
Well-wisher, J.A"
I closed the letter, the crinkling of the paper filling the silence of the room and overpowering the muted hum of the unnecessary air-conditioner, and placed it on the table and took a seat on the couch, trying to make sense of what I had just read, and the anticipation of what was yet to be revealed.
There were still a couple of days left for our departure, and we couldn't leave until Salman weakened the security, retrieved possible data to trace the connections of the Mother and the team had become familiar enough with the layout and management of the base, so that we could lead the operation successfully.
The question was, why was he stopping me from going on the mission, especially when it concerned the safety of my father and he called himself his friend? Of course, I wouldn't halt the mission in any case, but I would be damned if I said I wasn't curious about what he had to say.
The only dilemma that occured in my mind, was to tell Ali or not about what the letter contained. It would be a hard time concealing it from him since the man delivered it to me in front of him. I know that he wouldn't press the matter if I chose to keep it private, however, I couldn't help but feel guilty since important information could be revealed after this meeting and potentially effect the success of the mission as well as the fates of our friends. He would also not let the matter pass easily and might try to bring it up on any occasion he will find most convenient.
I can't blame him for doing so. If there is one thing I have learned in all my years of politics is to trust no one. Not even those whom you called your friends.
However, I won't say anything until I have met the sender of the letter. After all, what he doesn't know wouldn't hurt him.
Ali's POV
She left the room after receiving the letter, with a slight frown upon her face. I thought it best to give her some space, because the nature of the letter could be private and I did not want to intrude. She would share it if it was a matter of importance or something that concerned us all.
With such thoughts in my mind, I directed my attention once again towards the crew members and the things they had in mind regarding the onset of the mission. Since our team was progressing well within the enemy's base and things were going mostly according to plan, the army staff was also giving their maximum effort, weighing all the pros and cons before taking any step to make sure they haven't left room for inaccuracy and were equipped with plan B and C to be prepared for any mishap.
"Don't you think you should go after her?" A young brigadier with sharp clean features came and stood next to me, and asked me. "She might need someone to lean on."
I snorted sarcastically at what he implied and told him, "She is the granddaughter of Zulfiqar Ali Khan. He will have my balls for attempting anything of the sort.
"Aren't you his godson?"
"It wouldn't matter if it's his granddaughter's on the other side."
He looks at me for a moment, giving me a sideways smirk. "Well, someone's jealous."
"Hah, you wish." I'm simply stating things as they are. Khan wouldn't hesitate giving anyone a hard time if it was his granddaughter's heart and honor on the line, even if it was his godson who he cared for more than a father, and I don't blame him.
Besides, we had too much on our plate to handle without adding this kind of spice. I did not want to complicate things than they already were for us, nor did I have any such preceding intentions in this regard. However, I am a man and some things are innate and cannot be helped. Even if I did, I had set my principles straight a long time ago and had the discipline to stick to them.
"Do you think it is wise to trust her?" He says after a moment.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"For one thing, she is a politician."
"So am I."
"Wrong. You're a thief. A former thug."
"And, you think that is easy? It is a game, one that you play with your lives."
"At least, it is a game played with honor. Politicians, they have none. And, it is her father that you are going to rescue. Do you think she would care if you lost your life in the process, if it meant saving her father?"
"You do realize it is the actual son of my Godfather you are talking about, don't you?"
"All I am saying is to keep your eyes and ears open, Ali Zulfiqar Khan. You would be aware of our history where the greatest lesson we have learned is that we are most threatened by those we call our own." He took a step back and kept a hand on my shoulder. "Good luck on the mission, Mr. Zulfiqar," he said in a voice more level and loud than the one he had been speaking with me for the past few minutes.
"Thank you, brigadier Mustafa," I nodded back at him, trying to make sense of the conversation we just had.
Was he trying to play mind games with me or was he the traitor he had been trying to warn me about, all this time? I wondered.