Amira's pov
I examined myself in the mirror, my loose curls were pinned up in an updo and the soft crease did doing nothing to uplift the droop in my eyes that came naturally from the overdose of caffeine and deprivation of sleep. Sighing, I picked up the red and gold mask that came along with the letter and ring and placed it on my eyes so that it shielded half of my face. My only way of identification would be through my father's sapphire ring that the anonymous person just sent me, which made me wonder how he got it in the first place. I grabbed the red clutch from the dresser and tried to put a smile on my rouge tainted lips, before proceeding out the door. The letter said that the sender would make arrangements for my ride to the casino, since he didn't want anyone from the army or its staff to know of our meeting. It seemed a bit unreasonable to me because he claimed that he had connections within the headquarters, so their awareness shouldn't really cause problems for him or me.
Still I complied with his conditions, and took the back seat in the black Civic parked outside the gate. No one asked any questions about my leaving and let me exit peacefully through the gate, but I knew they would station a set of guards to follow me, which I didn't mind at all considering the level of threat I was facing in the country. It was all in all a stupid stunt to pull at the wrong time, but if something happened to either of us during the mission I would never forgive myself for not learning what I could have learned tonight. I did not want to spend my entire life blaming myself for not going on a simple visit that could have prevented the damage and put any more burden on my already troubled conscience so I had no option but to take the risk.
The night breeze was cool, but the temperature was still pleasantly warm. The weather in the capital was cooler than the lower regions of the country but warmer than the upper regions which were mainly mountainous areas and stayed cool the year around. The weather was only part of the reason why most of the people in the country wanted to shift here. The infrastructure of the city was built differently, probably because it was the land of the aristocrats and politicians who made up most of the population of the city. Just like everything else in the country, residence in the city was a privilege that only most of the elites could afford which I was part of . An unwanted wave of guilt swept over me along with the breeze causing goosebumps to erupt on the exposed skin of my arms. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the visit ahead which only made me more nauseous.
Since nothing was working, I pulled on the button to close the window and watched the glass slide upwards until the view outside was only partially visible through the opaque bullet proof glass. The air in the car was a bit stuffy, even though the air conditioner was on and the temperature was lower than the temperature outside, or perhaps, I was feeling claustrophobic and this could be the anxiety talking.
"Are you alright, miss?" The driver's concerned voice startled me a bit as I saw him glancing at me through the rear view mirror while trying to keep his eyes trained on the road.
I had a look at myself in the mirror, and saw that my forehead was glistening with perspiration. I was losing my cool in front of the staff of an anonymous man I was about to meet, who's intentions I wasn't sure of yet. It could be seen as a sign of weakness
"I am fine, thank you, Ramiz," I composed myself and dabbed my forehead and upper lip lightly with the tissue paper in my hand. I needed to be more alert.
The main road curved into the hotspot of the town, which was still peaceful despite the relative rush in the area. This was another reason to love the capitol; the peace it offered was unmatched compared to other cities of the country.
The casino was brightly lit, and could easily be spotted in the residential mansions it was surrounded by. The gate way was open and a man in a suit was stationed at the entrance to check for passes or some other form of identification before allowing the visitors to enter the place. Not many people knew of the place, because casinos weren't exactly legal in the country, even though the gambling that took place in the streets put casinos to shame. If a casino did open by chance, they were extremely private and exclusive places that not many people could afford or had the prestige of entrance.
I got out of the car and sifted my way through the throng of cars parked on the opposite side of the road, in front of the casino building and let my hand trail up the golden railing as I climbed up the stairs, until it changed to a red ribbon marking it's way up till the entrance.
"Your pass, madam?" The bouncer addressed me as I made my way to the casino's door.
I simply flashed my sapphire ring, as instructed in the letter and watched as the bouncer's shocked eyes flitted up to meet mine, and I wondered if he could see past the mask. He moved out of the way and allowed me to enter without any arguments into the lavish indoors of the casino, riddled with fancy decor with three massive chandeliers hanging inside the spacious hall. The golden lights gleamed on the bright floors, adorned with red carpets, with round tables and chairs placed in precise positions all around the room. People in expensive suits and dresses scattered across the place; most of them were decked in cocktail attire and had a glass of wine in their hands sipping in between conversations or as they made their move in the game.
I walked towards the end of the hall, where a bar was set up, with dark wood cabinets on which the bottles of different liquors were displayed. Taking a seat on the stool in front of the counter, I waited for the man to arrive, since he told me I would find him near my father's latest passion, which was none other than the finest bottle of wine and whiskey. I placed my elbows on the counter, folding my hands under my chin and observed the people in the meantime.
They all seemed so boring with their perfect dresses and happy smiles, and not a worry outside the little world they had created for themselves. I couldn't help but feel ashamed that I had once been part of the circle, so misguided with delusion, where my biggest worry was to uphold me and my party's political reputation. It was probably the only reason why I kept socializing and making connections. The only reason why we had acquaintances in the political world was because we needed someone to scratch our back, so that we could scratch theirs in return. Friendships and loyalty were just acronyms for debt. Once the debt was over, you were back to square one.
I had ordered a glass of whiskey and was overwhelmed by the burning sensation in my throat. Its been a while since I had something as strong as the liquor, and got used to the complementary wine collection of Khan Baba, most of them which were light and fruity to the the taste buds, unless he was craving something stronger. I sighed and took another sip of the whiskey, wondering what on earth was taking the man who invited me here, so long. To answer my thoughts, I felt someone gently touch my shoulder before I turned around in my seat to see who it was.
"Sorry it took so late," the man in the grey suit apologized, before taking a seat on the chair beside me. "I was a bit delayed."
"Siddique?" I exclaimed in disbelief. He was a member of the party that we had joined in order to form a government since we did not have enough seats. The same coalition party that continuously pressurized us to grant them projects only so that they could keep delaying them and do enough corruption to build their empires in the west. Exports continued to decline during our rule, spiking inflation while reducing GDP and growth rates. I tried to stop Baba from taking this decision since I had an idea of what kind of consequences it would lead to. It was one of the major blows to our party, one that not only had drastic effects on our popularity among the public, but also our overall government.
I laughed at my own stupidity for falling for their trap, and kept the letter confidential from Ali as well as the rest of the staff members living in the building. I did not even bother bringing my phone, so I had no means of communication with the team and could only wish that the army had sent for security because he was the last person I wanted to be with considering the security threat I was facing in the country. However this wasn't the time to panic and I would not be showing it under any circumstances.
He loosened his bow tie and adjusted the waistcoat over his slightly protruding stomach while talking to me. "Proved to be worth it, though. Won myself a good amount and a nice time with a pretty lady like yourself."
His brown-green eyes and square jaw which was now a bit blunt due to the layer of fat that was now covering it. He was also a good friend of father before he changed parties but ultimately their paths had to crossover again when our party came into power again.
"You think I give a fuck about your dirty practices or fantasies?" I snapped at him, angry at the wait and the way I could have been potentially abducted on the way here, or even at his hands. "Tell me why you called me here."
"There now, don't be hasty," he said. "After all, I will soon prove to be the savior of you and your friends."
"Just like you saved my mother?" I replied savagely. "The fact that you had the audacity to blackmail me and then abduct me here, from the residential quarters of the army really speaks of your courage and nobility. Also the confidence you have on your accomplice's loyalty is no short of admirable."
"I have told you dear Amira, if I wanted you dead you wouldn't be sitting alive and well in front of me right now. It doesn't take much to bribe someone to target the most wanted politician at the moment. You would know of the matter, wouldn't you, Amira?"
His tone held an implication that was nowhere near innocent, and held a hidden meaning, as if he was accusing me of something. Gathering information and getting ahold of the clues was not a big deal if you had the connections in the right place, which I am sure he did. I did not hear from Noah yet, since he was one of the few people I contacted If he knew of what happened that night, he was staying silent because the inquiry had not progressed much the last time I checked. Perhaps he thought the act was justified.
You really don't remember me, do you?" Snippets replayed in my head of a half forgotten event. I remember standing by the door, and watching my father and him standing parallel to one another with nothing but pure hate in their eyes, before he turned away to leave. I did not think I would be seeing him again, and was equally surprised at his claim of him and my father being friends. My eyes welled up at the memory; it had happened after my mother's death when my father had emotionally abandoned me and I had to learn to live without looking for a shoulder to lean on.
Siddique," I said the only sensible thing that came in my mind at that time. "Your name is Siddique, isn't it?"
He eyes widened by surprise, for a moment before it was replaced with glee. "Dost." Friend. "Yes. Your memory isn't that bad, is it?"
It's quite the opposite, unfortunately, I wanted to say.
"The ring that you're wearing was a gift from from me to your father. It is an heirloom in my family, passed from generation to generation. One belonged to me and one to my brother. I gave it to him when my brother passed away, because we were closer than brothers. Our political opinions never got in the way, until he begin to develop the tendencies of a snake who would strike as soon as you turned your back."
"You actually have the audacity to call my father a backstabber knowing very well that it was your party members who had a hand in both my mother and father's accidents?" I asked him in an incredulous tone, and raising an eyebrow.
"The waters are murky and too deep for you to tread on, dear Amira. I cannot disclose the entire truth, but know that your father was not as innocent as you have thought him to be."
"My father is a politician, who had enemies and snakes all around him. No politician is a saint, but I knew my father well enough to know that he is a good man."
"Good enough to betray his own country? Brave enough to stage his own death?"
"He was taken by the Mother, which I'm sure your party has something to do with!"
"My party knows better than to make ties with the Mother. Keeping her as a friend is more dangerous than having her as your enemy. I tried telling this to your father, but he would not listen."
He delved in the inside pocket of his coat, and pulled out a khaki envelope and placed it on the counter, while I was still reeling from what he just said.
"This holds evidence of a sequence of events that happened a few months after your mother's death. I could not believe the recordings myself until your father confessed it himself."
"A dark secret is being held in the web of the North, Amira, something beyond the eyes of all." He continued in a solemn tone, because I was too stunned to speak. "And I think it is safe to say it is dangerous. Even though we might not know exactly what it is, it is safe to say it is dangerous. Dangerous enough to start the next world war and this could be the first milestone in triggering it. I won't stop you from pursuing your mission, because how can I stop a daughter from saving her father? Besides, someone needs to get to the bottom of this, however, beware of the peril you are putting you and your friends in, in case you might get ensnared. But, who knows? You might have already been caught."