Scene 5

“Where are we going?” Anicka asked as they were speeding through the city’s centre.

“The harbour,” Leo replied. “Youssef is an engineer for the oil company TRC.”

“So he doesn’t work for you?

“Yes, he does. Engineering is his day job. He’s… well, he’s an informant.”

“A spy?”

“Yes. He watches both the company he works for and a local cell of IS-minded people.”

Anicka inhaled deeply.

“Who the hell are you guys?”

Leo gave a long-suffering sigh.

“Can you promise me you’ll take the oath?”

Anicka snorted. “Oh, can I promise you I’ll swear something that I have no idea about?”

Leo didn’t reply, concentrated on a particularly tricky traffic situation. Anicka let out her breath slowly, watching out the window. As always when she was in the city, she watched the passers-by with that forlorn illusion he would be among them. Maybe that guy, the tall, dark youth who had his shoulders set like him, maybe he would turn around and throw her his smile, and then she’d jump out of the moving car and….

She swallowed, hard, and twisted the ring she was wearing around her ring finger off. It lay in her palm, gold and sapphire, a never-ending reminder of an unfinished story.

“If I make a vow,” she said softly, “I’ll always stick to it, not matter what the cost. But I have to know what I’m signing up for.”

Robin poked his head between the front seats, startling her. She shoved the ring in her pocket.

“Well, it’s more of a best efforts obligation,” Robin explained. “You swear to strive to make a better world as much as you can, in any way that you can. We’re organised to create more possibilities for our members to contribute. There’s also a vow of silence. This is what Youssef is about to break.”

Anicka nodded, pensive.

“So, this Youssef. He’s planning to frame you?”

“We don’t know for sure,” Leo pitched in. “But he obviously plans to accuse us of something.”

“How do you even know?”

“Hard to explain,” Leo replied cryptically. “But rest assured, we are not terrorists. Come to think of it, we’re actually quite the opposite.”

“What’s the opposite of terrorists?” Robin asked, amused.

“Err…”

“The police? Interpol?” Anicka suggested.

Leo shook his head.

“We’re not law enforcers. We even break the law when necessary.”

“But you can trust us,” Robin added hastily. “We’re the good guys.”

Anicka snorted. “That’s what they all say.”

Robin chuckled.

“Why would this Youssef betray you, if you’re the good guys?” Anicka asked, coming back to the the previous argument.

“Brainwashing,” Robin pointed out.

“Maybe,” she admitted, hesitantly. “But he needn’t have told them about you. What good will it do him if he exposes you?”

Robin shrugged. “PR?”

Anicka looked at him, puzzled. It was Leo who explained:

“That kind of accusation would shift the focus of the media away from the IS threat, I suppose, giving them more room to manoeuvre.”

Anicka was still unconvinced. “Even if he has no proof?”

Robin and Leo exchanged a knowing look in the rear-view mirror. Anicka cynically raised one eyebrow “What?” she demanded.

Leo sighed wearily.

“If he’s taped any conversations, he might be able to make it sound plausible. Some of our missions are… delicate.”

Anicka grunted. “Delicate, right. Sounds bloody fishy to me. Did you at least pay him decently?”

Leo threw her a marked look of disapproval.

“He gets adequately paid,” he grumbled.

“Apparently not enough if he went all Allah-crazy. Though I suppose anything – and that includes you – must be better than IS brainwashing.”

She heard a sudden intake of breath from Robin, but before she could turn to him, Leo barked:

“You’re one presumptuous little girl, you know that?” Leo snapped.

Anicka’s jaw dropped.

“Says the one with the sky-high ego!” she snapped back.

“And foul-mouthed, too!” Leo snarled.

While Anicka was gathering breath to give him a good taste of her most obscene invectives, Robin intervened, placing a hand on each their shoulders.

“Kids, kids, come on. Don’t bite each other’s face off. We’re on the same team here.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Anicka grumbled.

“Damn right,” Leo spit.

“Well, at least you agree about that…”

“Worst job interview ever,” Anicka muttered under her breath.

“Worst recruit ever,” Leo grumbled.

Robin sighed deeply and put a hand on Leo’s shoulder.

“So, what’s the battle plan here, boss?”

Leo shrugged.

“Didn’t have time to figure one out yet.”

“Maybe you’d better done that instead of insulting me,” Anicka interjected. “Says a lot about your competence as a leader,” she added as an afterthought.

“That’s enough! What is wrong with you?”

“Dude, just leave her be,” Robin said softly. “Can’t you see she’s having a rough time? Besides, we need to concentrate on a plan right now.”

“Fine,” Leo snapped. “Any ideas?”

Robin grimaced and lay back, twiddling his fingers.

Anicka was looking out the window as they passed from the inhabited inner city into the desolated industrial zone. She was agitated, angry and confused, a dangerous combination. She was aware she had a flaring temper and an extremely short fuse, but she couldn’t help but feeling distraught at the way she was losing control. Robin was right, she was having a rough time and she was using her anger as a shield. Then she remembered Constantinus’ frozen face, the staring blood-eyes, and shuddered.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea!” Robin exclaimed enthusiastically.

“God help us all,” Leo said under his breath, the louder: “What is it?”

“We should send Anicka in to ask for Youssef. He doesn’t know her and he won’t get suspicious. At least not right away.”

Leo pursed his lips, but nodded in agreement.

“Okay,” Anicka said.

“We’re here,” Leo announced and parked the car close to the docks.

As she exited the car, a strong breeze coming off the Scheldt took hold of Anicka’s locks blowing them in her face. She savagely peeled the strands from her eyes and mouth, then followed the men across the parking lot.


“Whom do I ask for?”

“What? Well, Youssef, of course,” Robin said.

“Does Youssef have a last name or do you need me to impersonate a crazy chick he met at a bar and didn’t even tell her his last name?”

“Barrani,” Leo sighed.

“Alright,” Anicka declared and rushed past them towards the building marked TRC.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Leo shouted.

“I’m going in,” Anicka replied, stopping and turning towards them, which resulted in another blast of wind ravaging her hair, but she ignored it this time. “How do you think he is going to react when he sees you guys?”

Robin and Leo looked at each other, consternated.

“And how long have you been doing this?” Anicka asked, hands on her hips.

“And smash,” Robin exclaimed, making a whipping motion.

“But you don’t know what to say to him, what to ask him…” Leo intervened.

“Of course not. But you guys can wait outside, I’ll coax him out.”

“How?”

Anicka put a finger to her lips.

“Does he smoke by any chance?” she asked, cocking her head at the ash towers in front of the entrance.

“He does,” Leo confirmed.

“You wait here, just beside the door, so he can’t see you. I’ll bring him to you.”

Robin looked at Leo, who was wavering, took him by the elbow and manoeuvred him out of sight.

“One more thing,” Anicka called. “Where is he from?”

“Marocco,” Robin answered. “Why?”

Anicka shrugged.

“Just curious.”

She took a deep breath, put her best dumb redhead face on, and walked through the sliding doors. Playfully twisting a lock of hair around her index, she walked in with her best Paris Hilton impersonation.

“Hi. I’m here to see Dr. Youssef Barrani, please.”

The receptionist, a neat woman in her fifties, gave her a fake, derisive smile and nodded.

“Do you have an appointment with Mr. Barrani?”

Anicka giggled.

“Oh, sorry, I think he’s told me he was a doctor of some kind. No, I don’t have an appointment, but could you tell him Anna is here to see him? It will just be for a second.”

The woman hesitated. Anicka leaned over the counter and confidentially whispered:

“It’s a personal visit. He may not remember me, we just met last night and we had a lot to drink, you know?”

She giggled again, softly.

She could tell the receptionist had a hard time keeping herself from rolling her eyes, so she winked and drew back.

“I’ll see if he’s available,” the receptionist said and picked up her phone.

“Mr. Barrani? There’s an Anna here to see you. She didn’t say, just that it is personal and it won’t be long. Alright, I’ll tell her.”

Putting down the phone, the woman announced without looking up:

“He’ll be here in a minute, would you take a seat?”

Without another glance, she returned to her paperwork.

Anicka sat down, crossed her legs, got out her pocket mirror and started arranging her hair. In reality, she loved the wild look on her windblown hair and she hated putting it in any kind of shape, but she had to play the game.

Mr. Barrani was a tall man in his thirties, perfectly groomed and dressed in a black suit. He frowned when he saw her, but her most charming and inviting smile seemed to melt him a little.


“Youssef, would you go for a smoke with me?”

“Excuse me, I don’t seem to recall you?”

Anicka forced another giggle and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

“Oh, Mr. Barrani, now, it’s alright. I remember you quite well! Will you come?”

Youssef threw an embarrassed glance at the receptionist, who was shaking with suppressed laughter, and motioned Anicka outside. She smiled warmly at him over her shoulder, waited for him and grabbed his hand, drawing him with her through the doors.

“Miss, I…”

A giggle was all he got for an answer.

Once outside, Anicka tightened her grip on his hand.

“What are you doing?”

Then he saw Leo and Robin, and made a motion to go back in.

“Oh no, you’re not,” Leo warned him.

“Nice trick, Leo,” Youssef spit. “And where did you find this fine specimen of prostitute?” he asked, trying to extract his hand from Anicka’s.

With difficulty, she kept herself from giving him a good slap. Instead, she twisted his wrist, causing him to grunt in pain and almost fall to his knees.

“That’s no way to speak to a lady,” she hissed into his ear.

Then she added something in a Arabic.

All three men’s eyes went round as saucers.

Youssef answered in the same language. She loosened her grip and helped him back upright, but did not release his hand. A few questions and answers were passed back and forth.

Then Youssef seemed to crumple. He put his hands over his eyes.

Another employee chose this very opportune moment to come out for a smoke, so Anicka motioned them all to go farther from the entrance where they couldn’t be overheard.

“What’s going on?” Leo asked, annoyed.

“They have his wife and daughter,” Anicka whispered.

“What?” Robin called out.

“Hush, not so loud,” Youssef whispered. “They have eyes and ears everywhere.”

“They are blackmailing you?” Leo asked.

Youssef nodded, beaten.

“I’m sorry Leo, they found out I wasn’t really one of them. I don’t know how. Could we have a mole?”

“You mean beside you?” Leo snarled.

Anicka rolled her eyes and gave him a pacifying look, one eyebrow raised.

He nodded imperceptively. She turned back to Youssef.

“Why didn’t you ask for help? It seems these guys here have a lot of resources at their disposal.”

Youssef shrugged helplessly.

“They said they’d kill my family if I told anyone anything. And I don’t know where they’re being held.”

Anicka turned to Leo.

“Could we locate them?”

He nodded, pensive.

“Can we protect Youssef and his family? Get them out of here to a safe place?”

“Of course. But they have to want to.”

“Youssef,” she said softly. “I know you are afraid. Look, I am too. I don’t know Leo and Robin at all and they want to me to swear some kind of weird secret oath. It all smells of sect to me, but I’m sure of one thing: anything is better than giving the IS an advantage. You can’t play into their hands, it’s not right. Do you believe them when they say they can protect you?”

“Yes, I know they can. But I want my family back safe first.”

“Okay, if we find them, and bring them to you, do you agree to go away to a safe place?”

Youssef nodded.

“And you won’t testify against… well against this boss of yours?”

“No. I just want my daughter and my wife in my arms, that is all.”

Anicka nodded.

“Can we bring him to the beach house? Is he safe there?”

“Yeah,” Robin confirmed. “I’ll bring him.”

They turned to go, but Youssef stopped and said to Leo:

“She’s good, your new empath.”

“Empath?” Leo and Robin cried out in unison.

“What’s an empath?” Anicka asked.

“Someone who can sense very strong feelings in others and therefore read them very easily,” Leo replied.

“Holy God, Leo, she’s like you!” Robin shouted.

“Like him?” Anicka said, pointing her thumb at Leo. “What do you mean, like him?”

“You’ve got two mind powers,” Leo answered and took her by the elbow.

“Robin, bring Youssef to the beach house. See if you can get hold of your brother. I’ll call Mia, this is too important. Locate Youssef’s family and send us the coordinates.”

“Alright boss. Welcome to the team, Anicka!”

Anicka waved as they departed.

“Us?” Anicka she then asked, amused.

Leo smiled, for the first time since they met.

“You’re going on your first mission.”

A smile broke on her face too.

“Let’s go,” Leo said.

“Just a second, I’ll be right there.”

She ran to the Scheldt and stood there for a few seconds, looking at the raving waters. Then she took the ring from her pocket and threw it in the waves.

“Good riddance,” she mumbled and turned around.

“Ready to go!” she shouted.