"Hell, Ali! What are you doing? Are you insane?“, Ashraf shouted at him. With a sour face, which showed that he was offended, Ali opened the metal bars to the cell: “You could be a little bit more grateful.”
However, Ashraf did not have time for his cousin’s feelings, as he expected the Colonel’s men to arrive any time soon: “for sure they are not going to let us walk out of here just like that! We will get caught and then what benefit is there to us when we are both just sitting here? How will we get out then? Eh?“
"Don’t be such a sissy, the guards are all sleeping deeply, like babies, you know? In the end this is just a normal police station and nothing else…” Well, when Ali was right, he was right. The usual policemen were known for not taking their job too seriously. “But what about the Colonel’s men?“, Ashraf asked. They would not be fooled so easily.
"One of them has bitten the dust outside, another one I managed to knock unconscious. You think I want to go to prison? Surely not Ali! Let’s get going, before the second one wakes up“, exclaimed Ali, full of pride.
Ashraf could not believe his luck. With a broad grin he bear-hugged his cousin. “Ali, I have clearly underestimated you!” Even though Ali had just informed him about killing a man, he did not shed a single tear. It was either them or him.
Almost too easily they reached the exit. Could it really be that simple? It struck him as strange, but he decided to wonder about his lucky fate later. Near the door that led outside were two more of the Colonel’s men, who could be easily identified by the colours of their uniforms. They were self-assured, and deep in conversation. They were keeping an eye on what was going on outside, yet they clearly did not expect anything unusual from the inside. Why should they be in any danger from inside the prison walls?
“How do we pass them?”, Ashraf whispered, barely audibly into Ali’s ear. It was essential not to make any sound now.
This had been prepared for in Ali’s calculations: instead of using the door, he lead Ashraf into the backyard of the prison.
In the pale moonlight Ashraf saw a rope hanging down from the wall. With the help of some boxes, which were lying around, it was easy for sporty Ashraf to climb the wall of the stinking and filthy backyard, normally used for garbage.
Ali had some difficulties, but eventually he succeeded as well and drew himself alongside Ashraf on top of the wall. A last glance back at the prison and quickly Ashraf was down on the outside. He gasped with relief. He was about to congratulate his cousin again when he heard a gurgling sound and something heavy falling down. He tried to accustom his eyes to the dark alley, but he could not see anything at all. "Ali?“, he asked softly. There was no answer.
That was the moment he realised something was definitely not right. He should have listened to his doubts – it had been too easy. Before he could think about what to do, he was grabbed from behind. The last thing he felt was the penetration of a needle into his throat and, with the thought that this was not the way he had planned it, all descended into darkness.
2014 - Dubai – The Colonel
Colonel Abboud stomped around. He was in a violent temper.
He was a small man with some fat starting to show, who seemed to sweat constantly.
However, his mind was quick and always fully awake. He and his men had the reputation for being unbribable.
Neither with him nor with any of his man was it possible to fool around. They simply had no sense of humour.
For three days he had been preparing for the arrival of the Sheikh. He had drilled all his men and nearly driven them crazy, planned the ceremony and had personally taken care that they were spotlessly presented down to every last blinking button on their uniforms. The same went for the local police officers.
After all, His Excellency, who was a person of high influence, did not come here too often. Most of the time he flew with his jet directly to Alessia. At least according to the information you would hear about him.
Therefore, it was naturally in the interest of the Colonel that this experience was a special one.
Well, it had been, hadn’t it? At least in a way…he thought ironically.
He was fully aware of the reputation of the Sheikh and knew more than anything how far his influence could reach.
It was said that he had destroyed the life of men just because they had not treated him respectfully enough. The Colonel was not really sure if these rumours were true but for sure he was not willing to take the risk of finding out.
And then came the first bad news: the jet had had a technical defect so the Sheikh had to change to a regular flight, full of tourists. What a disaster!
Consequently, it was necessary to change the whole ceremony from the rear part of the airport, which was reserved for private jets, into the main part, which was completely exposed. From a security point of view, it was a nightmare. Additionally, on top of the assassination that had led to the death of one of the Sheikh’s men (and not just anyone, so he heard), one of his officers had reported to him a minute ago that the perpetrator had gotten away.
A break-out? In the middle of the night – just like that? Out of the city’s prison?
What made the situation even worse was that his men had not succeeded in getting a single word out of him, in spite of hours of interrogation yesterday. He knew his men had no conscience about abusing a prisoner a little bit harder if he asked for it. Ashraf had obviously been one of the tougher ones.
That scumbag! He would put him in his place eventually. This was his city and he estimated it would take no more than three days until the man would be in his grasp again. He already knew that the cousin – a small fat merchant named Ali – had been part of the game. He was going to find him as well. Soon.
He was just relieved that His Excellency had departed already. He was the last person he needed in his company right now. Just the thought that he would have had to report to him this bad news gave him the creeps.
But the good news was, that by the time he saw the Sheikh again, all would be resolved. Both men would be securely somewhere deep down in the basement of his prison. He was absolutely sure of that.
At that moment he could not even begin to know, that he was absolutely right about the time frame of three days before getting back the perpetrator. Only he had imagined it to be completely different.
When Ali was found later that day with a cut throat, the Colonel began to have a hunch that there was something very unusual about their break-out.
1989 - Zarifa – Shattered future
Sheikh Sedat Suekran had followed the tracks of the fugitives until the hut of Eleonora and Youssef. It had not been too difficult. It had been his idea to open the gate for the rebels.
It had been his hope to find the settlement without bloodshed. And it had worked.
The threat of the gallows and having to watch what his men had done to Rayan had put the seven people into a state of panic. Some of them had fled directly to the location without hesitation.
He and his men just had to wait until morning and follow their tracks: the runaways had only partly bothered to try to wipe their tracks away. The lack of leadership was evident.
Sedat was surprised not to find Rayan along with them, but then it became clear to him that it had been too far to carry an unconscious person.
He quickly came to the same conclusion, like Sachra the night before: the house of Eleonora and Youssef was much nearer.
Although the rebels were taken completely by surprise, it had taken Sedat’s men some time to conquer the settlement. Subsequently it was almost nightfall when Sedat reached the grandparents hut.
He