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I dug my nails into my palms to keep from crying out, reminding myself that to have any chance of getting out of the apartment I had to keep Karim onside. “Do you mean like nine-eleven and the twin towers?” I asked, trying to sound as if I were actually interested in his answer.
He nodded. “That’s the one everyone remembers but there have been heaps of other attacks and believe me Beth, there’s more to come.”
A ripple of shock ran through me like the aftershock that follows an earthquake. I choked back a sob and gouged my flesh again, determined not to cry out and reveal my horror. “I don’t like the idea of innocent people dying Karim,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Me neither ... but appalling as terrorism undoubtedly is, how else can a nation inferior in arms and military equipment overcome a more powerful aggressor?”
“I see what you mean. I’ve never thought about it like that.” I forced out a smile. “As much as I’d like to discuss this with you some more ... if I’m going to look presentable at the opening ceremony, I better be on my way.”
He stiffened. “Weren’t you listening? You don’t have clearance to attend.”
“That only applies to the private party afterwards. I have an invitation to the opening ceremony and as I’m representing St. Agnes’s I want to look my best.”
“Blast,” he muttered more to himself than me. Then in quite a different voice, he said to me, “Don’t leave yet, there’s something I have to ask you and I may not get another chance.”
“I have an appointment at the hairdresser’s but I can spare you five minutes,” I answered calmly, though my heart was thudding.
He took me by the arm and steered me towards the sofa. “What is it you want to ask me?” I asked once we were both seated—me clasping my shaking hands in my lap—Karim with his shoulders hunched sitting on the edge of the seat.
“It’s about your sister...”
“What about her?”
He blinked. “Er ... I was wondering if you meant what you said about joining me in Syria when she’s more settled.”
Relief flooded through me. After listening to Karim spout extremist ideology, I’d got it into my head that he planned to detonate a bomb at tonight’s function ... that he was prepared to sacrifice his own life to strike a blow against the West. But I must be wrong. I mean, how could Karim be a suicide bomber if he was making plans for the future, a future that he mistakenly believed included me by his side? Up to an hour ago I’d dreamt about being his life partner, now I felt nothing remotely like love for him, only a fearful anxiety for his well-being.
It was difficult for me to find the words to answer him. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d no more travel to Syria with a fundamental Muslim than fly to the moon. What sane woman would want to go about swathed in black to her ankles, and wearing a full chador? I was certain that’s what he’d expect me to wear if I was foolish enough to go with him.
Thanking my lucky stars for the revealing insight, I said, “Annie’s only just turned ten. It could be years before I’ll be able to join you. It isn’t fair of me to ask you to wait.”
“Your responsibility does you credit.” He flicked me an approving glance. “However your situation could change. Would you join me? Would you marry me if Annie was out of the picture?”
Out of the picture! I gasped and swallowed the lump in my throat. Every hope I’d clung to vanished. Intuitively, I knew that the maniac staring beseechingly at me was banking on Annie being killed at the ceremony.
My instinct was to fly at him, to scratch out his eyes, pull every hair from his head. I took a steadying breath, “Of course I would. And actually, my little sis could be out of the picture quite soon if my father remarries and takes her to live with them in Geraldton. Right now, he and his lady friend are on a world cruise. It wouldn’t surprise me if Freda’s wearing Dad’s ring when they return.”
For a moment Karim looked stunned then he gave a jubilant laugh. “I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me.” He leant forward. My instinct was to recoil but I submitted to being kissed on one cheek and then the other.
“I should warn you, life will be different in Syria. We’ll be living under Sharia law; you’ll have to wear to wear a burqa. You’ll get used to it. All female ISIS recruits wear traditional dress.”
Me join ISIS ... he had to be crazy! I may have expressed sympathy for the Syrian refugees, but no more than many other of my friends. I’d never said anything to give him reason to believe I’d join such an utterly evil organization.
Fortunately, he couldn’t read my mind. His arms tightened around me and he kissed me. I kissed him back though I felt sick with loathing. “Of course I’ll wear the burqa if it pleases you,” I said when he came up for breath.
“You’ll have to convert to Islam too. An Imam will teach you the principles, beliefs and practices of Islam.”
I nodded vigorously, “When do you leave?”
“In the morning at three.” He gave me a sheepish grin. “I bought two business class tickets to Ankara. The second’s for you. I purchased it in the hope you’d come with me.”
He’d bought my ticket without consulting me first ... he had to be insane. “I’m guessing it’s non-refundable.”
He nodded his head.
“Well, in that case, I better get off home and pack a bag.”
“Do you mean you’ll come?”
“Well I wish I’d had more notice, but the answer’s yes”.
Coal black eyes looked at me suspiciously. “But didn’t you just tell me you can’t leave Annie?”
I sniffled as if I was holding back my tears, not difficult in my current situation. “Oh, Karim, I don’t think I could carry on if I lost you a second time. Annie’s receiving the best of care at school. I know she wouldn’t want to stand in the way of our happiness.” It wasn’t much of an explanation for a massive back-flip, but it was the best I could come up with. “Did you say the flight leaves at 3:00 AM?” I asked to distract him.
He nodded.
“Good,” I said with a false brightness, “there’s time to see Annie present the bouquet and say good-bye to her.” I spread my hands, though I wasn’t prone to using expressive gestures. “What sort of a sister would I be if I just went off? Especially when it could be years before I see her again.”
A suspicious look crossed Karim’s face, “I don’t buy you dropping everything at a moment’s notice.”
“I d-don’t know how you can doubt me. H-have you ever known me to tell a lie?” The shake in my voice was genuine.
“You can stop with the wide-eyed innocence ... you can’t fool me, Beth. I know you too well.”
There was a long pause.
There was no use pretending any longer. I asked him directly if he was a suicide bomber.
He raised his head in proud defiance. “I’d hoped to be, but I’ve been replaced.” My controller believes my skills can be put to better use.”
“Is your replacement someone who works in the hospital?” If I knew what dispensable idiot had been talked into taking Karim’s place perhaps it wouldn’t be too late to stop him.
He shook his head.
“From the detention camp, then ... it’s one of the detainees, isn’t it?”
Firmly, he removed my hands from the lapels of his jacket. “Actually Beth, it’s Annie.” His voice was icy cold.
“What?” I shrieked. “You monster, how could you ... have you hidden a bomb in the bouquet?”
“No, no ... nothing as obvious as that. Actually, I surgically implanted an explosive device inside Annie.” He stared at me smugly as if he were proud of what he’d done.
In that moment I learnt what it was to truly hate. “When did you do it?” I asked.
“Last Saturday when you stayed the night at my place. That’s the reason you were both groggy the next day ... I drugged your drinks.”
Staggered, I swayed unsteadily on my feet. For a dizzy moment I thought I would fall. “How could you?” I asked, when the room finally stopped spinning.
“But don’t you see? Annie is the perfect choice. I realised that when you told me she’d been chosen to present the bouquet. In order to ensure that as many as possible heads of government are killed, the bomber has to be in close proximity to the VIPs,” he said with a chilling indifference.
“But Karim ... she’s just a little girl.”
His lip curled. “Thousands of girls die. Annie is collateral damage. Her life is of no more value than children killed in Syria during bombing raids.”
“But she’s my sister.”
He compressed his lips and didn’t answer.
“If you love me you won’t go through with it.” My voice wobbled. I gulped back tears. “I’ll go to Syria with you ... marry you ... anything!”
“Don’t try to tempt me, woman. I took an oath in the Blessed name of Allah to see this through and nothing will make me break my sacred vow.”
“But it was you not Annie that swore the oath.” I searched my mind for a convincing argument. “You can’t use her to bargain your way out of a commitment, just because it suits you.”
Karim scowled. He looked offended. “My conscience is clear ... for it is written in the Koran that whosoever swears an oath to Allah and then sees a better alternative that person is expiated from his oath.
“How can blowing an innocent girl to bits be a better alternative?”
He wouldn’t look at me. “The end justifies the means,” he said shortly.
“You’re nothing but a stinking coward,” I replied with all the scorn I could muster.
“I’m no coward. I was prepared to die for the cause, but don’t you see ... my death wouldn’t have the same impact as Annie’s,” he said, without a trace of emotion. “Think of the operation as a PR exercise. The death of a child suicide-bomber will have more impact globally than that of an adult. And in any case, as a member of the audience, it’s probable that she’ll be killed in the blast, or at the very least, seriously maimed.”
Appalled by his callous disregard for Annie and sickened by the glib way he’d justified sacrificing her, I scrunched up my forehead, trying to figure how what to do. My little sister brimming over with the joy of life, blown to bits — my brain shook inside my head. No matter what it took I intended to save her. I faked a smile. “Is that why you didn’t want me to attend? “Were you trying to protect me?”
“Of course I was,” he said, at last showing some emotion. “I was at my wits end when I learnt you were going to attend the ceremony. That’s why I got you over to my place ... I wanted to keep you safe. I’ve thought of nothing but you since I ran into you at the hospital. I hoped that after all the hoo-hah over the incident died down; you’d join me in Syria. After all with Annie gone, there’d be nothing to keep you here.”
There it was ... the real reason for sacrificing Annie. PR exercise, my eye! Suddenly I couldn’t go on with the charade. “You were right there, Karim. If Annie had been killed, I would have wanted to get as far away from Perth as I could. Quite possibly, I may have turned to you. But you’ve blown any chance of that happening.”
He let out a groan and put his head in his hands.
There was no time to waste on terror, though I felt it. It was now or never. I lunged for a crystal vase standing on the side table and swung the base at him. I dealt him a blow hard enough to make him groan in earnest.
