Pru spent the ride to Yonkers Portal reading the Quick Start instructions for her wristcom and calling Terry and Solly to be sure her ear cuffs and necklace performed correctly.
Eddie went with her through the New York Sector Metro. It was early in the morning and there were few people around, but somehow Pru welcomed Eddie´s steady and unobtrusive presence as they rode the nearly deserted metro and the slidewalks to the airport terminal. His confidence and alert awareness came clearly to her through her new Neo-Tantra sensitivity. They arrived at the airport in good time, and Pru stopped to pick up a book-chip to read during the trip from a drowsy bookstore clerk. New York to Tangiers was only three hours, but she felt it was important to appear a tourist.
She was quickly cleared through the security checkpoint. Her plastic knife did not, of course, register on the metal detector, and her new wristcom seemed not to be a problem either. The normal remote in her bag also caused no comment. But of course, everybody carried one of those.
The plane was only partly filled. Her seat was in second class, and there was no one seated next to her. Pru settled in and began a thorough reading of the manual for her wristcom. Some of its functions surprised her; especially, since it was quite thin and decorative. She called Solly and he made certain she knew how the different functions worked, confirming that he could, indeed, track her position and communicate directly.
Technicalities only took finite time. When it was all settled, she sat back in her seat, thinking about Jazira´s call for help. She´d known Jazz and the others for years, since her parents had moved to Morocco when she was in her teens. Somehow she had become a leader of the group of girls and the boys who were drawn to them. She and Isabella were the only non-Muslim, non-Mahgrebis in their wide circle of friends, but that didn´t seem to matter. She always seemed to be the one to whom they all turned, whether for advice on their amours or clothes or what to do next. When they went camping or gaming in the remoter areas, it was usually Pru´s suggestion of where to go that caught their imaginations.
‘I can´t think how many times we went out to Wadi Felucca to fool around back then. Now, it´s some kind of hideout for bad guys.´ She shook her head and grinned. ‘We used to play war games against the boys… mostly so we could lose and let them take us prisoner.´ The grin disappeared. ‘And then, we went trekking in The Yemen. That was almost a very big mistake. But, and I don´t know why, when things went to shit it was me they turned to. I´m no better at any of this stuff than they are, I wonder why?´ She turned her face to the window where dawn was showing and pondered how it was that she was always the one who got the leadership assignment. ‘It´s not because I want it,´ she thought. ‘Maybe it´s a disease – or at least, a character flaw.´
Finally, Pru leaned the seat back and dozed for the rest of the trip, her book reader forgotten.
Said bin Said, wearing a very conventional kilt with business cuffs and tie, met her when she came through the gate. She sensed a reserve, perhaps, or a guarded feeling from him, and instead of embracing him, she quite formally shook his hand. He smiled, and she felt a wave of relief from him, assuring her she had got it right. They went through to the Metro together – not exactly a duplicate of the trip through New York Sector she had taken just a few hours before, but not strikingly different except in décor – and to the Neo-Tantra office in Ceuta Sector. They talked about inconsequential nothings. Pru managed to hold her questions until they were in his office.
“Where is Jazira?” was the first question.
“Jazira and Mira are at the safe house. I´ll take you there shortly. I sent Sarah to bring them there, so you can meet there. She´s looking after them.”
“Have there been developments? Have we heard anything about Zahlman?”
Said said, “Yes and no, in that order. We still have heard nothing about Zahlman´s whereabouts. But, there is new activity at the Wadi Felucca site. There have been small numbers of men coming and going from the site, and there is one building that appears to be under guard. Our assumption is that, if they have him, that is where he is.”
“Have you got any kind of head count?”
“It´s pretty uncertain right now. We think there are only about ten men there, but our guess is that they´ve either changed the people on duty there, or they´ve been rotating them in and out to another location.”
Pru had another thought. “Are you normally involved in ‘other side´ operations?”
Said smiled. “Normally, Neo-Tantra office personnel are kept quite separate from other matters. Ceuta is a small office, and we have to take the risk. Sarah is usually never involved, but I did have to ask her to move your friends. She understands what´s going on, but I try very hard to keep her at a distance. Since she has been Jazira´s teacher, and people have seen them together, I don´t think there´s much risk. I presume that´s behind your question?”
“Yes. I´m beginning to see that security is a trickier thing than I had thought. I take it that it´s become known that I am an official from Neo-Tantra headquarters?”
“Just so,” he grinned. “Also for your information, a secure shipping case will be arriving for you in a few hours. We´ll get it to you at the safe house as soon as we can.”
“Tell me how I can reach you. I´ll need copies of your imaging.”
“Use your wristcom. Head Office can put you through. You can also contact me direct, but that connection won´t be encrypted. The imaging is on the com at the safe house.”
“I see,” Pru said. “When will the others get here?”
“Ms Buonfortuna will be arriving early tomorrow. The two from Casablanca will be here this evening. They said they had to arrange for coverage at their restaurant.”
“Well, then,” Pru said, “we have some time we can spend together. You´ve already closed the office for the day. It´s been quite a while since I saw you last.”
When they left the office, they chatted idly. Despite having been with Terry the night before, her senses were now heightened. ‘It´s not just being high,´ she thought, ‘it´s feeling really fulfilled, awake and alive.´
Said took her to a food court some distance away and took a table somewhat back from the passageway.
“Go into the shop,” his eyes indicated the gift shop across the square, “and ask to use the toilet. In the toilet, there will be a picture on the wall. Turn the picture clockwise until it catches. Come out of the shop and go around that corner, into that narrow street. You will see a mural on the wall, with a faux door painted in it. If there is no one in sight, push on the door and it will open. If you are being watched, do nothing. The door will remain active for ten minutes after you move the picture, and if you can´t get through in that time, you´ll have to go to the toilet again. But, I´d wait quite a while – half an hour – before trying again.”
Said rose, and said, in a louder voice, “I´m sure you´ll want to do some shopping while you´re here, Ms Whiteside. I´ll leave you to it.”
They shook hands, and Pru sat down again to finish the coffee she had ordered, but didn´t want.