Chapter 12
God suffices us,
and what a Good Protector
Iran, Esfahan
Mar. 26th, 10:15 pm
Unknowing the plans being set for them in the neighborhood, Omid and Roy were speaking about the dogfight in which they faced each other.
‘You really drove me crazy!’ said Roy, ‘let’s tell you what you deserve; nearly nobody had ever got behind me. But you did!’
‘Oh, I believe I’m still a beginner’ Omid said humbling, ‘I have to confess, I lost
my self-
‘I really wanted to meet you face to face’
‘Same here’ said Roy, ‘you recognized I was carrying the nuke, you guessed I had a fuel problem, I really didn’t know what to do with you, thanks the escorts’
Most of their discussion contained professional words and jargons which Kaveh didn’t know; he was just sitting afar and listening to the two pilots.
An officer saluted by the door and told Kaveh, ‘Major Selahshur calls Major Harding and you Sir’
Kaveh looked at Roy that was enjoying speaking of his most real dogfight with his very opponent, and remarked, ‘Commander, Major Selahshur calls you and me’
Suddenly Roy got upset, ‘what again?’ he asked, ‘is it about the nuclear warhead?’
‘I don’t know, it must be an urgent or especial topic, I’m not informed about it as well’ Kaveh answered.
In the command room, in presence of Colonel Rastgari, Raha was sitting with two stranger officers, as soon as Raha saw Roy she got up and said, ‘two members of the intelligence ministry are here, they carry a very especial message for you’
Roy didn’t feel good about these men, looked at them and told Raha, ‘you are also an Intelligence member, were they needed?’
Raha smiled and invited him and Kaveh to sit down; one of the officers showed him the picture in his laptop and asked, ‘do you know this lady?’
Roy looked and saw Rose! ‘What’s her name?’ the officer continued asking.
Roy was pale, ‘what do you want to do with her?’ he said. Picked up his head and looked at Raha. She insinuated to him to calm dawn, and that nothing was wrong.
‘Of course I do, she is my wife, Rose Harding’ he said.
‘Good, we just wanted to be completely sure’ said the man, ‘she’s sent you an MP3 message, I’ll play it for you if you are ready!’
Roy felt his heart beating, told himself how it would be possible? And nodded with no words.
He played the message: ‘my dear Roy …’
When the voice of child was played he burst into tears, crying madly as hard as he was about to get sick. His head was going round in the end of message but he asked, ‘can I listen to it again?’
Kaveh whispered to Raha, ‘I never in my life seen a man crying like this’
‘I have’ said Raha, ‘I have one at home!’
Roy listened to it 4 times, but then Kaveh took his arms to make him get up, ‘you are hurting yourself, calm down, let’s go to your room’ he said.
‘You stay please Mr. Hani ’ said Colonel Rastgari, and ordered another officer to take Roy.
This time it was Roy that was keeping Kaveh’s hands and pressing them. Kaveh pulled up and kissed his hands, and said, ‘I honor your loyalty, I honor your parental enthusiasm… go rest a little, your wife wants to help, sure she doesn’t want to make you worse’
‘I’m not worse, I’m much better, I’m back to life right now’ he said and got up.
Omid was afraid of the change in Roy’s face when he entered; he just silently lied on bed and pulled the blanket over his head.
The intelligence members told Kaveh some suspecting codes are detected to be bandied
inside and outside of Iran, they thought a conspiracy was soon to happen. But they
hadn’t suppressed the spies to be able to trace and discover the plan. Anyhow they
wanted the base to be alerted for any unlooked-
After an hour Kaveh came back and thanked Omid for having stayed there. Roy was not asleep, Kaveh pulled away the blanket, and said ‘trust God’
‘Would you please turn off the lights?’ asked Roy, Kaveh turned them off and sat on the bed. ‘You’re still crying; you will get a headache if you go on’ he said.
‘It’s not sorrow, it’s happiness’ said Roy, ‘I thought she was tired of me after so much I made her suffer. She’s an angel not a human’
‘Yeah she must be!’ Kaveh said brotherly, ‘and you’ve been as good to her,
‘By the way those officers said there are threats to us, we have to be alerted’
‘What kind of threat, from who?’
‘I don’t know the details exactly, but the case must be serious’
Their conversation continued with a low voice for a long time, Roy preferred to talk with Kaveh better than to sleep. And it would be better, for the night was the night of alert.
It was beginning to rain, the clouds had covered the moon and everywhere was completely dark.
Esfahan, Raha’s home
Mar. 26th, 12 pm
Taha didn’t decide to go to bed, he knew he couldn’t sleep, within the nights of New Year celebration of the Iranian nation, he had experienced his hardest time and almost every night he was sleepless. At first he just wished to know Raha was ok, but now he wished to have her home.
They say the prayer is heard in time of rain!
It was getting cold again, Taha shut down the window and turned off TV, nothing could cheer him up but solely the news of Raha’s coming home.
He prayed every night, but this night he decided to stay praying and do not stop,
do not sleep and do not pay attention to tire; whereas Quran says, “…Lo, by remembering
GOD, the hearts relieve.” (13-
Britain, London
Mar. 26th, 8:30 (local time)
It was completely dark now, Rose seemed to be done. But still was hopeful the embassy would permit a phone call. She decided to stay in Britain and keep going to Iranian embassy. She wished Roy received her message.
She was sure she could get in touch with her husband if she showed herself more serious, and these men weren’t really bad.
Esfahan, military base
Mar. 27th, 1:30 am
Time was passing slowly, Kaveh thought Roy was asleep, he was very anxious about the warning(alert message) the base had received. He thought it was nothing to joke with. Slowly got up to go to command room and ask of farther news.
Roy moved and kept Kaveh’s hand and said, ‘don’t go!’
‘Oh! You’re awake?’ said Kaveh.
‘It’s difficult to sleep tonight!’ Roy answered.
‘I see’ Kaveh sat down again and cuddled Roy’s hand.
‘I won’t go nowhere, I want to stay in this base as long as I am in Iran’ said Roy.
Kaveh didn’t know what to say, he didn’t want Roy gone either, but what he could do? After several minutes he began speaking, ‘I want you stay also, we got used to each other, but your safety is much more important for me’
Roy turned his face away unsatisfied, ‘perhaps It is better for you If I go. You’ll go home to your little ones … I’ll go to prison, a really safe place! Huh!’ he was very good embarrassing Kaveh.(he really could embarrass Kaveh)
‘You’re so cruel!’ Kaveh said fast, ‘I was eager to meet you even before I see you! Can’t you think of a better fate? Can’t be more thankful?!’
Roy turned to him with tears in his eyes again and said, ‘I don’t think any such thing exist for me, that message was probably the last time I heard my wife and kid. After all, you are the last thing I have, is it too much to ask to stay?’
Kaveh bowed down and his hand slid through Roy’s hair, he was badly affected, he couldn’t say none of these would happen, because who knows?
The singing of rain was well heard in the silence of the room.
Right at the next door Raha was speaking with a new guest, another intelligence officer.
‘It surprised us to detect signs of suspecting movements in the southern base’ said the intelligence officer, ‘it is the same base we were going to take the American pilot, we are almost sure a terrorist attack’s going to be carried out, but the more uncanny thing is that it may be a misguide to prepare an attack on this base.’
‘You’re speaking about israelis, right?’ asked Raha.
‘Yes, Mossad! We know they want to expunge the American officer, and our information say they don’t exactly know his location yet, but we can’t risk, we’ll inform you soon’
Half an hour later Colonel Rastgari called for Kaveh and all of the officers.
‘They informed us at the moment a bomb is discovered in the southern base’ said the Colonel.
Kaveh looked around to find Raha, but she wasn’t there.
‘a possibility is that the enemy’s mistaken the location of the pilot, because we wanted to send him there’ Colonel Rastgari was saying, ‘but another possibility also exists, that they want us to pull him out then they can trace him as a result, we have to do nothing at the moment, just be aware’
‘But it’s crazy Sir! What if there is a bomb here too?’ said Kaveh.
‘Moving him from here is as dangerous. Listen to me, stay at your usual posts, but report any unusual thing immediately, try not to touch outside and don’t speak to anyone about what you’ve heard here’
The session was over very soon, Kaveh could not sit down; he walked and walked in the Roy’s room.
‘They are very kind if they kill me!’ said Roy.
‘Once for ever try to help, not to express disappointing comments all the time! Can you?’ said Kaveh.
‘Think, if I die all of these tensions will end up, Rose can marry again, you can go home, Selahshur will go home also’
‘I don’t want to go home’ Kaveh stood and shouted at Roy. But it gave Roy a good feeling for it smelt of brotherhood.
Less than 10 minutes after the session the base was informed that a second bomb was found in the other base. Kaveh shuttled between the two rooms and asked where Raha was. The Colonel had told him she was with the intelligence service doing her job.
‘What if they want to explode all bases of Esfahan ?’ asked Kaveh.
‘They know they aren’t able to, but they may try to explode all of those they suspect more, when israelis suspect among 2 or 3 things they destroy all, they don’t wait to make sure’ said Rastgari.
‘Then we must move the Major’ said Kaveh nervously.
‘We can’t, we must not be trapped so easily.’
‘If he was a free man he would save himself, wouldn’t he?’ uttered Kaveh, ‘now we have incarcerated him, we are responsible about his life now’
The lightening lit up the sky, the thunder came after, the spring rain was too heavy.
Kaveh’s anxiety even made Roy forget his own miseries and think how to help him. Sitting in his bed watching Kaveh walking, he said, ‘I am not as worried as you for myself!’
Kaveh didn’t answer.
‘Well, Major Selahshur will do something’ Roy continued.
Kaveh didn’t answer again.
‘Then trust God, as yourself say’ said Roy.
Kaveh felt ashamed and looked at him.
It was 2:35, Colonel sent for Kaveh, gave him a knapsack and told him to collect Roy’s utensil. Kaveh hesitated and stared at the superior.
‘Two bombs are set in the base; the intelligence members are working to neutralize them.’ Said the Colonel.
The knapsack fell down to the ground from his hand.
‘Hurry up!’ cried the Colonel…
A voice from behind said, ‘oh you are here? I was looking for you’ it was Raha.
‘Where are you Major? I searched the entire base for you’ said Kaveh.
‘No time to explain, they are neutralizing the bomb, they were successful in the previous base. The bombs are designed to explode if anyone tries to neutralize them, a tiny mistake will be killing. Bring the Major out, we’ll leave the base with my own car’ she said and run to the end of corridor quickly.
‘Wait a moment … how much time we have?’ Kaveh shouted.
‘An hour and a half, but we need to be quick’ Raha turned and shouted back. Then ran outdoor.
Everybody was fast; even Colonel Rastgari himself was helping the officers. Kaveh gathered everything and crammed in the sack, held Roy’s hand and lugged him after himself, at the door Roy said, ‘wait! You forgot Bible, I’ll bring it’
It was on the short commode by the window.
‘Please, I’ll buy another copy for you’ said Kaveh. Lights were turned off, and the base was alarmed.
‘What are you saying? I’m not worried about paper and ink! … I’ll take it in a second.’ Said Roy.
Kaveh said ok and left his hand, Roy ran inside and Kaveh ran to the end of corridor to see if Raha had arrived.
Roy dragged his hand on the commode to find the copy in the darkness, looked up at the window for a little light, ‘you didn’t give me light window! You didn’t give me freedom! Wish you give me death then!’ he said with himself. Suddenly his hand touched Bible.
Kaveh looked at the shackle he was given and thought how he could shackle Roy? Even in the first meeting he didn’t like to imprison him, how could he do it now that they’d gotten so close? Roy would never forget it!
Raha’s car arrived. Omid jumped out to help Kaveh, Kaveh went back inside, but at this very moment a loud bang of explosion stopped everyone. Windows crashed. For seconds, no one could move. Flames of fire lit up the terminal rooms. A smell of smoke came after.
Kaveh didn’t understand what he was doing anymore, just rushed to the Roy’s room with no care.
The glass of window was broken and its pieces could be seen in the next wall, then he saw Roy on his knees.
‘God! You’re ok?! … Oh, thank God, thank God’ cried Kaveh, took his hand and pulled him up, ‘we must run away, a part of the bomb is exploded, may the rest also blow up while neutralization’
Roy followed Kaveh staggering, with no words, just turned back for a moment and looked at something behind. Pressed Bible to his chest and tried to go as fast as Kaveh wanted.
By the car he fell down, Omid helped him to get in the car. Kaveh sitting at his other side, waited and looked down, held his wrist and said, ‘I have to … I … err!!’
He found it very difficult to explain, pressed his wrist, slowly put the shackle on his wrist and slowly lucked. Roy made no reaction, no word.
Raha was driving herself.
‘What happened?’ asked Omid.
‘A part of bomb’s blown up, my God, perhaps our scientific officers are martyred!’ Raha said very nervously.
‘Where are we going?’ asked Kaveh.
‘Tehran’ said Raha.
‘Tehran?!’ Kaveh asked surprised.
Raha was driving very speedy, ‘we have no other choice’ she said.
Kaveh was becoming a little calmer, for the first time he heard Roy breathing, a hoarse rough unnormal breath! Leaned forward and touched his face, it was cold and trembling, before Kaveh could open his mouth, Omid on the other side of the American officer said, ‘hey, why you are so soggy?’ pulled up his own hand and tried to see in the weak light what the watery color was.
‘You’re bleeding!’ Kaveh cried and looked at his other side, ‘why didn’t you tell me anything? You’ve lost a lot of blood.’
Raha braked roughly.
‘Major please! Do something’ he told her. Raha turned back and looked at men, she was adept in thinking fast while excitement and surprise.
‘Say something Roy!’ Kaveh begged.
‘You’re calling me Roy?’ he answered with a weak voice. Pain and bleeding had made him so weak that even opening his mouth was a difficult job. Raha switched again and changed the direction, and took her way back to the base area.
‘Don’t let him sleep, make him speak’ she said while driving.
‘Did you hear? Tell me something, please’ Kaveh told Roy.
Roy gulped his saliva difficultly and whispered, ‘I’m thirsty’
They didn’t have water with them, Omid looked at Kaveh that was as white as snow, he pulled Roy into his arms and said, ‘be patient, we haven’t come a long way’
But Raha didn’t go to where they came from, turned to the residential part and showed her card to the guards.
A moment later they stopped and rapidly parked the car by an apartment.
‘Be completely quiet, no body must notice you are in this block! Move him very silently upstairs.’
She put her key in a lock and hesitated, then turned it and opened the door, ‘bring him in, hurry up’
‘Is it your house?’ asked Omid.
‘hish! Don’t speak, yes it is my home’ she said.
Taha heard the door opened, he was praying, got up to see what the sound was. He saw the military men entered, he was shocked, suddenly recalled his life in Palestine, when his family were asleep, unawares israeli soldiers rushed in, his young sister began screaming. They made the family get up and locked them in a room, they were looking for him, his mother was scared, after they’d taken his father now it was his round!
His worry didn’t last long, when he noticed Raha in the darkness he relived, but got really amazed. Raha ran to him and said ‘ salam, please be quiet’ then smiled and said, ‘happy to see you’
‘ Salam’ Taha answered after a pause, ‘is it really yourself? What are you doing home?’
‘Didn’t you want me home?’ joked Raha and took his hand.
Taha kissed her hand.
Raha suddenly remembered her mission and said, ‘oh, I’m in an emergency, can you help saving a life?’
Taha understood everything seeing Roy in Kaveh’s arms. Went to him and sat down, looked at Raha again and said with himself in Arabic, ‘I don’t believe it! How fast God is hearing the prayers of servants!’
‘He really is’ Roy whispered lifelessly in Arabic.
Taha looked at him astonished.
‘That window torn me to pieces as soon as I wished it, I was so selfish’ he said the rest in English.
‘It’s the night of wishes then!’ said Taha, moving his torn shirt to see his wound he asked, ‘are you the American pilot they speak about?’
But didn’t wait for answer, he looked carefully at the wound, as he put a hand on it Roy twisted to himself from pain. Kaveh pressed him to his chest, picked up his head and prayed.
‘It’s worse than what I thought! He needs surgery immediately!’ said Taha.
‘Are you a doctor?’ Omid asked.
‘Can you do it yourself?’ asked Raha.
‘No, needs a hospital’ said Taha.
‘You know Taha, it’s impossible tonight, we have too many problems, even it can be a plan, if I could take him to a hospital I would’
‘Don’t let him go unconscious, make him speak, lay him on the ground, press the bleeding part’ Taha addressed Kaveh, ran to the kitchen and put some ice in a plastic bag and put on the wound, then told Raha, ‘come with me for a moment’
‘If surgeries were possible in homes …’ said Taha
‘You are a Palestinian, seen many of these emergencies, had to do many surgeries at homes, you can do it! I cannot move him anywhere!’ said Raha.
‘Yes but… at least I need an assistance, nurses, utensil, medicine …’ said Taha.
‘Taha please! I will bring you what I can, but please do it, I will take the responsibility’ said Raha.
‘Oh!’ Taha had nothing to say.
Chapter 13
