I knew it. It is too much to ask. She is needed here and then I am asking her to ride off with me. I cannot take this personally. I thought there was some chance that she had feelings for me and this flimsy pretext is so transparent. I feel like a kid asking a girl to go to the prom. “It is goodbye, Carol Turner. I must say that I have enjoyed visiting with you after all these years.” He stood and headed for the door.
Tanisha leaned close to Turner and whispered, “Girl? What is the matter with you? The man offered you chance to get out of this hell-hole and you turned him down? You must be shell shocked. Everyone knows you are crazy in love with him. Good God — get your feet into high gear and catch him before he gets away.”
Robinson was gone.
“My work is important….”
“Not that important. Another minute and he will be gone. I’ll take care of it here. Just go girl. Go on!”
“You really think you will be fine for a short time without me?”
“You had better hurry or you will be an old maid for the rest of your life. Who do you think you are — Mother Teresa?”
Robinson found his way out of the medical unit and walked through the mud down a line of tents that led to the choppers. The Hind-Flarge waited to take him and some officers back to Mogadishu. From there he would board the CJ3 and arrive in DC after passing over the Atlantic through eight time zones.
“Houston!”
He turned around startled to hear his name. Few ever called him Houston other than the president and his mother. It was a vision that would etch in his mind until the day he died. Carol came running toward him in her Red Cross outfit, her cap falling off and her hair spilling about her shoulders. The girl from the past, now a beautiful woman, was casting her inhibitions aside and throwing in her lot with him. At least he hoped so. It could be she wanted to see her family, but he prayed it was more than that.
She caught up with him. “I changed my mind. I want to go with you … to see my family.” She threw her arms around him and offered a warm kiss firmly on the lips. Houston returned it and let it linger. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close allowing the feminine charms to envelop him.
She pulled away. “I need to get my bags. I’ll find you on the chopper, Sugar.”
The kiss spoke volumes. She cares for me. That is clear enough. Suddenly he did not feel quite so alone in the world.
The IMF members arrived at the Hotel Moskva located near the Red Square in Moscow. Kuznetetsov and Vissarionovich greeted each guest with a handshake and a Russian bear hug and instructed bellhops to take care of the luggage. Kusnetetsov was in high spirits and offered his customary welcome that included the names of the offspring, birthdays, and backgrounds of each member.
The newly completed five-star Hotel Moskva was a near duplicate of the original that had been demolished to make way for the modern improvements needed to better serve its guests. Stalin was presented with the blueprints for two designs in 1932 and simply initialed his approval. It was apparent that the leader did not look that closely and the architect, rather than approach him with the decision, chose to incorporate both designs into the building — each wing being very different. For the new hotel one of the original designs was selected that resulted in a more acceptable appearance.
The originally planned meeting in Dubai was scrapped as events were moving too swiftly to wait until August. The members settled into the convention hall and Kuznetsov took the podium as the first officially scheduled speaker. “As many of you know, the world needs some sort of new financial structure as a result of recent events that have befallen the world. We have called this meeting today as the financial condition of the world needs a bit of repair. Of course gold is the standard by which everyone has accepted as permanent indisputable wealth and I would propose that we not make any alterations to it. Other currencies have suffered a bit as confidence wanes, while others have risen to the top in the minds of money traders throughout the financial world. We do know that our experiment with the EU has been largely successful and it is from that proven success that I suggest that the ruble become a mainstay in the new world order that has been thrust upon us. According to reputable internationally recognized economists it is suggested that the ruble become accepted as the most stable emerging currency in the world. I do not completely understand the intricacies of international finance, however I would suggest that we listen to them in the days ahead and give this thought thorough consideration. As you know the IMF has suffered and in that respect I would suggest that our country offers five hundred billion rubles to offset that shortage.”
Everyone applauded this suggestion and stood to their feet for nearly two minutes. “There would be those who suggest that we are attempting to bribe the members with such an offer; however I assure you that this is not the instance here. This suggestion comes from the distinguished economists that will discuss this over the weekend and I would expect that we may very well decide that it is in our best interests to follow their advice. The very fact that we can make this offer is proof of our economic stability. I can assure you that Russia will perform well over the coming years as we have been working diligently for the last decade to bring us to this point. We have invested much capital in bringing our oil fields and pipelines to completion and are prepared to serve the world as never before. In fact, strategically important deliveries are being made to your countries at this very moment.”
The members rose to their feet with ravenous applause and wholeheartedly agreed.
“Your response has been most encouraging. I welcome all of you to the beautiful Hotel Moskva and have arranged for tours all weekend for anyone who wishes to view Red Square and our beautiful city. On Sunday, at the conclusion of our summit, there will be a parade in Red Square that will feature marching bands from all nations. No weapons will be on display as I assure you that we now measure success in our warm relations with all of you. May our efforts here make the world a better place for our children and bring an everlasting peace upon us. May God be with you.”
All were on their feet with thunderous applause as Kuznetsov circulated among the guests and shook everyone’s hand.
Mahdi sat in his Oman OC wondering what his next move would be. He had the hostages and would soon call Robinson or Landenberger to set a price and give them their freedom. The figure would probably be negotiable as the destruction of the supertankers would no doubt have been unsettling and they would not in be in much of a mood to meet his six-billion figure. Some of his associates were pressing him to kill a few hostages on camera and place it on the internet.
He heard the reports on the American Scientific article and felt he had achieved some sort of retribution for the murder of his father. As the deadline neared he suspected something was amiss and wisely placed the tankers where they would cripple Iran — probably forever. He imagined the starving millions, the riots, and the destruction of the entire country. He estimated they would try to abandon their lands as uninhabitable and the rest of the world would do everything it could to keep them contained. They will regret their hateful speeches against Israel as the world will remind them of it every time they beg to send their citizens to foreign countries as refugees. Like Moses there will be a cry of “Let my people go” and it will fall on deaf ears — ironic. He smiled wickedly at the thought.
His encrypted uplink signaled an incoming call. “Admiral Mahdi here.”
“This is Kuznetsov.”
“It is good of you to call. What can I do for you, Mr. President?”