‘That’ll cost a flaming fortune,’ commented Kate.
He looked at her. ‘I’m exhausted. I could do with a hotel where I know it’ll be really comfortable and quiet, and where the service will be first class. The prospect of a soft, comfy bed and a luxurious duvet at the moment is worth its weight in gold. Don’t worry, as soon as you’ve got my credit card working again, I’ll pay for it.’
‘The Savoy shouldn’t be a problem,’ said the accounts woman. ‘Although I can’t say that we’ve ever used them before. Let me give them a ring.’ She found the number, dialled and began talking to their corporate reservations department. In a matter of minutes she had everything lined up.
To Rafi’s surprise she booked a two-room suite in Kate’s name.
‘It’s the commissioner’s suggestion,’ said the accounts woman. ‘He said that Rafi needed someone to vouch for him as, in the eyes of the public, he is still a terrorist.’
It slowly dawned on Rafi that he had been oblivious to all the press coverage of the past week and the vilification to which he would have been subjected.
‘Fine,’ replied Kate with a gleam in her eye. ‘Good idea. Come on, let’s go.’
On their way to the car, Kate picked up an old pork-pie hat and a scarf, and handed them to Rafi.
As they were getting into the car, Neil Gunton arrived. ‘Goddamn it! We so nearly stopped them from doing any serious damage. I’m willing to bet that Stratford will be a defining point in the history of this country… People will soon be talking in terms of BS and AS – Before Stratford and After Stratford. Even in my book, the sheer scale of Stratford is mind-blowing.’
Neil paused. ‘Sadly, though, I doubt if people will ever appreciate how much carnage your actions prevented. I was talking to one of our boffins; he described what a thermobaric warhead could have done to a waste storage pool at a nuclear power station. In his words, It would have made Stratford seem like an inconvenience. ’ Neil gave Rafi a pat on the back, shrugged his shoulders and went on his way.
Chapter 6
Thanks to the curfew, the traffic was unprecedentedly light. On their arrival at the Savoy Hotel, Kate went in and sorted out the formalities, whilst Peter, who had been driving, and Rafi waited in the car. She returned clutching a key card.
Rafi put on the pork-pie hat and wrapped the scarf around his neck and lower face. He felt a bit of an idiot. They said their thanks and goodbyes to Peter and then made their way to the lift.
‘Are you very, very wealthy?’ Kate asked, while they were waiting. ‘One night here costs about the same as my monthly mortgage payment!’
Rafi was too tired to explain that he simply wanted comfort and was willing to pay any price for it. The last week had been worse than anything he had ever known and he yearned to put it behind him.
They arrived at the door to the suite. Kate opened it. ‘Wow! This looks fantastic. Do you normally live like this?’
‘No, I have a two-bedroom flat in north London. This is the first time for me as well.’
Kate looked at him with a smile. ‘What makes you think that I haven’t stayed in a place like this before?’ she hesitated. ‘I have a confession to make. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve changed our suite from a two-bedroom to a one-bedroom, so that they could give our booking to a displaced family.’
Kate looked at him anxiously, waiting for his reply. She felt as if she’d been caught doing something wrong at school.
Rafi was too tired to care – he just wanted to get some sleep. He smiled at her as she opened the door. ‘Fine by me,’ he replied in a deadbeat manner.
The apartment was opulent; a modest entrance hall gave way to a spacious sitting room, with windows overlooking the Thames below and the Millennium Wheel down the river to the right. To one side of the sitting room was a door leading into a spacious bedroom containing the father of all king-size beds and a large en suite bathroom.
They were travelling light; they didn’t even have a toothbrush between them.
Kate went to explore the bedroom and bathroom and came back proudly clutching a sumptuous white towelling robe in one hand and a toothbrush in the other.
‘What more could a girl want?’ she asked rhetorically, eyes shining.
Where she’d got her second wind from, Rafi didn’t know. He was desperate to just crash out. ‘I’m ready to drop; let’s toss for who’s going to use the bathroom first,’ he suggested.
‘No need to do that,’ replied Kate, ‘Women and children first. I have already got the water running. In the meantime, will you order something to eat?’
Rafi looked at her. ‘I’m too tired for food; can we see what’s in the bar?’
Unlike other hotel rooms he had been in, this hotel apartment had its own bar area. He opened the refrigerator. ‘What would you like? Gin and tonic, fresh orange juice, wine, smart mineral water – you name it we’ve got it.’
‘Orange juice and a large gin and tonic, please.’
‘There’s some great-looking chocolate and the nuts look good. How about cashew nuts, crisps or chocolates with your drink?’ asked Rafi.
‘Anything. It all sounds great.’
Rafi dug around in the refrigerator, carefully choose a few items and handed them to Kate, before taking a few for himself to a nearby armchair.
Kate was smiling. ‘Thank you for all you’ve done. I hope that when this is over we’ll be able to get to know one another better.’
‘What was that about?’ pondered Rafi. He was too tired to consider whether it was an offer of friendship or something more.
Kate took her two drinks, placed them by the side of the bath. ‘I won’t be long. If I fall asleep in the bath, feel free to wake me. In the meantime, I suggest you make yourself comfortable and have a stiff drink or two.’
Rafi looked at her. ‘You can do the drinking for both of us.’
‘How silly of me, I forgot you don’t drink.’ And with that, she turned and walked off towards the bathroom. As she went, she unclipped her hair and gave her head a shake. A mass of deep auburn hair sprang out.
It was the first time Rafi had seen her with her hair down. He gazed at her. She looked after herself well – her slight frame, though not curvaceous, was nicely proportioned and well toned. Her shoulder-length wavy hair looked soft and would undoubtedly be a stunning feature when washed and brushed. He was too tired to think any further.
The sound of the running water stopped. Soothing splashes washed through the air. Rafi poured himself another large glass of fresh orange juice and looked out of the window. London seemed calm and still.
He mulled over the twist of fate – this part of London had been spared the ravages of the explosion at Stratford. His mind wandered – had the wind been blowing in the opposite direction, it would have covered the City, and for that matter the West End of London, under a deadly blanket of radioactivity. Would the closure of the City of London have stopped the terrorist leaders from cashing in on their profits? Of course not; they would also have positions in Frankfurt and Chicago. His tired brain left it there.
Rafi stood gazing out over the Thames, drinking his orange juice and enjoying the tranquillity. He heard the bathroom door open and turned to see Kate emerge, snuggled into a soft white bathrobe, clutching an empty glass in her hand.
Her face lit up as she smiled. ‘This is my idea of heaven.’
Rafi looked at her approvingly and replied, ‘Mine too. Would you like a top-up?’
‘I think I can do that, thanks. You can have that bath you deserve – and undoubtedly need,’ she said, holding her fingers over her nose like a clothes peg.
As he walked past her to the bathroom he smelt a sweet orange aroma. The bathroom had the same smell, which now reminded him of her. He smiled as he discarded his scruffy clothing. He was looking forward to getting back into his normal clothes.