Chapter 68
A chill ran through my spine. I turned around and saw a small man, bold, skinny and with unpretentious clothing. Pants held up high on his waist with a belt buckled to the last hole, a checkerboard button up.
I found myself relaxing, perhaps out of exhaustion, because I had been so tense in the last while that my worn fibers could not be tensed anymore, or perhaps because it was impossible to conceive that a man like this could be dangerous.
“Why are you looking for me?”, I asked calmly
“I am here to warn you against making a move that could harm you and others”, the man replied in a monotone voice
“What are you referring to?”
“I suggest that we discuss this in a more private place”, he said calmly
“There’s nobody except us here”, said Jack, who had been silent up to that moment
The stranger looked at him, turning his head slightly but abruptly, a hint of displease crossing his face, rapidly dominated
“We should not be seen talking together”, he insisted
“By whom?”, I asked
“By the person disguised as a cleaning lady, for instance”
So it was true, I had not been hallucinating after all
“Is she in this city now?”, I asked, although I knew the answer
“Yes”, he said, marking the answer slowly
At once I felt faint and impotent, tired of fighting and running and trying to understand
“Who is she? What does she want of me?”
“There is information I cannot give you. For your own protection and mine”
“Why should I trust you if you don’t give me any detail?”, I replied, abruptly, almost angrily
“I will give you as many details as I can safely provide, but not here”
“Where do you want to go?”, I asked, giving in
“The only places we can accept to go to with you are public places, so we might as well stay where we are”, interrupted Jack
The man didn’t turn this time, and replied, looking at me instead, “I want to go to a very public place, where we can be hidden by the crowd”
I nodded and asked, “Where?”
“There’s a dance club not too far from here”, he said, reaching towards the map that we had laid on the table and pointing at a spot. “Walk in front of me, I will follow and make sure nobody else is doing the same. Do not turn as you walk. If there is anybody else I will accelerate my pace, pass you and take a side street. If this happens you will know something is wrong”
“And what should we do in that case?”, I said, feeling my heart rush
“Nothing, just keep walking as if you haven’t noticed anything and head back to your hotel. For now they just want to check your moves and lead you to the moves they want you to take. They will not harm you before they succeed”
I wondered which moves, but before I could ask the man said, “You can start going now”
“What is your name?”, I said, hesitating to leave the patio
“Call me Ronny”
I looked one last time at this stranger who had an insignificant appearance and called himself Ronny. Then I embraced the place with a circular gaze, wondering what situation I was driving myself and Jack into and if we would ever see this spot again. A wave of sadness rose within me, but before it could reach my eyes and make them go teary Jack reached for my hand and took it, his torso protectively touching my back.
“Let’s go”, he said, so I turned and walked my way back along the hallway we had crossed just moments earlier, when we were still tingling with a mirthful feeling of curiosity.