“Open up! Please! It’s an emergency!”
Silence.
I moved to the next one and banged again.
“Please!” I cried, even as my voice cracked.
My heart lifted as several hatches clicked open at once. Four men raised their heads out and looked down at me.
“Please! I need your help! My sister and a young man just went missing. We are camping some miles away, and someone just came by and took them. Have you seen anything at all?”
A man with short cropped hair and a scar across his right cheek climbed out and dropped down on the ground, the three other men following after him. He approached me, looking down at me seriously.
“Tell me, what exactly did you see?”
I took a deep breath and tried to steady my nerves to best express what had happened.
I repeated the incident and once again felt crazy as I recalled the speed of whomever it was who’d taken them.
They were silent as I finished, but the glances they exchanged with each other made me believe that they knew something.
“So have you seen anything?” I asked, daring to raise my hopes. “Do you have any idea at all what happened?”
There was a long pause. Then the man with the scar cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry. We can’t help.”
My heart sank into my stomach. From the way he’d listened, and the look in their eyes, I was certain that they knew something.
“Sir, you may not be able to help, but please, tell me what you know. It’s my sister… my little—” My voice broke. “Why are you all here in the first place?” I managed. “What are you waiting for?”
The men began backing away. “I’m sorry,” the man repeated.
I lurched forward and grabbed the man’s arm. “Please!”
He brushed me off and Yusuf—who’d followed after me—grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“River, these men don’t know anything. The best thing we can do now is return and give a full account to the police.”
I looked back at the men closing their hatches. They knew more than they were letting on. I just knew it.
Still, they were refusing to speak to me anymore and Yusuf was tugging me back toward the car. I had no choice but to retreat, so we sped back across the desert toward the city. We didn’t even stop at camp as we reached it—we passed right by.
About two hours into the journey, we were afraid that we might run out of fuel completely—we’d done a lot of extra driving that had not been planned for. But by some mercy we managed to arrive at the borders of the city and reach a fuel station before the engine became completely empty.
Fariss got out of the car with Yusuf to refuel. When they returned, we headed straight for the nearest police station.
We hurried into the reception area that was filled with a surprisingly large crowd of people.
“I have an emergency!” Yusuf shouted in Arabic, cutting through the noise.
A policewoman approached. “What is it?” she asked.
“A seventeen-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl went missing in the desert late last night. Has a man called Samir Haik arrived here?”
Recognition spread across her face. “Yes, come with me. You are witnesses?”
Yusuf gestured to me. “She is a witness.”
She led me and Yusuf along a winding corridor. We reached an office and stepped inside. There we found my grandfather and Dafne seated in front of a desk. My sister’s eyes were bloodshot, and she looked terrified. My grandfather looked relieved to see us.
The woman took a seat behind the desk next to a policeman who was already sitting there.
“We have a witness,” she said, pointing to me.
“Well? What can you tell us?” the policeman asked.
I could understand Arabic, but I couldn’t speak it as well. I wasn’t about to take chances on his English though, so I recounted the whole incident again in Arabic as well as I could.
“Have search parties been sent out already?” I asked.
The policeman and my grandfather nodded. “But anything more we can add to this case will help, of course,” the policeman replied.
“Have they sent helicopters?” Yusuf asked.
“They’re on their way,” the policewoman replied.
“Are you aware of a group of Americans in the desert with tanks? Do they have permission to be there? What are they doing?” I asked.
The policeman and woman eyed each other, then shrugged. “We are not aware of them. But I will verify their authorization to be here.”
We remained sitting in that office throughout the early hours of the morning. Officers came in and out, and we listened to reports of progress. I held my hands clasped together, praying every time a speaker crackled or an officer came in that they would have found them.
But 11am came around and they still hadn’t located either Lalia or Hassan.
“At least now that it’s daytime, we can see more easily,” the policeman said, rubbing his eyes wearily.
I looked toward my grandfather and Dafne. She had fallen asleep against his chest.
“Let’s return home for a short rest,” my grandfather said. “Sitting here any longer is not going to help. We’ve told the police all we know. We can return again this afternoon.”
Although I knew what he was saying made sense, leaving the police station felt like yet another step away from my sister. Still, Yusuf and I agreed and we headed to the car. Fariss drove us back to my grandfather’s home.
There was no way I could sleep no matter how tired I was. Clearly neither could Yusuf. He retreated into the living room and began making phone calls—presumably to his wife and relatives.
My grandfather carried Dafne upstairs to her bedroom. I found myself standing in the hallway with Fariss, who looked exhausted.
I still couldn’t get those strange American soldiers out of my mind. What were they doing in that part of the desert, so close to where my sister and Hassan had disappeared? I just knew that they had some clue about what had happened. I couldn’t shake the feeling.
Fariss was about to return to the car, presumably to drive home for a sleep, but something made me call out and stop him.
“Fariss, would you do something for me?”
“What would that be, Miss Giovanni?”
“I need you to take me back to that area where we saw those tanks,” I said.
He looked nervously at me and I was sure that he was about to refuse.
“Please,” I begged before he could object. “I will talk to my grandfather and convince him to let us go.”
He rubbed his forehead. “All right, I will take you there. But I really need to sleep, otherwise I’m sure I will crash before we ever reach the desert.”
“Okay,” I said. I understood he must’ve been exhausted, but I couldn’t help but feel frustrated all the same. “How much time do you need?”
“Give me four hours.”
“Then can you sleep in one of the spare rooms here? Traveling back to your home will just waste time.”
“Okay,” he said.
I took him up the stairs and showed him one of the spare bedrooms. I met my grandfather on the staircase on my way back down to the ground floor.
“Fariss is sleeping in one of the bedrooms,” I said. “He agreed to take me back to the desert, to where we saw those tanks.”
My grandfather stared at me. “I don’t understand what good returning there will do. Yusuf said that you already asked them and they had no idea about the situation.”
“I just don’t believe them,” I said. “I want to return there with Fariss to watch them for a few hours. Perhaps overnight.”
“I don’t like the idea of you two going alone. If you insist on going, I’ll come with you.”
“No, Grandpa. You should stay. Dafne needs someone from her family here. If you want to send another person with me, then ask Bashira if she will come.”
He sighed, then nodded. ?
??Let’s ask Bashira.”
We headed to the kitchen where she was seated, looking pale and sipping from a cup of tea. We explained the plan and she agreed with little hesitation. So it was decided. Once Fariss finished sleeping, we would head back to the desert.
The next four hours were possibly the hardest of my life. They felt like an eternity. I tried to find things to do around the house—like search for a flashlight to pack in my travel backpack and take a shower—but nothing made the time pass any more quickly. My grandfather suggested calling my mother, but I refused. I kept telling myself that we would find Lalia soon. That there was no need to worry my mother. We’d tell her the story once Lalia was safe at home again. I had to keep thinking like this, otherwise I would sink into a pit of despair. I had to stay strong. We all had to.
Finally the staircase creaked and Fariss descended it. He looked refreshed. He looked from me to my grandfather. “Will you be coming, sir?” he asked.
My grandfather shook his head. “Bashira and River will be going with you.”
“Very well,” he said.
In the meantime, Bashira had been preparing lots of food and water to take with us in case something happened and we got stuck out in the desert longer than we had expected. I wanted to stay at least the whole night in the desert, camp out in the car and keep an eye on the Americans to see what they were doing—assuming they were even still there.
I gave my grandfather a hug. Then we exited the house and climbed back into the white truck.
We sped up along the road, and although the tank was nearly full, we stopped by a gas station and filled it right up. We also stocked up on some extra fuel just in case we ran out.
And then we headed straight for the desert. We barely talked as we traveled beneath the late-afternoon sun. I just kept looking straight ahead through the windshield. About halfway, exhaustion caught up with me. My eyelids began to droop. I figured it was better to take a nap now than tonight when I needed to be alert and watching. I drifted in and out of sleep for the rest of the journey.
“Over there,” Fariss said, pointing to a cluster of tanks in the distance. I was relieved that they were still here.
“Good,” I said, leaning forward in my seat. “We should try to remain hidden from them. I don’t want them to know that we’re spying on them.” We had stopped on a raised mound of sand that sloped downward toward the area where the tanks were stationed. This gave us a good view of their camp. But we were too exposed for my liking. Fariss pulled back a little so that we were a bit less visible but could still see everything that was going on.
And then the wait began. Once the sun had set behind the horizon, men began to climb out of the tanks and stretch their legs. I rummaged in the front compartment of the vehicle and found a pair of binoculars. I looked through them and zoomed in to get a better look.
They all seemed to wear belts with the same equipment I’d seen the two men wearing the other night—sharp wooden spears, silver guns, and boxlike objects with flashing lights. I also noticed some other odd-looking technology that I couldn’t put a name to. Some of them sat on top of the tanks, looking north, while others walked around the area or leaned against the tanks, eating and talking.
What I wouldn’t give to overhear their conversations.
I looked at Fariss, then at Bashira—who was beginning to nod off in the backseat of the car.
“I need to hear what they’re saying,” I whispered.
“Miss Giovanni,” Fariss said, looking nervous, “you didn’t say that you would want to leave the truck.”
“I promise I’ll be fine, I just need to do this.”
I grabbed my backpack and a bottle of water, opened the door and stepped out onto the ground.
“Miss Giovanni,” Fariss called, “don’t go too far. And watch out for dangerous creatures—cobras and scorpions in particular.”
I gulped. “Thanks.” I put the bottle of water into my backpack and then pulled out the flashlight, tucked it into my belt and flung the bag back over my shoulders. Then I positioned the hood of my dark-colored jacket so that it covered my face as much as possible.
I began making my way down the slope. Of course I couldn’t use my flashlight or I would attract their attention. That was just in case of an emergency. I had to go by the light of the moon and stars.
When I was level with the tanks, I could already hear better. I was just about close enough to begin making sense of their words when two men turned toward me. I dropped to the ground, hoping that they hadn’t noticed. And that I hadn’t just dropped down near some kind of deadly creature.
I remained still for several moments, turning my head to look toward them from my position against the ground. Although two men were still looking in my direction, it seemed that they either hadn’t noticed me, or just weren’t interested. They turned their backs and headed back toward the rest of the crowd.
I breathed a little more easily. Raising my head higher, I stood up slowly.
I began to move closer, but to my dismay, the conversation had died down by the time I was close enough to hear. Most of them were now staring northward in silence, guns in their hands and those odd red flashing boxes scattered around the area. I looked north myself, trying to understand what they were all staring at. I couldn’t see anything but endless sand dunes.
What are they all waiting for?
I decided to start walking in the direction where they were staring. I kept down low against the ground, careful to keep an eye out for creepy-crawlies. I had to catch my scream in my throat as a hideous black scorpion scuttled out from a hole in the sand about a foot away. It nearly crawled over my feet.
After that, I remained standing, praying that I wouldn’t encounter another dangerous creature before I returned to the truck.
I swerved out wider, further away from the men to avoid being seen, and continued walking north, looking back every now and then to be sure nobody had noticed me.
I was about to see the futility of my attempt and return to the vehicle when a sharp pain filled my skull. It felt like I’d just walked headfirst into a wall. I staggered back, cursing and clutching my forehead.
What in the world…?
Reaching out a hand, I was shocked to find something hard.
I’ve got to be hallucinating.
I stretched out my other hand. That also touched something hard. It was the most bizarre thing I’d ever experienced in my life, like some kind of invisible barrier. I moved my hands along the hard surface. It felt neither rough nor smooth… I didn’t even know how to describe its texture, if it even had a texture. It just hurt like hell to walk into.
Blinking hard, I looked toward the truck still parked up on the mound of sand. Then I looked back at the tanks. I didn’t think that I was hallucinating.
What is this? I walked further, keeping my hands against this strange invisible force field. After twenty minutes of walking, I was about to run back to the car to get Fariss and ask what he thought when I heard a voice. A male voice, speaking English.
“No, Marilyn.”
It sounded like it was coming from behind the barrier and yet, when I looked straight through it, I saw nothing but sand. Where is it coming from? It sounded so close.
Then there was a wailing—presumably a female’s.
The male voice spoke again. “Why don’t you go and spend the night with your boyfriend for a change?”
“Because he’s not mine anymore! He’s got a new girlfriend!” She sounded hysterical.
Where on earth are these people? I found myself looking in all directions, even down at the ground, wondering if there was some kind of bunker beneath me. No. It was coming from behind this strange invisible wall.
Clenching my fists, I called out, “Who are you?”
The man and woman fell silent.
Rapid footsteps crossed the sand, and then I heard deep breathing only feet away from me. My heart hammered against my chest. I felt a presence so close to me, a
nd yet I still couldn’t see anyone.
Could they be… ghosts?
I shook myself.
Don’t be so stupid.
Ghosts don’t exist.
“What brings a young woman like you out here so late?” The male spoke.
I shuddered at the proximity of his voice.
“I’m looking for my sister,” I replied, even as I felt crazy for talking to thin air. “A six-year-old girl. She went missing about twenty-four hours ago. She’s plump, has brown hair, turquoise eyes and light tan skin. H-Have you—?”
Before I could finish my question, a cold hand shot out from nowhere and gripped my wrist. Next thing I knew, I was being pulled through what had previously been an impenetrable barrier. I landed on the ground near a pair of large feet. Shock coursing through my veins, I raised my eyes to see a tall, blond-haired, brown-eyed young man standing over me. He was terribly pale and there was a strange vibrancy to his irises, almost as though he were wearing special contact lenses.
“Yes,” he responded calmly, his gaze roaming the length of my body. “We have your sister. And now we have you.”
Chapter 6: River
I screamed as the man bent down and gripped my neck with his freezing hands. His grip was so strong, he could crush my windpipe with the slightest bit of pressure.
He raised me to my feet and stared down at me.
“Who are you?” I choked.
He ignored me and looked over at a blonde woman standing next to him. She also looked unnaturally pale. I strained to see where I’d just been pulled through. I was able to spot the white truck in the distance.
“Help!” I shouted.
“That’s it,” the man said softly, looking up toward where I was looking. “Call for help. See what good it does you.”
To my surprise, he let go of me. I made a dash toward the vehicle but smashed into the barrier again, the same barrier I’d just been pulled through. I continued yelling for help.
The truck’s engine roared in the distance and it began trundling down the sand dunes toward us, headlights on full blast. It approached near where I was standing, then drove right past. I could see Bashira and Fariss looking around in bewilderment.