Aurora - Blood Moon Tribute Pt. 02

Aurora - Blood Moon Tribute Pt. 02

2323. Just over half an hour to midnight. Roger Bragg sat watching the clock display, finger on the stopwatch, attempting to measure the duration of one minute. The clock was faulty, he was convinced, as each moment dragged on for a modest eternity. For someone who was always so time poor, he thought, tonight of all nights he was rolling in the stuff, as he waited, and waited, and waited for that knock on the door.

2324 blinked onto the screen and Bragg hit the stopwatch. His shoulders slumped. 60 seconds.

The buzz of his phone startled Bragg clean off his seat, and Darth Vader's theme wafted into the room. His dearly beloved's personal ring tone. Bragg swiped 'Accept' and put the phone to his ear. "Fang? Is that you?"

"Rodge?" Tanya seethed, "What the hell does Alana think she's doing? Is she there? Put her on!"

"Ally?" Bragg frowned, searching the lavishly-appointed two-bedroom apartment, on the 63rd level of a seaside luxury hotel. "No. I haven't laid eyes on her."

"Well where the hell is she? Her dad's having kittens because she didn't cancel SAR. What about Becky?"

"W... what about her?"

"Does she know what she's up to?"

Bragg's pulse rate quickened as he glanced at his battered old Garmin. Not too long ago, his wrist would have been adorned by the biggest, showiest lump of gilded look-at-me he could structurally bear, but those ostentatious days were well and truly gone. "But... Beck hasn't turned up either."

"What do you mean?" Tanya huffed. "They landed a couple of hours ago. I saw them on Flitetrak."

Bragg's scalp prickled with sweat. As much as he loved Alana- how could he not- he lived in constant fear of her crossing swords with petty authority. And this region was lousy with the species. "Have you tried the FBO?"

Tanya breathed hard down the line, as if to say, 'What do you think?' "Yes."

"And?"

"They said they didn't have any information."

"Not that they would give us any if they did."

"And you haven't heard from Beck?"

"Not a cracker." Bragg replied.

"Ally I can understand, but not Becky. What should we do?"

Bragg looked at his watch. "I might grab some wheels and swing by the FBO. It's only twenty minutes away. The girls might have broken the aeroplane or something. Or there's trouble on the ramp. Don't worry Sweets, I'm sure they're okay."

"Well ring me the minute you hook up would you, Darling? So I can rip Alana a new one."

"Settle petal, you know how meticulous she is. If she hasn't checked-in there'll be a good reason."

"Rodge, I'm worried."

"I said don't worry. That's my job."

Tanya cut the call and Bragg ran a hand through his hair. When he went to pick up his key card his hand was shaking. For Ally not to call her father, letting him know she'd arrived safe and sound, was not just unusual, it was unprecedented, and nothing short of a network failure would stop her. Bragg snapped his fingers. Of course, that had to be it. The local telco was down, situation normal. Fingers turning to thumbs, he tapped a little fairy icon on-screen, then listened while Beck's phone rang once, then twice, and a third time before a connection was made. "Rebekah?"

There was a brief, loaded silence, underscored by the sound of heavy breathing. Deep, heavy breathing, like an animal, nothing like Beck's. Cutting the call, he tried once more in case some wires had just been crossed, but this time the call just rang out. He picked up the room phone and dialled down to reception.

The concierge answered. "Mister Bragg?"

"Good evening, Marco. I need a limo. Out the front, thanks. Five minutes."

"Of course, Mister Bragg. May I know your destination?"

"That's okay, I can tell the driver."

"Very good, sir. BMW or Mercedes?"

"A Merc should do. Make it black one."

"Consider it done, Mister Bragg. Five minutes in the forecourt. It will be waiting."

For a city state that so noisily proclaimed its staunch moral probity, the place sure did have a spirited nightlife. Bragg sat slumped in the rear of the limo watching the scenery pass by, the city centre sidewalks busy with pedestrians. Most were European, members of the expatriate army that kept the locals in the state of luxury to which they were accustomed. Expats had the expertise, locals had the money, derived, in the main, from oil and gas. Here and there he saw zombie-knots of guest workers- a euphemistic term for slaves- ogling the city's wares through an impenetrable socioeconomic barrier, on the one night a month they might get off. Men from India and Pakistan, Africa, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, many holding hands, all wearing the same slightly bewildered expression, wondering what it must be like to have so much money and liberty. A few locals ambled through the mix, men only, bearded and swarthy, dressed in spotless white dishdashas and red-checked keffiyehs, with sandals on their feet and beads in their hands.

The few females Bragg did spy were mostly hookers. 'Business girls', from high-class Russians arm-in-arm with locals, to Filipinas and Chinese, from Mongols, Malays and odd little Thai, all the way down to bargain-basement panhandlers from Africa. An international smorgasbord of renters. Bragg had a deep and abiding affection for these hard-working girls, who brought so much joy into the world. In fact just last night he'd taken 2 home, a Chinese mother and daughter duet, a rare and wonderful prize, quick-turnover short-timers who wound up staying the night.

Chinese were his favourite when it came to the matter of hookers- no nonsense and level-headed, good business minds. And they knew how to do the horizontal tango, which probably accounted for their numbers back home. His least favourite were the Russians. Ice Maidens, overpriced, overbearing and hugely overrated, rude, pushy, a complete waste of time. There was a joke among the local expatriates- 'what's the difference between a Russian hooker and a corpse? A corpse doesn't keep checking its watch while you're fucking it.'

The limo hit the main drag and accelerated to 200kmh, blasting straight past a cop car parked under date palms on the median strip, eliciting not so much as a second glance from its phone-surfing crew. A way down the road, Bragg's speeding Mercedes was overtaken by a hulking great SUV, doing 220 if it was doing a kay, the inside light on and the driver with his head down, texting, while 4 small children wandered around inside. The driver glanced up and quickly made a correction, almost clipping the curb, then went head-down again to continue the message. Spectacular prangs with multiple fatalities were a common sight on these roads, all the will of god according to locals.

Scenarios streamed one after another through Bragg's mind, like the streetlights whizzing past his window. Many didn't bear dwelling upon- the region was well known for its fundamentalists and radicals, the deranged, the zealous, the dispossessed. Others were far more innocuous- Alana had Beck to herself so much these days she was starting to act like she owned her. And the Stream was empty. No prizes for guessing what was happening down the back- a pre-handover fuck on the cream leather settee. And if that were the case... well... he was going to have words with young Captain Blake, harsh words. He was going to tell that guttersnipe, in no uncertain terms, please, first things first. Call your dad before getting down and dirty. And if she didn't do what he asked then he would have to ask her again. Very sternly.

Tearing past the international terminal, the Merc peeled onto a slip road, then wound its way through a veritable maze, left, right, left, right, past long-stay parking lots, where many of the luxury cars sat cloaked in inches of dust, not so much parked as simply abandoned by wealthy locals heading overseas. While the glittering, three storey Fixed Base Operator was meant to be open 24/7, when Bragg tried the entrance it was locked. He took a step back, then approached the big, sliding glass doors once again, a little more emphatically, hoping to wake up the motion sensor. When the doors showed not the slightest intention of opening, he pressed the intercom on a wall-mounted security box. Moments later, a fat, bored security guard scuffed into view and swiped the glowering Westerner in. "I thought you guys were meant to be open twenty-four hours." Bragg fumed, striding through the foyer.

"I'm sorry, Sir," the guard replied, "there are no more scheduled arrivals tonight, so we close the doors."

"Yeah?" Bragg curled his lip. "Well, my aeroplane's outside and I can't find my crew. Where's the receptionist?"

The guard turned his back and muttered into his hand-held. A few minutes later, a skinny little Asian lass stepped out of a lift nearby, all bleary-eyed from being torn from a cat nap, still straightening her skirt as she hurried to her post. "Sorry to keep you waiting sir." she said, opening a wooden gate and slipping behind the counter. Filipino, Bragg thought, the accent was unmistakable. "How may I be of service?"

Bragg lay his hands flat on the counter and took a fortifying breath. "My GulfStream came in a couple of hours ago. November Six, Six, Lima Alpha Whiskey."

The young woman tapped a keyboard and her computer screen flared into life.

"Crew of two." Bragg continued, "Rebekah Watson and Alana Blake. That's Rebekah with a 'k' and an 'a' and an 'h'."

The receptionist hooked her hair around big but beautifully-shaped ear, then looked up again, nonplussed. "Let me check in the passport control."

Bending, the young girl studied her monitor while Bragg stood, looking straight down the front of her loose white shirt. She'd dressed in a hurry and wasn't wearing a bra and the very sight was enough to give him a stoppage. She was au naturel, with firm, round little bubbies, smooth-skinned and dusky, tipped with chocolate-coloured nipples. A mouthful each if he opened wide. She looked up, almost catching him in the act. "I'm so sorry Sir, our records show no one by those names. Are you sure they came through here?"

"What... I... yes, of course I'm sure. Here. Check the ramp on your CCTV."

The young woman did as Bragg ordered, then turned the computer screen so he could see for himself. Save for a Royal Flight helicopter in the process of refuelling, the apron was bare. "Are you sure this is the correct facility?" the girl asked.

"What?" Bragg glared, "What do you take me for?"

"I'm sorry Sir. It's just-"

Bragg raised a hand, cutting her off. "Wait here!" Turning, he fumbled out his phones, then chose the android with the black and yellow hazard tape on the back. He swiped-up a number and after three or four rings, Tanya picked up. "Well? Have you found the little brat? Can I put her old man out of my misery?"

"Let me get this straight," Bragg said, "they were due in tonight. Is that correct?"

"Unless you're living in a parallel universe."

"And Flitetrak has them on the ground?"

"I can give you their shutdown to the second if you want."

Bragg ran a shaking hand through his sweat-damp hair. "And this FBO? This is the one we usually use?"

"For Christ's sake, Roger, you've been through the place a bazillion fuckin' times."

"Okay, okay, keep your knickers on. Just establishing the facts if that's okay with you."

"What about the jet?"

"What about it?"

"Well is it out there?"

"Well obviously fucking not."

"Well where the fuck is it? It's a hulking great GulfStream for fuck's sake. It's not like they could just put it away in a closet."

"You know the last thing I need right now? A fucking attitude."

"And the last thing I need is two missing pilots. You know how much her dad worries. So what do I tell him? And Damon? How am I gonna tell him we're missing his girl?"

"Just tell 'em it's all under control."

"Well is it?"

"For fuck's sake woman, I said I'm working on it."

"Well... do something!"

"I am doing something! I'm standing here in the FBO looking like a dickhead. Look, it might be best if we both just calm the fuck down. Okay? Leave it with me and I'll ring you right back."

Bragg cut the call. When he looked up, the Indian security was standing by the counter, arms crossed, glaring. The young Filipina was watching him, anxiety written all over her wan little face. A bad rap from an angry customer could easily mean the end of her job, then she'd be back on the game, fucking rude, fat, Western pigs and stinking locals. "I've just checked." Bragg said, "Flitetrak says they landed a couple of hours ago."

"But... sir... we don't have Flitetrack."

The red mist rose and Bragg clenched his fists. Very calmly he said, "That is not the issue."

"I'm so sorry sir," the girl pleaded. "I am showing no records, I promise you. Do you think they might have departed again?"

"Do I look like an idiot?" Bragg barked. "Flitetrak has them on the ground outside, so where are they?" He snapped his fingers. "Here! Rerun the CCTV. From two hours ago."

"But... but... but... I'm sorry, sir, I'm not allowed."

"'I'm sorry sir I'm nyin nyin nyin'... For Christ's sake woman, just show me the footage."

Tears welled in the young woman's eyes. "I'm sorry, sir, the CEO will have to approve it."

"Well ring him!"

"Sir, I can't."

Bragg pointed at the glowering security goon. "You! Take me to the ramp outside. There must be someone out there who knows what's going on."

Security shook his head. "No Sir."

"No? Is that the only word you people know? Well fuck you, I'll go on my own."

The security guard uncrossed his arms and moved to bar the way.

"Get out of my way." Bragg snarled. "Don't forget who pays your wages. The customer, namely me."

"I'm sorry sir, you are not permitted airside."

Bragg clenched his fists. "Where's my bloody plane?"

"Sir, please, we've already checked. It's not there."

"You!" he snapped at the girl. "Ring ATC."

"Please, sir," the girl cried, "I beg you. I am just not authorised."

"For fuck's sake!" Bragg railed and the guard went for his hand-held. Time for backup, the Airport Police. "What sort of chickenshit outfit is this? My plane's gone missing along with two of my pilots, and you two imbeciles just stand there scratching your butts. What time do the grownups arrive?"

"The office opens at zero seven thirty." the girl quavered.

"I'll be back at seven." Bragg said, turning on his heel to go. "Maybe someone with half a brain can get me some answers."

They watched him go, the girl in tears, the security guard laying a curse upon the belligerent whitey. Storming through the foyer bound for the doors, Bragg found himself wondering what Beck would have made of his tirade... if there was one thing she hated it was bad manners. He recalled Watson's words, after a Champagne bottle fell mysteriously overboard... 'She won't even let you look at her, let alone fuck her...'

And it struck him, just how easily he'd come undone. Regressed. Scratch the surface and there was the old Roger Bragg, conceited, dismissive, insulting, demanding, bullying, brash and abrasive, throwing his weight around, terrorising some sweet little thing who worked 12-hour shifts, 6 days a week, making as much in a year as he spent in a night on the town. Propping on the concourse outside, he swallowed a mouthful of cold humble pie then gathered his nerve and turned around. He drew up to the doors, wallet in hand, but they were locked again and not about to let him back in. The only thing for it was to buzz security, but even Bragg had his bottom line, so he returned to the curb and hailed his limo. Climbing into the back he peeled two fifties from a wad of cash and tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Here Ali. Take this."

The driver looked at the cash and sat blinking, as if unable to believe his eyes. "Please, Sir, that won't be necessary."

"Please. Take it."

"It's against the rules."

"Well if you don't want it then give it to your wife. Here."

"But Sir."

"Please Ali, for me. It might help me feel a bit better. About dragging you out at some ungodly hour. Go on, take it."

The driver took the cash and double-checked the amount, then folded the bills and slipped them into a pocket. "I am most grateful Mister Bragg. And my wife will be very, very happy with your gift"

"Happy wife, happy life."

"You know the saying?"

"I bleeding invented it, mate. Let's go Ali, back to the Mina."

First things first, Bragg thought. He had to get a grip. He'd fought some of the most ferocious courtroom brawlers in the known universe, all without ever losing his cool, their provocation and belligerence like water off a duck's freshly preened back. And if he ever needed that steady hand it was now. Then again, there had never been so much at stake; one girl he loved, another he adored, both missing in a region notorious for extra-judicial chicanery. Losing his cool wouldn't help anyone, least of all them. He recalled the great sage's words. 'When your only tool is a hammer,' Watson once said, 'every problem is a nail'. Well... time to put the hammer down.

Bragg swiped up his phone and waited, willing himself into a state of calm while it rang-out once, and a second time, then cycled through to an answering machine. "Kev," Bragg said, "It's Roger. Ring me back."

Then it was just a matter of sit back and wait.

A few minutes later Bragg's android vibrated and he swiped up the call. "Kev?"

he said and heard his own voice rebound an instant later- 'Kev?'- an unavoidable irritation when it came to deep encryption.

"I dread to think why you might be calling me at this hour." a voice chuckled, heavily disguised yet unmistakably Kevin, trusted family friend and IT genius.

"Spot of bother in the sandpit." Bragg replied. "We safe to talk?"

"Go ahead."

"Well. It's like this. I seem to have mislaid the Stream and a couple of drivers."

"That was careless of you." Kev said. "Think back. Where were they when you last saw them?"

"I'm serious, Kev, they've gone."

"Not an easy thing to lose, a GulfStream. You sure they've even arrived?"

"According to Flitetrack. But I've just been to the FBO. They checked their log... zilch... and they won't let me see the CCTV. If only we could dig up that footage."

"Ah... a little hacking job."

"If you're up for it."

"Always up for a challenge, Rodge. You know that. What's the facility?"

"Aquilair."

"That's not very imaginative." Kevin muttered under his breath. "Where abouts?"

"Ab Aldafra International Airport."

"Look, I'm gonna have to crank up the mainframe. Give me a few minutes and I'll call you back."

Bragg looked around. They were ten minutes from the hotel, where he'd lose reception in the elevator. "Give me fifteen." Bragg said, "I'm almost home."

"Fifteen it is. Talk to you then."

******************************************************************

It was late at night but the place was all lit up, wire-caged strip-lights glaring down from above. And it was stifling, a good 35 degrees according to Ally's calibrated sweat glands. Two fat female guards in navy blue uniforms and hijabs, one each holding her arms, frogmarched her down several flights of stairs into a long concrete tunnel. The noise amped up as they marched past a row of heavily barred cells, each and every one packed with female prisoners, many leaning on the doors, arms hanging out into the walkway. Some gestured as they passed, clenched fists, extended middle fingers, or thumbs and fingers pinched to a point, pecking at lips, the universal sign for 'please give me food'.

A chill ran down Ally's spine. The place didn't just look like a zoo, it sounded like one, reverberating with hoots and howls, grunts and shrieks and screeches. And the stench... like the primate wing of some grotesque exhibit. And the further they went the smaller Ally felt as she realised, for the first time in her life, she'd completely lost control of her fate.