Stan Mason - Stopping World War Three

‘Now!’ she called out imperatively. ‘It must be now!’

Ny fear of the known was less than the fear of the unknown however instinctively I grabbed her arms hoping that her strength was sufficient to get me over. She wedged her feet against the other side of the wall and pulled me up slowly until I could get my leg over the top and scramble over. Then we both ran through a strange house into the next street disappearing as fast as well could away from the area. The left leg of my trousers was torn and my knee was bleeding badly. We stopped for a moment while she used my handkerchief to stem the blood and then continued at a more manageable pace. We had left the hunters behind and had escaped.

But life was never going to be that simple. Less than five minutes later, the black car appeared before us again and once more Penny and I set off in different directions Not knowing the geography of the area, I hurried off in a westerly direction which led me to a line of warehouses at the edge of the docks. It wasn’t long before I discovered that every one of the warehouses was locked. The only protection afforded me were the cranes on the wharf. I chose a derrick with a jib, hoping it would maximise protection but, to my dismay, a gunshot rang out as I began to climb the iron giant. This was followed by further shots which ricocheted off the metalwork. I had no means of escaping from my dilemma this time. In my condition, climbing the derrick was no mean feat but it was only a matter of time before they gunned me down. Then I heard the sound of a motor car approaching the area. My heart sank as I recognised the black car again. However despair rose to elation as it drove menacingly towards the first assailant. The man tried to race to the refuge of the nearest warehouse but his attempt was soon denied. The nearside bumper of the approaching vehicle struck him hard behind his legs and he was mowed down without mercy a long way short of the sanctuary. The car then turned swiftly moving towards the other assailant. He decided not to move, holding the gun in front of him, aiming it directly at the driver of the car. He fired four shots in quick succession which bounced off the bullet-proof windshield of the vehicle and was then struck with such fierce force that his body soared through the air like a missile to disappear into the sea.

The door of the car opened and Penny climbed out. ‘Some people are really stupid, you know,’ she called out coolly as though nothing serious had happened. ‘They left the keys in the ignition when they came after you.’

I was full of suspicion with regard to my secretary. How did she come to find the black car, let alone drive it? Why would the second assailant insist on firing his gun at the windshield when he knew it was bullet-proof. What was Penny’s role in all this debacle? There were so many questions flooding my mind! I climbed down off the derrick trembling like a leaf. I reckoned I had lost a few pounds in weight during the chase, not only from the effect of running but from the fear itself.

‘Come on!’ she continued with an element of amusement in her voice. ‘Climb in and I’ll drive us home in style. I’m not pushing the car into the sea when we can make use of it.’

When we reached Arlosoroff Road the telephone was ringing. I took my time to open the door but it was clear the caller intended to wait indefinitely for an answer. I picked up the receiver and grunted into the mouthpiece. The voice was imperative.

‘Jason! You mustn’t let Miss Smith know who’s calling,’ she began. ‘Just keep listening and say nothing. This is Davina… Menel’s daughter. We must meet as soon as possible. I’ll be at the New York, New York restaurant in Tel Aviv in twenty minutes. I have information about your wife. You must come alone and not tell anyone about this conversation. Just say okay if it’s all right.’

‘Okay,’ I answered quickly.

‘Good!’ she returned. ‘Twenty minutes. And say nothing to Miss Smith!’

The line went dead and I replaced the receiver into its cradle.

‘Who was that?’ asked Penny inquisitively.

‘Look,’ I told her without answering her question. ‘I have to go out for a while. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.’

‘But you need some attention to your knee,’ she said.

I shook my head. ‘It’ll have to wait. I’ll see you soon.’

A look of surprise appeared on her face as I walked out but I couldn’t afford to take any chances. I hailed a taxi which took me to the New York, New York restaurant and sat at a table waiting for Davina to show up. In my mind, I could not stop thinking about her long black hair, her dark penetrating eyes and her high cheekbones but after a while I began to start looking into the distance in anticipation for she was nowhere to be seen. Foolishly, I began to make excuses for her however there was little comfort in such deception. Twenty minutes went by, then forty, then fifty until an hour had passed. I became tired to look any more at my wristwatch. I wanted the information about Jan desperately but it seemed unlikely I would get it. Then after three cups of coffee, I decided to leave. I settled the bill and started to walk away. I had hardly taken a dozen steps when she appeared and took hold of my arm.

‘Davina!’ I said softly. ‘Where have you been?’

‘I’m sorry. It wasn’t possible to get here earlier,’ she explained briefly. ‘I couldn’t contact you. There are too many eyes… too many ears. Let us walk and talk!’

There was clearly an affinity between us. I felt strongly attracted towards her and, from the look in her eyes, she felt the same way about me. I took her hand and we strolled for a short distance without speaking. Then I stopped and faced her squarely, rubbing my hand gently across her cheek with affection. She leaned her face into it indicating her feelings. ‘You’re so beautiful… ‘I began passionately.

She placed the tips of her fingers to my lips to silence me. ‘Don’t say anything… please! This is merely a fleeting moment of our time… a single second spent in eternity. Let us carry it in our personal thoughts for the rest of our days as a cherished moment of our lives.’

I stared at her with a puzzled expression on my face unable to follow her train of thought. ‘What are you trying to say?’ I asked.

There was no immediate reply and we turned to walk on a little further. ‘In my world,’ she began, ‘our customs are ancient, our beliefs profound, and faith is total. In your world, love is important, pleasure ranks high, while freedom is paramount. What I am telling you is that you can fall in love with me but I am not allowed to do the same with you. You see, my father betrothed me at birth to the son of one of his friends and that’s a promise which cannot be broken. I am bound to honour my father’s wishes.’

‘Do you love the man? The one to whom you’re betrothed.’

‘It makes no difference whether I love him or not. Those are the facts.’

‘The facts!’ I blurted out sharply. ‘What are the facts? That one night over a few drinks many years ago your father and his friend made a foolish drunken promise designed to end in misery for their children. Is that what you’re saying?’

‘Believe me, nothing can change the situation.’

‘And what if I invited you back to England?’

She laughed for a moment and then sadness filled her eyes. ‘I must fulfil my father’s promise. It’s a bond that cannot be broken. The stars will record for eternity that Davina fulfilled her father’s promise to marry Musaph. The stars live on for ever; emotions of love or hate exist only for a brief span of years. But let us talk about your wife. My father has news of Jan… if that’s her name. She’s being held in the East End of London at St. Katherine’s Dock near Tower Hill. I hope I pronounced it correctly.’ She handed me a sheet of paper. ‘Here are the details!’ I took it and she clutched my hand firmly. ‘You’re a handsome man, Jason Scott. Perhaps in another time, in another world, in another life!’ She kissed my hand tenderly and darted away becoming lost in the crowd.