Through lies and death was rebirth created.
"Al!" He heard the urgency in Xenia's voice as it reverberated through his phone, her holographic appearance flickering before him as he looked up. "Al," she repeated. An eyebrow lifted up to the shortened hairline of his neatly kept mane. "Yes?" he replied, nonplussed.
"Are you vell?" she asked, confusing him for a moment. Then, he remembered their old codes. "Only as well as I can be," in reply as he hastily got up from the desk. Picking up his phone, he moved for the bookcase. "And you?" continuing conversationally. He casually went to lift an innocuous book, but it only came out halfway before the bookcase popped out. Pulling it open a fraction, he slipped in.
"Lovely," Xenia answered drily.
"It's safe." He relished being back in his old sanctuary, a safe zone he had installed many years before. Taking a seat at his desk, he set the phone down so he could look at Xenia. "What is it?" There was concern in his voice, it had been a long time since she had asked for privacy like this.
"I don't have much time to tell you everyzing, so please listen carefully. How vell do you trust your flight crew?" Her question was ominous, but his reply was with great confidence. "With my life."
"Do you haff any new staff on board?" She continued to pry, and his brows furrowed with worry. "No," he started, pausing briefly to mull out any discrepancies, "but the airport has had a recent change in management."
"Gody. Zat must be vhere they vill be coming from then," Xenia declared, "Vhen do you plan on leaving Ankara?"
"Monday' Why' Xenia, what in the name of Allah is going on?"
"You know zat public dispute vith moya papa" Vell, he is retaliating. Ze vord I haff heard is he vill be blowing up plane. You cannot board it!"
"Woah, woah, slow down. He's put a hit on me over that?" He scoffed. "Please. You can't be serious."
"Vell, I am! I actually zink it's moy brat who is behind plan. He has been most unhappy vith your business partnership since ve cut ties. He zinks himself ze head of ze syndicate. Vhatever, ze ulterior motive is vhat vorries me?" she babbled, momentarily losing her train of thought.
"You're serious, aren't you?" he asked, dazed at the prospect of what he thought she was encouraging.
Abruptly, Xenia continued, "You cannot tell anyone! You cannot be on zat plane. I haff everything planned out on how to get you back here, but you cannot let yourself be seen! You need to call Anya to set up an appointment vith facial reconstruction for vhen you make it back to Rhy"Din. You vill haff to leave this life behind." Her tone had turned almost regretful.
"Xenia, wait, hold on. What do you mean I can't tell anyone" I need to let my family know what?s going on!" he argued, heated now.
"Nyet, you do not. It is vedy important zat zeir reactions appear genuine. Off Rhy'din, no one knows about Anya, so she vould be safe to tell. She's key point in my plan. But you cannot tell anyone, Al. People vill die for you, and for zat I am sorry, but your safety is more important. I'm sorry. If you check your secure messages, you vill see a vedy precise itinerary of how ve vill get you out of zere in ze next 24 hours. I'm begging you, please follow zem.." Xenia pleaded desperately with her friend. "I must go, I am sorry.?
He sat back heavily in his seat, staring at the empty space where Xenia had been seconds before in shock. He didn't even know where to begin.
"Al!" He heard the urgency in Xenia's voice as it reverberated through his phone, her holographic appearance flickering before him as he looked up. "Al," she repeated. An eyebrow lifted up to the shortened hairline of his neatly kept mane. "Yes?" he replied, nonplussed.
"Are you vell?" she asked, confusing him for a moment. Then, he remembered their old codes. "Only as well as I can be," in reply as he hastily got up from the desk. Picking up his phone, he moved for the bookcase. "And you?" continuing conversationally. He casually went to lift an innocuous book, but it only came out halfway before the bookcase popped out. Pulling it open a fraction, he slipped in.
"Lovely," Xenia answered drily.
"It's safe." He relished being back in his old sanctuary, a safe zone he had installed many years before. Taking a seat at his desk, he set the phone down so he could look at Xenia. "What is it?" There was concern in his voice, it had been a long time since she had asked for privacy like this.
"I don't have much time to tell you everyzing, so please listen carefully. How vell do you trust your flight crew?" Her question was ominous, but his reply was with great confidence. "With my life."
"Do you haff any new staff on board?" She continued to pry, and his brows furrowed with worry. "No," he started, pausing briefly to mull out any discrepancies, "but the airport has had a recent change in management."
"Gody. Zat must be vhere they vill be coming from then," Xenia declared, "Vhen do you plan on leaving Ankara?"
"Monday' Why' Xenia, what in the name of Allah is going on?"
"You know zat public dispute vith moya papa" Vell, he is retaliating. Ze vord I haff heard is he vill be blowing up plane. You cannot board it!"
"Woah, woah, slow down. He's put a hit on me over that?" He scoffed. "Please. You can't be serious."
"Vell, I am! I actually zink it's moy brat who is behind plan. He has been most unhappy vith your business partnership since ve cut ties. He zinks himself ze head of ze syndicate. Vhatever, ze ulterior motive is vhat vorries me?" she babbled, momentarily losing her train of thought.
"You're serious, aren't you?" he asked, dazed at the prospect of what he thought she was encouraging.
Abruptly, Xenia continued, "You cannot tell anyone! You cannot be on zat plane. I haff everything planned out on how to get you back here, but you cannot let yourself be seen! You need to call Anya to set up an appointment vith facial reconstruction for vhen you make it back to Rhy"Din. You vill haff to leave this life behind." Her tone had turned almost regretful.
"Xenia, wait, hold on. What do you mean I can't tell anyone" I need to let my family know what?s going on!" he argued, heated now.
"Nyet, you do not. It is vedy important zat zeir reactions appear genuine. Off Rhy'din, no one knows about Anya, so she vould be safe to tell. She's key point in my plan. But you cannot tell anyone, Al. People vill die for you, and for zat I am sorry, but your safety is more important. I'm sorry. If you check your secure messages, you vill see a vedy precise itinerary of how ve vill get you out of zere in ze next 24 hours. I'm begging you, please follow zem.." Xenia pleaded desperately with her friend. "I must go, I am sorry.?
He sat back heavily in his seat, staring at the empty space where Xenia had been seconds before in shock. He didn't even know where to begin.