I stop. Enough daydreaming.
It doesn’t feel like a dream; it’s more like a nightmare.
* * *
It’s still daytime, and the city is almost barren and peaceful, civil even. Only a few hours until dusk. That’s when things get interesting.
I stand in front of the biggest window in the room and draw a deep breath, trying to quiet my mind. The view is stunning; this is what can expected from the tallest building in Saudi.
I exhale slowly. I need to calm down a bit. Fuck, I need to solve some of these problems nagging me. I can’t even think straight sometimes.
My cellphone vibrates inside my pocket.
I pull it out immediately.
Please be you.
Please be you.
I don’t recognize the number.
I want to pick up saying her name, but it’s too risky.
Who’s calling me? Only one way to find out, right?
I press the green button and say, “This is Miles.”
“Miles? That’s a bit rich don’t you think, Bruno?”
That voice…
“Rage?”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
SARAH
“Holy shit! Are… Are those what I think they are?” I ask, frightened.
“Oh right. I probably should’ve said something about this.” He pauses. “All that, is completely normal around here.”
I frown. “Normal? No, not just normal, but completely usual? Four bodies, hanging from trees in the middle of the day?” I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I’ve witnessed at close range just how cruel the Middle East can be, but I didn’t see this coming.
“Yes, normal. Keep your voice down, American Girl. You never know who’s listening. Don’t draw attention to yourself, ever,” he whispers, concerned, then starts to explain to me what I’ve just seen. “The Muttawa is behind that kind of thing and so many other tragedies around here. They’re the Religion Police, something extremely normal in this land.”
“Religious and Police. Two words that should never be used in the same sentence. This is bad.”
“Don’t try to understand it. The Muttawa is the moral vice squad. They enforce religious observance and public morality, using their own interpretation of Sharia Law, which is a fancy way of saying if you look at them the wrong way, you’re gone. They also report directly to the King, so their jurisdiction knows no boundaries.”
I shrink into the passenger seat. There are few things that scare me in this life, The Muttawa is my new addition to the list.
We drive past the corpses, but my mind is still unable to let go of this. “What did they do to end up like that?”
“No one ever really knows exactly. If The Muttawa gets anyone you know, you’re better off accepting it and not bothering yourself with questions, or you may end up dead as well. Sometimes it’s for something that you would consider simple and mundane like drinking booze or living under the same roof with the opposite sex without being married or related. All those things are big deals around here, and cannot be left unchecked, hence the hangings, beheadings. Only if you are lucky, you go to the worst prison in the world.”
“You can get killed just by drinking a beer? Wow.”
“Yes, they are strict, that’s what I’m trying to tell you.” Irritated, he adds, “Those men are no joke. You must be ready. There are no rules here except for one, you either kill or…”
