The Mississippi Company

by Mark Kertzman

Chapter 12

Security let him through, and Ravi began to breathe again. As he walked down the wide concourse towards the gates, he couldn’t resist the overwhelming urge to glance behind him. The security personnel were paying him no more attention; they were focusing on the passengers still coming through the metal detectors.

He took a deep breath to steady himself. The sun shone down on him through the soaring glass roof and white-painted latticework of steel holding the terminal building up. However, the air conditioning moderated the heat to a minor annoyance. Travelers milled about or lounged in rows of black and white chrome chairs. Duty-free shopping beckoned to his left.

He strolled that way, hefting his slim but heavy briefcase in his right hand and pulling the strap of his overnight bag further up his left shoulder. He knew that he really shouldn’t be shopping, not now. Yet he couldn’t resist the allure of fine goods and pretty young women with ready smiles and sunny dispositions.

The alcohol was well-priced, the colognes not so cheap. He didn’t need a watch, but he casually meandered past the displays anyways. Crystal sculptures dazzled him, but he didn’t want to carry anything so fragile. After a little more browsing, he made a decision.

The pretty cashier was totally unfazed as Ravi thumped a massive wedge of wrapped Swiss chocolate down on the counter.

“Looks like you’ve got a sweet tooth,” the young black-haired woman opined with a smile.

“You bet, baby,” he responded with his own smile and a wink. He had to surreptitiously ease a one hundred-Euro bill from one of the currency straps snuggling in his jacket pocket to pay for the chocolate. The cashier didn’t look too impressed with it. As she made change, he idly wondered if showing her what he carried in his briefcase would impress her more than a paltry hundred Euros.

“Thanks,” he told her as he took up the bagged chocolate. He couldn’t resist smiling at her again as he left the duty-free zone.

The beat of the ringtone of his phone startled him. What was ordinarily so welcome had now become tinged with malevolence. He knew that Jim wasn’t supposed to call him so soon.

Despite his misgivings, Ravi automatically transferred his briefcase to his right hand and pulled his cellphone out of his pocket with his left. He flipped it open, and slowly, carefully, put it to his ear. “Hello?”

To be continued...