The Perfect Plan

It has been eight years since I left home. I hardly remember how it feels to be home. I have been living all alone ever since. Goa, a beautiful place rich in culture yet drowned in poverty and crime. If you had been here long enough, you'll know that money can buy anything around this place. Being a popular holiday destination for its beach and night life, Goa is always packed with tourist from all around the world. Crawling with bag packers, hippies and vacationers, made it the perfect location for me. It's easy to blend in and makes it hard for anyone to find me here. I've been very careful so far, moving all around, from one place to another. I've lived in twenty odd different places in the past five years.

           I grew up with my father, who was an alcoholic. He would beat me up every time he got drunk. So, I grew up to be tough. I worked at a security agency. I was never a book smart but have always been street smart. Wendy, is the only good memory I have from home. She is the most beautiful women I have ever meet. We have had great times together, in fact, the only happy times in my life. She cared for me like no one else. We were crazily in love. I would do anything to kiss her, feel her in my arms or to just have a scent of her again. She always had a smile on her face. So innocent and cheerful. That smile would make my day. My heart beat races as I think of her. Sometimes it makes me think if this is all worth the time we’ve lost.

           The only connection I have with home is Wendy. Yesterday, I received a call from her. I knew she was in tears but she's too strong to admit that.
"They found out about us, Jake". The first word she uttered, unlike the usually Darling or Love.
"What. What do you mean?. My words stammered. I knew that it would have been the worst for her.
"Don't worry, they only found out that we were seeing each other back then. I told them that we broke up months before the incident". She explained.
"Then, what happened?" I was quick to interrupt. I had lost my patients by then.
"They tortured me Dave". Finally she burst out crying. Her wall of toughness collapsed.
"They did things to me. They hurt me. I begged them and pleaded, but they would not believe me." Her tone faded asshe cried and grasped for air.
"Baby, are you alright? Where are you? Son of a...What did they do to you?" I broke down in tears too. It felt like a dagger through my heart.
"Jake darling, I'm ok. I got to go now. They might be following me. I did not tell them anything but you be careful, they are getting closer. I love you. Bye." She was quick to hang up.

            She had warned me before. Those guys the firm hired are professionals but are not bound to any law. They will do anything to get what they want. I can't imagine what they would have done. If only I was there to protect her. My mind is all over. I need to get a grip, I can't lose it now. I am trying to calm down as I recalled the day I first meet her. It was at Bobby's Bar. I was having a beer while playing pool after my shift ended. She walked in from nowhere, all alone and went straight for the jukebox. She hit a number and called out for a Margarita. She stared straight at me, and then she turned away. She started dancing by herself, almost like a wild girl who does not give a damn about the world. Normally, I wouldn't give a damn too, but she couldn't fool me. I knew there was something about this girl. It didn’t take long before we exchanged words. It was clear that we were meant to be.

           After months of being indulged in episodes of romance, it struck us one day. A plan for our future. A simple plan. It was my shift to escort the money from the main volt located in the city, to multiple branches in different towns. A total of 50 million dollars. I would drug the other guards and transfer all the money into another vehicle waiting for me at a chosen location. Then I disappear. All the money would be wired to various off shore accounts and this process repeated numerous times until there is no trace. The money is now parked at an off shore account in a foreign country under an anonymous name. We agreed not touch the money until the case has gone cold. The perfect plan. Perfectly executed but it has now come back to haunt us.

  

            The journey from Goa was long and tiring, but it feels good to be home after all these years. The airport is packed with people. Everything looks new and clean. The scent in the air brings back memories but the moment does not last. I almost forgot the reason I am here. I can't be too careful. This is ground zero. I'm used to blending in with the crowd but I feel exposed here. The best thing to do is to find a place where I can wait and go unnoticed. It should not be too hidden nor in the open. Somewhere I can blend. I'll just have to wait there till Wendy arrives, and then we're off on the next flight. As time passes anxiety begins to creep in. I've got to keep my cool, but more than anything else, I can't wait to see her after all these years.

 

            A week ago, I received an e-mail from Wendy. She wrote that we cannot wait any longer. Those guys that the firm hired, those thugs, they are getting closer. We have got to make a move now. It's now or never. So I thought about it. The money trail has gone cold and these guys have no clue where to look. I am the only link to the money and Wendy is the only way they can get to me. It's time to disappear and this time it’s going to be the both of us, permanently. I drafted a plan and sent it to her. One week from the e-mail, I wouldfly back home using a new identity. We will meet secretly at the airport and depart on another flight to Russia using different identities. That way they should not be able to track us. As a fail save plan, I sent her a new passport and an encrypted message that contains the account details and directions to the money. In case I get caught, she should leave without me. That was the plan.

 

            The day has turned to night and the crowd has shrunk to a hand full, but there is no sign of Wendy. The uncomfortable feelingfrom the bottom of my belly worsens as every minute passes. Many possible scenario runs through my mind. From the comforting, to the heart piercing. This wasn't part of any plan we had. What do I do now? I really don't know. I just sat there not moving a muscle. A day had passed just like that. I can feel the morning sun light crawling up my back from the window behind me. Alone, desperate and without a clue, I am helpless. Then, it struck me. What if she had to leave before I arrived? What if she is already there, waiting for me? If they have got to her, they would be here by now. So I am left with only one option. I will take the next flight to Russia.

 

            As I approach the door to the hotel room which I had reserved, I am overwhelmed by anxiety. It's a mixed feeling of excitement and horror of what awaits me beyond that door. The hotel receptionist had informed me that someone has already checked in to the room. A huge part of me says that Wendy, the love of my life is waiting for me on the other side, but another part is filled with fear. I had imagined the thugs inside the room with Wendy's dead corpse lying by the side. It was a long flight. Many thoughts were creeping in my mind. Finally, I opened the door and walked in. To my surprise I found a rose placed on top of a letter. A little feeling of relief, yet still curious. I opened the letter, and it read...

 

 

Dear Love,

 

I am sorry to have kept you in the dark for so long.

 

The day I saw you at the Bar, I knew, it had to be you. I was looking for a way out of my pathetic life. The same security firm that you worked for had fired me back then. I've seen you there many times but you never noticed me.

 

Anyway, we pulled it off together. Thank you. I am now leaving with the money, knowing that you are a survivor and will always be. Forgive me for leaving but freedom is what I seek and It will never be mine if we were together. No matter what, my love for you is true.

 

You don’t have to worry about those guys the firm hired, they don’t exist. The money we stole was paid back by the insurance company. You were on the police wanted list for a while but they stopped looking for you long time ago. I wish you a good and happy life ahead.

 

Yours only,

Wendy  

 

            A perfect plan indeed, but it was never mine. It has always been hers.