The department head

This espionage thriller relates the trials of Amina Rifa'ee a young Syrian woman, was born in Damascus Syria; a beloved daughter of a prominent Ba'ath party member

The department head

"On Both Sides Of The Abyss"

An excerpt

'Mabruc' (congratulations) said their department's head laconically, though the circumstances were fit to bestow his inferiors with praise.

He glanced at the rectangular transparent window pane, through which the interrogation chamber could be seen without being seen; and concentrated his gaze for a few seconds in the interrogator and his victim.

'Taieb (good) you did a good job up till now, although we’re just at the beginning, and sit down, back to your posts.' He added quite genially, without harassing his inferiors as he’s used to.

'Do update me with a few details before we’ll go in.'

The younger of the two interrogators, that up to their senior’s arrival followed with much interest the happenings in the interrogation chamber beyond the window, and has recorded every detail and word that took place over there, offered his seat to his esteemed department’s head.

'First of all, how did she get to London? She is engaged to be married to her relative or a family friend isn’t she?' the department’s head asked, as he sat down on the unoccupied chair.

'She was a beloved daughter…' The older one among his two inferiors opened up.

'A beloved daughter, but there’s the tradition… the family’s honor… maybe we should check up if the whole matter hasn’t started in her family?'

'Wallahi (by God) we haven’t even thought of such a possibility!' the older one remarked with much cajolery. 'We’ll check that possibility too ya side (sir). As for our subject matter, she refused to marry her father business associate; she threatened to commit suicide... Her father made much fuss but at the end he had to accept her refusal. The solution was to send her abroad, to study. They compensated her ex fiancé’, they aren’t short of money.'

'How was she recruited then by our enemies?' The department’s head kept on asking. The full details he would learn in her complementary interrogation, in his presence within a few more minutes; but he preferred to know beforehand the basic facts and verify it during the counter interrogation.

'In a disco club sir, on the first night that she was tempted to visit such a joint.'

'Is that so?' the department’s head wondered knitting his brows, 'and how did they manage to persuade her, but just the main points.'

'One of the students a friend of hers, an Algerian girl, dragged her to that place...'’

'I said just the main points and I mean it. ' his senior reminded him.

'...It’s a popular club and many of our kinsmen visit it too. Several men asked her to dance, a certain Libyan courted her with elegant determination, claimed that he has fallen in love with her at first sight; he offered her his ruby ring. She refused to accept it of course, but was very impressed it seems; later on he drove her and her friend back to the students’ dormitory, and she gave him her mobile number…'

‘So it was a procedure of step by step developments, that's how it worked out.'

'That's right sir that Libyan was her first one, and after a short time she moved to his place. That’s how it all started.'

'If she isn’t a virgin wallahi, we can have the time of our life on her account…' The younger one barged in enthusiastically.

'Ouskut ya jachs!' (Shut up young jackass) The department’s head exclaimed angrily.

The young interrogator lowered his eyes and coughed loudly several times, quite shocked; but the department’s head seemed to lose all his interest in him.

'To me she looks “tamam” (unscathed) just as new, “ya’ani” (which means) no need for harsh treatment. How was she tamed then? Yes I’m listening.' He turned again to the older one between the two.

'It was very easy sir. We’ve shown her a few old devices, which were left here from the time Faisel and the "Inglizi" (the Englishman = Laurence of Arabia) have beaten the Turks, and ended up with the Turkish Empire…' He broke out laughing seeing the broadening smile on his senior’s face. 'That was the opening stage and at nightfall we’ve organized a chorus of tortured victims' shrieks; and just before midnight she knocked with frenzy on her door, asking to meet the officer in charge �" that is, she wished to see you ya sidi (sir).'

'Very well,' the department’s head nodded his head with approval and with a beaming smile on his face. 'We’ll treat her with kid gloves from now on, and if some idiot would dare to touch her, I’ll castrate him with my own hands!' He remarked raising his voice, turning his eyes towards the younger among the two. 'She’s raw material of the best quality, if things won’t work out as we wish, we can always transfer her to our Palestinian brothers; to atone for her treason as a "shahida" (saint) with an explosive belt and blow herself up among our mutual enemies. But we’ve to find out still, whether we can turn her into a double agent.' He made a short pause as if he was thinking it over. 'The ties with her operator might have been cut off for just a short while already; anyhow, we can always put up some cover story like let’s say, suspicion of false papers or some other trivial cause that brought to her detention; or devise a more sophisticated theory, which would persuade her operator that she has been hospitalized in a Beirut hospital.' He cleared his throat with much show of self importance, turning a reproachful look at the young interrogator. 'Tell Rashid that we’re going in.' He ordered and rose to his feet.

© Haim Kadman 2013 �" all rights reserved.

149 pages, 75.752 words.

www.amazon.com/Haim-Kadman/e/B009Z7XL8C