The Red Cell AndrĂ© Gallo (essential reading .txt) đ
- Author: André Gallo
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Her hands methodically patted Um down, but more slowly and carefully, than Um had ever experienced going through airport security.
âTake off your clothes,â the woman said, with a hint of a grin.
âWhat? That is not what they do at airports.â
âDo it now, or I will bring the boys in here, and they will be happy to help.â
âWhatever it is youâre looking for, you are wasting your time,â Um said curtly. When she saw the woman was not backing down, she headed for the door, saying, âI am out of here.â But one of the young men in the living room barred her exit.
The woman called her back. âIf you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to hide. It will be easy. Come on.â
In extreme frustration, Um slammed the door closed and walked back into the room, trying to repress her anger.
âRemember,â the woman said sincerely, âwe are all on the same side, Allah is our salvation. I must examine you. Go ahead. You can put your clothes on the bed.â
Um removed her light jacket and unbuttoned her blouse while trying to avoid the womenâs searching eyes.
âQuickly, quickly.â
She threw her blouse on the bed, revealing a lacy red bra from Victoriaâs Secret she now wished she had left at home.
âHow does a girl like you afford this? Is it with your CIA salary? Did the CIA build a micro-microphone into your bra?â The woman stepped toward her and said, âDonât move. This will not hurt.â She reached for Umâs breasts, fondling each gently. âI cannot yet feel the wire, but I know it is there.â
âStop it!â Um said, yanking the womanâs wrists away from her chest.
âNow take off those jeans.â
When the jeans joined the other clothes on the bed, revealing matching red panties, the woman again stepped forward with a predatory grin, pressing her body against Um and giving her a light kiss on the lips.
âDonât tell me you donât like this, or this is completely new to you,â the woman said. âYour eyes betray you.â
The remark made Um flashback to her student days in Beirut, when she and a friend had experimented together for a week before going back to boys. She remembered it had not been a totally unpleasant experience. She allowed the womanâs lips to stay on hers for a second longer than she knew she should before pushing her away, causing her to fall to the floor. She took a breath and quickly dressed.
As the woman stood up, she told her, âI am saving you from Allahâs wrath.â Then she left the bedroom.
El Khoury and Ahmed turned toward her when Um reentered the living room. The two young men apparently had been sent on an errand.
âAhmed has told me about you,â El Khoury said. âYour courage in working side by side with the Americans infidels will be rewarded. We will not be able to meet very often, so today we will instruct you regarding communications and give you the requirements you must fulfill if our cause is to be served.â
Umâs bedroom interrogator returned and stood at El Khouryâs side, a bit flushed but sternly attentive.
âI will be your contact,â Ahmed said hurriedly, as if afraid to be preempted. âI will meet you in New York every two weeks. I will give you the address of the apartment later. These meetings will be preset. But for emergencies, you will contact an Internet message board. Remember the Web address, www.esquisitecuisine.com. If you include the words âgreen eels,â with the second word misspelled as âeals,â and sign the message âAL,â I will meet you the next day in the parking lot of the Vienna, Virginia, Metro station at one p.m. The alternate will be six p.m. the same day.â He glanced at El Khoury, seeking approval.
Still fingering his beads, El Khoury nodded. âAll this seems overly complicated to me. But I agree we cannot underestimate the enemy. America is the puppet master of the Jewish State, which has too often used Satanâs tricks to kill our people.â He paused and added, âFortunately, Ahmed has been taught by our Iranian brothers.â
âRemember I am just a translator,â Um said, taking a sip from the glass she had left on the table prior to her bout in the bedroom. âSo far, I am mostly given speeches and public comments that appear in the Arab and Iranian media. When I translate them, they give me a new batch. My office is not even in the CIA building. It is in a business center in a town called Reston, fifteen kilometers away from CIA headquarters. However, I have been told I could be transferred to another office that requires much higher clearances. I believe they deal with secret telephone taps as well as with intercepts.â
âAlhamduâllah,â El Khoury exclaimed, thanking God and giving Um a broad smile, the first sign of emotion she had seen. He dispatched his female assistant to get him a bottle of orange juice from the kitchen.
âTo better serve you,â Um said, starting to regain her senses, recalling Bobâs instructions and crooked nose, âIt would help me to know how my information will be used. Since I will be serving you primarily, please tell me, Saiâd, how I can help your mission.â
Before El Khoury could reply, the phone started ringing, and
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