Double Danger (11 page)

Jessica decided to go down to the school to check if the children were back yet. She also tried the sports centre. Both places were empty of children. She went to the villa. As usual, there was nothing to do there. Everything was spick and span and not a thing out of place that she could tidy up. The houseboy was so irritatingly efficient.

Then suddenly the siren howled a warning. A terrorist attack had started. Jessica raced outside.

‘The children. The children.’

She was not the only one who was crying out the words in panic.

Suicide bombers flung themselves at the gate, blowing up the barrier and the barbed wire.

Two Mercedes saloons rocketed forward into the gap, as wisps of smoke and dust covered the bodies of the Saudi guards, the blood strangely brown and moist as the dust coated and disguised the horror of the broken flesh.

The tyres slammed and bumped over the rubble and torn bodies and burst through to the Stepford-like streets of middle American suburbia.

Women in pretty flowered tea dresses dashed to and fro incongruously between swarthy uniformed Saudis.

The two Mercedes diverged left and right, the heavy clatter of machine guns beating a staccato tattoo of destruction. There was a smell of burning rubber, mingled with the stench of cordite, as the tyres struggled for grip on the hot tarmac.

Bullets sprayed in every direction, making a ‘thock thock’ sound as they slammed into the concrete walls. Interspersed with this was the heavy meaty thud as bullets ripped into guards and civilians alike.

In horror, Jessica saw one of her friends from the café throw up her arms before crashing back on to the ground. Blood was cascading from the back of her neck. Jessica pressed herself against the wall of the villa. She might have slid round and in through the back door. On the other hand, how could she hide safely away, knowing that the children were outside and in immediate danger? But what could she do to help them? The only thing she could think of was to get to them in time to warn them to turn back and hide. But how could she accomplish this? She was almost too afraid to breathe in case one of the terrorists saw her.

Brian would be safely in his office panic room and so she didn’t need to worry about him. But oh, the children, the children.

They too would be shot and killed. Even if the terrorists had mercy for children, the danger would still remain of them being caught in the crossfire in the blinding smoke. Jessica was in hell. She felt hysterical. The smoke, the overpowering noise fuelled by hatred, the fires. Buildings were crackling with flames.

Paralysed now, she couldn’t move. She believed her death was very near.

Heavy machine guns from the towers finally sighted on the cars and a terrible crossfire of bullets tore through the metal of the cars, destroying everything and everyone inside. The sudden absence of sound was in strange contrast to the ringing in Jessica’s ears as she stared wide-eyed in stunned paralysis at the devastation around her. Dust and smoke partially blanked the scene as dazed, zombie-like figures staggered aimlessly, seemingly unsure if they were alive or in some nightmare.

Now when she opened her eyes, she could see dead bodies. She began to sob and cry. She didn’t know how long she stood like that before Brian came racing towards her, caught her in his arms and led her into the villa.

‘Darling,’ he said, sitting her down on a chair. ‘I thought you were safely in the panic room. God, what I’d give for a couple of stiff whiskies but we’ll just have to make do with a cup of tea.’

As if the words were magic, the houseboy suddenly appeared and cried out, ‘Me make tea’ before rushing off to the kitchen.

‘The children,’ Jessica managed. ‘I wanted to get to the children and warn them.’

‘Good God! Weren’t they in the school panic room?’

‘No, the teachers had taken them out on a walk to explore the far end of the compound.’

‘Where are they now?’

‘I hope and pray they’re still at the other end of the compound. Probably the teachers heard the noise of all the gunfire and kept them there. But we’ll have to go and find them.’ She struggled to her feet. ‘Right now.’

The sights outside the villa made her feel sick but she ran through the dust and dead bodies, shouting at Brian, ‘You go that way and I’ll try this side. Hurry, for God’s sake.’

It didn’t take too long, although it seemed like an eternity, before she found the children and their teachers safe and sound. She stopped, almost fainting with relief but worried then about what to do next.

Tommy and Fiona started happily chattering to her. Tommy said, ‘We saw lots of lovely trees and flowers and shrubs and Miss Donaldson said there’s a small army of Indian, Bangladeshi and South-East Asian workers who keep the gardens looking great like that.’

‘Wonderful,’ Jessica murmured. She was still practising taking deep breaths to calm herself. She kept glancing over at the teachers too. So far they had protected all the children from the horrors of what had happened. But what to do now?

Fiona said, ‘Miss Smithers told us that outside in the desert, there’s just scrubland and some coarse grass. A tree called the spiny acacia grows along dry river beds and seems to survive everything. It’s all the workers that keep everything inside the compound so lovely and green and colourful.’

Tommy said, ‘We got quite tired, Mummy. Because we enjoyed ourselves so much. We didn’t come straight back because Miss Donaldson said we’d be best to stay for a while and rest. We were away for ages. I fell asleep.’

‘So did I,’ Fiona said. ‘In a beautiful flowery place with high bushes all around. Miss Grayley told us to lie down. There was nobody could see us and disturb us and we’d have a really good sleep.’ She giggled. ‘All the teachers crouched down beside us. They looked funny.’

‘You’re lucky to have such good teachers,’ Jessica said, then hesitated before plunging on. ‘They saved your lives, you see – all of your lives. Now you’ve got to be brave. There has been a terrible terrorist attack on the compound – really terrible. Lots of people have been wounded and killed. It’s perfectly safe again now and the soldiers have killed the terrorists but there are some horrid sights. We’ll have to pass through lots of horrid things before we can get back home.’

Just then, other mothers and fathers came running to join them and snatch their children into their arms. Cries of ‘Thank God you’re safe’ echoed all round in the hot desert air. Brian appeared too and said to Jessica, ‘Now calm down. They’re safe and well. That’s the main thing.’

She suddenly felt an almost overwhelming urge to punch him.

‘I’ll carry Fiona and hide her face against my shoulder to try and stop her seeing anything. You do the same for Tommy.’

‘You can’t carry Fiona, Jessica. Some things have to be faced. It’s life. The children have got to learn to be strong. We’ll hold their hands and lead them. They can close their eyes if they feel they need to.’

Jessica began to tremble. If it hadn’t been for the now crowds of other parents and teachers all milling around, she would have screamed.

‘Keep calm,’ he was saying again. ‘Set the children a good example.’

She managed to control herself and lead the children back towards the villa, as he said. She did keep calm even when the children began to sob and cry and hide their faces against her and Brian.

At long last they reached the house and did everything possible to soothe and comfort the twins before tucking them into bed. Jessica sat beside their trembling bodies until eventually, exhausted, they sank into sleep.

By then she was too exhausted herself and too emotionally drained to be angry.

She said to Brian, ‘Those teachers obviously saved the children’s lives.’

‘Yes,’ Brian agreed. ‘I’ve always admired their conscientiousness, as well as their considerable talents.’

‘Was it you who engaged them originally?’

‘Yes.’

‘You’re obviously good at your job, Brian. But you didn’t think the terrorists would ever get past the Saudi soldiers, did you?’

Brian shrugged. ‘I’ve been here for years, as I’ve told you, and it’s never happened before.’

‘Well, it happened today and it’ll happen again.’

‘We don’t know that.’

‘Brian, the terrorists have proved to themselves and to everyone that they can get in. Of course they’ll try again. They’ll think that all they’ll need is more men and no doubt they’ll have plenty of men eager to join them.’

‘We’ll get more soldiers stationed all around the walls. That’ll stop them.’

‘You hope.’

‘There just weren’t enough soldiers on duty today, Jessica. That’ll be put right. You’ve no need to worry.’

‘How many times have you said that to me, Brian? I’ve lost count. But one thing’s certain. I’ll never be happy here again.’

‘Oh Jessica, please don’t say that. This has been an awful day for you, I know, but you’ll feel better tomorrow and everything will soon be back to normal.’

Jessica shook her head.

‘No.’

‘Yes, darling. You’re happy here. Everyone is. It’s such a wonderful place and …’

‘I know. You don’t need to say it. It’s a wonderful compound, a wonderful country, and Arabs are wonderful people.’

‘Well, it’s true, isn’t it?’

‘It’s true for you.’

‘Jessica, I don’t believe there is a single person who has lived here for any length of time who would disagree with me.’

‘Are you actually saying that it will be all right for our children to go on living here after what happened today? After how traumatised they’ve been?’

‘Today was a one-off. It won’t happen again, and you’re forgetting how happy our children have been here. Living here has been a wonderful experience for them. They’re very, very lucky.’

‘Lucky to be alive.’

‘Oh, stop it, Jessica.You’ve always been such an extremist.’

‘I don’t care any more what you think. I want to take the children home.’

‘This is their home.’

‘Not any more. It has to be Hilltop House from now on.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Brian’s voice turned angry. ‘Hilltop House isn’t habitable yet and it’s sheer selfishness on your part to even consider taking the children from their enjoyable life here to that dark jungle of a place, as it is at the moment.’

‘I’ll stay with Mrs Mellors if necessary until Hilltop House is habitable. I’m just not staying here any longer, Brian.’

‘Please darling. I promise you, if you still want to go to Hilltop House, I’ll agree wholeheartedly, but just give me this chance first. I’m sure you’ll feel better after a holiday – especially a holiday in such a wonderful place as Dubai. The children will love it too and it’ll do them so much good, as well as you.’

He kissed her.

‘Please. My Arab friend has given us the use of his flat and I’ve managed to get a week’s compassionate leave.’

He had been going on at her so much that eventually, for the sake of peace, she agreed.

As it turned out, it was an experience she would not have missed for the world. It was, in fact, like another world. To get to the district where Brian’s Arab friend’s flat was situated, they had to take a water taxi. The flat, as Brian had once told her, was absolutely enormous and unbelievably luxurious. She couldn’t help feeling, though, that it was too much over the top. Who needed anything so large? But then, she soon discovered that everything in Dubai was huge. In one street there was a mix of hotels and business premises with buildings sixty floors high. Other streets had even taller buildings. One building, Brian told her, was the tallest in the world. New buildings were sprouting up everywhere from unfinished roads. There were harbours crowded with fishing boats. Other harbours boasted luxurious yachts.

Everywhere she looked there were beautiful, marble-floored shopping malls with the most wonderful shops Jessica had ever seen. Designer labels were everywhere and jewellery she had never even been able to dream about. In one mall, there was a glass wall the whole length of the place and in behind the glass was an aquarium – but no ordinary aquarium. There were all sorts of fish – even sharks – and marine life. The children stared pop-eyed and open-mouthed.

Brightly coloured toys sent them screaming in delight. They rode rocking horses and drove racing cars until Jessica had to insist they went to find somewhere to sit down and calm down.

They found an ice cream parlour with every kind of ice cream imaginable. The children rolled their eyes and sighed with pleasure.

Brian said to Jessica, ‘Now do you believe me? They’re fine already. What happened before will just be like a bad dream and will fade away and be completely forgotten. By the look of things, it’s forgotten already.’

She could see what he meant and, as far as the children were concerned, he could be right. Children could be very resilient. However, she couldn’t forget what had happened in the compound and how near they had all come to a horrible, violent death. She could also think ahead and know that, despite all of Brian’s assurances, it could happen again. She was having a wonderful experience in Dubai, of course, and enjoying it. She did not regret allowing Brian to persuade her to visit the place. She felt lucky to have had such an opportunity. She realised too that Brian was trying his best to help her and the twins and he genuinely believed such a serious terrorist attack would never happen again.

There would be extra soldiers put on duty, no doubt, as he said. But she believed there would be more terrorists too. There was bound to be the revenge element, for one thing. So many of the terrorists had been killed. Despite every assurance Brian gave her, she thought it would be absolute madness to remain in the compound in Saudi Arabia.

Her dearest wish would be for Brian to come home to Scotland with her and the twins and stay there permanently. They could work together on the hotel project and be busy and happy. But she couldn’t see Brian agreeing to that. She did suggest it but, as she expected, Brian said that there would be plenty of time for that eventually, but he had such a wonderfully well-paid job in the compound and it was such a wonderful life for her and the twins. Wonderful, wonderful! Everything was wonderful in the compound, in Tabuk, everywhere in Saudi Arabia. And, of course, the people – he never tired of singing their praises.