Soul Heist - The Missing Mentor

Chapter 6 - Beach Walk

A dark-skinned gangly young man in navy shorts and a white polo shirt led Indira and Tammy through the lavish outdoor pool area towards a supersized daybed in the shade of some palm trees. Indira fell into the soft cushions and took in the view of the beach. A light breeze came in from the sea. She spotted a handful of surfers playing in the waves. A smirk escaped Indira's lips when she caught herself wondering where Danian might be. She pushed the thought aside. After all, she hardly knew him. But his dazzling smile had imprinted itself into her memory.

"What can I get you guys, little sister?" The beach club staff looked expectantly at Tammy.

"Two cappuccinos, please. Thanks, hon!"

"Is that Bruno?" Indira asked after he'd left.

"Yep. Big brother Bruno. The girls love him. And the boys too. He's got plenty to choose from." Tammy lifted her sunglasses just long enough for Indira to capture the proud sparkle in her eyes. "Tell me a bit more about your last mission. How did it go?"

Indira gleamed. "We staged this huge guerrilla stunt. Right in the centre of Berlin is the key government building. It's quite spectacular with an enormous glass half-sphere on top. We covered the whole area around it in sand. Essentially, turning the centre stage of German politics into a huge desert."

"And nobody stopped you?" Tammy looked sceptical.

"In the ramp-up, we had it all signed off as an international beach volleyball tournament. And we had some powerful backers, too."

"Did the people get the message?"

Indira's eyes blinked. "Yes, I think they did. We worked with a local PR agency that did a fantastic job directing the conversations online towards climate goals. Politicians just too easily forget that they're gambling with our future. Not theirs."

Indira had unconsciously clenched her fists. She took a deep breath and relaxed. When it came to the planet's future, her emotions were as fickle as an ecosystem on the verge of collapse.

Bruno balanced two big white cups with an assortment of cookies on a tray in his hand. He placed it on the daybed then produced a large plate with strawberries dipped in dark chocolate seemingly out of nowhere. "On the house, ladies. Enjoy your time here!" He swung around, one hand on his hip and marched off, swinging his backside provocatively from side to side.

Indira gaped at the sweet surprise. Chocolate was one of her very few vices and the only one she happily admitted to. Then she motioned towards Bruno, who had a few more guests turning their heads in his wake. "He's one of a kind, isn't he?"

Tammy made no effort to disagree, popped a strawberry into her mouth and looked Indira straight in the eyes. "So is Danian, don't you think?"

Indira blushed, looked away, then stared back at her friend. She knew that look on Tammy's face all too well. Arguing with her was pointless. "You promised not to read my mind, remember?"

"Hard to let go of old habits." Tammy shrugged. "He's quite good looking."

Indira stuffed an extra-large strawberry in her mouth and waited for the chocolate to melt over her tongue. But she knew when her best friend wanted to talk about something, a fruit plate wasn't nearly enough of a deterrent. It just bought her a bit of time to think.

It took her three more of the delicious strawberries before she admitted that, yes, Danian was quite handsome. "But there's something else to him. Have you felt it?"

"I can read minds. Only you can feel those..." Tammy used her sunglasses to harness a curly strain of her black hair that kept falling into her face, "um, butterflies."