Susan Grays (book 1)/ The tale of trust

Chapter 6: New signs

10 A.M: Mohamed Belkebir Airport, Adrar, Algeria

Susan stepped out of the airport and immediately the hot air welcomed her and the sunlight burned her eyes even with her sunglasses. She had worn a white shirt with blue jeans. She tightened her eyes and searched for her target and saw him. 

A two-meter muscular man with tanned skin and short light brown hair had stood near a white pickup. His khaki clothes were almost camouflaged him in the pea color background of the deserted plains around. He was Vincent who was a man from the Dominican Republic. He was a criminal at first and was the biggest member of a drug trafficking gang in Central America which was under the control of some Brazilian politicians. But four years ago Susan had saved his life when GSS had destroyed the band and had given him a second chance and since then he had become her personal asset and had helped her in many cases that Susan had gone to alone.

He saw her and nodded his head. Susan went to him. "Vincent!" she said and gave him her backpack. 

"Ma'am!" he replied and opened the door for her. "We will go to Sali's Camp of Unicef. I should see my mother." Said Susan and sat in and gratefully let the powerful cooler of the car to cool down her hot face.

Vincent sat at the driver seat and ignited the engine. The engine roared and the pickup set off on the road to Sali.

***

One hour later: UNICEF's camp near Sali

Susan got out of the car. It was noon and the sun was shining ruthlessly. She looked around through her sunglasses. Little kids were running around, playing. Vincent got out as well. The kids didn't stop their play. They were used to see strangers. 

Susan walked among the rows of white tents. She looked inside each one until she saw her mother in one of them. She motioned for Vincent to stay outside and went in herself. Her mother and a nurse were busy vaccinating a little baby in the arms of her mother. DR. Catherine Barton.

Susan's mother was a volunteer doctor of UNICEF, working in deprived areas of the world for years. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and a few strands of it had framed her beautiful face tanned from being under the sun for long. Her blue eyes were kind. 

The little infant began to cry. "Shhh, It's alright. It's alright little one. Now, we're done." Said Susan's mother lowly and then bent down and kissed the child's forehead fondly. 

Susan smiled a bit but also felt a twinge of pain in her chest. Her mother was always the other's mother, not the mother of her own daughter.

"Alright." Said her mother to the nurse. "Tell her to keep his arm clean and everything will be fine." She then turned and saw Susan. "Oh," she said surprised. 

"Hello, Mother." Said Susan and her smile grew wider.

***

"Everything started from 2 months ago." Said Susan's mother, Catherine, as they walked to her personal tent. She was speaking in low voice. Vincent was behind them in a few steps. 

"A rumor spread in the camp of a man in Sali who employs men and boys who are more than 18 with good pay but no one knew what the job was. Slowly we noticed the absence of men. Every day more of them disappeared from the camp. A few of them returned after two weeks with horrible health conditions. They had lost too much weight and were suffering from stomachache and bad headaches. Most of them were waking up in the middle of the night while screaming and shouting. They didn't talk about the job at all. In fact, they don't talk about anything." 

just then Catherine stopped in front of a tent and stared at the ground with afflicted face, drowned in her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" asked Susan to encourage her to talk. Catherine looked up and pulled aside the curtain so Susan can go in. They went inside. 

A little camping table with two chairs was in the middle of the tent. A desk with lots of books on it and a bunk with a little chest was in the left corner. A fan was on a bedside table trying hard to cool the boiling air. 

"It's like they had passed a trauma. They secluded in a corner and don't talk even to their families more than what is necessary. When I asked one of them who was a young boy to talk to the police, he became frightened and hardly refused." She said and picked up a flask and two mugs and gave one to Susan. 

"Drug?" asked Susan while her mother poured some cold beverage in her mug. She drank it gratefully. The beverage cooled her down a lot. 

Her mother sat and poured another mug for herself. "Maybe. That could explain the loss of weight and stomachache, but not Mental conditions and headaches." she explained.

Susan nodded thoughtfully. Her mother was right. She had seen many ones swallowing drugs. That sort of condition was not their side-affects. "The boy who I talked to," said her mother and brought Susan out of her thoughts. Catherine had stared at her mug. "We found his body two days ago not far from here. He had committed suicide." She said and looked at Susan with teary eyes. 

Susan felt a twinge of pain in her heart at the sight of her sad mother. She bent and took Catherine's hand with hers. "Don't be worry, mother." She said. "I will find what's going on."

Catherine squeezed Susan's hand and smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart." She said. "Can I talk with one of those men who have returned?" asked Susan. 

Catherine shook her head. "Only three had returned and one of them killed himself. One of them disappeared a week ago and the other ... well, let's just say that he even won't realize that you are talking to him. He has just started to a point since he has returned." She said.

Susan nodded and stood. "Thank you for informing me, mother. I will take care of everything." She said. 

Her mother looked at her surprised. "You are leaving?" she asked desperately. "I thought that you may stay for a while." 

"The sooner I start it's better." Said Susan. 

Catherine stood as well. She smiled and looked at Susan up and down. "I have missed you, honey. Wish you could stay for lunch or for the night." She said fondly.

Susan smiled as well. "Maybe another time and somewhere else which is not this hot. And besides, I have an organization to lead, mother." She said.

"I know. Mr. Holmes has told me how much you are endeavoring." Said Catherine and put her hands on Susan's shoulders. Her smile faded and sadness and worry shade on her face. "I'm sorry, my dear daughter. I'm sorry that you grew up so soon. I'm sorry that I let you grow up alone and not be there for you when you needed me. I have never been a good mother for you. But I'm so proud of a person you have become despite your condition." She said and caressed Susan's cheek.

Susan smiled bitterly. "It's alright, mother." She said grabbed her mother's hand and kissed the back of it. Tears rolled down Catherine's face. "Even if you were at my side, I should've found a way to flee from you to do my plans." Said Susan sarcastically and both chuckled. 

Susan wiped Catherine's face with her thumbs. "The past is passed, mother. Don't grieve for something that you can't change." She said and kissed Catherine's forehead. "Goodbye, mom." She then turned on her heels and left the tent. Vincent had stood outside in the shade of a tent. "Come on, Vincent. We will go back to Sali."