The move

Chapter 9 of the thriller "The Imperative U-turn".

The Imperative U-turn

Chapter 9

On Saturday morning after breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant, Ilayev returned to his room to pack up and be ready to check out.

There was no need to rush, it was early yet; thus he took his time to pack his few things, and when he was ready to leave he called reception and asked them to prepare his bill. He put on his coat with the enigmatic mobile stashed in the left inner pocket of his coat, and took his suitcase and handbag and went down.

While he paid his bill at the reception counter, the clerck told him that the cab that he ordered waits for him opposite the entrance.

‘Thanks,’ Ilayev muttered without disclosing his utter surprise, in a matter of a few seconds he would have asked the clerk to call a cab.

As soon as he ended the check out procedure, he picked up his suitcase and went outside.

‘Good day sir,’ The same cab driver who drove Ilayev to the Hamilton hotel was standing beside his cab, he asked Ilayev politely to hand him his suitcase, and loaded it in the open cab’s trunk; and then he opened the cab’s rear door, and asked Ilayev to board the rear seat; and right afterwards he shut gently the rear door and the trunk’s lid cover, and went over to the driver’s seat. As soon as he switched on the engine and drove away from the hotel, he turned to Ilayev while watching him time and again through the driver’s mirror, and briefed him in Russian with just a few words.

‘I’ll drop you next to a certain apartments’ tower, here’s the card ticket to enter it. You’ll take the elevator to floor eight, and this same ticket is your key to apartment number eight o two...’

‘Is that all that I’m supposed to know?’

‘A short while after you’ll enter your apartment you’ll receive a series of instructions through your mobile, that’s all my dear compatriot.’

There was nothing more to ask and they kept on riding in silence, while Ilayev tried in vain to watch the scenary and have some idea to where they were heading.

When they stopped at last near that certain appartments’ tower, Ilayev realized that it was situated not too far from the White House.

@ Haim Kadman 2020 �" all rights reserved.