"Clair is not at home"; The Novel

As Clair read “Day of the Bees” she thought that the world had betrayed and given its back to her the same way it did to Louise Collard. However, she was now giving her back to the world as well. She had done something she knew she would regret her whole life. She had give away a secret, a terrible secret that only she on Mr. Al Blanco knew. With that she'd betrayed the only person that ever trusted in her fully. No matter how bad he has been, she had no right to put all the blame on him for something she had a lot to do with.

And she remembered her last secret conversation with Mr. Blanco, she felt tired and disappointed, as if everything in her life were a surreal and fake nightmarish dream. She needed to change what she'd done. Start with a clean slate. She needed a change in her life, for good.

The phone rang. Clair startled dropped her book on the floor, and immediately ran to pick up the receiver. It was the call she had been waiting for. The one that will give her the chance to make things right.

“Hello!” Clair said nervously.

“Clair Valetta?” a voice at the other end asked in a harsh tone of voice.

“Yes, it’s me. What do you need?” she answered in an unfriendly tone as the male voice she was talking to.

“Clair the drop is tonight!". [a dead silence] Clair smiled a sarcastic smile and thought to herself, "Welcome back to reality, Clair."

"Give me 15.” She responded as she grabbed her sweater. It was 45 degrees outside and in Raleigh this could feel a lot colder.

“You only have 10 minutes. Hurry!”

Clair placed the receiver down, and grabbing her hotel keys she dropped them inside her pockets and ran into the bathroom to wash her face. She let the freezing cold water running through her face, making her eyelashes look ever longer and darker than they were. She had great Greek-Italian features, but because of the darkness of her skin she was easily confused by a Spanish or Brazilian girl. Clair grabbed her small hand towel and dried her face with it, squinting at the image on her mirror in a not so friendly matter. No matter how many times she did job she always felt sick.

But she knew this one will be the last one. She tied her hair up in a ponytail, then walked out of the bathroom and put on her old white running shoes that were laying down near her bed. Next she grabbed a cap and put on her leather jacket again, she had taken it a off to change her thin beige blouse into this pretty chocolate brown turtle neck sweater that made her look pretty but dangerous at the same time.

Outside on the sidewalk Clari crossed the street and began to walk rapidly. She only had to walk one and half block to her to near Duke Park to be participant in her last deal. They needed her. She was the middle man now. After her partner was captured by the FBI she had to do everything by herself. She liked working alone, as she always said imitating some bad cowboy filmed she watched as a child, "I walk alone, like Maklovio". And now being on her own was the easiest way to make things right, for she was her own boss and only few knew her well enough to be able to follow her trail after she did what she was about to do tonight.

As Clair walked she tapped her pockets feeling her keys. She also felt something else inside her pockets, a business card. She was not surprised she had placed them there herself only few days before. It was the Business card for Raul the FBI Agent she had "dealt" with before.

She was no snitch but she had kept that card the FBI agent had given her that time, 2 months ago, when she blamed Pele for every crime they committed together.
Pele had been the biggest "big-shot" From dealing drugs Russia to Canada and into New York, and from there to everywhere else. They had a long past together, she knew them since she was almost a child on a school vacation in Sydney, Australia. He was there on business and had dialed her number by accident. She said to him she was a foreigner and that she did not know the place he was trying to call, nor where that place was. He told her that he was a foreigner too, as if that meant they had a lot in common. She liked his smart response, so they met and became fast friend for the very moment they saw each other. They became almost inseparable for that week.

But Pele had lied to her, at first, about his business there in Thirroul, Australia a coast city near Sidney, just to get her interested. Also to avoid having to answer her questions he told her that he was a KGB secret agent and all the did there including being with her had to remain classified, and she believed him.

Now she was afraid for her life. Now that she knew everything about him. How he'd killed many people including a female KGB agent because she had let her identity being compromised and how he strangled that woman with his own bare hands as he threatened to do with her many times. He, Pele the man she had turned in to the FBI and so on into the CIA, was not only the biggest drug dealer but a former Russian Secret police agent, and way before the KGB had being disassembled he had run to America to start continue his criminal career more freely.

Clair felt chills running down her spine as she caressed the FBI agent's card in his hand. What if he was the American version of Pele. What if he was as corrupted and evil as Pele was. She doubted for few minutes, but she made up her mind. She needed to take that risk for her own benefit. So she looked for a pay phone to dial the number on the card. She new that using her cell phone was a very bad idea so she desisted and opted for the payphone instead, like they do in those old black and white mobs movies.

She was hiding half of her face with her elegant long leather jacket as she placed the receiver near her dark colored lips and batted her eyelashes in worry.

“Raleigh Police. This is Raul" a young jovial voice responded
"It’s me Raul, Clair". She said on a high pitch voice, unusual to her.
"Clair! Yes. What you got for me sweetheart?"
"Hm. The drop is tonight.” she replied with a serious now low tone voice.
“By the Duke's walk?”
“Yes. That same place.”
“Is this time for sure?” "You are not yanking my chains Clair, right?"
“Yes sir.” "I mean NO, but yes the same place. I'm one hundred percent sure this time."
“Don’t play games with me Señorita”
“I’m not playing. I am just doing my darn part. So now do yours!.” She ordered him around, something he hated, but coming from her it made him smile as he hung-up the phone.

Minutes later at Duke Park.

There were two large vehicles with the lights off parked on a crowded parking lot of a small restaurant. The door of one them opened slightly and Raul slid his body out the car like a snake getting out of its dark hidden place.

“Is everything ready Raul?” A bold middle age man asked his partner, once Raul gets near him.
“What ya think?” replied Raul, in his young Cuban voice.
Mr. Blanco the other man looked like a poor imitation of an aging Elvis or an Italian gangster, more like the latter, with his dark hair combed to the back with 'Boots Hair Cream' or Brylcreem, and a strong smell all over his hair and himself that made Raul's nose itch a little.

“Don’t try to be smart with me kid,” The older man replied in an angry voice.
“I’m not Al. Things are going smoothly. Everything is going by the book.” Raul replied
"So you trust her?" The man asked to his partner trying not to look worried but deep inside he was worried. This was one of the biggest assignment he had since he joined the "Federals" and he was afraid the little birdie would ruin his plans on moving up the ladder.
“Yes. You should too. You know her better than I do."
"And you can put a stamp on that. Indeed I know her". He chuckled after he said this getting an angry look from Raul in return.
"I knew this bird would sing, sooner than later. All we have to do is now is wait to get them." He said ignoring Raul stares. What do this kid knew about his business?
"I'm glad she gave us all the insights we need. This band is not an easy fish to catch"
"Pst, boy; There they come!" And he gestured Raul to follow him as he unfolded his silver weapon.

At that very moment three black limousines parked on a parking space that was purposely left empty for them. There were no greetings, no exchange of any kind, but only of a knowing silence. The men got out of the limousines and stared at each other. They knew something went wrong. They could smell it in the air.

"Where is that little whore. Clair!"

Richard Snyder, the leader, yelled as he asked the other guys.
"Where in the hell is little Miss Clair? She was supposed to be here before us.
But Clair was not there. This was a very important transaction and Clair was the main contact. She had the paper they needed and she was also their final target.

As they looked around trying to see if she was anywhere near by, Raul flashed his gun. “FBI. Don't move!” Hell got loose then, and there where lightning of bullets flying everywhere, steps running, some yelling, cars driving away, and then silence and blood, splattered everywhere.

Later that night, only one light was lit at the Nova Hotel, where Clair had been staying for the past two months. A persistent knock on the door woke her up. Clair get up from the chair she was nervously seating at, puts on a robe over her half naked body and opens up the door softly. “Yes?” Clair asked, but a loud noise is heard and Clair falls down on her face after been hit on her neck with the butt of a silver gun.

When she opens her eyes later she slowly tries to stands up.
“Gosh! What a dream.” She tosses the blanket away from her legs and walks to the tiny kitchen the Hotel had to brew some coffee. But then she hears a knock on the door. Deja Vu. She's half naked but she grabs her robe and then toss it to the floor as if it were a scary poisonous snake. She takes a deep breath and she walks towards the door then opens it slightly.

“Yes?” She asked. There’s no gun this time, only the raspy voice of Agent Raul Hernandez.
“No. I'm Agent Raul” . “We did it Clair! We got them and you are safe now. Thanks to you, we cracked them, all of them, down. But you can’t stay here.” "Let me in!"
“Why? Why I can not stay here? You said before it was safe. No one will look for me here.” she said as she let him into the room.

“Because you have become our star witness again. We ought to move you some place safe. This town is small for you Clair! They can find you anywhere here. Besides, there’s other charges and many people involved in all this. Including me. We still need you, young girl.”

“But…” Clair responded a little confused. But she did not resisted when Raul pushed her gently into the room area and opening the drawers he soon started throwing all of her few belongings inside a bag he had brought with him just for that purpose. She knew that she could be dead any time soon if she didn't leave town with Raul. So she grabbed her luggage and dumped some of her ill earned money, she had previously stashed away, and her important papers inside her large bag not caring what Raul had to say about it. She was taking what she believed belonged to her, Pele's dirty money.
Besides she has helped him in trapping a group of smugglers that where trafficking with secret information, drug money, and weapons. So she felt she'd gained that money, a money she'd taken from Pele and form one of the guys she'd just turned over to the Federals.

To Raul Clair seemed hardened by her past, but he knew she was like any other young girl, with dreams like and to much to live for. She just needed a new chance and he was willing to be there for her. He wanted to tell her that as he closed the Hotel door behind her but he knew it was to soon to open his heart to her.

During the prior two years she was working for a Security company as weapon design assistant and was able to sell the plans to an organization called EBA (Erusko Batasuna Association) thanks to Pele, who had offered her half a million for that information. The EBA was and organization in Erusko and France, similar to ETA.

She’d been contacted by one of their leaders due to her friendship with Pele, who was also a member of their militant power, and also with an Escort/Madame who had her own connections with the underground and was trying to "help" Clair in getting some quick cash. But Clair refused working for her, so she thought maybe working for the EBA would help her earn some cash, get worldly and toughen up a little.

But when Clair refused to join then or help them she was threatened to dead if she did not cooperated with them and did everything they asked. Clair was in their hands. She had no choice but to comply with their demands, yet somehow she managed not to disclose truly important information. Yet enough to get them convicted if that information was found in their hands.

"Clair. Clair!" Raul called her name realizing she had a blank expression on her face for a long time.
Clair stared at him then at the road ahead of them.
"Raul" Clair called after Raul, the FBI agent now in charge of her, as he was driving through a long dark and empty road.
"Yes?" He replied not looking at her but staring straight to the road.
"Where are we heading? Where are you taking me Raul?" But Raul didn't answered, he gestured forward with his head, and turned on the volume of his radio as if he didn't wanted to hear any more questions. All Clair could hear now was a sad Country song coming from Raul old radio speakers, as they both drove way into the darkness"...
TO BE CONTINUED...