Transition Plan Chapter 95: Searching for Jeanne Part 13
Author's Note: Warning about some intense profanity later on (in German) and some suggestive behaviors, so this is really, seriously T-rated. And publishing early this week due to family priorities.
…In the weeks and months that followed…
Jack couldn't ever stop thinking about Jeanne, especially the more lost she seemed to be, longing to be reconnected with her mentally until such time as they could be reunited in person.
The Jacot's and Clayton's had scoured Kamerun searching for her. Every possible inch of trails and caves and canyons and lakes and villages had been turned upside down by French and British patrols trying to find her. She was not there, despite some promising leads that turned up empty from people who used to know her and her captors.
They'd extended their search into Rio Muni in a very clandestine manner to not upset the neutrality of Spanish, then journeyed back westward to the Ivory Coast and into Togoland, hoping they'd moved there, and finally eastward into the Belgian Congo and even into the northern desert regions.
Many times in every country searched, Tarzan and Jack and some of Abassi's men went out together, but they were embedded with an Allied military peacekeeping patrol which taught Jack a lot about the Army. Colonel Jacot went with Tarzan, Jack, or Abassi whenever easy access to their destinations would permit him to come because of his physical limitations. It was tough on him that everyone was actively searching for Jeanne but him. Josephine comforted him in those difficult times. Whenever he had a chance to let up from his regular duties, he was monitoring the Wireless messages searching for clues. General Cunliffe was very understanding.
The friendships and respect the Clayton's and Jacot's and Abassi's had for each other deepened as they worked closer than ever before. People in all the countries of the region thought of these men and their families as a model of international and cultural cooperation and the spirit of their collaboration spread throughout the region in every country's dealings with one another. Few weekends went by, other than those when the Clayton's were in the deep jungle with the Mangani, when one family or another wasn't together at the treehouse or Abassi's lodge or at the Jacot's dwelling for some kind of social gathering. The three families spent a lot of time with each other.
As a result, Jack continued to draw closer to Josephine and Armand as trust grew to overcome any remaining reticence. Armand taught the boy French Army fighting and defensive skills his father didn't know, under Tarzan's watchful eye, until they boy got comfortable around the soldier, and then he practiced alone with confidence around Armand. Jack filled a place in Armand's heart - he loved his daughters, but he would have liked a son too. Josephine was not sure if because of Armand's injuries that she could conceive a third child that might be a boy, so he was grateful for their strengthening bond. Michelle considered herself part of the big Clayton family, too. She, Paulie, Sopu, and Nizzie often thought of themselves as quadruplets, not as twins and two family friends. The three sets of parents felt the same.
At every gathering of the families, someone always offered a prayer for Jeanne's strength and safety and for her return, and a candle burned in the makeshift chapel in the treehouse just for her with the broken pieces of her slingshot laid before it. Little Michelle's attempts at prayers for the big sister she'd never met were the most poignant and tear-jerking.
The Jacot's even got brave enough to try nesting with the Mangani, and it gave them a life-changing wonderful experience, and understood why Jeanne had loved being with the gorillas so much. Michelle was wide-eyed with wonder, especially with the Mangani youth her age who eagerly wanted to play with her.
General Cunliffe depended on Armand Jacot every day as his irreplaceable Deputy. The old General couldn't make the cultural adjustments and remained in the headquarters and other official capacities, but was still very effective among the armies of the region and their Generals or War Chiefs. The French Ambassador, Veronique and their children also bonded with the families, and in a life-changing experience of their own, spent an increasing amount of time with the others in the Old Village as guests in Abassi's lodge and made trips to Tarzan and Jane's treehouse. The day the Ambassador and Veronique and their boys met Kala, Kirok, and Terk, he and Veronique finally understood, as unbelievable as it was initially, who and what the Lord of the Jungle was, and kept the deep secret of the land of the Mangani that was shared with him. The French and English Ambassadors monthly breakfast meeting took on new meaning right after that revelation, which the English diplomat had shared as well years before.
But despite all their hard work at cooperation and friendships and searching constantly for Jeanne, was truly no trace of the French girl anywhere in western Africa above the equator.
Colonel and Madame Jacot were often privately frantic hearing the results at the end of each fruitless foray out to find her. More often than before, Jack worried if she was even alive, and even heard her parents whisper the unthinkable when they didn't know he was listening.
The trouble was they were looking for Jack's long lost love in all the wrong places, and had made a bad assumption her captors were local crooks and would stay in the region, and somehow Jeanne could leave a clue they'd recognize that her captors wouldn't. That was a serious underestimation of the kidnappers' ability to remain incognito and to suppress Jeanne's ability to leave clues. Or want to.
…Two Years Later. August 1918. Walvis Bay, Southwest Africa…
On the night of her 13th birthday, with a single light shining on her office desk in Jaeger's headquarters estate, Meriem removed her glasses, rubbed her eyes, took a long drag on her cigarette, and crushed it out in the overflowing ash tray with all the other ones she'd smoked that day. Every one of the butts had red lipstick stain. It was another 16 hour day for her. The head accountant and the senior bookkeeper had long since gone home, having given up on convincing their young bookkeeper's apprentice to 'let it go' until the morning. Meriem was focused on discovering something awry with one of their suppliers. A cloud surrounded her and her desk and she and all the ledgers surrounding her reeked of cigarette smoke.
She looked much more feminine with hair over her ears now in the new style of hair parted straight down the center from the crown of her head, ending in a tight bunching of curls all the way around her head. She was wearing a frilled blouse, a wide collared jacket over it and shin-length skirt with hose and button top above-the-angle-high boots – the height of European fashion for the period. Jack would have swooned over her.
She was very mature and shapely beyond her years. Her hazel eyes had very long natural eyelashes and well-defined thick black eyebrows. Her facial skin was a striking olive sheen, her complexion was perfectly smooth, and was accented by makeup, deep purple eye shadow, and a hint of blush on her cheeks. Her lips shone with shiny red lipstick. On the hat rack at the door was her domed wide-brimmed hat for both fashion and cover for the blazing sun with a bow on it that matched her outfit and a sun parasol. But not everything was perfect. On the side of her jaw under one ear and on her arms were a couple of small scars from knife fights. More were hidden under her dress on her legs and arms, and while not disfiguring, she bore the signs of a violent life growing up since her abduction.
She could have passed for a much older girl. And she wanted to.
"Those things will be the death of you, Meriem," noted Jaeger, as he entered the room to check on her progress on the problem she'd been working on all day. He took a drag on his own cigarette and blew smoke in another direction.
"They help me concentrate. And besides, I have you to blame for this habit. Plus I could burn the records in a hurry if someone ever raided us," Meriem mused.
Jaeger was pleased, "You're always looking out for me, young lady. Did I tell you I sent another wire to your old boss about how much value you are to me? And my chief accountant tells me you're the best understudy he's ever had. You have a talent to find out who's cheating us, always know how to make an extra buck, you can hide all our money from the auditors and tax collectors, and your father executes the corrective actions and makes the new deals with more loyal suppliers. I told your boss 'Karl-Heinz makes the deals and Meriem makes the numbers work for us'. Quite the father-daughter team."
On their way from Kamerun to Southwest Africa two years prior, Karl-Heinz had forced Meriem to call him 'Father' in order to emphasize the illusion to Jaeger were a real family. It was believable that they were related. With her deep olive skin color and solid black hair, she easily could have been Margrite's and Karl-Heinz' natural daughter, especially since Margrite herself was half German/half Ewondo. At first it disgusted her to have to call Karl-Heinz 'Dad', but it was second nature now. A title didn't mask her true feelings for him, which were always strained. It was worse now that she was a teenager, and a rebellious one at that.
Meriem gave a slight upturned smile of satisfaction, "I do what I can. What can I say? I like working with numbers. Speaking of which, come look at this."
She shoved the ledger in front of her boss and mentor of two years.
His eyes narrowed in anger, "Damn. That Afrikaaner firm is charging us double the rate they should."
With a very satisfied grin, Meriem further explained,"Yep. Here's the invoices. And here's when they changed billing rates. And guess who gets half of that overcharge?"
"Tsetse... That arschloch. Your dad and I will go have a 'chat' with him, and remove him from that supplier job in heartbeat, now that we have proof. He had a bad feeling about that hornochse swindler."
She snickered, "You'll won't feel a lot better until Gunter's goon squad roughs him up a bit. He'll learn how business is really done with a broken arm."
Jaeger couldn't suppress a look of anticipatory retribution, "You are so right about that Meriem. Tsetse will never get business with us again."
Meriem stated with conviction, "Of course. But we're the only show in town. He's finished in the black market. He'll be fishing for garbage in the streets in three months."
Jaeger gave Meriem a huge smile and caressed her hair, "Investing in that math tutor and putting you under my chief accountant to sharpen your skills was the best thing I ever did."
She leaned into that caress and lightheartedly corrected him, "No, the best thing you ever did is figure out I needed glasses. I learned a lot faster after that."
"When you couldn't see that giant flock of flamingos and everyone else could, it was not hard to figure out, Meriem."
They laughed.
Jaeger suggested, "This news calls for a celebration. Are you ready for a drink?"
He hauled out a bottle of Riesling and pulled out the cork, filling two glasses. He'd brought all that with him into the office quietly, but she'd noticed.
She grinned, "I thought you'd never ask."
Meriem held her glass, clinked it against his, and took a swig. She liked the sweetest of the Rieslings, which he supplied plentifully for her, imported from the South African vineyards.
"Thank you, Herr Jaeger. It's delicious. As always, but you know I not supposed to drink this stuff yet."
"Ask me if I care. I know you like it. And I told you never to call me 'Herr'. That's only for people who don't know me intimately. Schatzi Jeager maybe, dear Liebchen."
Being called 'sweetheart' by Jaeger felt good to Meriem and she protested only a little, "I'm too young for you, schatzi. I told you that a million times."
But it was a weak protest, and calling him 'treasured one' tipped him off to what she really felt. She smiled as he walked around behind her desk chair, knowing what was next. He put his hands on her shoulders and massaged them from behind her chair, as she had been hunched over her desk for hours. She liked it, gave a contented sigh of approval, and leaned back into his chest and closed her eyes. He had a soothing touch. Like always. She reached her hands up to touch his. They entwined their fingers atop her shoulders.
To Meriem, Jaeger had been every destitute teenage girl's dream with no fatherly guidance about how to deal with unscrupulous men. He was very handsome and young, something completely unexpected when they arrived. The crime boss was in his mid 20s. He was smart. He had good looks, was well-muscled, had lots of money, wielded tremendous power, and possessed much influence over the authorities. He was dashing, polite, and kind to Meriem in a way Karl-Heinz and Gunter never were. He represented a way to get out of their clutches.
She had forgotten Jack and his family were all those things to her four years ago. Seeing Jack in the Douala harbor trying to find her was a distant memory.
Not only that, Jaeger bought her all kinds of nice things since he had such control over black market trade around the southern tip of Africa. Jaeger dressed her like a Paris fashion model. He took her to nice places in the recovering war-torn harbor city – most of which were built on his money from many other trade deals - and took her to the Capital Windhuk on business regularly to all the best restaurants and stores. They'd even been guests at events for businesses at Windhuk's Trade Ministry, sponsored by South African Prime Minister Botha, who visited Southwest Africa more since the annexation of the former German colony into British South Africa.
The crime lord was Meriem's benefactor in educating her well with the best tutors money could hire. She was getting a better private education than she ever could in France as a Colonel's daughter in the public schools. Jaeger took her inherent 'street smarts' another level. The crime boss' large, opulent residence had a beautiful view of Walvis Bay on the side away from the busy harbor. It was a great life for her, Karl-Heinz, Margrite, and even Gunter. They were fabulously rich, and put a lot of their share of their loot in South African banks so it would be safe, dividing into individual accounts for each of them to hide the vast sums better to prevent confiscation if there was trouble. Karl-Heinz had no idea that a substantial portion of the money was in her account. The million Deutschmarks that Karl-Heinz owed the boss in Kamerun was long since paid off, and had the freedom to do whatever he wanted now working for Jaeger, other than to make sure there were good relations between Jaeger and his boss for total ownership of the black market trade up and down western Africa.
Meriem also respected another aspect of Jaeger's personality. He was ruthless to his foes when he needed to be. He was dangerous and often mysterious. People disappeared when he wanted them to. Unlike the slimy, unprincipled boss of Kamerun, Jaeger had only one girlfriend that no one openly admitted to but knew it to be true. Meriem. He gave her no reason not to like him.
All these things happened slowly and subtlety. It had been two years in Southwest Africa and she'd not heard anything or experienced any kind of rescue attempt by Jack since seeing him at the last minute in the harbor. It was more than four years since Kamina. After the death of her father, evidence of her mother Josephine doing anything to save her was non-existent. The psychic connection between her and Jack was silent. It seemed futile to hope for Jack any further. The cynical nature of Meriem assumed that Jack had given up on her and her mother had completely abandoned her – like Margrite's mother abandoned her as a young girl nearly her age - and replaced her love of Jeanne for the new unknown sibling who she knew was nearly four years old. That made Meriem especially bitter.
The war was winding down in Europe and certainly done everywhere on the continent except German East Africa where resistance by the Germans was still fierce even if it was futile.
So, by all appearances, her relationship with Jack was over too.
Her long-distance-affair with Rolfe was certainly finished. The fifteen year old wrote in his latest letter an apology and good bye, as he had found his 'nice girl'. It wasn't worth a reply. The two-year stack of letters from him was now in the fireplace. It didn't matter to Meriem. There was a much more interesting man in her life. Jaeger. A real man. A rich man. A handsome man.
Jaeger praised her, savoring her soft hands in his, "A good woman is a good woman no matter what her age."
Meriem blushed, and was rather excited about his compliment, "You're too kind. You promised to wait for me until I'm 16 though. That's when I'm an adult here."
Jaeger contended, "But you look 16 now."
She was very pleased with his sincere compliment.
She explained, "Looking 16 and being 16 are two different matters, schatzi."
He only half-joked, "If you don't obey my commands, I'll send you back to that old man in Kamerun and his harem."
Meriem gave him a snarky grin and scoffed, "Oh really? Well… so long and thanks for all the stuff, schatzi."
Her dismissive teasing reply actually hurt his feelings, "You don't really think I'd send you away, do you liebchen? I'm a criminal mastermind with control over everything in my domain. Including you."
"Au contraire, cheri. Everyone except me," she corrected him with an amusedly defiant look.
He loved when she used her French around him. She loved it when she could speak her language with Jaeger right in front of Karl-Heinz, which incensed her captor, since long ago he had forbidden her to speak anything but German.
Jaeger joked, "You'd make me wait 3 more years? I could have anyone I want."
The young woman scoffed, "Even criminal masterminds have scruples. And I know you only want me."
She was right. Meriem was the only thing he had scruples for. And he was prepared to wait.
He sighed, "Right…you know I'll wait, but I wish I didn't have to."
Meriem scolded him lightly, "But you can't because I said so. I also have my best friend and protector with me. A six inch blade I have hidden somewhere on me."
Jaeger gave her a sly grin, "Why don't we play a game?"
"Oh? What game?" she answered cagily.
"Let's play 'let's find where Meriem has hidden her knife'," he hugged her, causing her to giggle. Jaeger loved her giggle.
She reluctantly resisted him, moving his hands away, "You know you can't. We need to call it a night. I have too many numbers in my head. I'm tired."
"Do you have to go home?" he suggested.
Meriem rolled her eyes, "Yes. Remember who my father is. Let's not go through that again."
"I had to try," he noted.
"Yes, I'd be upset if you didn't," she teased.
They kissed lightly. She dared not kiss him any deeper no matter how difficult it was to resist his charm.
She pushed away from his hug, explaining, "Besides, I have to tell Dad and Gunter what I found here. They will have a busy day tomorrow as deal makers and head-busters."
"And they will relish it. You guys really are amazing. The African Black Market's 'first family' of crime. Your boss is great judge of talent. I thought I was getting one talented person from his syndicate. I got three."
She turned back to him, knocking the empty wine glass over, smiled demurely, hugged him a lot closer, and they fell into a much more involved kiss.
Karl-Heinz stepped from the shadows of the hallway outside the office where he'd been eavesdropping. Having seen enough, he growled, "Let's play another game."
Both Meriem and Jaeger were very embarrassed and stepped back from each other immediately.
"Dad!" she exclaimed.
"What kind of game, Karl-Heinz?" Jaeger asked awkwardly rather than angrily, despite being Karl-Heinz's superior.
"It's called, 'Let's make sure Meriem's father's 9 millimeter Luger stays in its hidden holster'."
Meriem frowned, "We were just being friendly, Dad."
"Too friendly…Time to go home, Meriem. I need to get some rest before we deal with Tsetse in the morning. You can tell me about it on the walk home. It's late and there's been trouble in the streets lately. We don't want to lose our best bookkeeper do we, Jaeger?"
"No. We don't."
Jaeger was very unhappy with the challenge but Karl-Heinz was her father. He did have the right to discipline her and trouble she might get into. Even if that trouble included Jaeger. For now. The past two years went fast. The next three would go even faster and Karl-Heinz couldn't be everywhere at all times.
As Meriem and Jaeger parted, they couldn't help but exchange longing looks. It was obvious that both desired the other. Karl-Heinz scowled at both.
It certainly wasn't because of Meriem's desire to remain true to Jack, who never once during this little tete-a-tete ever entered her mind.
…
On the way home, it was tense between Meriem and Karl-Heinz.
"I don't like the way you flirt with Jaeger," Karl-Heinz scolded.
"Oh? Like it's any different than you and Mom when I first met you two?" Meriem complained.
Karl-Heinz answered, "That was different. She was a woman already."
Meriem complained, "Yeah, right. How about when you first met her? I know how old she was when you first slept with her. She told me. Besides. It's not just flirting, Karl-Heinz. This is the 'real thing'. At least I hope it is. I assure you what we have is a lot more than just flirting."
"You are too young for him. There's nearly a decade between you."
Meriem strongly objected, "I know math, dumme nuss. There's also a decade between you and Margite. It's custom for Himba native girls get married at 13 or 14 to older men in their tribes here, Karl-Heinz, and they do just fine. I'm a lot older inside than I am outside. It's your and Margrite's fault I grew up so fast."
He couldn't argue with that. He intentionally planned to rob her of her childhood and innocent behavior, but complained, "You're not Himba. And you are not free to make your own choices unless I allow it. I still own you."
She chuckled, "It's really funny that you're upset that I fell for the new boss. Are you afraid I might tell Jaeger everything, Karl-Heinz? I think he'd find it very interesting that I'm your slave and not your daughter."
Karl-Heinz' eyes narrowed and she warned, "Shut up. The streets have ears. You're living the lie just as much as the rest of us, Meriem. He'd string you up too."
She replied smugly, "I wouldn't count on that. I really find it amusing that for once the table is turned and you - of all people - are being protective of me. I bet it would be just fine with him. Aren't you tired of me yet? I would be. Even when I cooperate I really don't cooperate. Here's your chance."
"You still owe me a bunch of money," he demanded through gritted teeth.
"By my latest tally I've earned the equal to 12.5 million Deutschmarks – in Pounds and francs - for you so far. Just under 2 million to go. Remember I am one of the verdammt bookkeepers of this operation. Karl-Heinz, why not just be rid of me? You should just sell my indenture to Jaeger so he would own me to make up the difference and you'd be done with me. I bet you'd get the balance of what I owe you. Maybe more. And he and I would have each other like we want. He'd love owning me. It would just be another quick entry in the books and you and Margrite would be free of me. Gunter sure would agree to that. He was done with me in the first six months of my kidnapping."
Her captor knew that was absolutely true.
Karl-Heinz scowled, "I won't do that. I fully intend to be pretend to be the 'protective father type' until you're 16. If Jaeger still wants you then and hasn't gone for a real woman, then I might think about it. I would reconsider my 18 year rule if the deal is right."
Meriem's ears burned at the term 'real woman'.
She argued condescendingly, "Why not now? 'For my own good' oh 'Father' dear? I know what happens between men and women. Even if I have my own bedroom now I can still hear you two."
"No, not at all. I'm stopping you because you would like me to let you go. This has never been just the money. Aren't you forgetting about my revenge on you and your family?"
That comment really lit Meriem's anger, "Küss mein Arsch, Karl-Heinz! Family? What family? My dad is dead and my du lusche mother has abandoned me for the sister or brother I never met. Where have she been in the past four years? You dare to continue to get revenge on me and even though I made you incredibly rich? What the hell is wrong with that picture? Fick dich in Knie, 'Father'!"
Karl-Heinz was stunned by Meriem's blistering tongue – it was more like that of a full grown woman.
Meriem dared not say anything about Jack, even though he had done virtually nothing to rescue her in two years. Her eyes narrowed at her kidnapper. Karl-Heinz was shocked as she slapped him so hard that it staggered him, and she stomped ahead of him all the rest of the way to their huge home in absolute, clenched-fist fury. He didn't fight back, much to his own surprise. He put his hand to his cheek. There was blood from where her fingernails dug in. She was correct that she had made him richer beyond any expectations and might actually pay for her freedom. But for the first time in a long time, Karl-Heinz thought she might be more trouble than she was worth. As affluent as they were now because of her bookkeeping and many other talents with ill-gotten funds, that was saying something.
…Same day. Later that evening. In the land of the Mangani…
From the treehouse in the room Jack still happily shared with 9 year old Lily because the 4 year old twins insisted in being together in the same room which was his old bedroom. Jack still didn't like sleeping alone, a leftover manifestation of stress of the kidnapping and separation from Jeanne. Lily felt really grown up 'being there' for her brother. Jack lay stiffly stretched out on his back and reached out mentally to Jeanne for what seemed the millionth time. He strained to concentrate on forcing the connection to happen, to the point of clenching his fists and grunting, but was careful not to make enough noise to wake his sister. Deep inside he knew this was not the right way to connect with her, but acted out of desperation. He came up empty again, and sighed with disappointment, simply trying to wish her a happy 13th birthday. They were finally teenagers. It put a cloud of sadness over what had otherwise been a great family birthday celebration for Jack. He wondered if Jeanne ever got to celebrate her birthdays.
Jack needed her more than ever, and he concentrated harder on their special connection. He had to reach her on this very special birthday, just to let her know how much he still cared, even if every effort to find her was yielding nothing.
Jack felt like Jeanne was in some kind of deep trouble, and because of that, there was an even more urgent need to get in touch with her. Something felt very wrong with their relationship. He had to make the connection work.
This time he let himself completely relax, said a fervent prayer for help, exhaled, and fell into a deep sleep.