Transition Plan Chapter 97: Searching for Jeanne Part 15
…Early September 1918. Walvis Bay…
The reception for Count Clayton was going to be a lavish affair at City Hall that she had an enormous amount of work to do with arrangements for the caterer and with the Mayor's offices in just a few weeks. She and several other Jaeger's assistants were all at work on this big event non-stop whenever she was not doing her bookkeeping duties. All the major officers of the city government were coming to the City Hall. Knowing the Chief of Police and his people would be there made Jaeger nervous, but knew he had to look like a legitimate business for one of Botha's appointees to keep business running smooth with the British running the government.
Jaeger was very proud of Meriem, and wanted to introduce her around to the Count and his people and the city government people as further exposure to powerful people as she learned more about international business dealings. But she knew it would be the worst thing to be introduced as Meriem. All hell would break loose from the start because Tarzan and his son would instantly recognize her at the public reception, and she could not take a chance he or Jack could pretend they didn't know her in order to protect her real identity. People could get hurt or killed especially the Clayton's and her. Her escape had to happen in another, very low key way, and she knew just how to stage it.
So Jeanne humbly declined Jaeger's offer, and made the excuse to the criminal leader that she was 'just his teenage intern'. She convinced him that she should concentrate on making sure the event went well behind the scenes with the caterer. In this way, the Mayor would be impressed with Jaeger and grow his respect for the trading company and give it more and more government business. She noted there would be other times to meet the Mayor and his people. It made perfect sense to Jaeger and really appealed to his big ego to seem like he was 'running the show', but had a trusted aide actually doing all the work quietly. He promised her the best evening ever after the conclusion of the event. She didn't have to imagine too hard what he had in mind, which was even more reason for her to escape during the party.
…Early September 1918. On Board the freighter enroute to Walvis Bay…
It had been a pleasant departure from Nigeria, and as the freighter headed south over the horizon, Jack leaned against the rail at sundown and thought about those moments with the two families on the dock of the harbor hours earlier.
Knowing Jeanne would be with him on the return to this trip had made his 'farewell and good luck' kiss and hug from Josephine even more meaningful. Jack couldn't wait to reunite mother and daughter. It had been the usual great three-family dinner affair and overnighter for his and his father's departure for Southwest Africa. Also as usual, all the men were up in the Wireless room, including the Professor, who'd been in the wild for quite some time with Kala, and compared the latest leads and speculations on Jeanne. As big as tree house was, there were beds and cots and hammocks literally everywhere that night for the families. Everyone agreed it was the best combined three-family family beach party, fish fry, and bonfire ever. No one minded when Tarzan and Jane disappeared early to their bedroom for a 'proper' goodbye.
Tarzan and Jack felt encouraged not only about the business meeting but about finding Jeanne too. The men had discovered, since they concentrated on that region, that there was a growing rumor of a beautiful, starkly black-haired, olive-skinned young woman – who seemed to have southern European features, not a tribeswoman - being seen somewhere in the now completely British-owned colonies in southern tip of Africa, but there were no specifics. Jack felt guilty not telling them he knew at least the city where she was, but could not say. They would all think he was nuts and that would distract from her rescue, and probably stop everything while he had to explain himself to a doctor.
Jack had told Ndidi about the dream and where Jeanne was in a very private moment before he left, and she continued to think he was having problems, but she reluctantly vowed to keep yet another secret about the connection and Jeanne's revelation. She could only ask him to be careful around desperate criminals, and come back to her safely. He vowed he would. In their special goodbye hug, Jack could feel himself pressed against her bosom, which was a new feeling as they both matured. It was then he realized Ndidi was becoming a beautiful young woman too. He gave her a look of admiration, which she welcomed.
That prompted her to drop her guard for a moment. Ndidi kissed Jack affectionately, which surprised and confused him. She knew this might be the only time she'd ever get to kiss Jack, with Jeanne soon to be back in the picture.
"For luck, Jack. As best friends," she smiled. At least she tried to tell herself that.
What they shared was not a 'best friends' kiss and hug, so Jack was more direct, "I… I didn't know you felt that way…"
Ndidi flushed, and glanced away, "Look. I'm… I'm… sorry Jack. I shouldn't have done that. Forget it happened. I… uh… may not get to kiss you like that again."
"It's all right. We can talk when I get back."
"There's no need to talk. You're hers," Ndidi said and it genuinely hurt inside to say that.
Innocently, Jack asked, "Ndidi… How long have you… umm…?"
"Since before Jeanne showed up in our village."
Jack admitted sadly, "Oh dear… I'm so sorry, Ndidi. I… I'll always be your friend. But… but just your friend."
"It's OK Jack. I don't expect you to feel the same. I know she has your heart and that…"
He interrupted and kissed her intently, knowing now how much she needed that, and stroked her cheek.
"You deserve someone better than me."
She gave him a shy smile.
That one little kiss gave him much to think about, but it couldn't be dealt with now.
…
Jack dared to share the news with Lily too, also alone. He was shocked that Lily already guessed about their latest connection. She had a different reaction to the connection. She gave her brother all the emotional support he could possibly imagine, with a big hug. She called the connection a 'miracle gift from God', and she would never tell anyone about it, and that she would pray it would happen more often and last longer for them for comfort while they were parted. Jack couldn't be happier, and knew he was so very blessed to have Lily as his sister.
The goodbye hug and kiss from Lily was especially tender and loving. Jack wondered if all little sisters were as sweet and understanding as Lily.
…Mid October, 1918. Walvis Bay City Hall Great Room…
At the beginning of the day of the event at their home, Jeanne donned a comfortable pair of oversized men's work pants, baggy shirt, and a cap into which she tucked her hair and helped with the sweaty drudgery of the event set up with the caterer's people. She wore her most unattractive pair of glasses. It felt like a familiar ensemble, though she was very far from her days as a street rat and gang leader in Douala. She didn't look much like a girl, which was intentional. It would be much easier to not be seen until she wanted to be seen and disappear with Jack.
Expecting to see Meriem dressed more for a party as a professional young woman than one of the workers, Karl-Heinz puzzled, "You don't look much like the event organizer, Meriem. What gives?"
"They're a good caterer, Dad. And you've had them do a lot of good work for us. But they're a small outfit and this is a really big event. Most of their people are servers, not set up crew. They need all of us to help them. And besides, I have my trusty clipboard and lists. And other than Margrite, who's tending the bar, I'm the only girl. That means I'm in charge.
"I suppose so," he grinned. Times like this he was proud of her and actually liked working with her on a real 'job' together, when she didn't fight him or resist. Or judge him.
She, Gunter, and Karl-Heinz took one of Jaeger's cars to City Hall. It was one of a handful of real cars in Walvis Bay.
Jaeger came by to see how things were going in his own chauffeured car at City Hall, and was also surprised to see Meriem in work clothes.
"Working hard I see?" Jaeger grinned seeing her shove yet another table for hors d'oeuvres against the wall by herself.
So he gave her some help, and watched her bark orders at some other laborers to put another four tables next to it, so she could cover them all with British union jack-schemed tablecloths and table skirts. He sneaked in a quick kiss for his girl and she blushed. But she immediately turned around to yell at the caterer to bring more of the crates of food and liquor in faster. This was going to cost a bundle but it would make even more for Jaeger's crime organization, plus all the legitimate good press it would bring Jaeger. German owned businesses needed all the good news they could get since the British had taken over the colony. She got upset at a decorator installing the flags and ribbons in the wrong way, and chewed them out, pointing vehemently at the design for the decoration layout.
Jaeger watched her work contently, and was proud of his intern "You're quite the slave driver, Meriem."
She flinched at the true irony of that statement and the glanced at the watchful eye of Karl-Heinz that glared at her to reveal nothing.
Jeanne shrugged off the playful compliment, and said her term of endearment for Jaeger loud enough to irk Karl-Heinz, "Well, you know that schatzi. But it helps to be a gang leader in Douala. Except I can't put a knife to their throats to get them to work harder."
They laughed.
"I think you're working too hard. Slow down, liebchen," Jaeger urged.
She pulled her hat off, wiped her brow with her sleeve, kissed Jaeger on his lips with some enthusiasm, again to annoy Karl-Heinz, and put her hair up under the cap again, "I have to. This has to be perfect for you, the Count, and the Mayor."
Jaeger was positively beaming at his protégé-turned-girlfriend, enjoying kiss that she initiated, "I appreciate that, Meriem. But I was hoping you could at least find a couple of minutes later on this evening as things were winding down to meet them. A little more dressy, perhaps? Something like this?"
It was an imported-from-Paris, strapless, and short 'little black dress', black stockings and high heels and a simple gold chain necklace. It was very racy for the era, more like a flapper's dress of the coming 1920s. Meriem loved it, but Jeanne was wary, despite how pretty it would be on her. It would be a lot easier to flee with Jack in her work clothes that looked like any other worker's clothes than a conspicuously tight French dress and heels.
Jeanne was a frazzled but promised, "I'll try, schatzi. This is a big deal that will run full tilt all the way to the end. The drunks are nastier if you don't serve them in a hurry near the end. Tell you what. I'll make time for it on the last band break. But I'm warning you. Any hiccup with the caterer and it might have to be just as I am now, and you can brag how hard I worked for you to pull this off."
"Either way, great idea, liebchen! I'll get a room for you to change and personally guard the door for your privacy."
"Who's going to guard you, schatzi?" she deliberately teased as Meriem, even though Jeanne's stomach turned at the thought. Playing both ends against the middle was going to kill her for sure if she didn't escape soon.
He just grinned and walked away.
She was getting nervous now. There were still things to set up and they were behind. The first guests were beginning to arrive. Some people just didn't know how to read an invitation. Jack's ship should be arriving soon. They had telegraphed ahead hours ago that they were right on schedule. There was so little time. But she knew her four years of slavehood was ending tonight and the criminal world around her was going to crash and burn, and it gave her another dose of adrenalin to spur her on.
…
While the set up was in full swing, Tarzan and Jack pulled into port quietly on one of their regularly scheduled commercial freighters, which was much more efficient and quite innocuous to any remaining German anti-shipping patrols. He'd put a huge Red Cross on this ship all the way. Even the desperate German Navy honored a humanitarian supply ship. And so as to not lie, it did have a lot of medical shipments for the hospitals in Southwest and South Africa. The freighter's Captain, knowing he was carrying the Count, made record time from their last refueling stop in the Belgian Congo, so Tarzan and Jack wouldn't miss the reception. It didn't hurt that the seas were mostly calm and the weather stayed perfect almost the entire journey from Lagos.
Jack was very anxious coming into port at Walvis Bay, knowing secretly that he would finally return with Jeanne, who was somewhere in the city.
Walvis Bay as a pretty big seaside city, and it would be a more formidable task to search the city than when they visited Douala. Jack was now wary of the potentially questionable honesty and commitment of the city officials to find a kidnapped little French girl when all trails had gone cold in Douala years ago. But he did have a new poster. It was just her face and some of her hair, with an emphasis on the eyes, and there was no mention of Karl-Heinz and Gunter. After their time in Douala, Jack had an unproven but unshakable belief all the officials were protecting the kidnappers at the expense of hiding her whereabouts.
First thing was first, his Dad's business with Jaeger and the Mayor at the big social event to start things off, followed by business discussions on expansion of Clayton Industries presence in Southwest Africa post-war, particularly Clayton's oil exploration and mining businesses. A big celebration dinner would follow. The ride to City Hall in his first real car ride was a fun experience for Jack and he had lots of questions about the Mercedes. People were already gathering and he could smell all the lavish food. As a teenager, Jack was always hungry and would eat anything that didn't eat him first.
On the third floor of the City Hall, the 13 year old French girl disguised as a young male worker gazed at her love's arrival.
"Oh… my… goodness… it's really Jack…" Jeanne whispered.
Her heart raced, and she could see Jack was even more handsome than seeing him in Douala. He was well on his way to looking like her 20 year old future husband of the dream. Even completely covered in a suit this time.
But there was a reception to run and an escape to make. She hurried down the stairs. At the base of the staircase she bumped into Jaeger rounding a blind corner.
"Oops… sorry," he said, and steadied her shoulders so she wouldn't fall. They were shaking from the excitement of seeing Jack.
"It's all right, schatzi. I was just checking on everything."
"You seem nervous, Meriem," he mentioned suspiciously, trying to make eye contact.
"Well I always am with a catered event, especially on days I have to help with everything. And this is a really big event for you. Wasted food and broken plates are lost money. And it doesn't look good."
"Ever the money pincher," he praised.
He caressed Meriem and Jeanne inside wanted to throw up. She actually pulled back from his touch.
"Wow… what's with you?" he puzzled.
"Affection and business never mix, Jaeger. Later. My pretty new dress you gave me is up in one of the offices to put on later like you asked. Don't worry, I'll come get you," she scolded but enticed him, and gave him a thin smile. She hoped to be long gone by the time that dress was needed.
Jaeger couldn't help but feel how distant Meriem was from him ever since her birthday. She mostly gave him cheek kisses and not as many hugs and was always in the middle of some work project when he wanted some affection or a date with them alone. Something was bothering her. Had Karl-Heinz beaten her and threatened her again after catching them in that birthday embrace? He would have to grill his deputy. What was between Jaeger and Meriem was between them only and ultimately none of Karl-Heinz' business.
A car horn interrupted their conversation. It was the limo coming up the driveway to the City Hall main entrance to drop the Count and Viscount.
She smiled at the man, "They're coming. Go greet them, schatzi."
He took a too-long drink of her lips, "Don't forget to dress later and meet them. But don't be getting eyes for the Count's 13 year old son. I hear he's handsome and I am a very jealous man. He'll be no match for me in a fight over you. In fact, he'd never walk away from a fight with me."
After he left, she thought angrily in total earnestness, "You have no idea who you are dealing with, Jaeger," spitting as much of his sloppy kiss out of her mouth and wiping her lips as best she could.
…
Jeanne's work now began its inevitable race to conclusion and her escape. She got back to the preparation area and kitchen.
Karl-Heinz and Gunter were both very sweaty, and he growled, "Where the hell have you been? We've been setting up all the food and drinks with the stewards. We don't know where have this stuff goes."
"I had business to take care of in the Great Hall to get things rolling here, and Jaeger had some questions about the menu. The Count and all the important people are here now. You did just fine. You don't need me back here every minute."
Not letting him insult her further, she quickly directed it was OK to start the waiters' distribution of small plates of hors d'oeuvres and drinks for all the guests now that the Count and Mayor were both here in addition to all the serving tables. Jeanne grabbed a glass of Riesling from a waiter and swigged it quickly to steel herself for what was coming. No one disobeyed Meriem's unending directions and commands. Everyone knew Meriem was Jaeger's love interest and that she was the unquestionably the 'lady of the house'. Plus she really knew what she was doing to throw a party.
Word was already getting around how great the party was, and Jaeger was right where he wanted to be. Directly in the middle of the action and calling all the shots on the floor of the Great Hall. He was gracious and outgoing to everyone, and was the life of the party. He knew he had to meet the new most important guests, who just arrived.
He approached them as they came through the ornate wood and stained glass doors, "Welcome! Welcome, Count Clayton. It's a true pleasure to finally meet you. Your shipping business is so important to our success."
They shook hands in the middle of the Great Hall as everyone watched their amicable first time meeting, "It is my pleasure, Herr Jaeger. We greatly value our business with you and to share success with you."
Every woman in the room – married or not - was instantly and completely in love with Count Clayton, especially with his dreadlocks streaming back in a pony tail like Jack against their impeccable matching business suits. Some of the women's gasps and sighs were audible, and one woman fainted in her boyfriend's arms, which really made him angry about the ape man. It wasn't just him. Every man in the room was jealous of the Count, and as more and more women saw his wedding ring and realized Jack was his son, whoever he was married to became the target of the women's envy.
Jaeger smiled an overly-contrived smile, savoring the Count's magnanimous genuine words of praise, and then the criminal turned his attention to Jack, "And who do we have here? Young Viscount Clayton, I presume. It is an honor to meet the heir."
Jack knew how to behave at a formal reception, "It's my pleasure, Herr Jaeger. I would love to know more about your trading business. It seems fascinating. My Dad's shipping company is just one piece of a very big puzzle."
Jaeger smiled at the maturity and depth of thought of this young man, and complimented both, "You have a budding international trading mogul in your son, Count Clayton. Perhaps he could intern in my organization and learn a thing or two. I have another intern in training now. You'll meet her later."
The trading company CEO gushed and lavished praise a bit too much on the British nobleman, and was a bit of a dandy. But it was OK. It was rather fun for both to be the center of attention.
"I would definitely consider that opportunity for Jack if he wants to someday, Herr Jaeger," Tarzan offered.
"Then we shall discuss it. But now, Count Clayton, I must introduce you to the Mayor of Walvis Bay, a fellow Englishman of yours, in whose harbor your ships berth and load and unload. All the longshoremen work for his people."
"Excellent! I have much interest in making sure my Captains and crews work well with your longshoremen," Tarzan noted.
The Count was well aware that the English victors in the war in Africa were replacing any Germans in positions of authority with their own people, some rather forcibly. Jaeger was one of the few independent Germans not to be forced out of business himself. Tarzan took issue with the 'winner take all strategy' employed by the English government here, in Kamerun, and in Togoland, thinking it would make the many German nationals still living in these colonies increasingly bitter, but he was not a politician.
They went off together, and left Jack to mingle, noting to his father that 'he'd be fine'. Jaeger and his father were already discussing business. Jack was a teenage boy even though he acted like a fine English gentleman and was more interested in eating real food after weeks on the freighter. There were foods here he hadn't seen since the last time they were in England over four years ago.
He wandered around the Great Hall, introducing himself to people or being approached by the guests, and chatted idly – when asked - about what it was like to be the son of an important Count, he savored how many interesting smells there were: all the sweaty and perfumed bodies, old wood and furniture, the musty smell of the hot and humid City Hall, and the wonderful smells of mountains of food and liquor. He was tempted to take a glass of wine, but he knew his dad would object and smell it on his breath. Tarzan had an amazing sense of smell. But so did Jack, which he inherited from this mother, whose olfactory senses were better than both of them.
Using that sense, he cocked his head to the side, and inhaled deeply. There was something else in the air. Something… familiar. He put down the last of the musk ox ribs he was munching on and searched for the source of the smell urgently, sniffing the air around him like a bloodhound, but not so obviously that people would stare.
He wandered around in the magnificent old building erected by the Germans at the height of their colonial power and influence in Southwest Africa. It was still about an hour to go before the intensive business discussions were to begin to be followed by a formal banquet. But his dad and Jaeger were already in the conference room assigned for those discussions. Herr Jaeger making lots of introductions to Jaeger's business associates and various governmental leaders in the city, most of whom were involved with international trade or regulation and taxing of shipping. Jack would get back to the room at the last minute to listen to the proceedings. His dad needed to be the focus of attention by the Southwest African leaders, not him.
The best food and drinks were being brought to the conference room, and waiters lavished their service on the dignitaries. Jack noted there was a very pretty woman who seemed to be a mix of African and white heritage pouring double and triple sized drinks. He could see Jaeger's and the Mayor's body guards and lots of police accompanying the Chief of Police, Deputy Mayor for Trade, and the Fire Department Captain, all of whom were here for this major event. He was proud of his father that his reputation was so high that so many people wanted to meet with him. It was a good reminder that in the world of men, his father was held in equally high regard in the human as in the animal world, and that he must learn how to be that way too.
But the meeting hadn't started yet, and Jack heard noises down the hallway. One sounded female. He heard the sounds of tables and chair and muffled orders to get the catered dinner ready that would follow the formal meeting. The tea he had consumed had gone through him and he needed a bathroom, plus he was curious how a big event was arranged. That sounded much more interesting that meeting stuffy governmental people. Maybe there was some new food he hadn't tried yet. That not-quite-familiar scent was stronger down the hallway too. The workers were so busy with the meal set up that everyone had something to do and no one was in charge of telling curious boys to stay out until it was time to eat. He walked carefully to stay out of the rush of people carrying heavy trays of food and drink.
In the private dinner area, the smell he couldn't quite place was strong and fresh, and pervasive. It was everywhere in this room, where emanated from where the preparation kitchen was. But he needed to 'go' first and then he'd come back to investigate.
…
Jeanne was really busy in the kitchen making it all happen. She knew Tarzan and Jack were there, and that made her doubly anxious. She didn't dare show her face even in the disguise. She saw a silver vase still sitting in the kitchen near the sink where she'd filled it with water. She'd forgotten to put the bouquet of roses at the head table. Jaeger insisted on that. He always had to have fresh flowers for social events. She got mad at herself, and seeing there was no one free to take it out and place it, she did it herself.
Jack zipped his britches up, left the water closet, and headed the short distance back to the dining room.
At the intersection just around the corner from the kitchen and the banquet room, Jack crashed into someone hard, sprawling both of them on the polished wooden floor. The filled vase Meriem carried spilled and bounced and clattered like a gong. No one turned to see. They were all too busy following her orders.
"Scheisse!" she yelled, still awkwardly lying on the floor, and her cap had fallen to mostly cover her eyes. She readjusted the cap, started to pick herself up, and noticed she had hit someone, not something.
She immediately saw it was a distinguished guest in a suit, and immediately apologized, "Oh dear. Excuse me sir."
Examining himself, now with most of the spilled water and flowers on him, Jack shifted his gaze to the server he'd obviously run into, "It's all right, sir, I wasn't looking. Besides I shouldn't be…"
And then he took a thorough look at face of the waiter, and he interrupted himself and gasped. Though dressed like a man, the person he toppled was not male.
Meriem still hadn't looked at the guest in the face, being too embarrassed, but started to get up to help the man up, "Please sir, let me help you up. The floor is very..."
And then it was clear. He could barely say her name, "Jeanne…"
She had not been called by that name once in the past four years. It had an unfamiliar sound.
She gasped and looked directly up into an adoring pair of opal eyes.
Jack Clayton and Jeanne Jacot found themselves eyeball to eyeball barely a foot apart after four years and two vastly different worlds of forced separation.
"Jack! Oh… my… God," she suppressed a shout.
Jack realized that the aroma was her. That same familiar scent of her that constantly filled his senses from four years ago. Only better. Like her smell in the dream.
They stood up immediately, each helping the other, holding hands as they rose, and clutched together like they wanted to melt into each other. He was at least three inches taller than her. She loved that most of all. She buried her head into his chest as she increased the intensity of their hug.
They fell into a tender, loving kiss as if they had been kissing constantly the past four years. The closeness and taste of each other was overwhelming and they only felt the touch and warmth of their lips on one another. For one breathless moment, they parted.
She looked up into his handsome smiling face, "Jack. Oh Jack. It's you. It's really you."
The clutch quickly became a second emotional hug and then an even more desperate kiss. They parted but a fraction of an inch, and both heads swiveled at the sounds of hard footsteps on the floor.
She pushed him away from the noise but didn't let go of him, "C'mon, Jack, we have to get out of here. Right now. Those are my kidnappers. They'll kill us."
She grabbed him by the hand and cautiously walked several deserted hallways, trying to figure a way back around to the conference room and safety. Their intertwined hands were both much larger than as children. It felt absolutely incredible.
But as much as they wanted to get away they were also desperate to talk to each other. They found a corner room to hide in.
They kissed again, more like a little peck, and smiled at each other, stroking their cheeks and hair. Their eyes absorbed each other's looks.
"You're so handsome, Jack."
"Thank you, Jeanne. And you're still the prettiest girl there is," Jack said, letting her beauty completely fill his senses. She reveled in his gaze and his compliments – he was the one boy in the world she wanted to stare at her for as long as he felt like.
Realizing every moment they lingered Karl-Heinz could find them together and do something horrible, she warned, "But, cheri, we must go - more 'us' time later."
"Of course. Dad, the Mayor, and the Police Chief are all in the conference room. But so is Jaeger."
Fearing the worst, Jeanne gave him something very important, "Then we have to go there, Jack. Jaeger and Karl-Heinz can do nothing to us then. Jack, you must take this. Hide it in your suit. It's a secret copy of Jaeger's business ledger. A crime business. I could be arrested. So, no matter what happens to me now, it will bring down Jaeger. He's a criminal and in cahoots with Douala's crime boss. Your dad should have never dealt with him. They hid me from you there. I was trapped the day you came into the harbor. But I saw you!"
He sighed in exasperation, "Uh… OK. I knew something wasn't right about Douala. To think I could have found you then... But Jeanne…how did you get this?"
She sighed and confessed everything, "I'm Jaeger's intern bookkeeper. I'm a criminal, Jack. Just like them. Even though they force me to. I'm unfortunately very good at this - better than his adult accountants - and no one suspects a teenage girl to betray them. And Jaeger has a disgusting crush on me. I… I almost betrayed our love, Jack. But I didn't. I promise. I only love you."
He felt her shudder in her revilement. Jack's mind was reeling with all these admissions. He couldn't speak at first, but finally said, "I love you too, sweetheart. Long ago, Jeanne, I promised myself I would forgive everything they forced you to do. No matter what they made you do."
She looked at him in total adoration, and gently kissed his lips, with complete relief over his forgiveness, "Thank you, Jack."
She understood the subtle point that he would forgive being forced into all her crimes. She shuddered thinking that she almost gave herself up for a vicious scoundrel. She had not been forced into that.
"I know the back way to the conference room. Follow me," she ordered, dragging him by his hand again. They held on to each other's hands like they would never let go.
As they moved stealthily through the labyrinth of halls and doors, he tried to whisper to her, "Your hair?"
"Too short?" she asked. She knew all he remembered was when it was all the way down her back.
"Um… yeah."
She just smiled and squeezed his hand, "It'll grow again, cheri."
"I kind of like it that way. You look good in glasses, too."
"Four years later and I'm wearing my worst work clothes for our first meeting," she fretted.
"It doesn't matter, Jeanne. I'm holding your hand again, cherie."
She blushed. His every compliment thrilled her. No one in her crime family was ever kind to her but Margrite. He was talking too much but she was drawn to his deep, mature voice. She wanted to talk too while they tried to evade and escape.
"Do you have green eye shades?" he kidded as they moved along.
"You!" she retorted.
She punched him so hard that it actually hurt.
"And umm… yes I do. If you like that so much you can buy me a new one," she teased and giggled.
That smile and mature giggle was electrifying to him. She was trying to stay focused on getting them out without being discovered. She kept hearing Gunter and Karl-Heinz' voices.
She ordered, "Turn here. We have to go only a little further then we're safe."
There was so much to say.
Jack said, "Your dad is going to be really happy to see you."
She stopped completely dead in her tracks, turned, dropped his hand, and looked at him sternly, and pointed an accusing finger at him.
"Don't be cruel, jack. My dad is dead," she spat.
Jack argued, "No, he's not."
She asserted, "I saw the grenade go off."
Jack explained, "His soldiers saved him. Some of them died saving him."
"I… I don't believe you," she shook her head, closed her eyes, and they teared. She had already grieved for her father and moved on. This astonishing news staggered her.
Jack pulled out a recent picture of the family Armand had given him to give her. It had his handwriting, and it said en francais: 'Love you Jeanne. Hope to see you soon. Papa.'
"Look at this, Jeanne. Keep it. It's a present from your father for me to give to you as soon as I found you. Whenever any of us goes out looking we each have the latest family photo. It was taken just three months ago."
She really started crying seeing that, and the plan by everyone looking for her that upon a reunion, the first thing she would want to know about would be her family.
She clutched it as their escape was momentarily forgotten, "Mama is still so pretty. But such sad eyes...Oh… my… God. Papa. He's… he's hurt. Terribly."
"But he's alive, cherie," Jack he assured her, but was a little perplexed at her cursing.
She reached and held his shoulders, "Oh Jack, this is as wonderful news as seeing you! And my baby sister? She's so cute!"
"Michelle is not half as pretty as you. Especially with your tattoo."
She gave him a pleasantly shocked look, "Jack, you saw that?"
He grinned back at her, "That and lot more. We dreamed the same dream, cherie. We have something… special."
"Yes… yes, we did. And yes, we do. Thank goodness. I'd be so lost without our connection."
"You're right about that. Let's finish this. So we don't need the connection anymore."
Jeanne drew herself up, determined as Jack, and jammed the photo into her underwear so no one would take it from her.
Delayed and distracted by the conversation about her father, they ran straight into Gunter at the next hallway intersection. Not knowing what was going on, he simply scolded her for disappearing from her running the event a second time, but then saw her hand-in-hand with the boy, "Meriem. Where have you been? We're all looking for you. There's been a breakage… wait… what the hell is going on here? Who the fick are you, boy?"
Jeanne's eyes got as big as saucers at their discovery by Gunter, "Verdammt, Jack! Run!"
They took off quickly and the old man started running after them. Gunter recognized the dreads and face, even though the boy was older.
Gunter yelled enough to attract the attention of others, "You! Boy! Viscount! You're the jungle kid!"
Jack and Jeanne ran faster.
Gunter face drew up into a vicious grimace, "You're both dead."
He pulled his gun, shoved a waiter and tray out of the way with a huge clatter, dodged two more, and shot at Jeanne and Jack, who'd just rounded a corner. Wood splinters from the door jamb flew everywhere.
The sound of shots made several women scream in the Great Hall, and everyone, including the police and bodyguards in the conference room, startled and drew their weapons. Jaeger's bodyguards gathered around him, and other police immediately protected the Mayor, and other dignitaries, including the Count. Tarzan looked around and very anxiously wondered where Jack was. They parted at the snack table and reception.
Jaeger's body guards tried to usher him out, but the Chief of Police insisted everyone stayed put, "No one leaves this room, Herr Jaeger. We don't know who's out there yet. Or where. Or why they are shooting. It's for your own good."
Tarzan pleaded, "Chief, my boy. He's missing. I must go find him."
"I'm sorry, Count Clayton, we haven't secured City Hall. We can't risk the shooter attacking you. We'll make sure he's safe."
That was entirely unsatisfactory but Tarzan had little choice. He prayed his boy stayed out of the way of whatever was happening and was all right.
…
Gunter was gaining on the young couple, but momentarily they evaded him by turning another corner and hid behind a stone column in the rotunda.
They looked for a way out of the man's gunfire. What they did not see is that Karl-Heinz had been silently waiting for them, since this was about the only way to the big conference room. Karl-Heinz picked up a priceless African wooden carving, approached silently from behind the two young people, and smashed the statue down on Jack's head and shoulders. He dropped like a stone.
Jeanne screamed, attracting more attention, "No!"
Karl-Heinz seized Jeanne, and pulled his gun just as Gunter, out of breath, ran up to them. Margrite, hearing the gunshots, joined the men. She had abandoned the bar, evading the police, with all the money she collected in her pockets.
Gunter insisted, "Kill him, Karl-Heinz. Or I will. Be done with him. Kill the Count's son. He and his dad are the verdammt jungle boy and man we gassed. He's the only reason she's still resisting us. He's her boyfriend! They were holding hands!"
Margrite yelled and threatened, seizing Karl-Heinz by the shoulder, shouting, "If you kill Jack, I will leave you forever and tell everyone everything. Let her go!"
Jeanne struggled to get leverage over Karl-Heinz but it was useless. He was much stronger than he looked. She hadn't fought on the streets in years.
"No! She's the problem. How do you know the boy, Margrite? Have you and Jeanne conspired to do this?" Karl-Heinz accused.
"No, of course not. But she talks in her sleep about Jack."
Gunter cut Karl-Heinz' wife off, "Shoot the boy! Screw what Margrite says."
The elderly man was very upset and yelled and took aim at Jack's motionless head that was bleeding a little.
Karl-Heinz smashed the gun out of Gunter's hand, "No, idiot! They'll chase us across Africa if we kill the Count's kid. They found us in Garua. They found us here. They'll find us again. There will never be a safe place ever. We have to… to regroup. Someplace safe. Somewhere far away."
"Like 'far away' helped us this time," Gunter complained, "We're ruined Karl-Heinz. We're back on the streets."
Karl-Heinz looked to make sure the escape route was safe, "We survived there before. We can again. And we have money now. In a safe place."
Jeanne saw the lawmen going slowly and carefully going room by room up the hallway with guns drawn, and screamed again. Jack was still unconscious but she could see he was still breathing. Her scream drew their attention to the altercation. The cops didn't know who was good and who was bad. They just saw a body on the ground on the rotunda marble, two armed men, a woman, and a teenage girl being held against her will.
"There!" the Chief of Police shouted, "Arrest those men!"
The officers took off toward them, but were stopped by a hail of bullets from Karl-Heinz and Gunter, diving for cover, as the criminals ran down the back hall. The three adults dragged Jeanne out the loading dock and into the catering truck. It had several bags of cash that Meriem had just paid the caterers. And their clothes.
They shot the tires out of the police cars and several limos and sped off to the commercial shipping docks, but decided to go the other way toward the public access docks. Karl-Heinz knew the officers would search every freighter. And every one of them was owned by Count Clayton. There was no safe haven.
Back at City Hall, the police surveyed their damaged vehicles, knew they had lost the trail to the adults with the girl, and couldn't do anything about it with their disabled police wagons. Several officers tended to the boy who was down, but he was beginning to recover. He had a terrible headache and quite a bump on the back of his head.
The police gathered all the catering people together in the kitchen, and challenged them. The officers asked the Chief to come to the kitchen and question them.
The Chief demanded gruffly, "Who are these people?"
The head waiter stepped forward and identified Karl-Heinz, Gunter, and Margrite as part of the caterers and workers for Herr Jaeger's company, which would be easily discovered. He wanted to appear helpful so he wouldn't be arrested, but he valued his life, so he protected Meriem's identity.
The Chief of Police and his men helped Jack back to the conference room. Tarzan rushed to Jack, "Are you all right? You're hurt! I'm sorry I left you. What happened? I heard shots."
"It's OK, Dad. You had business to do. The kidnappers were here with Jeanne. I found her but I lost her again. They hit me and took her," he cried and buried.
"Oh my goodness, Jack. Jeanne? She was here?"
"Yes, Dad," he said sadly. He was afraid to say more in the presence of the police. Especially if what Jeanne had said was true about her being a criminal.
"Quiet!" the Chief ordered, "No one speaks unless they are answering my questions."
Everyone was very nervous. Especially Jaeger. The Chief of Police noticed that. It was confirming his long-held suspicions.
The Chief posed a question to anyone in the room who had answers. Or secrets, "I just saw two German men and a native woman shoot at us, knock out this boy, seize a girl and escape in a truck. Who knows about this? And where are they going?"
Jack wanted to speak, but the Chief held him off.
"Besides the boy. Jaeger? You first. This is your affair. They work for you, right?" the Chief drilled.
"No," he lied defiantly, "they run the catering business. We just contracted with them. I can't be held responsible for their bad behavior."
Jack interjected, "I have proof they work for you, Herr Jaeger, from someone close to you. The girl. Your bookkeeper."
Jaeger started to lunge out at Jack himself, but his body guard and a policeman blocked his advance to the boy and held him back.
The crime boss thought, "He knows. Who is this boy that he knows everything? Why was Karl-Heinz so rough on his own daughter? Why did they attack the Count's son? Where are they going?"
This was getting very complex for the leader of the police. He was grateful everyone else was privy to witness this, including the City Prosecutor. The adults who attacked the Count's son were caterers to Jaeger, yet they kidnapped Jaeger's employee, and she was the event coordinator for the caterer, too.
"Good grief," the top policeman thought. This situation smelled very bad to him.
Jaeger snidely accused, "That proves nothing, boy. She's just a girl. She lied to save herself. Meriem is the daughter of one of those men. She's not my bookkeeper. She's just an intern learning business. What would she know?"
Jaeger realized he slipped by saying her name.
The Chief suddenly acquired a headache.
Jack could not be stopped and interjected confidently, "No, she's not. She's a kidnapped French girl forced to look like she's one man's African/German daughter. Those men took her from me and my Dad and her real father four years ago in Togoland. Her real name is Jeanne Jacot, not Meriem. That's a pretend name the kidnappers gave her to hide the kidnapping. Her real father is Colonel Armand Jacot of the French Special Forces in western Africa."
The Chief and his men and most of the room full of people were stunned. Tarzan could not be prouder of his son. Jaeger instantly knew that his world had completely imploded. Karl-Heinz and his fake family had lived the perfect lie. They had escaped and now he was going to take all the blame – and punishment - for this.
Jack showed the Chief the old and new posters, something he always had with him on a search mission. The girl on the poster – Jeanne - with those haunting eyes was clearly the face of the girl they'd heard scream and was being held. And the old poster had the kidnapper's names the caterers had told him.
Suddenly the Chief of Police remembered, "Ohmigosh, this is the Jacot kidnapping case from up north. To think they came here to escape the authorities."
Tarzan finally felt the need to add to the conversation, "That it is, Chief. Colonel Jacot and I served together in Kamina. Everything is as my son says."
The Chief had heard and seen enough and he knew who to believe. His eyes narrowed and motioned his deputies to cuff Jaeger and nearly all of his people, "You're under arrest, Jaeger. For being an accessory to kidnapping, attempted murder, and fraud against the Mayor's office. And God knows what else. That's all I can think of for now. I knew you weren't who you said you are."
He sneered, "These are trumped up charges just because I'm German and you're British. I have my rights."
The Chief ignored the criminal crime boss' excuses, "Lieutenant, take these criminals away. Lock 'em up. Put them in isolation. We don't know if all the thugs in town have a bone to pick with this guy. I want him to stay alive. For now."
"Yes sir," the deputy obeyed.
The Chief turned to the Police Sergeant, "Find the kidnappers. No one leaves town. Search every road and trail and every ship in port. I want that girl free and those men and woman behind bars by sundown. Understood?"
"Yes sir," whirled and left. The seasoned policeman was worried they were already gone.
…
Author's Notes: Sigh… So close, yet so far. But at least a happy reunion for but a moment between our lovers. Just in case you were wondering if 'the connection' was a convenient deus ex machina literary trick to have Jack save her, I just proved you all wrong. Besides, Tarzan was already coming to Southwest Africa. They would have found each other anyway. The only thing their connection did was prevent Jeanne, as Meriem, from making a huge mistake with lecherous Jaeger. But now Jeanne's been abducted again. But where are they going this time? And more importantly, what will she be forced to do?