Jonathan finally reached the embassy.
The crowd of people in front of the embassy had grown. Some people were carrying placards and banners, other people were shouting things Jonathan didn't understand. A crowd of people was pushing against the gate, trying to force it open. A chain of police officers, standing in front of the gateway, tried to barricade the pushing crowds. Jonathan noticed patrol cars standing around and he started to force his way through the crowd, toward the gate. He heard the voices of the out-of-control crowd around him; he heard the police officers yelling at them, trying to push them back.
"Wentzler!", Jonathan yelled over and over again while forcing his way forward.
He yelled as loud as he could to drown out the crowd. Jonathan managed to reach the chain of the police officers.
"Wentzler!", he shouted again "I've got to see the Wentzler family!"
"No trespassing!", shouted one of the police officers. "Nobody comes in here!"
"Let me in! I've got to see them!"
"Boy, get outta here!", the officer yelled and right then, Jonathan was suddenly pushed by the crowd, right into the police officers.
The voices got louder and now a riot was breaking out. The policemen were fighting to hold the crowd back. Jonathan was pushed back and forth and after a few seconds, he was hurled forcefully against the tall steel fence encircling the embassy building. Jonathan was dazed for a moment. He touched his temple and felt something warm and wet on his fingers. He was bleeding. Someone had punched him in the head before he got hurled against the fence. Jonathan gripped it, the upset crowd around him.
Oh my God! The necklace! Where is the necklace!'
In a panic, Jonathan put his hand on his throat and his chest. But the necklace was in its place. In relief Jonathan gripped the amulet and looked out, at the main gate the entrance door of the embassy. Nobody was there.
Jonathan was about to turn around and try to force his way through the crowd again, heading towards the gate, when he noticed the entrance door had just opened and some people came out. He gripped the thick bars of the fence and just stared at the door. He saw men in dark suits coming out, policemen, then Mr. and Mrs. Wentzler, little Martin – and then it was her, Alexandra. Her face was pale, her eyes red from crying.
Jonathan gripped the fence as tight as he could and shouted Alexandra's name. At first she didn't seem to hear him. Again he shouted her name as loud as he could. Alexandra gazed in the direction of his voice this time – and there he was, Jonathan.
He couldn't hear her, but from her lips he realized she was saying his name. They just looked at each other. It was probably no more than a split second, but to them it was eternity. Jonathan started to try and climb up the fence. He tried several times, but the bars of the fence were too slippery and Jonathan just slid down. Alexandra tried to move towards him, but someone grabbed her shoulder. Again, two black cars drove up and the suited men and Alexandra and her family got in. She looked over at Jonathan, shouting his name over and over again.
"Alex... no!", he yelled, still gripping the bars and still trying to climb up.
"I love you..", he could hear Alexandra saying before getting into the car without resisting.
Jonathan saw the tears running down her face. For a moment he just watched the cars moving slowly, towards the gates, then he released his grip to force his way through the crowd again. He and the crowd had just been pushed back, when the gates opened and the policemen tried to clear a path. A riot broke out again, but Jonathan managed to get directly to the front of the gate. He hadn't realized his mother had found him in the crowd and was calling his name.
Jonathan was right at the front, as the cars passed through the doorway. The riot was getting uncontrollable and some people started to block the driveway, other people were hitting against the cars' windows. The policemen were trying to push the upset crowd away from the cars. The first car managed to get pass through, but the second one with Alexandra had come to a stop. Jonathan looked at her and forced his way up to the rear window. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. The crowd was slamming wildly against the car, the policemen had pulled out their truncheons and had started to beat up the crowd, trying to push the people back. Jonathan ducked, trying to avoid being hit. He looked Alexandra in the eye, still rattling on the door.
If only I could rip out this goddamn door!'.
Alexandra gave Jonathan a sad look, watching him struggle with the car door and punching the window. She pressed her hand against the window. Jonathan paused, looking at her, then he did the same with his hand and for a moment, their hands touched, although with the window glass between…
Both gazed into each others eyes.
"I love you..", Jonathan whispered, tears running down his face. He knew Alexandra couldn't hear him, but she knew what he was saying.
"I love you..", she whispered back.
Suddenly Jonathan was grabbed by a policeman, his hand yanked from the window as he was pushed back. The car's engine roared and the car started to move. The police officer let Jonathan go when he realized he didn't resist. Again Jonathan tried to force his way out through the crowd as far as he could. Almost stumbling, he watched the car turn into a side street, which had been blocked by 2 patrol cars.
"Jonathan!", he heard a voice shouting.
It was his mother. Jonathan, still crying, turned around, watching his mother running to him.
"My God, Jonathan!", she shouted, taking his face into her hands.
She saw his bleeding forehead and his tears.
"Mom! The airport! We've got to get to the airport! Right now!", Jonathan shouted, his voice choked.
"Jon..", said his mother in a soft voice, while Jonathan was frantically looking around.
The traffic was still stopped - it wasn't possible to move forward or backwards. The upset crowd was still protesting, and there were policemen and patrol cars everywhere.
"I'm so sorry, Jon..."
"Mom!", Jonathan started, but he couldn't go any further.
His tears poured as he cried bitterly. He knew his mother was right there was nothing more he could do.
Jonathan cried bitterly in his mother's arms.
Mrs. Crane hugged him tight, knowing that her son's heart was broken.