Young Offender, Part 40:
"This will help take the edge off," Kozumi said darkly, handing Francoise and Albert small cups of a reddish liquid. "They had you on a newer, experimental drug for pain. This, I think, will counter the effects, but by the end of the week you may start feeling sick. Once that happens, you can't go back. You have to ride out the withdraws or fall back into drug use."
Francoise watched Albert nod, tight lipped, and swallow the liquid. She hesitated, but she had woken up, shaky and sweaty. Her joints ached, and that terrified her. Her mind went to thoughts of never being able to dance again.
"But, Doctor..."
"My dear, I promise you'll be good as new."
She nodded and did as Albert. A brief wave of dizziness hit when it reached her empty stomach. Albert patted her shoulder and she followed him out into the hotel hallway where Jet leaned against the wall, a severe expression firmly in place.
"Are you two going to be okay?" he asked, following them to the elevator.
"We're survivors," Albert answered with a lop-sided smile. He turned to Francoise and asked, "So you think we'll find her at practice?"
"Certainly. She's never missed one."
They left the hotel without sharing another word. Francoise guided them through the busy Paris streets, lit only by summer's dawn light. It wasn't too far before they reached the giant hall Francoise still dreamed of. The grand entrance was flanked with sculptures and marble columns. A deep ache crept into her stomach; it was a longing she hadn't had a chance to make peace with since Australia.
Now, seeing where she rightfully belonged, was also easier than she thought. There was nothing she could do to change her life now. It made it easier to accept she may never dance again with Jean-Paul still missing. She'd gladly trade her red slippers away to know her brother was safe. There was a balanced perspective now. The bitterness wasn't totally gone, but she could manage it.
"Are you fine?" Albert asked.
She looked at the German cyborg and nodded. "I'm fine, Albert. It hurts to think of the life I could've had. I'm wistful."
"Who said you're guaranteed anything in life?" Jet asked, with his raspy voice, not full of recrimination, but a caring truth. Her mind went back to the night after her parents were killed in the train accident.
She tearfully told Jean-Paul how unfair it was. He hugged her close, tears in his eyes, he agreed. He told her there would be a lot of unfair things in life, but it should never stop her from trying to be the best person she could be. He told her she needed to always honor the person her parents wanted her to become.
Jet gave her a wary look, but he was visibly taken off guard at the smile she couldn't repress. "You are nothing like Jean-Paul, except in your common sense and kind heart. Thank you."
Jet looked utterly confused. She said, "You and Albert go and bring her to that cafe. All the others would recognize me. I'll wait."
"After we finish with her, we'll go get our things out of the train-station. We'll need our weapons and ray guns," Albert said.
Albert and Jet then took off for the large entrance. She took a deep breath and one final, fond gaze at the building. She turned with a little lighter heart and went to the nearby cafe. She ordered four coffees and waited. It wasn't long before Albert and Jet came walking across the street with Natalie jogging in front of them, looking the picture of agony.
"Oh Francoise! It's you!"
Francoise got up from her seat and embraced the thin girl in forgiveness and warmth. Francoise parted and looked at the girl's freckled face, now tear-stained.
"How have you been, Natalie?"
"Fine! But how about you? You look... your face is the same, but... something about your eyes makes you look so much older. Are you sure you're fine?"
"Please, sit down," Francoise said warmly. She sat across from Francoise and Jet and Albert sat at Francoise's sides. Jet fiddled with sweetening and lightening his coffee while Albert lit a cigarette; Francoise didn't miss the suspicious looks Natalie shot her two male companions, but she couldn't deal with that now.
"So where have you been? Jean-Paul..."
"That's why I've come Natalie. To find Jean-Paul. When is the last time you've seen him?"
"Are you still being pursued?"
Francoise was tempted to lie, but instead she said, "Yes. That's why it's important. Please tell us everything you know."
Again, she gave Jet and Albert mistrustful glances just as Albert offered a cigarette to Jet, which he took and lit. Natalie looked resigned as she sighed and said, "I saw him almost four months ago."
Francoise gasped and grabbed Natalie's wrists, coffee cups rattled as her hands shot across the table. "No! That means he came here not but a few weeks after we..."
"Frannie!" Jet snapped. She gave him a hostile look.
"Why hide it? Natalie, we were at our summer home where Jean-Paul was hiding little over three months ago. That means we weren't very far behind. We came here to Paris to find him, but we fell into a trap and were kidnapped again. We just escaped again. I need to find him. Don't you see? These twisted, sick people could hurt him if we don't catch up?"
"Then do you think it's wise to get close to him again? If these men are dangerous and looking for you, then how is it wise to make contact with Jean-Paul?"
"We can protect him," Francoise insisted.
"Besides, you owe her," Jet snapped, his voice cracking uncomfortably in Francoise's ear. Natalie jerked her hands from Francoise's and hid them under the table, now she blushed and averted her eyes.
"You do owe this to me because, I love him and it wouldn't be right for you to keep me from my own brother," Francoise said.
"He went to West Berlin. He heard of a chance to help people escaping from the East, and he said he thought that... maybe... he could find you by making some connections with the Communist. As far as I know, he's still there. I heard from him just last month. He calls me the first of every month to see if you've come back."
Francoise's eyes grew watery; she was so close. Just mere meters and minutes away. "His call is still five days. I can't wait that long. Do you know the address he's at?"
"Yes. I have an address, but you must be careful. If he gets caught, he could go to jail."
"If he gets caught without us protecting him, he could die," Francoise said desperately. Natalie bit her lip and nodded her acquiescence.
When they got back to the hotel, Dr Kaminari was there and having an argument with Doctor Gilmore. The black rook power source was being tugged back and forth between them. Kozumi was trying, in vain, to stop the struggle and cursing. All three tumbled backwards, knocking over the large glossy coffin in the middle of the room.
Francoise watched in horror as Ivan's body went tumbling across the hotel room. Jet instantly fell to the floor, laughing like a demented crow, dropping the suitcases that held their uniforms and ray guns from several months before. They had went to the train-station right after chatting with Natalie. Albert slammed the door and snarled, "What the hell do you three think you're doing! Get the hell up and act like you have some common sense. You want to bring attention to us!"
"Albert," Francoise chided Albert's too harsh rebuke. She quickly walked over to Ivan, the three doctors now quiet.
"No, he's so right. I'm sorry about my behavior," Gilmore admitted.
"I'm not! That was a hoot," Jet said, catching his breath and finally standing up straight again.
Albert whirled on Jet and said, "You think it's funny? Get over there and help Francoise. Now!"
Francoise was amazed to see Jet's astonishment. He kept his mouth shut and came over to help Francoise put Ivan back in the ghoulish case.
"Come on, Herr Heinrich. Let me examine your arm," Kaminari finally said, motioning to one of the beds. Francoise watched Albert from the corner of her eye; he flung off his jacket and tie. He also flung his shirt aside and flopped down on the bed, no regard about how people would see his mutilated body at the moment. It was a lurid gesture she wasn't prepared for.
She adverted her eyes and looked down at Ivan's placid face. She brushed his hair from his face and tried to figure out what was bothering Albert. It hit her like a bolt out of the blue: East Berlin.
Francoise waited until after dinner to approach Albert. She slipped out onto the balcony where the man was smoking. She leaned on the railing and forced a bright smile towards him. He didn't turn his eyes to her, but kept them on sparkling Paris, stretched out before them against the balmy night.
Francoise tuned out the myriad conversations and city noises below their feet; she laid her hand on his. She was afraid he'd flinch, but instead he turned his metal hand around in hers and gingerly squeezed her fingers.
"You're not sure if you can face Berlin?" she asked.
"I have to. There is no choice. I want to help reunite you with your brother and I know the town well."
"You know, if you and the doctors want to stay, Jet will accompany me. You wouldn't have to worry, because we'd have each other."
"If I don't go now, the pain and fear will cripple me forever. I won't be a man any more, if I can't face this. We'll all go together. Just like we always have." Francoise could see a stubbornness in those steely eyes. There was a deep pain within Albert still; it was something she found a kinship with him through the septationfrom her brother, the only family she had.
"You know, it never really strikes me until times like these." Albert and Francoise flinched and looked over their shoulders to Jet. He lofted a cigarette in way of an explanation for his presence on the hotel balcony. "You really are another generation from us. You lived a lifetime. We were starting ours."
"Yes, that's one of the reasons I've felt that we haven't seen eye-to-eye," Albert agreed as Jet lit his cigarette.
Jet shrugged and flung his hand towards Francoise and Albert, his face somber and brandy-eyes firm. "Anyway, I want to tell you it's your choice. If you aren't ready yet, don't go. We could be facing the Black Ghost, and I don't need you distracted. I'm a big boy and can take care of Frannie just fine. After all, you didn't force me to go kiss-and-make-up with my folks, so I wouldn't ask you to go lay flowers at your wife's grave before you're ready. There ain't nothing the four of us can't work around after what we've been through."
Albert nodded, looking a little shamefaced. "I'm sorry about this afternoon. I am ready to face Berlin. This is my life now, with just us cyborgs. I won't put either of you in jeopardy. You do have my word on that."
Jet smiled and puffed on his cigarette. "Good enough for me."
The New Yorker thrust out his hand. Albert slowly shook it with his metallic hand. Francoise felt a wave of relief and felt a profound sense of gratitude and admiration towards Albert for his strength. He was the model of a survivor for her.
"We go find the address Jean-Paul gave Natalie. Carefully," Albert said. "I know where this is. We can walk." Albert then turned to the three scientists. "We'll go it alone, while you take Ivan and get us a place to stay. The economy is very depressed, so it should be easy to rent a whole house for very little money. That'll give us some privacy."
"Excellent. We'll take care of it," Gilmore said. With that, Albert stood and waved Francoise and Jet to follow him. Jet looked over his shoulder, Francoise was nervous. He hoped she wouldn't be let down again.
After walking several blocks in silence, Jet worked up the courage to ask about something he noticed. "Hey, Al, is everything this run down. I mean..."
Albert cast a harsh look over his other shoulder. "This city is torn apart. It never recovered from the war."
Jet could tell Albert didn't want to elaborate. He glanced over to a discarded sign that had "Now leaving the American zone" in German, English, and another language he didn't know. Concrete rubble lined the sidewalks, and the buildings seemed in disrepair.
Jet snapped out of his musings on how hard Albert had it growing up in a war-torn country when they turned to walk up stairs to an apartment building. They walked in and found the third door on the left. Francoise pounded on the door before they had a chance to talk it out.
A middle-aged woman answered the door, her graying brown hair piled high on her head. She gave them a questioning look and asked, "Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for my brother. Jean-Paul Arnoul. I believe he may stay here."
The woman's face lit up. "You must be Francoise. He thought you might find this place. Come in."
"So you see, he left just a week ago," the woman named Claudia Schuessler said, serving Francoise and Albert tea.
Jet took out a cigarette and asked in German, "And he didn't say where he was going?"
"He said the situation could put me in danger because there were some very evil men following his sister and her companions. There were two men in dark suits that kept watching our apartment. I thought..." she nodded at Albert, "...they were the Stasi. Over here, in the West, we're suppose to be safe from them. But you never know if they'll become overzealous."
"Jean-Paul must have know they weren't Stasi. They're from the organization that is pursuing us," Albert answered.
"Stasi?" Jet asked, wondering why the woman and Albert were so dour at the word.
Albert glanced over at him and explained, "Staatssicherheit. State police from the East side. They're nothing but thugs."
Jet didn't miss the catch in Albert's voice or the tension in his trembling shoulders. Jet was surprised. He'd never once seen Albert shake; Albert was always confident and steady as a rock.
"How did you meet my brother?" Francoise's question yanked Jet's attention back to the lady.
"My son was trapped over in the East. Jean-Paul heard about my plight, and he was brave enough to go over there and help free him. After that, we set up a network to help reunite families. He's been so brave. He said that being parted from you was what inspired him to help all these divided German families."
Jet thought Francoise was going to tear up and get all emotional, but he was pleasantly surprised to see her calmly smile in pride and sip her tea.
Claudia continued, "He left when those men came around and refused to tell me where he was going. He was very adamant that it could endanger me if I knew. I'm so sorry I can't help you find him, I really wish I could."
"I thank you for your help. I also thank you that you told me a little bit about his life. It helps me have some hope. At least, I do know he's alive. And that, after what I just went through, it means the world to me. I'll take what good news I can get and look forward to the future."
"Thanks, Frau Schuessler. We have to be leaving Berlin since those men showed up," Albert said, bolting to his feet. "We refuse to bring bad luck to your house."
"But, Herr Heinrich," she said, standing slowly in shock, "you really should stay put for a while. Those men disappeared after Jean-Paul left. My guess is that they pursued him."
The door suddenly opened. Jet watched Albert swirl around and drop a porcelain tea cup, shattering it on the wood floor. Jet glanced to see an older teenage boy in the doorway. The boy glanced around at the cyborgs suspiciously, then his face brightened.
"You must be, Mademoiselle Arnoul!"
"Yes, Florin," Claudia answered. "Unfortunately, she came a week too late."
The teenager looked a little saddened and then shook his head. Florin had something very important and ignored the visitors. "Mother, there is a new chance coming up. Udo just told me a whole family needs to escape within two days. The father was a chemist and he's under observation by the Stasi."
"Without Jean-Paul, I don't know who could go," she said, shaking her head.
"I'll go! I'm not going to let people stay trapped in the East!"
"No! You're too young!" Jet flinched back at the mother's insistent, loud voice, but also the fierce protection over her son. It was so unashamed and freely given. It created an emptiness deep in his stomach.
"Udo wants to hold a meeting here, tonight. I'm going to go under the Wall and get them out," Florin insisted.
"If you get caught, you'll be shot by the Stasi! I can't risk loosing you again," Claudia declared, tears steaming down her face. Floin's face softened.
"Please understand me, Mother."
"We'll leave," Albert snapped, grabbing Francoise's wrist and Jet's elbow. He yanked them to the door, but Florin jumped into Albert's path.
"Wait! Jean-Paul said that something happened to you three. He didn't say what, just that you were very strong now. You could help them. You're German! You know what a terrible blight that wall is to our country. Come and join our group. Jean-Paul said you..."
"It's beyond our control," Albert answered darkly in a low voice that made Jet quiver slightly. He yanked Francoise and Jet with him, leaving a appalled Florin in his wake.
Jet could hear Florin shout out, "Eight o'clock! Don't be late!"
To be continued.