“I meant it when I said I admired you for the work you do. I suspect the police investigate your work, without really investigating. How could they, you’re doing them an incredible service.” He said.
When the flight attendant walked by, Haiden hailed her for two waters. When she came back, he handed one to Imani, who took it and even thanked him. He hid his smile as he took a drink.
“I have found that the most satisfying job to date. Though this one comes in a close second. But I don’t get paid for the other.” She said as she tore at the label on the bottle.
“I’d have to say you’re right. I saw the videos on the news. I can’t even imagine what those poor women went through.” Haiden said, his voice low and dangerous now.
He saw Imani look at him and study his face, for what he wasn’t sure.
“It was, those seven women were chained to the wall, all filthy. But I’ve seen worse. That’s why I do what I do.” She said softly.
“Well, I’m damn glad that you do, and I’m going to do it as well. Either with you or on my own. It’s just that you have a greater resource in Nobu. I know you’ve worked alone, but I really want to help, at least with these dirtbags. Christ, to be able to rid the world of them. That is some damn fine work.” He said.
“Yeah, it is. I’ll think about bringing you in.” She said noncommittally.
“I’m not trying to push, honest. I guess I’m just a little excited to find someone like me.” He said and shrugged.
“I hear you. It’s kind of lonely in our world.” She said grudgingly.
“It is. You’re lucky though. You have Nobu. That’s a lot, I’m telling you. When I come back from a job, the only one I can tell is Jezebel and she only listens because I feed her, she’s basically a whore.” He laughed and she laughed as well. He liked her laugh and her eyes crinkled up.
“Trust me, Nobu can be a pain in the ass, but I know what you’re talking about. Before I had Nobu come on board, it was a lot more difficult.”
They both quieted for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. He soon heard Imani’s soft snores and smiled. She’d fallen asleep. He reclined his seat, and put in his ear buds. Closing his eyes, he was soon asleep.
Ϫ
Imani and Haiden walked along the plaza of Basilica di San Pietro, St. Peter’s Basilica. They’d just come from the Basilica, where they’d seen The Pieta, Michelangelo’s sculpture of Mary holding Christ. She’d seen it every time she’d come to Rome and it moved her deeply each visit. The exquisite beauty of the sculpture, the fabric of Mary’s clothes, the folds in the material was breath taking. She only whished the bullet proof glass wasn’t in the way, but she understood.
Unfortunately, the glass had so many scratches, that it was annoying to see the beauty of the statue marred by the glass. But she forced herself to ignore the barrier and look at the beauty of the carving. Its coolness and smooth lines were sheer joy. To have sculpted something so detailed out of marble was just amazing to her. She never tired of viewing it. The tendons in Christ’s feet and hands. The smoothness of their faces. No one was allowed to take pictures inside the Basilica, but she saw some tourist doing it, just the same.
“Hai cacca di uccello nei capelli.” A gravely voice said from behind, Imani turned and saw a stooped old woman walking past.
“Mi dispiace, cosa hai detto? Ho una cacca di uccello tra i capelli?” Imani asked, in rapid and fluid Italian.
“No, lui.” The old woman said and kept walking.
“What was that all about? And damn, you can speak like a native, fast as hell. I couldn’t even catch a word.” Haiden said.
“She said you needed a haircut. You look like a bitch.” Imani grinned and then sniggered.
“What? I do not. What did she say?”
“She said a bird pooped in your hair, turn around. Idiot.” She laughed and pulled a handwipe packet from her satchel. When Haiden turned, she took the wipe and cleaned the bird dropping from his hair. She then handed the folded wipe to him.
“What am I suppose to do with this?” He asked, the look of disgust curved on his lips.
“Hold it until we find a trashcan. I’m not holding it.” She laughed.
“How did you learn to speak so great? I mean, you sounded really Italian, like you’d lived here all your life.”
“My folks were stationed in Naples, I had a nanny for four years. She only spoke Italian, so I learned. You might not want to go that way, there are a ton of pigeons over there and I’m not cleaning any more bird shit off you.” Imani said shrugging.
“That’s pretty cool, about the nanny, I mean.”
“My folks traveled a lot and we moved around. I picked up a few things here and there. That is one aspect about the job that I like, I travel.” She said and they passed the Pontifical Swiss Guard, and though colorfully garbed, she knew them to be deadly adversaries if needed. People assumed incorrectly that they were decoration. They were not.
“Yeah, the travel and the food especially.” He said.
“Oh, hell yeah, the food. Man, I live for finding new places to eat!” She said.
“Did you follow your parents, by going into the military?” he asked.
“Yeah, but it wasn’t for me. Too controlling, too restrictive. I’d lived a life doing and perusing what I wanted, when I wanted to do it. I felt constricted by all the rules and protocols.” Imani said, shrugging her shoulders as though to remove tight ropes
