Page 47 of A Life Imagined
“I did,” Mathias muttered.He strode toward Rayan, stepping around the people haphazardly strewn across the floor.
Rayan looked up when he appeared, his face lined with concern.“They’re all from the camp.They were taken together.They want to come back with us.”
“No,” Mathias said in a sharp whisper, conscious of the attention they were drawing.“We got what we came for.”
But Rayan remained fixed in place, his lips pressed together.
“What do you want me to do, cram them all in the back of the truck?”Mathias asked.The men were watching the interaction intently, their lives hanging in the balance.“I’m not here to fuck with Zabawski’s business.”
“It’s not a business,” Rayan hissed.“You know damn well what this is.”
Mathias glanced over at Zabawski and his lackeys waiting by the door then at the sea of faces staring back at them.I’m not seriously considering the logistics of smuggling a truck full of people across Europe…
“How many are we talking?”
“Including Farhan, four.”
The plan was to fill the cargo box with furniture from his vendor in Krakow.There were certain pieces that lent themselves to hiding a grown man—but four?
“He’s going to want payment for each one.”Mathias’s voice was barely audible.“Twelve a head.”
“I’ll pay it.”
Mathias looked at Rayan, and the man stared back, entirely serious.
“I could throttle you right now,” Mathias said.
“Throttle me later.”
The cash Mathias had on hand would be just enough to cover Zabawski’s cost per head and a truckload of whatever his vendor had available to disguise their questionable cargo.
“Bring them out front.I’ll take care of Zabawski,” Mathias said.
It was a tough sell.The Lobuzi head wasn’t too pleased about the prospect of losing four workers from his hard-won stock.In the end, Mathias threw in his Rolex, peeled still warm from his wrist, to sweeten the deal.They departed on their return journey to France with three more people than they’d bargained for crouched in the truck bed.
He and Rayan sat in tense silence as Mathias drove back along the bumpy gravel driveway and up to the main road.He made it several meters down the road before his fury got the better of him.Mathias pulled over onto the shoulder, got out of the cab, and stalked beside the truck, reaching into his jacket for his cigarettes.The passenger door slammed, and Rayan appeared, watching as Mathias unsuccessfully tried to coax a flame from his lighter.
“You realize this got infinitely more dangerous,” Mathias snapped, rolling his thumb over the striker.“It’s risky enough for the groups that do this for a living, let alone us out here winging it.One man, maybe you could plead ignorance—try to frame it as a stunt.Four?We’ll be nailed for running a human trafficking ring.”
“I know.”
Fucking thing’s jammed.He shook the lighter and tried again.“I’m not going to jail to appease your good conscience.Running into the ocean so you don’t drown, coming out here—enough.”He hit the striker once, twice.Still no spark.“Build your fucking residence center—hell, start a new camp in our backyard.You are far more useful to the cause when you’re not putting yourself on the line.Because I won’t have you throwing your life away.I need you more than they do.”He closed his hand around the busted lighter and slammed it into the side of the truck.“Goddamn piece of shit!”
They stood, their breath pluming white in the night air.In the distance a bird called, breaking the silence.Rayan stepped forward and prized the lighter from his fist.Then slowly, methodically, he flicked his thumb against the striker, again and again, refusing to give up until the flame burst to life.He leaned in and held the lighter to the unlit cigarette dangling from the corner of Mathias’s mouth.Mathias took a pull and exhaled a welcome lungful of smoke.
“You’re right.”Rayan slipped the lighter into Mathias’s breast pocket.“I want you to fly back.I’ll drop you off at the airport in Rzeszów—”
“What are you on about?”
“This was my idea.I don’t want you shouldering any more risk.”
“I already agreed.I don’t go back on my word.”
Rayan’s expression grew conflicted.“I shouldn’t have pulled you into this.”
And Mathias couldn’t help but think of all the situations he’d pulled Rayan into.Every time he had forced the man’s hand, forced him to act against his better judgment.He reached out and placed his index finger on Rayan’s forehead, right between the eyes.“Five years ago, this is where my skull would’ve blown open if it weren’t for you.”
Rayan blinked.Then he took Mathias’s hand and brought it to his right shoulder, just below the clavicle.“And I would’ve bled out if not for you.”
