The cocktail joint was named after the father of American mixology - Jeremiah "Jerry" Thomas (1830-85), a bartender and pioneer in popularizing cocktails in the United States. It aimed for a revival of that 1800's theme and the roots of mixology, attracting a very diverse crowd from all corners of Beirut and beyond. Many of the Lebanese customers were there for the novelty, whereas most of the foreigners felt more at home than in the Arab-speaking pubs.
Antoine had insisted that he come with Nano after they had picked up on the lead. Isabel had wanted a taxi from her hotel to the bar a week ago and the receptionist who had called the taxi up remembered her. She hadn't returned since. The Western music that played in the bar praised the mountain men, the outlaws, the lawmen, and the beauty and grandeur of the West. Nano and Antoine had to deal with cowboys and Indians in the Middle East.
Antoine moved to check the exits and where the bathroom and kitchen was before moving to reserve a table where he could see the entire restaurant. He knew Nano would do her thing and didn't want him blundering around when she did.
The bartender was a tall, bearded Arab man with his long black hair pulled to a loose folded ponytail. He had just finished taking an order from one of the customers, sliding the beer over and turning toward Nano as she approached. "Welcome. What can I get you?" His voice was raspy and deep, but his English was surprisingly fluent and distinctly American.
Nano tucked her dark hair behind her ear and gave a flattering smile to the bartender. “Got any Yeungling?” She looked over her shoulder at Antoine. He needed to not stick out like a sore thumb. The man couldn’t wallflower if it depended on his life. “Antoine, what do you want? It’s on me.” Nano tugged at her belt a little and pulled up the lone stool left in the crowded bar, making herself comfortable as she turned back to the bartender. “You’re a breath of fresh air. Where are you from that your accent is so good?”
Antoine made a quick handwave to delegate the responsibility of the drink to Nano. He didn't want to raise his voice or draw attention to himself any more than he already had.
The bartender flashed a smile in response to the compliment, deciding to lead with business first. "I do think we might have a few bottles of the traditional lager left. It's been hard to get shipments from the States lately." He crouched down to access the under-counter fridges, grimacing as he did. Opening the fridge door, he pulled out two bottles. "Two?" He asked to confirm before standing up. "Got two more left after these." He pulled up two glass pints and pushed them against the automatic star sink to rinse them with a jet of water - the sign of a better bar. As he started pouring the beers, he had time to answer Nano's question. "Went to an American university here in Beirut, and, well - working in places like these." He finished the pour with one smooth motion and then set the bottle down to the counter next to the pint in case Nano wanted to check the label. Nano rolled her eyes as she groaned. "Stupid tariffs." She smiled again, this time a little wider as she held up two fingers. Hand signals would go over better than conversation with the din. It wasn't as loud as a bar in America, but she felt a little bit of home none the less.
She was a little jealous when he said he'd gone to college. "What'd you go to school for?" A well-manicured hand reached for the bottle to inspect the label. Imported from Pottsville, PA. She stuck out her lower lip as an expression of being impressed. She took a moment to set Antoine's beer in front of him and came back to her seat before it was stolen.
"International Affairs. Comparative politics of the Middle East taught me not to serve beer to Iranians with my left hand. Valuable skills for my profession." The bartender winked with a grin and let Nano take the beer to the table.
Antoine gave Nano a look as she arrived, glancing at the bartender over her shoulder before looking grim. "He seems chatty." That's all her bodyguard said, though it was clear he wanted to say something more. It seemed obvious that he wanted to hell her how he didn't want her talking to strange men, particularly ones who seemed to make her act so animated and friendly.
When Nano returned, the bartender just finished handing over a glass of wine to a customer along with her change. He wiped his hands and moved over to prepare some citrus fruits, chopping up limes and lemons into wedges and storing them in a Tupperware box. "What brings you to Beirut, then?" He asked casually while working.
Nano twisted her mouth to one side and glared at Antoine. "I was hoping he'd be," she said under her breath and through gritted teeth before turned back to the bartender with a smile.
"I'm meeting a friend here. I might be a couple days late." Nano took out her phone and brought up Isabel's picture, showing it to the bartender. "She's my bestie, so i'm really excited to hang out with her here in Beirut." She took a sip of her beer and let out a happy sigh. It wasn't the same, as it was a little heavier than she was used to at home. She'd be too lucky if they had PBR. Ah well. Back to business. She left the phone face up on the bar as she took another sip, eyes on the bartender.
"Well, we welcome US dollars. One of the few things keeping things afloat around here." The bartender quipped and tucked the sliced citrus away. He moved up to near Nano and dropped a hip against the counter, folding his arms across his chest. "I'd suggest heading up to Jounieh, a city ten miles north of Beirut. Nice and cheap sunset bars, clean beaches, a nightlife a lot more fitting to western tastes. Urban Beirut is a lot more of a mixed bag and a lot more unsafe. We're going to lose electricity in an hour due to the scheduled power outages, but all the bigger bars in Jounieh have generators so you can party all night long."
Nano nodded at the advice. “I’ll remember that: i’ll definitely take her there if I bump into her. Maybe you can show us around if you get any time off.” She gave a flirtatious smirk, likely causing Antoine to cringe. She was surprised that there was no conversion needed for her currency, and she laid a 20 on the counter. "How long since this lady was in here? she said, nudging her phone before taking another sip.
The bartender flashed a grin at the comment and responded with a similarly teasing smirk. "You'll have to treat me, I don't get paid enough to drink in places like this." He looked at the twenty dollar bill and slid it down before tucking it into his pocket, reaching over to spin the phone around. He looked at the picture intently and then glanced up at Nano. "This the friend of yours?" He waited for a bit of confirmation before answering. "Yeah, she came over a few times. Not with the best crowd, I'm afraid. There's a bar next door where she'd drop in and then bring people over. People like your buddy over there." He didn't look at Antoine, keeping his gaze on the phone. "Last I saw her, she got into a glitzy 4x4 with tinted windows. I don't know how much you know about the zuama of Lebanon, but it looked like she was getting involved."
"It would be my pleasure." Nano looked at the way the yet unnamed bartender leaned against the bar and raised a brow, still smirking. "Are you okay? You are walking kinda funny."
"Yeah, that's her." The smile faded a little, but it was still there. "Would i be lucky enough that you got a license plate or anything? She sighed. "Nah, that's too hopeful, right? Besides, she looks sweet, but she can hold her own in a pack of weasels."
"By the way, they call me Nano. What do I call you?"
"Then it'd be my pleasure to show you around." The bartender chuckled and then made a small dismissive gesture with his hand at her concern. "Cut myself a few days ago while changing the tank, that's all." He reached to touch the beer tap to indicate that it was a work-related accident. "I'm Ramy. Nano, huh? You're not that small." He mused and then lowered his elbows down to the counter near her so he could talk more discreetly. He kept smiling, but his words were serious.
"These weasels don't play around. Even if you had the plates, you couldn't get anywhere near them with out 'wastah' - access. Zuama are power brokers. Used to be feudal overlords who allowed peasants to use their land in exchange for loyalty. Now they're political leaders and the peasants are constituents who exchange electoral loyalty for favors. A zaim controls the local elections and the officials he helps elect. Without wastah - which is widely sought - you're not even going to be seen by them. I'd steer clear if at all possible."
Nano extended her hand over the bar, gaging whether the pandemic had curbed his willingness to shake hands. “Well met, Ramy.”
The 5’ woman laughed. “I’m considered Small enough by some.” She motioned towards his wounded leg. “You better watch out, you can lose your leg that way.” She unlatched her prosthetic leg and placed it on the bar. She took another long sip, finishing off the glass. She knocked the bar twice, signaling she’d like another. “Next door, hm? I’ll have to hit them next, but frankly I’m rather enjoying your company.” She motioned her head to Antoine as she spoke to Ramy. “It’s his job to keep me safe. I promise to be careful while I’m here.”
Ramy's eyes widened at the woman putting her leg on the counter. "That's a party trick, if I ever saw one." He glanced around to make sure none of the other customers were shocked to see her detach her leg and then reached down to pick up the second to last bottle without crouching this time. He pulled up a new glass for her, rinsed it and started pouring while shaking his head at the theatrics with an amused smile.
That smile hid behind it his real emotional state. Nano could tell he hadn't just seen Isabel before, seeing her picture had made him clamp down and suppress his reactions. He was a lot more muted than before and the smiles had turned into something practiced rather than genuine like they had been earlier.
When he absently touched his leg after the pour, it seemed like he was thinking about how bad the situation could've actually been. That wasn't the kind of reaction one would have to a small cut. This was the kind of what-if touch Nano had seen some of her acquaintances do after they had been grazed by a bullet. The way he had immediately responded made it seem like he had come up with the explanation ahead of time and it was constantly on his mind.
He glanced over to Antoine and then handed the pint over, waiting for Nano to relinquish the old pint that he put to the tray to be washed later. "Let's just say you might need more than one guy to keep you safe if you pursue this." He stated quietly when he returned.
Nano picked up her leg, but not her phone. She watched his reaction to his own leg closely as she relatched her leg. “I bet that cut is deeper than that spicket can dish out.” Her expression mirrored his, a practiced one. She fished a 50 from her purse. “You are a terrible liar. What do you know about her? About the men that took her?” She slid the empty glass to him, trading him for the last of the yeungling she’d have that night. Her lips parted, showing off her pearly whites in a bright yet sultry smile. “I’ll take that into consideration,” she said, her eyes flicking briefly to her bodyguard before flicking back.
Ramy squared his jaw at her comment, glancing around the place and pocketing the fifty before leaning over the counter. He was still smiling and playful, but his voice had tightened up enough to be perceptible. "I'm an excellent liar. Wonder what that makes you?" He didn't push the topic, having given Nano words of caution and opportunities to back down several times. If she wanted to pursue this, it was on her.
The bartender ran his fingers through his hair and then made a small 'keep it down' hand gesture before speaking quietly. "Your friend was involved in some shady business going on in the Baalbeck-Hermel governorate in the North-East of Lebanon. Notorious Hezbollah stronghold, but the only district where the Shiite party has had to deal with the Christian party of the Lebanese Forces. The LF managed to get a seat for a Maronite Christian in the pro-Iranian party's stronghold back in 2018 with a political masterstroke. They really fucked Hezbollah with that. Now the elections are coming up in a couple of months and Hezbollah is dead set on getting the seat back with whatever means necessary. Urging voters to 'vote freely' while mag-dumping in the air with AKs, if you catch my drift. I don't know who she was involved with, but both sides are serious trouble. Whatever she was doing there, it can't be good." Ramy frowned and pulled back, moving over to serve another customer and giving Nano a moment to think before he returned. (edited)
She raised a brow and smirked silently at him at having her integrity questioned, but she let him speak in his hushed tones.
And Nano took the second to think. What the fuck was that contact getting us into? She shoulda gone local business with this deal. "Just as i feared. I just want her safe." She sighed into her cup before downing half of her glass.
Ramy clicked his tongue in frustration and ruffled his hair, standing up straight and stretching while he thought about the situation. He checked the time from the clock on the wall and then walked up to the light switch, flicking it up and down three times to indicate last call. After serving two more people, he pulled out the cash register and started counting things out. After stacking the Lebanese pound notes, he then finally seemed to relent begrudgingly. "If you're willing to walk into this fire to get her out, I know someone who can help. He's retired, but he's in the know and is respected in the area. Won't be cheap, though. Do you want me to put you in touch?" Nano watched quietly as he took care of end of the night duties. Noting the last call signal, she downed the other half of her beer.
Her light brown eyes blinked twice in surprise at his offer. "You'd do that for me?" She turned her head slightly and gave him the side eye, then she too relented and slid into a soft smile. "I'd owe you one."
Ramy let out a huff at the comment. "I'm going to be blunt; I don't expect to see you again if you go down this path. People disappear for far less around here."
He held out a hand toward her phone and then started typing in an address. "These days he goes by Sabirun, but during the Civil War they called him Aldabe Al'aswad - the Black Hyena. Used to hunt down invading Israelis and the spies of their western allies. After the Taif Agreement and the end of the civil war, he pulled out of the sectarian conflict. He doesn't want things to escalate to another civil war, so he might be sympathetic to you finding your friend. You'll find him in this café every weekday afternoon. Old guy, plays chess by himself. You can say I suggested you see him."
Ramy pushed the phone back. "I also added my number under 'R'. All phones around here are listened to, so text me to set up a meeting and keep things down low. That's all I can do for you now." Nano sent a quick text: "thank you. And text me on your next free day." To make sure he got her number in return.
She slid from the stool finally, signally to Antoine that she was ready to go. At the door, she turned and blew the bartender a kiss. "Enjoy your night, Ramy." Ramy flashed Nano a quick smile and turned back to finishing up the register, far more tense than he had been when they had first met.
Antoine followed Nano to the street and looked about with a grim expression before gesturing for them to start walking down the street with Nano away from the curb. "I hope that was worth it."
Nano looked at her phone instead of at Antoine, looking at the new contacts in her phone. Black Hyena, hm? Also R. Couldn't hurt to have friends like him.
"Rather."
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