==AK Tactical Outdoor and Survival Gears Outlet, Bir Hasan, Beirut==
The outlet shop for AK Tactical Outdoors and Survival Gear was located on the second story of a mall in the Bir Hasan district. It sold hunting gear from camouflaged clothing, backpacks and binoculars to a wide array of knives, swords and axes. It seemed to be one of the few places in Beirut where you could find knives not meant for cooking. The owner was an out-of-shape Arab man with late stage male pattern baldness and a stretched out camouflage-pattern shirt. Seeing foreign women come to his shop made his eyes go wide, but he didn't try to approach quite yet.
Nano’s eyes adapted to the lighting in the shop. She needed her vision sharp if she was going to find what she was looking for. She hadn’t been allowed to fly with her knife, and her balisong was confiscated at the airport. Sigh. She desired a new butterfly knife to defend herself if she was going to be bait for kidnappers. She scanned over the array of knives, trying to avoid the male eye if she could. (edited)
After getting back to the hotel from the cathedral, Asun had more or less informed Merche what was up. That some people, including Isabel and Joaquin had gone missing. She told her she was going to see if she could help these people, but that they shouldn't go out too late now. They'd started preparing for moving on from Beirut. The exact words had been along the lines of "let's get out of this shithole". Not very politically correct perhaps, but they'd been spooked.
She hadn't told Merche exactly how they were going to help. She surely wasn't going to approve. By all accounts, it was a terrible idea. But she had to do something. For Lily & Isabel. Joaquin seemed like a nice kid as well. No way they deserved this. But she sure as hell wasn't going to go in unarmed. This place was what she could find on Google. It didn't look very impressive, but she wasn't looking for anything too complicated anyway.
As she enters the door, giving a small sigh at being stared at by the owner, she turned towards the displays. She froze for a second. Were they still following her? She looks around a few times, but the old man and the other guy didn't seem to be around. She started looking for a switchblade herself and after a moment: "Getting prepared for tomorrow as well?" The 'red' in prepared being enunciated. You weren't supposed to do that in English, but that sound was still tricky.
Nano jumped as she had been in the zone: it looked like she wasn’t going to find what she was looking for. It would have been too lucky for a butterfly knife to be available. Lebanon liked their fantasy Bowie knives and Japanese style swords, but maybe she could find something that at least fit her hand. Not raising her eyes, she answered. “Yeah. I might end up getting a pistol instead though.”
She mumbles to herself: "Estadounidenses" with a small headshake, "I don't think that may be as easy to find here as you think. Although I guess if you know.. people.. perhaps it's different.." She pauses while taking a looking at the place and the section that Nano is looking at, "This place is a bit.. extravagant, isn't it? If you're looking for something more subtle, I think there's some over there." Asun points to another section with some smaller blades.
Nano followed asun’s pointed direction and smiled bashfully. “Helps if I look there then. I’m looking for a balisong,” she said loud enough for the staff to hear.
The man working in the store stared at the two, not quite sure what to do or perhaps not understanding English. The weapons in the glass cabinets weren't locked and could be pulled out by sliding the cabinet window open.
"Good. I was starting to get worried you were going to show up tomorrow with a katana." As they walked up to the glass cabinet and Nano seemed to be asking for support from the staff, Asun just opened the glass cabinet. Balisong.. That took her back. Back in high school, her friend José, was obsessed with them. He'd taught her some tricks back in the day. She liked the one you always saw in the movies. What did he call it? A double rollout, wasn't it? Normally in these kinds of shops, the staff wouldn't let you pull any tricks, but yolo right? She takes out a butterfly knife that looks like it'd feel good in her hand. She takes out the blade in the standard closed position. Holding the safe handle, she flipped out the balisong so the blade was up and the handle was down. She then rotated it 180°, to move the handle up and the blade down. She scoops her hand up to bring the handle up and have the blade out in the standard open position. She then did the same movement in reverse to close it back down. Like riding a bicycle it seemed. That went a lot better than she'd expected. Now to play it cool, she offers the knife in closed position to Nano: "Well at least the quality of the knives in this place is pretty good." After last time, she had to something to prove.
Nano smiled. “Hey, nicely done.” She took the offered knife and inspected it: the weight, the balance, the design. She tested it, using the cherry picker opening. The handle danced over her fingers. With expert precision and no clicking out of the knife, she opened it, gripping both handles tight. Upon completion, she swooned. She’s found her true love out of a knife.
"I need a cigarette and a drink after that." she made eye contact with the employee, raising the open knife with a smile.
Asun was relieved that Nano seemed to know how to handle a knife. She'd expected as much, but it was still good to see if they were going to be in that kind of danger together. For herself she picked some of the switchblades until she found one where the grip felt exactly right. This girl seemed to be really ecstatic about her new purchase. Odd, but hey, we all have our things. "Sure. A drink at least. Got a place in mind that's safe?"
"I got a guy at the Thomas. He apparently needs the money." Nano went through the purchase, taking it out of the box and putting it into the jacket pocket that wasn't her phone. "*So you don't sound like you're from around here. Are you here on vacation?" She escorted Asun from the knifeshop, looking for Antoine.
"You mean the place", she looks around and leans in to whisper, "where Isabel was going into that car with the shady types? Are you sure it's a good idea?" She sighs again, this all is kind of stressful: "I am from Spain. I am on holiday yes. We were starting in Beirut, then to visit some places in this country and then..", she looks over again to the staff member at the counter and starts whispering again: "to Israel. After this is over, we're getting out of here. And you? Did you really travel halfway across the world, because you thought Isabel was in trouble?"
Nano leaned in to hear the whispering as she left with Asun. Antoine stood still until she licked her eye tooth again. “Antoine, this is Asun. We’re going to be working together.” Nano shrugged, smiling bashfully again. “She was sent over business to begin with, so while she works for me, she really is my friend and I am really worried about her. However this counts as a business trip.”
Ah, so he was here after all. She must've missed him on her way in. She had more to say to Nano, but it would have to wait till they sat down. She extended her hand to the scarred man: "Hola, nice to meet you." In her most cheerful way possible.
Antoine lifted his chin as a greeting, glaring down at Asun without saying anything. He understood what Nano had said, but disagreed with her decision. Instead of shaking Asun's hand, he folded his over his chest and looked around to indicate he was working and staying vigilant. "We should get off the street. Now. The car is parked around the corner." That's all he could muster, turning around and starting to head toward the car.
Nano nodding to Asun to motion that she should come with, she moved to follow Antoine to the car. She mouthed to Asun. "Bodyguard."
Yeah that tracked. That kind of job attracted a certain .. type. She shrugged and followed Antoine to the car as well.
==The Jerry Thomas Experience==
Instead of Ramy, the bartender at the Jerry Thomas Experience was a young woman in a tan dress shirt, pinstripe pants and a multicolored tie. When Nano asked about Ramy, the bartender touched her chin in thought, trying to remember. "Ramy? Oh, no, I think he is working in Kissproof today. Or maybe it was Thursday." Nano looked at her phone and brought up a text to Ramy.
Where are you tonight? You're not working Jerry Thomas....
She shrugged and looked at Asun. "Well, we might as well get our drink while we're here, yeh?" She moved towards the bar to order a ketel and cranberry, then looked over her shoulder and held up two fingers in question.
The reply arrived before Nano could order.
Why are you asking?
She looked at the drinks menu, a whole bunch of cocktails she wasn't much familiar with. She ended up ordering the "Peruvian Colada". "So..." And she couldn't help but smile, "Do you fancy this bartender or what?"
She twisted her mouth as she looked at her phone.
Just wanted to see your pretty face and thank you properly. Maybe you can meet me somewhere.
"You could say that. I'm just looking to see him, not drag him into this business stuff, you know?"
Kissproof, up a block from Jerry Thomas along Badaro Main street.
Nano waited on their order while she smiled at her phone. "He's just up the street. We can finish up here and head that way. You were kinda worried about being here, anyway, right?" She smiled and took out her credit card. She much rathered to use cash, but she'd given most of her cash money to Sabirun the day before.
The bartender grimaced a bit and held up her hands apologetically. "Sorry, can't fully pay with card. Hardline measures from Banque du Liban, out of our hands. Need to pay at least half cash."
Asun had smiled at the comment about this Ramy. Did the poor guy know what he was in for? She made a fair point. "Sure. Wait let me pay. I'd prefer to pay in cash." As she took out some bills, messing with the money before the bartender made her comments to Nano. She then offered the cash to her.
"Thank you for understanding. We hope things get better here soon." The bartender curtsied, looking relieved she didn't have to start figuring out more complicated methods.
Nano took her drink, and looked at Antoine, who had taken his table again to survey the room. She remained near the bar, but leaned against the wall around the corner. She eyed Asun while she sipped her drink. "So public relations, huh? What's that like?"
"Thanks, by the way" She extended her cup to cheers her.
"Salud" (the D was silent) She cheered her glass as well. "It's good. Honestly, they just want me to show up and talk to people, join some events. Show that they're 'hip with the kids' or whatever. Good money, and it's good to help the church. Win-win I suppose. It's just temporary to make some money while we're here. Holidays are expensive." She thought it best not to ask what business Nano was in.
Nano nodded. “I am the face for much of the work we do. It’s part of the reason I feel guilty for Isabel.” She took another long sip. (edited)
"See, there is one thing that's bothered me about this." She'd looked pensive: "You said she was missing to you from when she landed here, but I spoke to her even after she went into this shady car. You've convinced me that she's been kidnapped, but besides that she still seems to have been avoiding you." She hesitated for a moment before continuing: "And honestly, I don't want to get in the middle of something. I'd rather just get her out of trouble and not bring her into a different one." “i pray for her sake that she’s not avoiding me.” Nano clenched her teeth. “If she’s galavanting around with rich gangsters, and we are putting our heads in lions’ mouths….” "If it helps, I do not think so. Well, at least, not anymore. She does not know that I know you. And the last message I sent her, even from before we met, hasn't even been received. I called her phone too. It's turned off. But this is kind of my concern. I don't want to save her, only to then deliver her to ehm... people that will make her disappear anyway. I like Isabel."
Nano twisted her mouth, and instead of talking, she finished her drink and audibly put her glass on the bar. She turned to Antoine. “Kissproof is just around the corner. Do we HAVE to drive? I wanna smoke on the way and could use the walk to burn some of this rage off.”
Antoine pulled up his phone and checked. "No. It's 300 feet away. Our car is closer to that bar than this."
Nano nodded and looked to Asun. "Wanna come? Girl's night out?"
Definitely had to be careful of this one. And if they found Isabel, Asun clearly wouldn't let her out of her sight if she could help. But at the same time, she did seem to know how to have a good time. She let out a laugh: "Jaja, sure. Sounds fun. To 'Kissproof' then? What a name."
"Haha, i know, right?" Nano laid a 1 dollar tip on the bar, and stepped away. Woulda been more had she hadn't made her drink weak. "Isabel was always a partier, so i can't fault her for that, but this place hates western women. She usually can hold her own in our local dens, but i dunno about here."
No sooner did she leave the establishment did she accost a man smoking on the street. ""Excuse me," she started, talking with her hands more than her lips. "Do you have a cigarette i could buy?" She made a smoking motion and put her hands together to plead.
The man didn't seem to understand what she said, but reached out to his chest pocket for a crumpled up pack and handed her a cigarette before continuing with a mumbled "Allah maak."
==Kissproof, Badaro, Beirut==
Kissproof was a neighborhood café-bar, but it had a touch more sophistication and elegance than the usual joints of its type. People were having coffee, sandwiches and salads along with colorful cocktails, many with edible flowers in the drink as a garnish.
Behind the counter was a familiar figure to both of them; a bearded, long-haired Arab man who was setting up a shisha pipe for the customers who'd want to have a smoke after their meal. He hadn't noticed Asun or Nano quite yet, giving them the chance to surprise him by walking up as customers.
Nano snuffed out the cigarette she was smoking before she walked into the cafe. She led Asun to the bar. Nano put her good knee on one of the stools and leaned over the bar, propping her head with her hand, elbows on the bar. She smiled pleasantly and cleared her throat.
"Wli!" Ramy exclaimed, eyebrows rising at the sight of the two women. His focus was very much on Asun at first, before turning to look at Nano with an expression with at wavered between a forced smile and a bewildered suppression of frustration. "Yo'borne tizak", he cursed in Arabic under his breath and then set down the pipe before moving to meet the two. "Are you screwing with me?" The question was asked with a fake smile, keeping up the appearances. Nano looked between Ramy and Asun as he recognized her. "Do you two know each other?" This was such a different place and the last time it was rather dark, so Asun hadn't originally recognized him when she walked up to the bar. Even then it took her a second. "Wait, you're the guy from the Cabaret!" Her surprise getting the better of her and forgetting his threat the other night. Ramy squared his jaw and lifted up his hand, fingers bunched up together and pointing up while narrowing his eyes at Asun. It was some sort of a silent threat to keep quiet, followed up by a scathing comment with a tight voice. "Perhaps you'd like to go shout this to the streets and see who comes looking?" (edited)
Asun probably hated the subterfuge and guile of the situation more than the life threatening danger she was in. She tried to recover, by keeping it light: "Oh, what do you mean, you were just working there right. Just like here and at the other place.. the..ehm, what's it called.. the Tom & Jerry Experience. Nothing wrong with that, no?" It was unlikely to be a very convincing recovery.
Nano blinked at Asun.
Ramy took a deep breath and then put his hands on the counter. "Yes, I work here. What can I get you two? How about two cups of coffee to go, on the house?" He seemed rather agitated by the situation, trying to keep his cool.
She's sat down on the other barstool and leans over to Nano to whisper: "He is not the innocent bystander you think he is. He knows more."
Nano noted how agitated he was and slowly backed off the bar. "I'm uh, sorry." She said to Ramy. She took that as the invitation to leave.
"What are you doing?" She whispers to Nano, as she's backing away, she turns to Ramy: "We need to talk. How's the leg?" Taking a more serious demeanor. She was not going to let this go.
Nano froze. She tilted her head suspiciously at Asun. Pissing off her crush was not her idea of a good time, nor a good idea. She wasn't gonna get him fired for losing his cool at work. She licked her lips nervously.
"Talking to you two is going to get me in the kind of trouble I really don't want to be in." Ramy commented sharply, turning around to make angry espressos with the machine to look like he was doing something productive from the outside. Antoine was sitting on one of the benches outside, looking in at the situation unfolding.
"That's an awful amount of self you're putting there. The thought we'd drag you into anything is quite iffy on your part." Nano stood and crossed her arms over her chest.
Asun was still sat down, with a clear indication she had no intention of getting up after receiving her coffee. "You owe me one"
Ramy didn't respond to Nano's statement. He was grinding coffee into the basket, tamping it and then attaching it to the group head to pull the espresso into a cup. When Asun called in what he owed her, his shoulders bunched up. Smacking the grounds out, he wiped the machine and prepared another round. While it was grinding, he turned around with a sour expression. "Fine. I'll take a break and we'll talk. Do you want the shot, a latte or something else?"
It was too late for a shot. "A latte, porfa." She turned to Nano with an apologetic expression: "Sorry," She said softly, "But he knows more."
Nano continued the head tilt of suspicion, but sat down.
He went through the usual routine of asking what kind of milk and extras the two wanted, fixing things the drinks and eventually bringing them to the table. He moved over to the counter and pulled up a Be right back sign, calling out to the kitchen in Arabic to let them know he was taking a break. Grabbing himself a glass of water, he then moved in to sit in the table with the two girls. "Did our mutual friend not agree to help you or something?" Ramy asked quietly, addressing Nano and taking a sip of water. He seemed tense, but was slowly concealing it with small adjustments to his posture.
“oh, He totally agreed, he’s just intending on using us as bait. So if I disappear tomorrow, you know why.” She glanced at Asun, then back to Ramy. “how did you actually get that cut?” she asked before sipping her coffee, not affected by the temperature.
Ramy tapped the tabletop nervously, squaring his jaw and turning his head from side to side as if trying to find some exit that'd give him an excuse not to answer.
"Stuff happened at the Cabaret, that you know more about that you haven't told the bald, old guy with the beard, if you mean him being the mutual friend. I think the cut is a good start. You told me to stay out of that, but it seems trouble has caught up to me anyway."
Ramy glared at Asun and then pinched the bridge of his nose before making the OK-sign with his hand and waving it around. "What happened at the Cabaret is different from what the bald guy is trying to fix. It has nothing to do with any of that crap."
"So you're trying to tell me it's coincidence that a guy comes in that evening, threatening to.." She looks around, "do what he wanted to do, and later at least two people go missing, including Joaquin?"
Ramy gave Asun a long look. "No, those are related. Whatever the bald guy is dealing with is different. Nano's friend didn't go missing after a night in a bar, she's more likely in Baalbeck-Hermel with some real nasty people. Better than those poor kids." Ramy started to lose his anger and his expression mellowed into concern and a hint of melancholy.
Asun was visibly confused: "What do you mean she didn't go missing after a night in a bar?"
"Last anyone saw her, as far as I can tell, she got into a rich man's car a block from here." Ramy clarified. "Has nothing to do with the business in Hamra." Ramy then blinked slowly and looked to Nano. "Sabirun wants to use you as bait? Wait--" He looked back to Asun, himself now confused.
Maybe, he'll be more forthcoming if he realizes the two may be connected: "Nano told me about that. But that's not the last time anyone saw her. I met her the day after. She was fine then. And in fact we were in the Fools Bar the last time I saw her. So are you sure it has nothing to do with the business in Hamra? And even if it didn't, how can you be so cool about Joaquin being taken?" She paused, realizing again how it sounded that they were to be used as bait: "And yes, the old man believes them connected as well. But you know things that he does. Our best bet currently is to have us.." Pointing at herself and Nano, "Be kidnapped".
"I am not. Cool. About it." Ramy stated in a strained staccato. He sucked in a breath and stared at Nano and Asun with alternating looks. He finally let out his breath, put his elbows to the table and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's a ... It's a fucked up gang of maniacs who're into Satanism or something. I was working in the bars in Hamra last month and more than a few of the regulars would stop coming and their friends or parents would drop by the bars to ask about them. Cops were a lot more interested in busting barworkers for working licenses than taking statements, didn't do shit."
"Me and some of my coworkers started making sure people got in taxis and didn't wander around, especially after midnight when the grid went down. We thought they were kidnapping foreigners and rich kids, but it didn't seem like it mattered. I, uh..." Ramy swallowed and took a glass of water, his skin having gone pale. "I made sure this one girl got into a taxi, but for whatever reason she didn't take it and came back. Maybe she forgot something, I don't know. Heard this scream while I was walking back to the bar and... I don't know, I must've gone fucking insane."
Ramy breathed in deep and then tried to finish the story with a vague hand gesture to indicate he was trying to fill in the details as much as he remembered. "The guy who attacked her was on bath salts or something. He was biting her arm so hard she bled and stabbing her in the leg at the same time. Skinny fucking guy, one of those emo types. Piercings, make-up, anemic. No idea how he was able to fight me back like he did, maybe he had practiced jiujitsu or someshit. He threw me over a railing to the adjacent street below, knocked the wind out of me. Once I got back to my feet and where she had been, they were gone. Both him and her."
Ramy clearly needed a break after recounting the story, focusing on drinking his water in rapid sips and running his fingers through his hair.
Ramy waved off their concern before they could raise it, powering through to finishing recounting the events. "I was fucked up over it for a few weeks, but then, uhh, I talked to a friend of mine about it when drunk. My friend ended up looking into it and found these secret chatrooms online that were talking about something called 'adrenochrome' and how a bunch of American politicians were already harvesting it from young people. It's some sort of chemical in young people that is triggered by adrenaline and these fucked up stories about how they got stronger and smarter and lived longer if they ate that."
"Bunch of these chatters said that they were scaring themselves with some sort of horror videos first and then cutting off parts of their own bodies and eating them. Said they'd get those effects from that. And then there were some who said they couldn't get high on that anymore, that they needed a better source because they were getting ill from cutting themselves. You can probably figure out the rest. Found that one rapper's Soundcloud, knew where he'd be and..."
Ramy pushed off from the table, clearly disgusted and distraught. "I don't know anything else. I gotta get back to work." He left the two together, shivering and pale as he went back to behind the counter and started sorting out the dishes.
Nano had taken out her phone and took furious notes. She sat back in her seat when he was done, also exhausted by the influx of information. She looked to Asun. “Emo vampire type getting people after midnight hm?” Asun had just stared at the story that unfolded, shocked. By the end her mouth was hanging slightly open. He'd walked off before she had the wherewithal to say anything. Nano's comment shook her back to reality: "What the fuck? So these psychos are kidnapping people to eat them? We have to get to them fast."
Nano nodded. "Isabel is in worse a situation than i expected." She rose from her seat and rushed for the door. She'd need more that just a knife.
As Nano started running off, Asun just said: "Sorry for ruining girl's night.. and.. well.." As she looked over to where Ramy had gone. It had to be done and she didn't regret it, but she couldn't help but feel kind of bad about it.
Nano stood in a huff outside. The information set in. Stabby emo people. Mmmm, she wasn't much for being bait for that. Her arms wrapped around her and she looked over her shoulder for Asun. "We just got a day left until Sabirun is ready."
Asun had slowly followed her outside, leaving her the option to walk off if she so chose. "Yes. I have nothing left I can do till then. Frustrating. What will you do?"
"If it's just some emo kids, i figure a knife might be enough, might not. Maybe i should get that pistol." Nano put a hand on her chin. "Maybe i would be better as support. I'm 32, and i'll be very surprised if they make me a target.... you can pass for 24...."
"Awh, thank you." Bit of an unusual context, but still it was good to appreciate the little things. Like compliments. "I am 29 actually. But don't sell yourself short, you look younger than me I think. Your skin looks really soft! I really doubt they'll just be emo kids. Or at least, they're very competent emo kids. Did you see how many cases that the old man had on him?" She seemed clearly worried at the idea of buying guns, but wouldn't protest just yet.
"I feel like i could make better backup. Someone to get you to safety while the mercs are doing their thing. Nano leaned against the wall, making a face at the compliment. "Korean beauty products are nothing to scoff at."
"Ehm sure, but wasn't the old man meant to be our backup?" Was she backing out? "Are you just going to send me in alone? Remember they always seem to take two people. So, it could mean that an innocent person gets taken too."
Nano huffed a breath. “Good point. 2 it is. I’d never leave you out there by yourself. And We don’t need any more innocents getting involved.” She'd been thinking about something from Ramy's story and how things didn't add up. "So I'd been wondering... The one thing that's been on my mind is the very specific 28 year old cut-off. How the hell would they even know that? Like, we could pass for under 28, yet somehow nobody under that age got kidnapped?" She pauses, connecting the dots slowly. "They'd need a way to be sure. And how can they be sure? You can't exactly cut someone open and count the rings. I've been carded a lot since I've been here. Especially in this Hamraa district. I took it like a compliment, but maybe..."
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