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Marrakech.
A few months after FNG-Day…
“Target spotted,”I said to no one in particular.
I was on my own in Marrakech, but it made me feel better to think I was talking to teammates scattered around the city, buying wares from the locals and trying to blend in.
The man I was tracking was notoriously sly, constantly slipping a tail. But that wouldn’t happen to me. I was too damn good at my job. I sat at my table outside the small restaurant, my sunglasses perched on my nose to conceal where I was looking.
“What would you like?” the waiter asked me.
“Water.”
“Bottled, sparkling, flavored?—”
“Just give me tap,” I said, uninterested in drinking all that fancy water. I was just here to watch and learn. I didn’t need the distraction of the waiter trying to upcharge me over a basic drink.
“As you wish.”
He bowed and walked away, leaving me to get back to work. The man moved from stall to stall, checking out the wares as if he was a potential buyer. But I knew better. He was meeting someone, and today, I would find out who that was. My knee bounced slightly as the anticipation built. All I had to do was finish this job and I was home free.
“Sir,” the waiter said, setting my glass on the table.
I removed my sheshia—a reed hat handwoven by the people of Marrakech—and set it on the table. Though it really wasn’t my style with its bright colors adorning the brim, I had to admit, it did the job, keeping the sun out of my eyes. I was pretty sure this was more for people working in fields, but I wanted to fit in like the locals. I glanced down at my jeans and t-shirt and knew I failed miserably. But the hat was awesome.
I casually picked up my glass and took a long gulp. Maybe I should have gone for the bottled water. At least then I could take it with me. But I refused to pay for the plastic it was contained in.
The man glanced around, then slipped past a stall and disappeared around the corner. Sitting upright, I watched, waiting for him to return, but he didn’t.
“Shit,” I swore, grabbing my wallet and pulling out money. I had no idea how much I threw on the table, but I didn’t have time to count out the appropriate amount. I grabbed my glass and drank the rest of the water, then rushed off.
Snapping my finger, I realized I left my awesome hat behind and rushed back to the table for it, plucking it up and slipping it back on my head. I tried not to run as I made my way through the market. I kept glancing overhead at the wooden beams that ran from one building to another, sure an assassin was about to jump down and take me out. Or maybe he was waiting at the end of the ally with a gigantic sword, just like inRaiders Of The Lost Ark.
I turned the corner and there he was, having a heated argument with another man by a truck. I shoved through the crowd, desperate to get to him and find out who the elusive man was.
“Hey!” someone shouted as I passed.
But I kept going. I had no time to look at the merchandise.
“Hey! It’s him!”
I made the mistake of turning around, and that’s when I saw it. The man in the stall was holding up a milk carton and my face was plastered all over it, along with a reward for more money than most of these people had ever seen. I stumbled back a step, needing to get out of there before I was mobbed, but it was already too late.
Men encircled me, grabbing my clothes and pulling me in all directions. One of them took my awesome hat, which really pissed me off. I didn’t want to have to resort to violence. After all, these weren’t assassins I was dealing with. They were just ordinary people who wanted to make a quick buck.
I glanced around, hoping to find something to help me out, and that’s when I spotted it. My salvation—the one thing I knew would help more than anything. I shoved one man away and took off for the corner stall that was brimming with umbrellas. Snatching one, I opened it and used it to ward off the hundreds of men surrounding me.
“Back off!” I shouted. “I’m not afraid to use this!”
I swung it from side to side. The men stared at me like I was holding a knife or a gun, terrified that I might actually use it on them.
“I so have to tell Johnny about this when I get home,” I muttered under my breath.
I leapt forward, stabbing the umbrella in their direction, not enough to actually hit them, but just to scare them. They gasped and stepped back, then made a large circle around me.
“Uh-huh,” I nodded. “That’s right. This is a dangerous weapon and I’m not afraid to use it!”
They started whispering to themselves but didn’t come any closer. This was my chance. I had to get out of here now before they changed their minds. I turned around and came face to face with the very man I was hunting.
