The Debt Collectors War

Chapter 43

Sameh was watching Ellie help Mark. She was watching the way she often did, quietly, not interfering, but a little unsettled by Ellie’s kindness to a target.

Ellie noticed Sameh’s expression as she went past, and noticed Sameh was upset. Sameh wasn’t saying anything, but she was upset. Ellie being kind to people who she might be going to hurt later always upset Sameh, because Sameh didn’t understand how Ellie could deceive someone like that, even an enemy.

It was an odd difference between them, Ellie thought. Sameh could kill people utterly without remorse, as long as she did it herself. And Ellie could befriend someone, and be nice to them, and help them, and then give them over to monsters. Give them over to be cut apart by monsters, and never have a qualm about doing it. She would smile, and be kind, and keep everyone calm until she’d done what she had to. Because it was easier that way, and because it actually didn’t bother her, as long as it wasn’t her who did the cutting. And because she was just used to it, too, she supposed. She’d spent half her life taking people away from their families in places like Islamabad and Kabul, telling them that everything would be all right, and telling their families that too. She’d been doing it for so long she barely thought about it any more, and she’d always done it knowing she was handing people over to rendition teams to be flown to dark, blood-filled, torture chambers in horrible parts of the world.

It didn’t bother Ellie, but it bothered Sameh, a lot, and Ellie had always thought that was interesting. She thought it was admirable. Sameh was honest about her feelings. She would kick someone to death for an insult, but she thought it was horrible that Ellie was nice to people she might need to harm later on, or might have to kill.

Ellie and Sameh were different in that way, and Ellie had never been sure which of them was worse. Not that it especially mattered, since Ellie wasn’t going to change.

She did what she had to do, and got her job done, exactly the way she was now.

Ellie helped Mark to the car, and took his weight, and let him hop slowly, telling him everything would be all right. She told him that, the way she always told people, soothing and calm. And Sameh watched, looking upset and uncomfortable, the way she always watched, and then she suddenly began worrying about operational details. The way she always did when Ellie’s kindness unsettled her.

Sameh began glancing around, looking at the other houses, half-raising her sidearm.

“Hurry up,” she said to Ellie.

Ellie glanced around too. The street was still quiet.

“Everything’s fine,” Ellie said. “No-one’s around.”

Sameh opened the back door of the SUV, and took a cable-tie off her belt. “Hands,” she said to Mark, who suddenly looked scared again.

“It’s fine,” Ellie said to Mark. “Let her cuff you. It’s just while we drive.”

Mark looked at Ellie a little desperately.

“Go on,” Ellie said. “Put your arms out.”

Mark did. He did it without too much of a fuss because now he trusted Ellie. And because Ellie was standing there, smiling and encouraging, and Ellie was the one who was going to keep him safe from Sameh, who scared him more.

Ellie kept smiling while Sameh cable-tied Mark’s wrists, then she said to him, “Get in.”

Mark started to, clumsily, but Sameh got impatient and just pushed. She shoved him into the SUV, and slammed the door closed.

“Fucking idiot,” she said. She always got a little scornful to the targets who Ellie’s kindness worked on.

Ellie grinned, and kissed Sameh, just to show her everything was fine, and that even though they disagreed about how to make arrests, they were still them, and strong, and together.

Sameh understood. She kissed back, but she still seemed a little unsettled.

“Come on,” Ellie said, and squeezed her hand. “Let’s go.”

Sameh nodded, went around the other side of the SUV, and got in the other back door, beside Mark. Ellie kept watching the street until Sameh was inside, then opened the front door, and got in herself.

“Done,” she said to Joe. “Let’s move.”