Bound to the Past 3

Sibel stared at the girl. Only now, she realized that Rosalie had spoken German, though with a slight accent. She had an aquiline nose and high cheekbones, and her black hair and the dark complexion made her look like a typical Egyptian. Rosalie seemed to notice Sibel`s thoughts and she smiled.

»I know, I look rather than an Aisha than a Rosalie, but it`s my real name!«

»What does that all have to do with Silvana? Where is she?«

Again, Rosalie made the soothing gesture.

»The name has got something to do with her, but I have no idea where she is. However, we should better leave this hotel!«

Rosalie looked over the pile of clothes and then grabbed Sibel`s laptop that had been pushed under the bed. She put it into Sibel`s hands and told her to follow her. A bit impatient, she allowed Sibel to put her sandals back on, but Marlene was not allowed to pick her handbag.

»Omar will stay behind and take care of your money and passports, but now, you are coming with me!«

It was rather her attitude than the gun that made Sibel and Marlene follow her along the corridor and to some side stairs. They led to a small parking lot where Rosalie made them enter an old, battered car.

»Who are you? And where are we going?«, Sibel insisted, but Rosalie just told her to keep her head down and started the engine. She then drove in a way that let the two Germans fear for their life, honking and cursing in Arabic all the time. When they had finally reached a bigger road and Rosalie calmed down, both Marlene and Sibel raised their heads as if they had just survived an attack on the trenches.

»D-did someone follow us?«, Sibel asked, and Rosalie chuckled:

»I have no idea! But this was the only way to get through the streets of Cairo during rush hour!«

She still kept up a fast pace. When looking around, Sibel could see they were now in some industrial area. Again, she asked Rosalie who she was and where she was taking them. The girl once again smiled enigmatically.

»If I told you I was a Princess, what would you say?«

Sibel scoffed.

»In the last two days, I was attacked and then bound and gagged twice, my best friend got abducted, and right now, I feel like in the middle of some action movie! So, nice to meet you, Princess Rosalie of Cairo!«

Rosalie blinked at her and, to Sibel`s dismay, squeezed her cheek.

»Aw, you look so sweet when you are enraged!«

Rosalie brushed over the other`s cheek.

»So sweet!«

»For God`s sake, look at the street!«, Marlene shouted from the backseat, and Rosalie nonchalantly dodged the van she had almost rammed. Marlene took a deep breath and then, she asked with hardly oppressed rage:

»So, if your Royal Highness could now please tell us where we are going?«

Rosalie turned her head and looked at Marlene. Then, she slightly shook her head.

»Nah, looking sweet when being enraged is not your strong suit! But I am sure you have a charming smile!«

»The street!«, Sibel now shrieked, and again, Rosalie barely avoided a crash. She honked at the other driver and showed him her middle finger; then, as calm as if nothing had happened, she said:

»Maybe, you should stop flirting with me until we are there!«

The two Germans fell silent. Luckily, Rosalie`s goal wasn`t too far, and after a few more minutes, she left the road. After some more curves, she steered the car onto the yard of what looked like a plain office building. At the entrance, Omar was waiting, in his hand the handbags of Marlene and Sibel. Beside him stood a man, dressed in civilian clothes, but having an Uzi over his shoulder.

Rosalie led them inside and Omar handed them the handbags which they reflexively checked. So far, it didn`t seem as if he had stolen anything, but Sibel gulped: There was also Silvana`s cell phone in her bag, reminding her of the kidnapping.

»So, you are not afraid that we call the Police?«

»Maybe, if you have listened to what I have to tell you, you will no longer have the urge to do so!«, Rosalie replied. She then led the two into a room that was equipped with a table and some chairs. She made Marlene and Sibel sit down and also took a seat whilst Omar went to a sideboard. As he returned, he was carrying a tray with small coffee cups on it.

»Does anyone need sugar?«

»I need some answers!«, Sibel snapped, and Rosalie crowed:

»Aw, you look even sweeter when you are pouting!«

Sibel jumped up.

»I am not pouting, I just don`t see any fun in my friend getting kidnapped! I-«

Her words ended in a croak as Rosalie`s hand darted forward and hit her chest. It looked like an almost gentle gesture, but Sibel was pushed back onto her seat, and she massaged her chest with disbelief.

»Ouch! That hurt!«

»The fate of anyone standing between me and my coffee! Ah, thank you, Omar!«

She took a cup from the tray, and as Omar then placed one in front of Sibel, she just stared at it. Marlene, however, reflexively thanked the man, causing Rosalie to frolic:

»I knew that you smile is lovely! Omar, what do you say?«

»I say that my knowledge of German is too bad to really estimate her beauty!«

He smiled with the exact amount of irony that made Marlene`s lips curl, and Sibel noticed that she was blushing slightly. She ostentatiously cleared her throat and Rosalie turned towards her.

»Don`t be jealous, I only have to look at you and the compliments want to leave my tongue all at once!«

Sibel felt her cheeks get hot, but she managed to reply:

»Please, you may consider this a game, but my best friend was kidnapped!«

Rosalie`s hand came forward and Sibel reflexively shied back, expecting another attack, but the Arab just took her hand. In a serious tone, she said:

»I do not consider this a game – even more as I know more about it than you! But we won`t get Silvana back by acting like a group of hens when the fox has entered the coop!«

Not letting Sibel`s hand go, she now took a sip from her coffee before she reached for a remote. As she pressed a button, a screen came down from the ceiling and Omar started a beamer, showing an ornament in blue, red and gold.

»As I told you that I am a Princess, I was only exaggerating a little! I really can`t tell you whether I am an equivalent to a Countess or even a Duchess, but, as you Germans say, I have blue blood!«

The ornament, obviously the coat of arms of Rosalie`s family, changed for a black and white photo  that showed a bearded man in a suit, but wearing a fez. Beside him stood a woman in oriental clothes, carrying a child on her arms. She smiled, and whilst the man looked Arabic, the woman was blonde.

»Linda Dellert!«, Sibel whispered as she recognized the woman. Rosalie gently squeezed her hand she still was holding and said:

»Linda Dellert, indeed. The picture was taken after the birth of her daughter Emilie!«

She chuckled and then continued:

»She wanted to honour a good friend named Emily, but also wanted to have her children to have a German name!«

Now, Marlene seemed to understand.

»So, you want to tell us that you are the great- or great-great-granddaughter of Linda Dellert?«

Rosalie shook her head.

»A logical assumption, but not quite right. However, when Linda came into our family, she didn`t come alone! With her came a good friend of her. A very good friend!«

The last words were accompanied by Rosalie`s thumb brushing over the back of Sibel`s hand. The picture changed for another one showing a couple, too. The man showed some resemblance to Linda`s husband, but the woman had raven hair, and her expression was one of self-confidence and strength. To Sibel`s surprise, she wore trousers and a shirt.

»That`s Melanie – Melanie Craven. She married the younger brother of Linda`s husband and thus became her sister in law once removed, though it seems that the two continued to be more than that!«

Again, Rosalie used the short pause to caress Sibel`s hand.

»However, she also seemed to have taken her marital duties serious enough to give birth to a daughter. And though she was English, she also decided to give her a German name – which since then became a family tradition! My father`s name is Ulrich, and my younger brothers are Klaus and Manfred, though we all do not look very Caucasian anymore!«

Sibel looked at Rosalie. Then, she croaked:

»So, is Silvana – is she the last in line or something like that?«

Rosalie chuckled, but at the same time increased the pressure on Sibel`s hand, as if she wanted to indicate that she wasn`t laughing at her question.

»You mean some creepy uncle of mine kidnapped her, so his pimply son can inherit the throne? No, I am afraid the answer is less romantic, but Silvana`s nevertheless in great danger!«

***

When they had been on a class trip to Munich, Silvana had joked when she had seen Sibel`s suitcase and asked her whether she was hiding her lover in it. Now, she knew that at least she fit into it.

The man had waited for her, the gun in hand, when she had left the shower. He had then forced her to kneel on the tiles and had tied her wrists with tape, also slinging it a few times around her arms and upper body. Then, he had gagged her with a wet washcloth and more tape before the still naked and dripping wet girl had to stagger into the main room where she had seen an unconscious Sibel lying on the bed, clad in her undies and also tied and gagged.

He had emptied Sibel`s suitcase and tied Silvana at her knees and ankles before wedging her inside, forcing her into a ball position and deliberately groping her as he did so. Then, he had shut the lid and carried her outside. Silvana had screamed through her gag, but after a bumpy trip down the stairs, she had realized that now, the abduction continued in a car.

»What is happening! Is the man in fact Rosalie, or is he acting in her name?«

Silvana found it hard to breathe in the tight box, she fought not to panic and tried to collect the few glimpses of hope she still had. Then, the trip came to an end. Silvana could hear the voices of a man and a woman, but both spoke Arabic and so, she couldn`t understand what they were talking about. Again, she tried to make herself noticeable, but no one took notice of her. Only after a few minutes, the suitcase was lifted and placed on the ground.

Trembling, Silvana prepared for the lid to be opened, but that didn`t happen. Instead, she heard a faint scrape, and the sound of something tap on the lid of the suitcase. When she realized what was happening, she screamed through her gag and pulled on her bonds.

»Hhrrrrrmmm! Uuhhmmmmm! Mmhhrrrmmmmm!«

They were burying her alive! Silvana screamed and screamed, until she saw bright rings in front of her eyes and was about to faint, but the sounds more and more faded away. They didn`t seem to have buried her too deep, for the last thing the girl could hear was the car driving away.

***

»So, that is that!«, Rosalie concluded her short summary of the situation: her family had been a tribe of half-nomads that had for centuries resisted both the Ottomans and the British and managed to keep a certain level of independence, though at the beginning of the 20th century, they had accepted the superiority of Maxim guns against cavalry attacks and tried to avoid armed conflicts with the British. Then, by a number of events Rosalie promised to reveal at a later point, Linda and Melanie had first become captives and later wives of the Sheikh`s two eldest sons.

»One could also call it the end of an era, though I prefer calling it progress!«

Maybe under the influence of their European wives, the two brothers had, when the elder had become the new Sheikh, stopped their old life of raiding and pillaging and instead tried to invest their wealth in a more legal and steady lifestyle.

»During the Great War, the British were too busy fighting the Turks, so my family could secretly buy some properties, including this house, though this is of course a more modern building!«

In short, the family of raiding Bedouins had become a family of rich landowners and privateers in the 1920ies. Linda`s daughter Emilie had attended a High School and even the University at Switzerland, and married an Egyptian businessman who only wore traditional clothes on high holidays. Bernhard, Melanie`s son, even became a professor in Alexandria.

»During the Second World War, our family tradition of using German first names raised a few eyebrows, but we went through that unharmed, too. Both Linda and Melanie seemed to have been happy, and both died of old age in the 1960ies!«

Sibel and Marlene found it amazing that Aunt Pauline had only missed her famous ancestor by a few years when she had visited Cairo in 1969. Though by then, it would have been very unlikely that anyone would have known the name Linda Dellert outside her family.

»Over the decades, we became respectable, and both Linda and Melanie are nothing but well-preserved family legends – or rather skeletons in the cupboard!«

Sibel freed her hand from Rosalie`s.

»I still don`t see the problem! What has all this to do with Silvana and her abduction?«

Rosalie made a demanding gesture and with a sigh, Sibel put her hand back into hers.

»Because, my beautiful German-Turkish rose, we are very rich! Not just ordinary rich, but halfway between ordinary rich and Scrooge McDuck!«

Sibel still didn`t get it, and so, Rosalie further explained:

»However, our family`s wealth is based on criminal activities!«

Now, Marlene laughed out.

»So is the wealth of almost every rich person in the world! Where is the problem with yours?«

Rosalie cocked her head.

»How much do you know about our political system?«

Marlene fell silent. She knew of course that there had been riots against the long term President Mubarak some ten years ago. Mubarak had been forced to abdicate, a few unruly years had followed, with different groups fighting for the power. The recent President had brought some stability, but under his rule, democracy and human rights were clearly lacking.

She told Rosalie that, and the girl nodded approvingly.

»That`s the situation in a nutshell. In addition, the Saudis are less willing to support our Government, the tourism is still struggling from COVID, and our beloved«, Rosalie spat the word, »President even has begun to build an entire new capital! In other words, the Government needs money! And we have lots of it! Much more than the Government knows we have!«

Once again, Sibel freed her hand.

»You mean, all this is about avoiding to pay taxes?«

Rosalie made no attempt to take her hand again. Instead, she got up, for the first time showing some temper:

»Taxes? They would declare our whole property illegal and confiscate it, plus, they would take the opportunity to enact a show trial against us, for betraying the poor people of Egypt of their money! My family does at least do something against the problems of our country, but I doubt that our President would think twice if he had to decide whether to buy weapons or hospitals from our billions!«

»Billions?«, Sibel gasped. Rosalie suddenly smiled again and once again took her hand.

»Now, you seem less reluctant, eh? Anyway, that`s the situation! We can live in wealth because the Government has forgotten that my family is the offspring that whirled quite some dust back in 1906, when a certain Linda Dellert from Germany disappeared!«

»And then, Silvie and I made our video!«, Sibel breathed, and Rosalie nodded.

»We were not amused when we saw it. However, my father decided that the best would be to just wait until people would have lost interest. Most of the family agreed, but my grand-cousin Franziska though that we should act more – actively. And then, things escalated quickly!«

Franziska had hired the two thugs that had attacked Silvana and Sibel in Germany, but those seemed to have lost their track.

»Maybe, I made a mistake by luring you here! But you made your video in Berlin, indicating that you`d perhaps go to Egypt anyway, and so, I decided that I could save your lives better if I know where you are – whilst at the same time, I have to protect my family`s interests!«

Marlene stood up, shaking her head.

»Just let me get this right: your grand-cousin is sending out armed criminals, you are luring us to Egypt – how does that fit your father`s plan of keeping your heads low?«

Now, Omar chuckled, sending a »I told you so«-look to Rosalie. The girl replied:

»What can I say? Seems that the women in our family are all strong-willed and independent!«

Marlene made a theatrical gesture and Rosalie became serious again:

»The problem is that we can`t go to the Police. Not only because of my family, but they could also decide to let you disappear, too. So, since my father thinks I am currently in France, we only have the little resources I have to offer. Money should not be the problem, but we are just me and Omar, since Abdul«, she pointed into the vague direction of the entrance«, is loyal and brave, but not the brightest candle in the candelabra. That`s just two for finding Silvana and freeing her!«

»Three!«

Sibel`s chest was heaving, for she knew that they would face real encounters with real criminals, but Silvana was her best friend. Beside her, Marlene gulped and took a few breaths before she stammered:

»F-four!«

***

Franziska Abu Drah looked at the man leaning against the pickup, smoking a cigarette as if he was as relaxed as one could be. Perhaps,  her grand-cousin Karl was relaxed. She also believed that he was the right man for the job, but at the same time, he seemed more than a bit creepy to her.

It had been Franziska`s idea to kidnap Silvana, and she had waited in the car whilst Karl had overpowered the three girls, leaving the two others behind, bound and gagged. Then, they had brought her to their hideout, and that was when Franziska had hesitated in believing Karl when he had told her he knew what he was doing.

»I want to support the family, but I am no murderer!«

»I agree with the first part!«, Karl had replied and then dug a hole in the sand of their yard. Franziska had watched with disbelief as he had then placed the suitcase with the moaning girl in it in the hole and put sand over it. Then, he had started the engine of the car, playing with the gas so it sounded as if the car was leaving. Grinning, he had then held a finger to his lips.

»Now, we will wait a bit!«, he had whispered.

Franziska had felt relief that he obviously did not intend to just let Silvana suffocate, but she shuddered from the gleeful glance in his eyes. Five minutes passed, six, seven. But whenever Franziska attempted to say something, Karl raised his hand and made her remain silent and wait. Only when ten minutes had passed, he took the shuffle and removed the sand from the suitcase.

»Let me do the talking!«

Karl opened the lid. Franziska could hear gasping sounds and see that Silvana was squirming slightly. When Karl grabbed her shoulders and pulled her out of the suitcase, she stared wildly at him. Her ruined makeup showed she had cried, and Franziska could also see that she had lost control over her bladder.

Karl placed her on the sand, some two yards beside the hole, and waited until Silvana`s breathing had calmed down a bit. Then, he said in his excellent German for which Franziska envied him a bit:

»I hate destroying your girlie dreams right from the start, but I haven`t freed you out of mercy! It`s just, for our purposes, you can as well be dead or alive! But maybe, you prefer living?«

He waited until Silvana managed to nod slightly. Karl grinned.

»Good! So, you may live, as long as you do not decide to become a problem for us! Now, would you like to get back inside the suitcase?«

With widened eyes, Silvana mewed and vigorously shook her head. Invitingly, Karl pointed at the open door of the barn a few yards away.

»Get inside then!«

He slowly went there, followed by Franziska. Still too weakened to get on her feet, let alone trying to hop, Silvana had no other choice than to crawl through the sand. She still was frightened to death, but at the same time, she felt a wave of relief rush through her body to have escaped a terrible death.

»Once she was inside, Karl freed her from the tape and waited whilst the girl ungagged herself. Franziska, who played the good cop without her and Karl having spoken about it, handed her a bottle with water. With her trembling fingers, Silvana spilled half of it, but she greedily drank the rest. Then, trying to sit in a way that covered her middle, and shielding her breasts with her arm, she looked at her captors. Karl said:

»Now, look at you, girl! One could not believe I just picked you from the shower less than two hours ago!«

Indeed, Silvana showed traces of having suffered inside the stuffy suitcase and then having crawled through the sand. Her sweaty body was covered with sand and dirt, and though this was her least problem, she felt a bit embarrassed.

»Now, I don`t want to start your being here with lies! You will not see your home again, but your future may be quite convenient! And the better you behave and present yourself, the more likely it is that you will not face death – or worse!«

He waited for a few seconds to let his words sink. Silvana looked at Franziska who hid her feelings behind a mask of a stern expression. Karl then showed a smile that didn`t reach her eyes.

»This isn`t rocket science, Silvana! Just do as we say, and you will be treated well! Now, get over to the hose!«

Staggering, Silvana obeyed. Karl told her to turn the valve and wash herself. The water didn`t have much pressure and was lukewarm, but it was clean and despite the man was gloating on her, it also felt good to wash the dirt from her body and to refresh herself. However, it was not the end of it. Karl then handed her a bottle with washing lotion and insisted that she soaped her body all over.

»It`s a 2 in 1! Do your hair, too!«

So, despite raising her hands put her ample boobs on an even more prominent display, Silvana shampooed her hair. As she wanted to grab the water hose again, Karl stopped her.

»I told you to soap your hair!«

His eyes stared on her thatch of pubic hair. Silvana blushed all over, but she obeyed as Karl told her to spread her legs and shampoo herself between her legs, too. Only then was she allowed to wash the soap from her body.

»Now, brush your hair! It`s still warm enough for you to get dry without a towel!«

At least, she was allowed to sit down on a stool to do so. Still, the man hadn`t used physical violence or reached for the gun in his belt, but the mere knowledge of the dreadful suitcase outside the barn made Silvana follow his orders. The woman, dressed in plain, but expensive looking clothes, including a headscarf she had draped in a way elegant Muslim women covered their hair and a pair of dark sunglasses, still looked at her motionless. Karl looked at Franziska and said in Arabic:

»I am checking some stats! If you are interested, you may stay, but I can also do it alone!«

Franziska just waited and Karl picked up a clipboard and a pen. Then, he told Silvana to stop brushing her hair and to stand up straight.

»So, your name`s Silvana. Now, for no other reason than that I just like them, I have a love for alliterations! So, do you want to be ›Sexy Silvana‹ or ›Sensual Silvana‹?«

The girl stared at him. These nicknames weren`t especially new to her; both had occasionally been used to her. But this time, it wasn`t mockery or a clumsy flirt attempt, but a criminal who had done terrible things to her – and who looked as if he was capable of even worse!

»Answer my question, or suffer the consequences«, Karl said, sounding as if he was bored, but also with a threatening undertone. Silvana gulped; then, she breathed:

»S-sensual Silvana!«

»We will see if that was a wise choice«, Karl said enigmatically as he wrote her name down. Then, he worked down his list:

»Age?«

»18.«

»Height?«

»5`7``.«

Here, he hesitated shortly.

»Really? Stand straight, hands on your sides!«

Silvana obeyed and he slowly walked around her, as if he was a General mustering a recruit – or a butcher inspecting a prized pig. Then, he chuckled.

»You looked an inch shorter, but it seems that your – horizontal presence distracted my eyesight!«

He looked so blatantly at her boobs that Silvana blushed again. Karl continued his list:

»Blonde hair.«

With a long look at her pubic area, he added:

»Natural blonde!«

The mentioning of her blue eyes was no further insult, but then, he asked for her weight. On her answer, 65 Kilo, he used his cell phone and then, he said:

»That`s 143 lbs. Could be a bit less, though it seems that the upholstery`s on the right places. Well, during the next days, I will have enough time to find out whether it is fat or muscles!«

Silvana shuddered at the implications of these words, but Karl now looked at her boobs again and asked for her bra size. The girl didn`t know why she bothered, after he had already seen and also touched her breasts, but she had to force the words out of her mouth:

»I am a 36D!«

»Just as I guessed! Now, so far, you are doing quite good, Silvana! It may be a cliché, but blondes with blue eyes and big boobs are still selling well in this part of the world!«

Silvana trembled, but Karl just looked at his board and announced:

»Just two more questions, and we are done and can call it a day!«

He looked up and now, he showed an almost pensive smile:

»The next questions may tempt you to lie, Sensual Silvana! However, if I won`t believe you, I might want to check if you told me the truth! And in this case, it doesn`t just mean that I will need a measuring band or a scale!«

He seemed to wait for an answer, and Silvana nodded slightly and croaked:

»I-I understand!«

»Fine! Now, Sensual Silvana: are you still a virgin?«

Several thoughts now haunted her mind: ideas of how the man could try to »proof« whether she had told the truth; the unnerving decision if in her current predicament, it was better if he considered her untouched or experienced. Also, the reason why he was adding this to the information that would sum up her »market value«!

She lowered her head, and, almost inaudible, she stammered:

»Y-yes!«

Karl placed a hook on his list and then, almost apologetically, he added:

»Sorry, but I need to know exactly: how about other girls?«

»No!«

It was easier to give that answer; despite all rumours, she and Sibel were just good friends. Then, however, the man asked about toys. Silvana now buried her flaming cheeks in her hands, but she managed to nod slightly. Karl laughed:

»I think that spares you the question if you have explored your body with your fingers! Now, for the last question: how about your backdoor?«

Silvana gasped, and reflexively, she tensed her sphincter. Karl wrote down on his list, murmuring »backdoor maiden« as he did so. Then, he grinned at her.

»Now, the formalities are done! Time to sleep! You may consider our sleeping arrangements uncomfortable, but they will teach you some valuable lessons: obedience, helplessness, and getting used to being watched 24/7!«

***