Chapter 2

Stefani heaved a sigh of relief having just improved her bargaining position with Muhammad. She had just made him aware that he needed to complete this deal as much as she did and hoped his fear level was as high as hers. No one could go home a failure in this business.

Her best friend, Barbara, noticed that Stefani was spending time with Muhammad and asked, “Is that suit your new boyfriend?”

“No way. I’m negotiating with him about his company’s security plan. Just part of the job.”

“When you were a young girl, did you dream about growing up to be a corporate vice president?”

“God no! I wanted to be in the movies! After I got my MBA though, I imagined greater things.”

“You made it, girl. I hope you still like it.”

Stefani asked her staff assistant to prepare the security application to clear the yacht. “Gina, please go down to Coast Guard headquarters and talk that hot Yeoman into moving this request closer to the front of the stack.”

When Gina returned, she blushed and said, “After he agreed to change the priority, he asked me to go out with him.”

When Stefani met again with Muhammad she told him that his application was on schedule. Muhammad showed her two photographs, one of Tony eating seemingly good food and the other in his improvised cell.

She said, “I want to talk to Tony.”

Muhammad was visibly shocked by the request. He looked worried as he left the bar.

Although she agonized about Tony and about what might happen to her, she still had a job to do. Harry, the chief operating officer and her immediate boss, spent all of his time on the big problem, getting the port ready for the opening of the new Panama Canal.

He told her, “Stefani you’re on your own right now. I have to worry about our competitive position. We have to replace our cranes to move the containers faster. That will use up all of our capital.”

Her day required a meeting with a large group of shipping customers who were up in arms over the issue of randomly inspecting their cargo containers. She left the meeting frustrated with no inspection agreement. As she walked back to her office, she reflected her mentor’s statement: “They pay you a lot of money to make these problems go away. Don’t disappoint them,”

Back at her desk, she answered her phone. Muhammad said, “We will call Tony tonight at nine. I will come to your house.”

She felt afraid for Tony and terrified of her deal leaking out. If she were discovered, the best she could hope for is getting fired and being blacklisted. The worst case is that she would be prosecuted.

At her home, Muhammad used his phone and speed-dialed a number. He spoke briefly in Arabic, then handed her the phone. Tony seemed elated to hear her voice. “Why are you calling? How did you know I was here? I thought you left me. I’m a hostage.”

“I know that.”

Muhammad said sharply, “No more.” He broke the connection, and quickly left her house.

The next afternoon Muhammad showed up in the bar. “You said too much on the phone.”

“Well, the next time I talk to him, he will be in his compound, right?”

“Yes. As long as everything goes according to plan.”

“Next Thursday, come up and watch from my office. It has a much better view. You can see your yacht pass the security point. I’ll need your passport to clear you.”

Later, when Barbara joined her at the bar, she said “I know something is bugging you. I’ve never seen you this stressed for so long. What’s going on?”

“Same old, same old, except for the impending opening of the new Panama Canal. That’s driving Harry crazy and he’s bugging me. I can’t help him much, but he likes to unload on me.”

“How about I arrange a little R&R Saturday? I’ll invite that guy I want you to meet. We can have nibbles at our place before going out to dance or something.”

She pondered Tony in chains before deciding to follow through with her decision to leave him. “That sounds good. Time to get back on the horse.”

At Barbara’s house she was surprised at her blind date. Every bit as appealing as Barbara had promised. She found her mood improving by the minute. Occasionally the flash memory of Tony’s hanging on the wall dampened her spirit.