Chapter 1

Rachid stops the car in front of the hotel. He didn’t take his eyes off the rear mirror the entire way from the airport. In the back seat, the most gorgeous white woman he had ever seen artistically brushed her hair, looking at herself in a small mirror. In two years working as a taxi driver in Nairobi, East Africa’s most cosmopolitan city, he had never seen such flaming red hair and emerald green eyes. He quickly gets out of the car to open the door for his passenger before the doorman has time to get there. The young woman wears baggy blue cotton pants with white polka dots, sports shoes and a very short shirt that reveals her slim waist, her navel and an irresistible flat stomach. Rachid takes a deep breath without looking at her as she walks by, these fucking white women smell really good ... A bellboy rushes to get his luggage. “Have you seen that chick? Rachid asks, overcome with emotion. - You don’t know who it is? The bellhop answers. The taxi driver shakes his head without taking his eyes off the young woman’s hips. “This is Claudia Moore ... the supermodel. The hotel is topsy-turvy. He’s been waiting for a month.*** Claudia comes down to breakfast wearing a simple pink short-sleeved dress that sits just above the knee and open sandals with no heels. When she arrived, she immediately fell asleep because of the jet lag. On the way to the dining room, she stops at the front desk and greets the concierge: “Hello, I’m Claudia Moore. Do you have any messages for me? - Yes Miss! The concierge answers, visibly nervous. They called to say they would pick you up at ten. Claudia glances at the hotel clock. That’s good: she has over an hour to have breakfast. She picks up a newspaper and walks into the dining room, aware that she is the center of attention. She’s used to it...

While the waiter pours her tea, she analyzes her luck. Even if she doesn’t like the poor and violent town, she will earn at least a hundred thousand dollars for three weeks of filming and she will surely have the opportunity to go to the Serengeti National Park in neighboring Tanzania to do a pause ... This is what is called a job! She’s been a model a year ago, but her popularity has really grown since that night on the beach with the President’s son and the scandal that ensued. “ Excuse me Miss. The hotel manager is impeccably dressed in a morning suit. “A car is there waiting for you. - Oh ... Thank you, can you give me the time? She asks, surprised. - It’s ten o’clock, Mademoiselle. Claudia is taken aback. She didn’t feel like an hour had passed and she thought she had more time. She knows what punctuality means in the Third World. She hurries to finish her tea and gets up under the watchful eyes of the waiters, smoothens her dress and leaves the dining room with the manager. At the reception, she notices that the clock shows a quarter to ten, but she says nothing. An impeccably dressed driver with an unpleasant look opens the door of the stretched limousine waiting for him. “Hello, Miss Moore,” he greets her politely. We must act quickly, we are expected, he adds, revealing his yellow and sparse teeth. The interior of the car is gigantic; a bullet-proof window separates the driver from the “lounge” where the passengers are seated. The windows are tinted, so that no one can see from the outside. Claudia settles into the comfortable leather seats and absent-mindedly opens a magazine from the bar. It’s disgusting ... lots of pictures of naked women tied up in indecent postures. Blushing and angry, she looks up and catches the gaze of the driver who gazes at her in the rear mirror with the same sinister smile he wore when he first met her. Claudia looks away, outward. She’ll have to talk to her agency about this ... They’re in central Nairobi, it’s Christmas time and people are shopping. The car stops at a traffic light. The metallic sound of the speaker interrupts his thoughts: “Don’t you like the magazine, Miss? Claudia clenches her fists. The man is insolent; he obviously left this magazine there on purpose. “You know,” the worrying voice continues, “I’m a fan of yours. I’ve seen you in TV commercials... “The driver smiles in the rear mirror again.” You have fantastic boobs... “That’s too much; the pig deliberately harasses her. “Too bad we only see them for a second...” The light changes color and the cars behind start honking their horns. The man looks at her indifferently. “A friend recorded the commercial for me but the video is rotten and it flashes on pause...” Still busy thinking about the quality of his video, he suddenly starts up. Claudia cannot be silent any longer: “Please be kind to focus on your driving. I’ll let the agency know your ways. The man does not answer. They pass through a spooky suburb. Claudia, who is getting more nervous, thinks of getting out of the car but the environment seems even worse than the impertinence of this slug. They still drive about 20 km in silence. Claudia didn’t bother to read the script and she doesn’t know where she’s going to shoot but she doesn’t dare ask... “If you open the magazine page fourteen, there’s a great picture. It is my favorite. Claudia is more and more nervous. It gets really unpleasant. She ends up asking, “Where are we going?” - At the hideout, the driver answers flatly. - There must be some mistake ... Claudia stammers nervously.They’re expecting me at the studio, we’re shooting indoors today. “This car doesn’t go to any studio, Miss,” he said mysteriously. - But you ... don’t work for Maisies & Maisies? - No. And these people probably haven’t picked you up yet. The driver pauses to light a cigarette. “I called them to tell them you would be late. Have them pick you up later, he adds, breathing out a heavy puff of cigarette smoke. The car drives down a flat, dusty road towards the abandoned Maasai reserve. “Listen, explain that to me, will you! - Patience, Mademoiselle. We have two days just the two of us before the transfer. The man’s voice is hoarse and his shining eyes are fixed on the rear mirror. “We’ll have plenty of time to chat... - Stop the car and bring me back to the hotel!” Shouts the angry girl. Her strong temper has overcome her fear and she is outraged. “Tut, tut ... says the man, shaking his head. You have too much value... “A click in the loudspeakers indicates that the driver has muted the intercom. Claudia screams and bangs on the glass ... nothing. She tries to calm down by breathing deeply. She doesn’t succeed. This is serious. She looks at the window: the driver concentrates exclusively on the road and drives at full speed. He puts on sunglasses and bites his lip, trying to avoid the potholes in the road. Behind them, a thick cloud of dust makes it impossible to see anything. On either side, the dusty desert plain tells him they are very close to Serengeti Park. Every now and then there are small dilapidated Maasai facilities. Small children dressed in red or purple quickly come out to see the strange vehicle pass by. In the middle of the desert plain, the car slows down at the foot of a hill. A dilapidated and packed bus prevents them from passing. Claudia tries to operate the doorknob; it’s locked ... Early in the afternoon, they leave the now almost invisible trail and cross the plain. After an hour, Claudia can see an old one-story building. Then the voice: “We’re almost there.” I believe it is there. Claudia is taken aback. What does all this mean? This man works for someone, obeys orders, but from whom? What does he mean by “transfer”? Why this isolated place? This is obviously a kidnapping but who will we ask for the ransom? Who other than the agency knows about his arrival in Nairobi? The only ones who might have an interest to pay would be Maisies & Maisies. All her money is in the bank and it would be risky for kidnappers to go and pick it up after her disappearance ... Suddenly, she remembers the little spray that she has in her bag ... She opens it and hides it the little vial in his closed fist. The car stops in front of the dilapidated adobe building. It looks like some sort of abandoned workers’ house. The driver, who appears to be in his 50s, gets out of the car and walks towards the door, limping low. Claudia looks at him ... He is of medium height and his head is shaved. He is somewhat misshapen with very small legs and no neck. Large spots of sweat appear under his arms and lower back.