PART III - Chapter 17: AN IQ OF A THOUSAND

 

 

Chapter 17

An IQ of a Thousand
(Ó 2010)

Somewhere at a Cruising Altitude of 38,000 feet

 

 

“Would you like a little more wine sir?” The young, pretty flight attendant asked Logan.

“Yes, please.” He replied. The attendant then poured more of the white wine into his glass, “Thank you.” Logan had been in flight en route to Havana now for two hours, and for the first time since he fled Chicago, he was beginning to feel somewhat at ease. Every second put more miles behind him, but they also drew closer to the morning, where his empty desk back in Chicago would start to create suspicion and worry.

Previously during the two hour lay over in Toronto he conducted the final business of activating his European credit cards. He also changed from his winter attire and dressed for the tropical weather of Cuba. He disposed of his winter clothing in separate garbage bins at the airport, however, he kept his leather jacket, and he may need that for later at the end of his journey He then realized that he still was wearing his imitation eyeglasses. He used them to help disguise himself during his years in America. Wearing them over the years had become second nature. He still had worries of being recognized by someone from that other time … before he was Logan. He took the glasses from his face and looked at them for a second. He laughed a little under his breath and whispered to himself, “It always seemed to work for Clark Kent.” He then disposed of the glasses in a separate trash bin.

The wine was helping him to unwind from the fatigue of his travel. He asked the flight attendant for a pillow and once he received it he placed it behind his neck. He peered out into the darkness outside of the window. He drew in a deep breath and then closed his eyes - - -

- - - It was early that following Saturday morning and Lily stepped from the bus of the public transport system to the street that was just a block from where Logan’s home would be. She wore a denim jacket and pants, with a multi colored shirt with different shades of lavender, a matching lavender belt, shoulder bag and platform type shoes. She wore her curly hair up and had on a pair of large dark sunglasses. In her hand, she held the card that Logan had wrote to her, checking his address at the bottom of the note.

 

She decided the day she received the note and roses that she would pay Logan a “surprise visit”, catching him off guard, then she would grant to him the opportunity he wanted to give his explanation. She strolled quickly to the corner where, when she turned left, would take her to Logan’s apartment. However, once she turned the corner, she saw something that made her jump back and conceal herself. She slowly peered around the side of the building to look and to not be seen herself.

 

There, halfway up and across the street was Logan, with two other men. She looked down to the address written on the card again and made the determination that he and the two other men were standing in front of the entryway of his apartment building. The sight made her curious. The two men that Logan was with were wearing bright blue and red soccer uniforms. However, Logan was wearing a long-sleeved dark gray jersey with black shorts, on the front and back of the uniform was the numeral ‘one’. Logan was wearing the uniform that of a goalkeeper. In his left hand, he was holding a pair of goalkeeper’s gloves. The three of them appeared to be having a casual conversation, but Lily could only hear the sound of their voices, she couldn’t make out what they were talking about.

Then she saw Logan turn and step to the archway that was the entrance to his building, he then bent down and picked up a woven net bag that contained four soccer balls. The three of them then began to walk in the opposite direction from her, crossed the street, proceeded to walk one more block, and then turned left and disappeared around the corner.

Lily then stepped out around the corner and crossed the street. She went to the archway where Logan and his two companions were just standing. She began to grow more curious now. Logan? An American from North Dakota? Playing European football? She just had to investigate somehow, and then an idea came to her. She entered through the gates to see if she could find the either the proprietor of the building, or some sort of supervisor.

That didn’t take her much effort. She first looked at the mailboxes and right there on the first box was the name, “P. Arliss,” and below his name was the word “Surveillant”. (Superintendent). It also read that the superintendent was in apartment number 102. Lily took a quick scan around, found number 102, proceeded her way to the front of the door, and knocked. A few seconds later a woman in her late fifties answered.

 

“Bonjour,” Lily greeted the women with an upbeat tone and smile removing her sunglasses, “are you the surveillant?”

 

 

“No Mlle., that would be my husband, Phillipe.”

“Oh, I am sorry to disturb you,” Lily spoke cheerfully, “but I came to see one of your tenants to discuss something and I noticed that he has just left. I was wondering if you could help me then.”

“Just who are we speaking of?” The woman asked somewhat sternly.

“His name is Logan.”

A smile came quickly to the woman’s face, “Oh Logan, yes. Such a nice young man, always checking up on the more senior tenants, always ready to help me. What can I help you with then?”

Lily’s curiosity grew stronger, however she kept her composure in order to covertly get information from Mrs. Arliss. “I just came around the corner and I believe I saw Logan going down the street with a couple of other men. It looked as though they were going to play football.”

“Oh yes,” Mrs. Arliss said, “He and his friends play football all the time. I guess he can do those sorts of things, not being married or anything like that.”

“Do you know by chance where they play?” Lily asked, “I just have to discuss something with him.”

“Oh yes, there is a large park down a street or so and then go left. It’s not too far.”

“Oh I know where that it is.” Lily said.

 

 

“Have you known Logan very long?” Mrs. Arliss asked inquisitively.

 

“No, just a couple of weeks.” Lily answered nonchalantly, “You? How long have you known him?”

“Let me see,” Mrs. Arliss looked upward thinking, “I believe he has lived here now for almost two years.”

 

Lily forced herself to keep her composure. ‘Two Years?’ She thought to herself. Now her curiosity peaked and she began to feel the anger towards Logan return. What in the world is he doing telling her he’s only been in Paris a short while, and now this woman is telling her he’s live there for almost two years? She’s was going to find the underlying cause of it all, this morning, this instant, right now. She spoke to Mrs. Arliss for a couple more minutes, staying as cordial and in control as much as possible so not to arouse any suspicion. She knew where Logan was at this very moment. She was going to go there directly and confront him, just as he was going to do the other day.

Lily thanked Mrs. Arliss for her time and help and then proceeded out of the apartment complex. She turned and walked briskly and angrily in the direction that she saw Logan and his friends going previously. She walked with her arms crossed and her head up, looking straightforward. Her mind was swirling like a whirlpool with all her thoughts mixed in with her irritation. What’s the mystery? Who is this man? Why has he lied to her so much about who he is?

Her anger and curiosity actually brought tears to her eyes. She realized that she did not put her sunglasses back on so she did so then. She came to the corner and turned, where up the street and across from it on the right was a large public park. There were four soccer pitches there, each with its own set of aluminum bench stands for observers to sit and watch the matches. All four pitches were being used at the same time.

 

She walked up to the one closest to her, hiding behind one of the grandstands. She looked around to see if she could spot Logan, and then she looked to the pitch directly across from the one she was standing at. There was a team of men wearing the blue and red uniforms that she noticed one the men that Logan was speaking with in front of his home. Lily watched the men play for a few minutes; it appeared that they were not playing a match against anyone; rather they were having a practice session. She looked then to the goal net, and there was Logan.

Lily looked around the park, she decided to walk the long way around to the other pitch where Logan and his team were having practice. A pathway led behind a line of trees that would be perfect. She could make her way around without being noticed. As she did so, she kept her eyes toward the pitch to make sure Logan would not notice her. This was made easier by the fact that his back was to her from the goal net he was defending. She came to the end of the tree line and saw that the pathway led around the grandstands on the pitch where he was playing. She quickly made her way so that she was on the pathway, yet behind the stands. Logan’s view of her would be almost totally obstructed. She then walked up to the grandstands and then stood under them. Here she could observe him through the seats and footrests of the stands and not be detected.

She stood under the stands and watched him play. He was so animal like in his movements, he paced back and forth in the goalkeepers box. If he weren’t pacing, he would jump up and down, or kick his legs up, always stretching and keeping himself limber. When the team would pass the ball around the pitch, his eyes were focused right on the ball. His stare was laser like. The other players would take practice shots at the goal and Logan would throw his body into every save he would make, blocking the shot and then letting, his body hit the ground. Then once he was down, he would spring back up to his feet, making himself at the ready for the next strike.

She observed how he would catch the rolling shots, scooping the ball in his gloved hands, then quickly drop kicking he ball down the length of the pitch.

 

Then she heard something that at first seemed out of place. She watched as a couple of the other players were having some loud conversation between themselves and Logan, and Logan was answering them back. Something in Lily’s mind was telling her that there was something wrong with what she was seeing and hearing. And it then instantly came to her.

 

Logan was communicating with all the other players, and conversing with them … in perfect French. This was all that Lily could stand. Logan speaking fluently in French? This proved to be the final straw with her; she stepped out from grandstand in full view.

Logan did not notice her, at that moment Jean-Luc, Henri, were in the middle of practicing a three man full press on him. The third man involved in the play was Patrick, the best striker on their team. Patrick had a powerful kick that could launch a ball as if fired from a cannon.

Lily could see that from where she was standing, plus the fact that Logan’s concentration was completely on the three footballers and their attack that he was not going to notice her at all. Therefore, she then made the initiative, walked aggressively right up to the boundary line of the pitch, parallel to the goalkeeper’s box, stood fast with her feet together; arms crossed and stared down Logan through her sunglasses from her position.

 

 

Logan was in a crouching position with his feet apart, knees bent, hands outward at his sides and his eyes fixated on the ball as the three men went into their offensive attack. Jean-Luc on Logan’s right hand side, Henri in midfield and Patrick on the left. All three men passing the ball indiscriminately to one another. Logan knew who the ball was going to last. It would be to Patrick and he would use that powerful left leg of his for one of his well-known strikes.

However, something shortly distracted Logan, which for him on the pitch was rare. It was the team members behind the three attackers. They all stopped and were looking in the same direction, somewhere to Logan’s right. Logan reset his concentration to the ball which Jean-Luc was now dribbling across the mid field line. Jean-Luc then looked up for a second to the same direction that the other players were then quickly returned his attention to the ball at his feet.

Logan then quickly looked to his right and saw Lily standing there staring at him. Right as he did so, Jean-Luc passed the ball across the length of the pitch, past Henri and to Patrick. While this happened, Logan took a double take to Lily, came out of his crouching position, standing up straight and completely forgetting about the three-man attack that was coming towards him.

Patrick then took control of the ball, set up his strike, and gave one of his most powerful kicks. The ball rose towards the outside left of the net, but Logan now had his attention completely on Lily who was standing on the sideline. The ball then began to bend and curve from the spin that Patrick managed to put on it.

Jean-Luc then began to scream aloud, “Logan! … LOGAN!”

As Logan turned to answer all that he managed to say was, “Wha - - -.” The ball then struck him directly on his face, on his left cheekbone between his eye and nose. The ball ricocheted up and over the goal net. He saw a bright flash from the hit and it forced him to stumble backwards into the goal net, however he did not fall to the ground.

He didn’t see it, but Lily jumped somewhat from what she saw happen to him, however, she quickly regained her composure, and return to her original standing position with her arms folded. She did not want Logan to see any concern of what just happened to him from her.

 

Logan blindly walked slowly out of the net and into the goalkeeper’s box, his eyes tightly closed. He bent himself over and rested his hands on his knees. He tried to open his eyes but he found it to be difficult at the moment. He spit to the ground and managed to open his right eye somewhat, he noticed that there was blood mixed with the phlegm and saliva he had just spit out.

 

Jean-Luc, Henri, and Patrick ran up to Logan. Jean-Luc asked, “Êtes-vous bien Logan?” (Are you all right Logan?)

 

“Oui, oui, je suis bien. C'est seulement douleur.” (Yes, Yes, I’m all right. It’s only pain.) Logan quipped. His eyes still closed tightly and he was still bent over, he slowly opened them and then he saw woman’s feet, clad in lavender platform shoes. He slowly turned his head upward to see Lily now standing almost directly in front of him. Her feet together and arms crossed. Logan could feel the daggers from her stare even through her sunglasses.

“Pouvons-nous vous aider Mlle?” (Can we help you Miss?), Jean-Luc asked her.

Lily stood there staring at Logan completely ignoring Jean-Luc’s question. She just stood and glared at Logan, her lips pursed tightly in anger.

“Jean, ceci est Lily.” (Jean, this is Lily.), Logan said quietly.

“Le Lily?” (The Lily?) He asked.

“Oui, le Lily.” (Yes, the Lily). Logan answered.

 

“I’m very pleased to meet you mademoiselle,” Jean-Luc said kindly in English, “I’ve heard so much about you.”

Lily still ignored Jean-Luc; she just continued to stare down Logan. There was a moment of awkward silence then Lily finally said coldly, “My, my Logan. How intelligent you must be.”

Logan then looked back to the ground because it hurt somewhat to hold his head up. “What do you mean?” He asked.

“Just last week, you could not speak one word of French,” she said through her tight lips, “and now within that short time I see that you have mastered the language impeccably. My, my, you must have an IQ of a thousand.

 

 

“Je peux expliquer cela, vois - - -” (I can explain that, see - - -).

She held up her hand to stop him in mid sentence. “No.” she said firmly, “When you speak to me, I only want you to do so in English.”

 

 He looked up at her, blood now trickling down his nose and lip. “Why is that?”

 

 

“Because I may be furious with you,” still speaking firmly, “but I just adore your accent.” She looked at him for a quiet second then asked, “It is real isn’t it? Your accent? That is something that is real about you, isn’t it?”

 

 

Logan looked up to his teammates and they took the hint. Jean-Luc said, “Let us take a break for a few moments shall we?” Then they stepped away.

 

“Logan then looked up to Lily and said, “Yeah it’s real. When I speak English anyway. The truth is that I was born in America … but I’m a French national.”

 

 “You’re a French citizen?” She asked inquiringly.

 

 

“Yes … yes I am.”

 

 

“There’s another issue,” she said, “I met your Mrs. Arliss.”

 

 

“My landlady?”
 

“Yes, your landlady. A delightful woman, she thinks rather highly of you. An opinion I must say is completely different from mine at the moment. She informs me that you have lived in your apartment now for almost two years. Something completely different than from what you have informed me of.” She then bent down to him and looked him right in his eyes. “Who are you Logan? Why have you been lying to me this whole time? What is it that you are hiding? What on Earth can be your explanation to me?”

 

Logan stayed bent over and silent, trying to figure out a way just to begin what he had to say. Then a thought came to him, he looked over to his teammates and then called out, “Jean! Could you bring my bag over to me please?”

 

Jean-Luc nodded yes and then went over to the other sideline where all the team members placed their athletic bags that contained the gear of each man. Jean-Luc picked up Logan’s and the brought it over to him and set it down by his feet. Jean-Luc then took a few steps back and watched as Logan unzipped the bag and retrieved a small thin folded black leather case that looked somewhat like a wallet. He handed it over to Lily who took it in her hands. She looked at him in what he could tell even through her sunglasses was an expression of wonder.

 

“Go ahead,” he said to her, “take a look.”

 

She opened the case and looked at it; she hesitated for a second, and then removed her sunglasses to take a better look at what had just sent a small shock through her system. What she saw was a badge on one side, and Logan’s police identification on the other. She blinked several times and her head quivered from side to side, she was mystified. “Oh…” was all she could manage to say.

 

“You okay?” Logan asked

 

 “Oh …” she said again and began to stutter, “what is … oh … come now.” She then looked to him and asked somewhat angrily, “The French National Police? Is that what you expect me to believe? Oh, come on Logan! Really! You’re with the French National Police?”

 

 

Jean-Luc then interrupted, “It is true mademoiselle.” Lily looked over to him and he continued, “In fact we all here are policemen.” Henri then stepped up next to Jean-Luc and just nodded ‘yes’ to her.

 

 

Lily then looked even more confused, in fact, she was dumbfounded. Logan then said to her, “A bit too much all at once huh? You need to sit down or something?” Lily nodded ‘yes’, and Logan stood and helped her to sit down onto the grass of the pitch and Logan sat down in front of her.

 

 

She looked at him, squinted her eyes and asked, “You say you were ‘called out of town’, were you then … by them?”

 

 

“Uh … yeah.”

 

 

“And just where were you called too?”

 

 

Logan cleared his throat, took a deep breath and asked her in a low tone, “Did you by chance see the news story last week about that big arrest up north?”

 

 

Lily’s eyes widened, “You mean that thing that happened in Lille?”

 

 

“Yep.”

 

 

She gave a puzzled look to him, “Are you saying to me that you were involved with that?”

 

“It’s more than involved … that fact is … it was us.”

 

 Lily looked up to Jean-Luc and Henri and they were nodding ‘yes’ in confirmation to what Logan was saying.

 

 

“That night I left you at your place, the night we agreed to meet, I got called away right as I got back. For three days and nights, I was living in the forest around that compound, coordinating that raid; I was there also when it all went down.”

 

 

“Yes, you should have seen it!” Henri exclaimed, “Logan shot four of them from his position, he may have saved the lives of many police officers with his actions.”

 

 

Logan looked to the ground embarrassed; he looked to Lily and saw yet another expression of surprise on her face. He looked to Henri, he knew he was only trying to bolster up Logan to her, and he said, “Thanks Henri. But, I think that’s just a little more information than she needed to know.”

Jean-Luc put his hand on Henri’s shoulder and said, “Come, I do believe that they need a little privacy.” The two men then walked back to the other sideline of the pitch.

 

Logan looked at her, and she back at him, “I told you … I’m complicated.”

“Indeed so.” Was all the she could say.

Logan took a quick breath and gave his explanation, “You see it’s like this. That first night I went into Le Club Argenté D'oiseau, it was deliberate. I went in there because Jean, Henri and I had somebody there under surveillance. Jean and Henri could not go in because your friend Claude knows who they are, but he didn’t know me. So I came up with this idea of being some naïve American so that I could watch our suspect.” He leaned over to her, “You … well … you were an unexpected surprise.”

Lily smiled a little, “Who was this ‘suspect?’”

“It was the man that was bothering Giselle that night.”

“The man who was asked to leave?” She asked.

“Yeah, Theo Buchin. He is one of the top men in the organization whose compound we raided.” He paused so that Lily could gather her thoughts. “Oh and by the way, you can tell Giselle that she has nothing to worry about anymore when it concerns Theo. He will never bother, nor see her … ever again. I took care of that … personally.”

“You did?”

“Yeah.”
 

Lily began now to feel more at ease with Logan, even with the incredible story he was telling her. “Why would you do that for her?”

 

“Oh, I could tell that she was putting on a good front that night,” he answered, “you know, trying to show that she wasn’t bothered by him, but, she’s no match for the likes of a man like Theo Buchin. I knew she was scared, and she has every reason to be.” He paused for a second then added, “Besides, she’s your friend.”

A silent moment came between them, and then a smile came to Logan’s face. Lily asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, I was just remembering what she was telling you when she first left Theo to join us. You know, about the problem she might have under her skirt?” Lily let out a slight laugh. “Yeah, I almost ripped the tendon out from the back of my knee to keep from laughing.”

Lily then laughed along with him; she realized that her anger was gone. She looked at Logan and saw that he was staring to the ground; she pulled up her purse, opened it and took out some tissues. She then reached over to him, cupping his chin with one hand, with the other she began dabbing the blood from his nose and lip. “You’re still bleeding.” She said lightly.

He let her clean his face. Silence was between them for a moment and then he asked, “So now what?”

“It’s now time to reconcile dear, what else?” She replied. “However with these incredible circumstances dealing with your disappearance and all, there will be a couple of things that you must do to make it all up to me you know.”

 

“Such as?”

 

“First of all, after your done here you must get home and shower, put on some proper clothing for the evening, then meet me at Clive’s at half past four.” She said.

“At Clive’s? What for?”

She moved her hand from his chin and then stroked his hair, “Because I simply must do something with your hair before we go out.”

“Oh? We’re going out? Where are we going afterwards?”

 

Why, to Le Club Argenté D'oiseau of course. You have much to explain to everyone there also.” She told him, “My Lord, how stunned they will all be. It still hasn’t settled in my mind yet.” She stroked his hair and nodded her head back and forth, “My, my, Logan, you’re a police officer. Unbelievable. What you must have been going through this past week. Not only with what you did, but these past days.” She then held out both her hands, “Here luv, help me up.”

Logan snapped up to his feet, took her hands and helped to stand. She placed her hand on his chin again and turned his face so that she could see the part of his face where the football had struck him. “Does it still hurt?” She asked.

“Yeah, it still stings a little.”

“It looks as though it does; it’s all so red, looks as though it may swell some.” She brought his face down to her and she kissed him where the ball hit him. “Does that feel better now?”

Logan was surprised, the pain was gone. “Yes, yes it does.” He sighed then said, “You know, this is just some of how complicated my life is. I still say I should dish it out a little at a time. Look how you’re taking this. This is just a small part.”

 

 Lily smiled, caressed his face and said, “All right then dear, a little at a time then.” She then stood on her toes and kissed him on the bloodless side of his lips. “Clive’s, four thirty sharp.” She whispered then turned and walked away.

 

Jean-Luc and Henri stepped up behind Logan, and he just started to turn his head when Jean-Luc instantly stopped him from doing so, “No, do not take your eyes off of her until she turns around to look back at you.” Logan did as he was told; he kept on looking at Lily as she walked away, her back to him. Then a few seconds later, she turned her head over her shoulder, saw Logan watching her, smiled back at him, then turned her head forward and soon was gone from his sight.

“How did you know that she would do that Jean?” Logan asked.

“Once again, we have shown the difference between Frenchmen and Americans.” Jean quipped.

 

 

“I got to start learning that I’m not an American anymore.” He turned and said to his friend laughing.

“You have also got to learn to pay attention more during a three man attack.” Jean-Luc said shaking Logan’s shoulder.

“What are you talking about?” Logan asked sarcastically. “I was looking at her, and I saved a goal at the same time didn't I?" 

 

 

“It was kind of unorthodox the way you made the save though, was it not?” Henri asked. “Not to say a bit painful.

  

“That’s why the goalkeepers are the toughest on a team,” Logan joked, “always ready to sacrifice their bodies to save the goal.” Logan laughed while Jean-Luc and Henri moaned. “Oh and by the way Jean.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Tell Thiebulet that if he calls me in tonight … I quit.” - - -
 

- - - Logan looked to his wristwatch and saw that he was at the halfway point of his flight. ‘The point of no return’ as some people would call it. He now felt the fatigue of his journey. He looked out of his window to the early morning darkness; he saw some of the stars above, then some of the whiteness of the clouds below the aircraft.

He then glanced around him through the first class section where he was seated and noticed that he was the only passenger that was still awake. He was now at ease, and at the point where he had made the escape that he believed he had to do successfully.

He turned to pull the shade of the window down, adjusted his seat to the reclining position, reached up and turned off the light, closed his eyes and went to sleep.