Chapter 49 48

The subway starts to move.The man who jumped into the car at the last moment was no longer wearing a black coat, but a leather jacket.Instead of looking at Mary, he sat on the other side of the carriage.Mary wasn't sure if he was really the man.When he got into the car, Mary could barely see his face, but the voice in her head knew it was him! Mary tried to suppress her panic.Tears welled up, but she suppressed them again.She waited, and after two or three stops, when the car was about to start, she jumped out of the car, ran a few steps, and squeezed into the door of the next car that was about to close.

As the subway started moving, she saw a man in a leather jacket standing on the platform.He followed her out of the car and looked at her.This time, Mary saw his face clearly.He looked nothing like the man in the black coat.She put the sunglasses and head scarf in her handbag.If someone is really following her, there must be a picture of her.If it weren't for her stupid attire, perhaps she wouldn't be recognizable from a long distance.She rummaged in her bag and found a rubber band.She tied her hair into a ponytail with this rubber band.She can't change her attire, changing her hairstyle is the only way.

After three stops, she got off and changed to another subway line.She found no signs of stalking. After changing cars five times in half an hour, Marie was more or less definitely out of the loop.She hadn't considered which direction to go at all just now.Now, the road map told her she was in Neukölln at the moment.Normally, she would not come to this area voluntarily, but at this moment, it was appropriate to be here. She asked for a room in a poor, shabby little hotel.Near the hotel, she found a bank branch where she exchanged all the dollars she had on her.That was the money my father sent to the embassy.In a small electronics store, she bought a cheap mobile phone with a prepaid card.Then I bought a few pairs of jeans, sneakers, cosmetics, hair dye, a pair of scissors, and a pullover with the words of a famous American school on it.

Not even her father would have recognized her at once, Mary thought.Her hair was cropped short, revealing strands of light-colored highlights.The makeup was heavily applied on her face, so that no one could see the bruises and bruises on her face.With jeans, sneakers and a jumper, she looks like a student.Mary stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself as if looking at a stranger. She didn't take out her mobile phone until she was walking on the street at night and called her father.She knew that a satellite positioning search could pinpoint the location of the caller.She wondered if the person following her had this ability.But if they had been part of a foreign intelligence service or something like that, it would have been possible to tap my father's phone and trace her cell phone.Her time is limited.Hello, Dad.

Mary!Finally it's you!where are you?I thought you were going home for lunch! Sorry, something happened to me. What's up?where are you? I still have some things to attend to.Don't worry.I am fine.I will call you again. mary please Mary has hung up the phone.Father knew her too well.The brief phone call must have given him the idea that she was in trouble.He must be very worried.But there was nothing she could do.She tried the phone number at Rafael's residence again.Still only leave a message.She turned off her phone anxiously, bought a box of salad and sandwiches, and went back to the restaurant.

News reports on television are showing Israel and neighboring countries moving closer together.Despite repeated protests and suicide attacks, there is a clear sense that political leaders in the Near East have recently resolved to comprehensively resolve regional disputes.Commentators said that the foreign policy advocated by US President Chigurh culminated in the Riyadh Peace Summit, which was a remarkable and historic success. Mary turns off the TV.Out there, someone holds the secret to pheromones.Once it is used, it will certainly not be possible to maintain world peace.She thought of those school children in Iraq.Who has such ability

She slept restlessly again, tossing and turning.When she woke up the next morning, it took her several seconds to remember where she was.She was taken aback.The threat that had been so real yesterday suddenly seemed unreal.Are the traces on the piano really that clear?She suddenly became uncertain. She thought of Mrs. Heitwig, her downstairs neighbor.Mary traveled a lot, so she gave Mrs. Hertwig her own house key, in case the maintenance man came in, or Mary lost the house key.In addition, Mrs. Heitwig often went upstairs to water her plants while Mary was away.That makes sense.Perhaps Mrs. Hertwig had touched the piano at some point or even played on it.

It's easy to verify this.It was seven forty-five in the morning, and the old lady must have been up early.Mary knows her phone number by heart.Mary's digital memory is super strong, and she can't forget the phone number she dialed once.At this moment, she didn't care about the possibility of her mobile phone being detected at all. Heitwig. Good morning, Mrs. Heitwig, I'm Mary.ashe.sorry to disturb you so early It's Miss Ashe!I just said, I heard something yesterday.You went on vacation, didn't you? Mary hesitated for a moment.Well, sort of!Mrs. Heitwig, have you been in my room the other day?

Mary's words seemed to startle the old lady.You told me to take care of your plants. certainly.I just want to make sure. Is there something wrong?I went up to see it last Thursday afternoon No, no, everything works fine.I just want to ask you, have you ever touched my piano? Mrs. Heitwig hesitated for a moment.Why are you asking this?Mrs. Heitwig, this is very important to me.Have you ever opened the Type Cover? I'm sorry, Miss Ashe.Herbert, my husband, played the piano very well.I used to take piano lessons for two years when I was very young.But I have no talent, and Herbert is always making fun of me.So, I never dared to play again.I've always envied you for having that beautiful piano, so I'm sorry the other day, really

While Mary was relaxed, a new shock came over her, like being poured cold water over her head after a warm shower.She was trying to control herself.Oh, no, no, that's not what I meant.You can come and play with me anytime. real?You are so generous! Mrs. Heitwig, thank you!goodbye! Miss Ashe, are you really all right?Why does your voice sound a little nervous No, no, really everything is fine, really.goodbye!Mrs. Heitwig! goodbye!Miss Ashe! Mary covered her face with her hands.Not good at all, not at all!Terrible!Obviously, she's crazy.Her flight yesterday for no apparent reason was clear evidence that the experience of Africa had derailed her consciousness.The disease that had been dormant in her body since childhood was finally showing up.She needs professional help!

She was very afraid of seeing a psychiatrist, worried that she would be detained on the spot, just like they did to her mother back then.Still, she was strong enough to get past that fear before the disease took hold of her.Maybe it's not too late now.Maybe the doctor can help her in time. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she suddenly understood how her mother felt at that time. She went into the bathroom to take a shower.Mary was taken aback when she saw herself in the mirror.Gone is the beautiful long hair, leaving only a short disheveled cut with light highlights that look vulgar.What did she do, how would she explain it to her father, and what would Rafael say? Raphael!He hasn't shown up yet.What if she wasn't crazy?What if Olduma kidnapped her, or if the man who had been hiding behind the pheromones really wanted to kidnap her? She dialed his phone. grande. Surprise and shock left Mary speechless for a while.She thought that there must be another recorded message on the other end of the phone! Hello? Mary felt a rush of relief.No matter what's wrong with her, Rafael is still fine!He is back! Hi Raphael, it's me, Mary!I have called you many times where are you? sorry.I just got back to Berlin last night.They tortured me in Khartoum before finally letting me go.But when I arrived in Frankfurt, I was greeted by the men in black, who took me away immediately, and then squeezed me for two days.They didn't even tell me who they were.Even the men in black.and you?How are you?where are you I'm fine, just a little tired. I hear you thwarted Uduma's plan!Can we meet and talk about everything? Suddenly Mary was terrified, lest he see her face.But on the other hand, there was nothing she looked forward to more than seeing him.OK, just wait a while.I still have some things to do. Wait a minute?until when? How about this afternoon?Two o'clock in the afternoon? To your place, or to my place?i mean uh yeah Mary chuckled to herself.I'm at your place. marvelous!He told Mary the address.I'm so happy.See you this afternoon! See you this afternoon!After Mary finished speaking, she hung up the phone and went into the bathroom again to see what disaster she had done to her hair yesterday.She needs a good barber, the sooner the better! After a few hours, she felt much better.The young Turkish hairdresser really managed to get her short, tousled hair into a proper shape, short and jet-black.When Mary faced the mirror again, she felt fashionable and young.After tipping the hairdresser a big tip, she wandered around unfamiliar streets filled with snack bars, vegetable shops and second-hand shops to kill time. Although the wind blowing on the face has brought the chill of winter, it is refreshing in autumn.Mary was light and joyful.Raphael is back!There is always a solution to her own problems. Looking at it now, her series of thoughts are really ridiculous.Auduma was a terrorist and certainly could have endured a terrorist attack that killed many innocent people at a peace summit.In addition, she has no evidence to investigate whether his sister was killed by a Soviet bomb.Perhaps he told her this to arouse her affection for him.He is undeniably smart and charming.But from a distance, it becomes clear what a conceited rascal he is!Even if Olduma is removed, the other person who has mastered pheromones has nothing to do with her Mary, it is not her problem.She didn't have to hide from anyone at all. The voice in her head was low, and seemed to be full of grievances. Mary called her father and told him she had a meeting with a colleague before going home for a few days.After she made the phone call, she walked to the next subway station along the way.Raphael's house on Crosshill is a multi-storey building built in the mid-eighteenth century during Germany's economic boom.Mary rang the bell, her heart pounding. Rafael opened the door immediately, as if he had been waiting at the door for a long time.Hi Mary!please come in.what happened to your hair She was struck by lightning. He noticed the expression on Mary's face.I mean, this hairstyle suits you very well.I'm just not used to it yet. Mary snorted.Rafael is Rafael.Nice to meet you too.After finishing speaking, she couldn't hold back any longer, put everything behind her, ignored the rational warning and Copeland's unwritten rules for employees, stretched her arms, put her arms around Rafael's neck, and kissed him. At first, Raphael seemed surprised, but then he responded with an even more intense kiss, as if he had been waiting for this moment for weeks. After a while, the two stopped panting.Do you want to come in first?he asks. Raphael's room is small and not very elegantly decorated, but it has a clear purpose.Based on Mary's understanding of him, Raphael must have been cleaning after she finished the phone call.Would you like a cup of coffee? OK. Apparently his understanding of coffee is limited to general beverages with boiling water and coffee instant packs, and the amount of coffee in the cup is twice as much as recommended.He placed a tin of soggy biscuits on the table.Mary thought sadly of Irene's coffee and pastry tray.As for the way of life, she had to train this man well. Tell me, how did you save the world?he asked, sitting next to her. I'll talk about it later.Mary pushed the coffee aside and showed him with her lips what she most wanted right now. Shall we go for a walk?Forty-five minutes later, Rafael asked.He lay beside her, still out of breath.The body fragrance wafting from his sweaty body was extremely alluring. Mary stretched out enjoying herself on the messy bed.She wanted to pull him over and do it again.But looking at Rafael's appearance, he seems to need to rest first.All right. A few minutes later, the two held hands and walked slowly down the street.Mary told him about Riyadh, and he told her about the interrogations.It's unbelievable how many times they have asked me the same question, just from different people.Anyway, I don’t know when it started, even I don’t know what things have been said and what have not been said. Apparently, officials from all parts of the United States are on the trail of Auduma.Judging by Rafael's description of the interrogation, it appeared that they were engaged in a competition to see who could wring the most valuable information out of him.Perhaps, whoever captures Olduma will get a huge bonus. They came to a park.Today is a working day, and there are only a few elderly people in the park.I thought, I'd hand in my resignation to Copeland.When they came to an old beech forest where leaves covered the road, Raphael suddenly announced. Mary was taken aback.Why?What's wrong? Rafael stopped and looked at Mary sincerely.I am not fit to work there, corporate consultants are not part of my world.I have known this for a long time.I have to do something that will make my idea come true.Maybe, one day I will set up my own company.Also, Mary, I love you!I want to be with you.As you know, Copeland won't allow that. Mary made a face.nonsense!Although the company does not allow relationships between colleagues, it violates the German constitution.I'm sure no one would enforce the rules so strictly.You can be independent whenever you want.But I believe you can learn a lot from Copeland.Plus, you're a treasure to Copeland.You don't think like a typical business consultant, and that's the best part! how about you?Raphael asked. me what? Do you want to be with me?or, just now Mary hugged him tenderly and gave him long kisses.No, no, I'm not one night stand type. I feel so too. They walked forward silently, intoxicated in the fresh air and the slanting warm sun, and immersed in the sweetness of love. Suddenly, Mary felt a chill down her spine.She had a strong desire to look back.They're after you, right behind you, the voice whispered. Oh no, don't do this again!She shook her head. what's wrong with youRaphael asked softly, looking at her worriedly. nothing.Mary murmured, holding back tears.During the day, she truly believed that the delusion had been suppressed.But now, the voice in her subconscious suddenly sounded again, endangering her life again.I believe, I can't quite get over that thing yet. Raphael nodded.Me too.He laughed, but I'm so glad the two of us are together. Mary clung to him tightly.Me too.Suddenly, she wanted to go back right away, to his apartment, to feel his body again. want to go back?Raphael asked at the same time, as if feeling her strong desire. well we maybe At that very moment, Mary heard a strange sound, like a ripe fruit falling to the ground.Rafael rushed forward a few steps, as if he had been punched in the back, bent his legs, and fell forward.He stared at Mary with wide eyes, bright red oozing from the gray sweatshirt under his open leather jacket.