A Price Above Rubies

Chapter Ten

Vecihi comes to visit her when Leon is at work. She knows he'll be working a little later and the children are with Yildiz and their cousins. She and Vecihi have roughly two hours between Hilal finishing her day at school and Yildiz returning with the children. She's given her sister the excuse of needing a few quiet hours to grade papers.

"I'll be leaving for Greece tomorrow and I'll have a better sense of where your brother... er...brother in law has been taken."

Hilal's hands are trembling as she pours him a cup of coffee. "What do you know about this GSD? Veronika makes them sound like some kind of facist regime determined to punish any Greeks who helped them lose the war."

Vecihi shook his head. "I don't think they're quite that fanatic. Or at least that's not the veneer they've cloaked themselves with. From what I've heard so far, they're trying to restore order to Greece and yes, dealing with traitors but the upper levels work more like the Americans with their special spy operations and they share Intel with other countries in pursuit of those who would endanger Greece. Those lower levels...," he swallowed as if unsure she could handle his information.

"Tell me," Hilal insisted.

"Rumours are the bureaucrats at the top are happy to look the other way as long as it gets them results."

"Results..." Hilal says softly, her mouth dry, her heart hammering with panic.

Vecihi's eyes soften with assurance. "We'll find him. Wherever he is. I promise, I'll do everything I can to bring him-"

A knock on the door makes them both jump and Hilal looks at the door in confusion when she sees her sister through the curtain covered window in the top half of the door. Leon had insisted they put the window in, not wanting to risk anyone wanting to surprise Hilal and cause trouble for her and her Greek husband.

She opens her mouth to ask Yildiz why she had come early but one look at Yorgo and she knows. Her little boy is flushed and resting his tired head against his aunt's chest.

"He just started throwing up, poor little guy," Yildiz says then blinks in surprise when she looks past Hilal to see Vecihi over her shoulder.

"Vecihi!" Yorgo exclaims with a delighted smile, lifting his head briefly, before his lack of energy makes it drop back on to Yildiz.

Hilal jumps a little guiltily. To hide her burning cheeks she rushes forward to take Yorgo in her arms.

"When did you get here?" Yildiz asks as Acelya runs towards Vecihi who scoops her into his arms.

"Hey, pretty girl!" He says kissing her cheek.

"You staying here for a visit? Please say you're going to stay a long time!" Acelya pleads.

Vecihi looks at Hilal, looking for some sign from her how to answer Yildiz's questions.

Hilal swallows. "He just got in a few hours ago. I wish he could stay but he's got an appointment with another adventure tomorrow, don't you?"

Vecihi looks at her apologetically. "I'm actually going to be here for a few days still."

She forces a smile and fights the urge to glare at him. Why? Why wasn't he leaving for Greece to save her brother right now? What was going to take him so long.

Yildiz is watching the exchange and the suspicion in her sister's gaze makes her uncomfortable.

Acelya is cheering with delight and Hilal can tell Yorgo is really feeling badly because he can barely join his sister in her exuberance.

"Stay here?" Yorgo asks weakly.

Hilal feels her son's forehead. He's warmer than he was earlier. A squeeze of concern tightens her heart. He's come down with something.

One quick shake of her head at Vecihi. She hopes Yildiz doesn't notice it and that Vecihi does.

"Sorry, little one. It looks like you're coming down with something and you're going to need to rest for a few days. I've got a room at your Uncle Yakup's place but I promise to come visit every day, okay?"

Yorgo scowls but doesn't protest which makes Hilal worry about how sick he must be. She kisses the top of his head and looks at her sister who is still watching her and Vecihi in blatant suspicion. Hilal stifles the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance because she knows Yildiz will barrage her with questions as soon as they're alone. "Thank you so much for watching them and bringing them home, Yildiz. I'm going to give Yorgo a bath and get him straight to bed. Vecihi, thanks again for coming. I'll let Leon know you'll be dropping by tomorrow," Hilal asks Acelya to bid them goodbye and accompany them to the door so Hilal can dodge Yildiz trying to prod her for info. Hilal will buy as much time as she can get away with.

Yorgo's fever rises and his nose is stuffed up by the time Leon makes it home a few hours later. She is just getting started on dinner after tucking a listless Yorgo into bed when Leon arrives home. He's not alone. A red haired man, shorter and stockier than Leon is with him. He seems familiar to Hilal but she can't place him until Leon introduces him. His old friend Luchas.

"He's joining us for dinner. Acelya, you want to set an extra plate for Papa's friend?" Leon says, after dropping a kiss on Hilal's lips.

Acelya doesn't reply. She's staring, transfixed at Luchas's arm, with its missing hand. "Where your other hand go?" She blurts out, making Hilal jump in surprise as she notices it now too, and then her face colors at her daughter's bluntness.

"Acelya!" Hilal hisses. Her daughter turns to her in confusion at her mother's scolding tone.

"What? It's not there," Acelya points out.

"It's alright," Luchas assures them. He looks down at Acelya. "I had a accident at work and they had to take it." He lifts the other one. "Still got this one though. See?"

"You should work at Papa's work. He don't have accidents. Just paper cuts sometimes," Acelya says, making them laugh and lightening the mood.

"Where's Yorgo?" Leon asks as they head to the living room.

"He's come down with something. I gave him a bath and he's sleeping now," Hilal explains as she pours Luchas a drink. He helped them much in the war and Hilal considers him a friend, but his presence here in Istanbul makes her nervous and she wonders if he is telling the truth about his injury.

She knows she'll get no answers until Acelya is asleep.

Leon goes up to check on Yorgo, leaving Luchas with them for a few minutes and she's half tempted to ask Acelya to do some random chore to get her out of the room, but it'd be too short a time for them to get into anything of substance so they make small talk, Luchas's eyes shifting nervously to the stairs where Leon has gone up as if he's not sure how to answer when Hilal asks him why he's left Greece.

That makes her mouth go dry with unease. Something is wrong. Does he know about Ali Kemal? Has he dealt with the same people? Does Leon know what happened to his brother? Dear God, please no. Leon returns and dinner is quiet with the occasional bit of random conversation. Lies, Hilal knows. All lies. She knows what her husband looks like when he lies. His eyes go a little shiftless and he can't look at her and the lobes of his ears actually turn a little pink. Yorgo is the same way.

Finally, Acelya is tucked in to bed and Hilal comes back down to find Leon standing up, another drink in his hand, as if he needs the courage.

"There's something happening in Greece that I need to tell you."