Staying Alive

"The transport is set for 1:00 p.m. tomorrow." Habib Nusair absorbed the information without comment though the news was not what he had hoped for. There was no time for second-guessing now. From his high-rise apartment he stared out over the city of Seattle, Washington, his hatred searing through him with such force that he shook with the roar of it. This had been his mistake. His miscalculation. But he would right that grave injustice no matter the price. Today. "Assemble a team of four to include me," he said to the man who waited nervously for his response. "Our timing must be precise. There is no margin for error." "Habib." The man who served as his personal advisor moved closer. "The risk is far too great. Allow me to serve in your stead. You know I will not fail you." Habib glared at him, anger snarling inside him. "No. I will make this right. I will not bring shame on my father's name by sending someone else to right my wrong." His confidante humbly bowed his head. "Of course. I will inform the others that our retaliation is imminent." Habib turned his attention back to the view beyond the glass. He would strike quickly with a blow that would bring the imperialist pigs to their knees. He had waited his whole life for a moment to shine outside the shadow of his father. Now the time was at hand. No matter that the coming strike had been motivated by an error in judgment, he would ensure that his error evolved into a monumental turning point for the cause. He would not fail. Claire Grant cradled her cup of coffee and inhaled deeply of the rich aroma. She closed her eyes and relished the heavenly scent. Five minutes of peace in the teachers' lounge. That was all she needed. Everything had gone wrong this morning, starting with a soggy trip to school. The rain would do her flowers good, but it did nothing for her mood. From the arrival of her first student until the fourth-period bell rang and the group filed down the hall for art class, she hadn't had a moment of quiet time to herself. To make matters worse, it was Monday. No one wanted to be at school on Monday, especially not a room full of fifth graders. They wanted to sleep in as they had done on Saturday and Sunday. Plus, Saturday-morning cartoons were far more entertaining than math, history and science. Claire wasn't immune to the curse of Blue Monday herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept in...until this weekend. Now she, too, paid the price. Her usual patience had thinned far too early in the day for comfort, hers or her students. And the day was scarcely half over. Maybe this cup of coffee and a few minutes of peace and quiet was all she needed and she would be good to go. She hoped. The entire fifth-grade wing was now gloriously silent. The rooms, even the halls, were absent of the usual noises of running feet and teasing banter. The next forty minutes were not to be taken for granted. The first sip of caffeine-infused heat was no letdown. The savory brew tasted every bit as good as it smelled. Darlene Vernon must have made this pot. No one at Whitesburg Middle School made coffee the way Darlene did. Claire felt certain that whoever created Starbuck's had lifted the house recipe from Darlene. Claire had to smile when she considered the probable name the popular coffee house chain would have ended up with had Darlene been the one to conceive the idea. Something like Brewing with Darlene or the Grind, she imagined. Her friend had a fiercely wicked sense of humor for a middle-school teacher. Speak of the devil. "I hope your morning is going better than mine," Darlene noted, that famous sense of humor apparently having gone temporarily dry. All fifth-grade students spent fourth period in one of three places, physical education, art or music, giving the teachers a free period for plaWebb, Debra is the author of 'Staying Alive ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373514380 and ISBN 0373514387.