Nowhere to Hide(16)
Robert gave Cav a nod. “Jordan here is the first security contractor we’ve hired, even though Artemis is a year from coming online. We’re going to be assessing each charity to see if any of the other divisions need immediate security, like this one did. It’s a big job, but we’ve already hired a staff of ex-military experts who were under my command in the Air Force, and they’re getting contractors to help some of our more beleaguered or threatened charities.”
“Wow,” said Lia, smiling for the first time. “That’s awesome!”
Dilara said, “It’s just sad that we have to do this, Lia. You know, my mother created Delos Charities when I was eighteen years old. When I was thirty, I took over the helm. I’m forty-eight now. In all of those years, our charities were always welcomed with open arms by local people they served, no matter what country we placed one in.” She frowned. “Robert keeps telling me that the world changed when 9/11 happened, and I’ve been resisting it, but no longer. I just wish,” and her voice filled with anguish, “that we’d had reports on the threat level to you at La Fortuna.”
“That’s something else that will change,” Robert told her. “Because, Lia, you were in the Army, I’m putting you in charge of a weekly threat assessment report that will go directly to Dilara’s new security company. We want to know, from now on, what’s going on locally around the charity you serve. And if there are threats, we’re dividing them into three different levels. Level Three means we call the government of that country and get police there to assist you. If it’s a Level Two threat, we will be activating our own internal security response to whatever the threat is. We’ll either send down a single security contractor or a team, depending upon the situation.”
“And,” Dilara told Lia, “if you send in a Level One threat, we’ll have a jet with a response team of experts who can keep you and the charity safe within twenty-four hours of the call to Artemis Security.”
Lia sat back, eyes wide, stunned by this information. “That’s an incredible concept!”
Thoughtfully, Robert said, “Yes, and if we’d had that in place here we might have been able to avoid the murder of two fine young women. I could care less about a building burning—we can always rebuild. But we can never replace those two women, and that’s the hardest part of this situation. However, we will take care of Maria and Sophia’s survivors.”
Lia’s heart filled with love for these two people. As bad as the world was, she realized, there were people like Robert and Dilara, as well as their Turkish, Greek and American families out there, making a difference for the poor of the world. “I’m so glad you let me come to work for you,” she told them, her voice choking a bit as she fought back sudden tears. “I’m so proud to work for you.”
Dilara whispered, “You work with us, Lia, you don’t work for us. We’re just a larger family—a sort of cosmic family, if you will. We consider all our wonderful volunteers our children, too,” and she gave Lia a wobbly smile, tears glimmering in her eyes.
Lia swallowed twice. “I just don’t ever want to do anything else besides this work, Dilara, I really don’t. These children at La Fortuna are truly worth fighting for, and worth protecting,” she told them in a fierce whisper. “And that’s why I’m not quitting. I want to go back there and get a new building on the ground. I’ll help the new teachers who come in to assist. I just don’t want those children missing a year of school or more.”
“Do you have some ideas on how we can support your efforts while we rebuild?” Robert asked her, getting down to details.
“I do,” she replied, and began to lie out an impressive concept. It took forty-five minutes to describe, and the two Air Force officers who were part of Robert’s huge staff busily typed away on their laptops, getting down every word of her plan.
Lia fully expected that Robert or Dilara would have other great ideas to add to it, or would want to tweak hers in some way. When she finished, she drank her coffee, now cold.
Robert nodded, a pleased look on his face. “Your military training is showing, Lia, and I’m extremely impressed with your plan and your ideas. It’s solid as a rock. I have nothing to add to it.” He looked at Dilara. “What do you think?”
Smiling warmly, Dilara said, “I love the whole plan, Lia! I see no reason not to implement it as is. We’ll do it the moment you get back to La Fortuna with us. I’ll have our accounting department wire transfer adequate funds to do what you envision. I’ve brought down an entire new office supply system, including a new laptop and satellite phone for your use. My assistant, Sandy, will come with us to the village and help you get it all set up. You’ll have 24/7 contact with me directly, as well as others on my staff. You aren’t going to be left out here to fend for yourself with the threat of Medina hanging over you. That, I promise!”