Chapter 32 – Mimi’s kidnapping

A few hours after Mimi’s kidnapping, Claire comes home from work and throws her bag on the kitchen table. A letter flutters off the table due to the air movement. Curious, she walks around the table and picks it up. She immediately gets the fright of her life.

‘Noa, I have your sweetheart. 20,000 euros in the garbage can by the statue of the fallen soldier in the park on Sunday at 2 p.m. Otherwise I’ll tell your housemates. D’

Claire is shocked. Marc comes in sweaty and with a red face. He had trained intensively that afternoon. He sees her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asks anxiously.

“Mimi has been kidnapped!” she exclaims.

Lisa also comes in at that moment. “Mimi has been kidnapped?”

“I’m going to get the others. They’re probably working in the basement,” says Marc, all the blood has immediately drained from his face.

A little later he returns with an equally pale Noa. Jean Paul and Lana follow at a slower pace. Noa snatches the letter from Lisa’s hand to read the text. Then he starts cursing profusely. Claire and Lisa’s eyebrows go up in surprise. They didn’t expect that from him. The seamstress puts a hand on his arm to calm him down.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles. He can’t take his eyes off the note.

“Do you know who D is?” Lisa asks.

Noa nods, but doesn’t say anything else.

“Do you want to tell us?” she asks again. She pulls out a chair close to him. “Sit down Noa, you’re clearly upset, just like us.”

He sinks into the chair with a thud, all the strength gone from his body. He nods. “I’ll tell you everything. Even if it means I have to leave the house afterwards.”

Everyone immediately looks for a place at the table. They wait with anticipation for their tough housemate to tell the story, which is clearly difficult for him.

“You know I was a mercenary.” He looks around the table. All five nod. Mimi had told Lisa, she told Claire and so it went on through the inhabitants of the house. Actually it wasn’t necessary, because it was already obvious from his posture and face. Noa takes three photos from a trouser pocket and puts them on the table. They pass from hand to hand and everyone looks at them, while Noa tells.

He was the team leader of a close-knit group of mercenaries. During a battle he had to choose between protecting the local residents or his team. With the approval of his team members he chose the residents, because they could all take care of themselves. By a stupid coincidence a team member died. His men decided among themselves to keep it quiet, because the man had no family who would miss him, which was the same for many of them. They wanted to protect Noa. Each and every one of them supported the decision, and they themselves would have wanted to protect the residents. In gratitude for saving the village, Noa was given the medallion that he wears around his neck. He takes it out, rubs it once, kisses it and lets it fall back behind his T-shirt.

“It’s an old coin and it’s part of the village’s heritage,” he explains further. “The villagers think I’m their protector and therefore have a right to their heritage. I’ve been wearing it ever since as a reminder of that time. To remind myself that I should always make the right decision.”

He thinks for a moment and continues. “After this, I’d seen enough blood and misery. I needed some peace in my life. I resigned from the army and came back to my own country.”

“Who’s D?” Lisa asks again.

“Danni,” Noa answers. “He’s the one on the left in that photo.” He points to the photo of the three unrecognizable mercenaries in their protective clothing. “Danni was a team member of mine and a friend, or so I thought. He was a good guy, always supported my decisions, always had my back. We were mates. He must have a big problem to do something like this.”

There is a moment of silence in the kitchen. Everyone has to process this intense story. Lisa puts a hand on his arm again.

“You are not to blame, Noa.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “You know the whole story now,” he mumbles. “I will feel guilty forever. And now that bastard is rubbing it in by kidnapping Mimi!” He sounds very angry.

Claire looks around the table. “What can we do to get the money together?”

Noa looks at her in surprise. “Do you really want to do that for me? Shouldn’t I pack my things and move out?”

Jean Paul walks over to him. “Of course not, mate. We will solve this together.” He gives his friend an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

The others agree.

“I have an idea,” Lisa says with a smile. The housemates look at her hopefully.