C hapter 3

Chapter 3

Once located in the director's large office, the Admiral went straight to the point.

“You will be surprised but although we have not seen each other before I have references from you that have caught my attention. What we are going to discuss in this meeting is strictly secret and at the moment you cannot tell it to your boss or to Director Clark.”

He paused to make sure he had been understood and then continued.

“Tell me, in your opinion, what it is the most relevant of this and the other cases.”

Lakshmi answered without hesitation.

“The word Alamut.”

“Okay, and what does it suggest to you?”

“The fortress of the sect of the assassins in the Middle Ages in the Asia Crescent.”

“All right. Is it just a historical reference?”

Lakshmi felt a little uncomfortable answering this question.

“No… it was a sect of Islam with a strong esoteric content.”

Donnelly smiled and pulled out a narrow file from his attaché.

“This is the information I have gathered about you.”

He opened the file and began to read aloud to himself.

“Let's see. Lakshmi Nania Dhawan, born in Bombay, today Mumbay, India, of parents belonging to high castes, attended high school in London and then her family emigrated to the United States, settled in New York City and once here she completed her studies in Law and entered the FBI twelve years ago and since then has had an outstanding record ... her evaluators insist with her natural intelligence and loyalty ... married to the Icelandic anthropologist Ingo Ragnarsson, she had her only daughter Anila with him, how old is the girl now ...?”

“Seven years.” Lakshmi completed.

"Seven years." The Admiral repeated. "But a couple of years later she divorced her husband and has not remarried.”

The old man continued reading in silence, until finally he closed the file and added.

“But what interests me most is not d in this file.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean your connection to the Bluthund Community.”

Hearing this unexpected phrase, Lakshmi jumped in her chair. She immediately understood that she couldn't pretend and say that she didn't know what the old Admiral was talking about, so she decided to face the situation.

“ Admiral, I'm surprised you even know the term. Let me ask you what you know about Bluthund.”

“ Little, and I hope that you can enlighten me about it.”

Lakshmi reflected on the fact that she was speaking to a man who, despite his somewhat fuzzy duties, was his superior and therefore could not ignore his request. She sat in another position in the chair, cleared her voice, and began an impromptu explanation.

“Bluthund, word that means bloodhound in German, is an informal group that was created a decade and a half ago and has been consolidated over time through joint participation -although generally in virtual form- of its members. The number of these has been growing due to strict word of mouth communication. At present, it brings together researchers who use "alternative" methods to solve their cases.”

The Admiral pondered this answer and asked.

“What alternative methods? What cases are involved? How do you select the topic you are going to focus on?”

“Those are several different questions. We are going to deal with them one by one. Cases can be historical or current police events, events that normally have strong roots in the past and even in the remote past, in short, intriguing and inexplicable events and generally referring to all kinds of bizarre issues.”

“Alternative methods?

“It refers to the use of methods not based on the positive sciences, but rather on traditional knowledge, in arcana of different cultures.”

“Arcana?

“Secret, hidden things, with a halo of mystery.”

“Can you give me some examples, please?

“I am going to mention some recent ones that involved various researchers, to give you an overview of the techniques and knowledge used.”

The young woman coughed in order to clear her throat and continued.

“A case was solved using the opinions of the I Ching, the thousand-year-old Chinese book of wisdom, which recommends courses of action in the different circumstances that are consulted to it by scholars.”

“I know the book. Based on random facts such as throwing Chinese coins with Yin and Yang on their faces or throwing yarrow stalks leads to different hexagrams giving the book opinions or advice.”

"Another case was based on reading ancient texts from Scandinavian runes." Lakshmi continued.

“ I also know the subject. In the Futhark or Nordic alphabet each sign has a very precise esoteric value.” Donnelly replied.

“Whose knowledge suggests courses of action for the seasoned reader.”

The woman thought for a moment.

“There have also been historical cases that were revealed appealing to the knowledge of Nazi esotericism.”

“A body of complex and absurd beliefs but that had immense influence in circles very close to Adolf Hitler in his time of heyday.” The old man completed. “Well, all this confirms the reason why the two of us are meeting at this moment, and without witnesses.”

“I am really anxious to know what interest the State Department has in the Bluthund group.” Said the woman.

Donnelly decided it was time to open up his game and get on the subject.

“You have to know that it is not the State Department that is formally interested but that it is a collateral branch -not an official one- that is in my charge. Due to the similarities between the cases that the CIA representative listed at the meeting in the Situation Room, we have the provisional conclusion that there is not a plot, but a series of coordinated actions carried out by a new or reappeared group, with inexplicable ends. The key is the appearance of the word Alamut in all cases, and we think that it cannot be accidental, but we believe that it is an action of… let's call it of disclosure, even of advertising.”

“Please explain yourself.”

“Some group is trying to announce “here we are” or “we have now returned”. This may be for commercial purposes.”

“Commercial?”

“Publicity for the sale of a service: murder.”

The woman looked somewhat puzzled and stammered.

"Admiral, exactly what do you expect of me?"

“ That you study the cases in Bluthund and contact me to act in an informal, loose association that will give you independence of action. You will never be acting publicly for the account and order of the United States government.”

The meeting ended soon after, but not before Donnelly asked Lakshmi for an oath of confidentiality.

As it was late, the woman went to her apartment to have a shower and dine alone. While she was traveling in his car Lakshmi was ruminating on her next steps, which were personally painful. To resume contact with the Bluthund Community, she had to remove the ashes of his recent past and speak first with someone who had been an important part of it.

When she got to her apartment, Lakshmi took off her heavy coat and shoes, threw herself on the bed, trying to contain some tears and calm her breathing. When she thought she was in control of herself, the woman picked up her phone and looked for a number in the directory. When she dialed someone answered at the third ring of the bell.

“Hello, Jack, I'm Lakshmi.”