The Devil's Labyrinth

CHAPTER 22

ABDUL KAHADIJA CLOSED and locked the door behind him. The simple act of escaping his daily ritual, setting aside this time for prayer, filled his heart with peace.

He pulled down the window shade against the afternoon sun, and drew the heavy curtains, shutting out much of the city noise.

Yes. Better.

Much better.

Quiet. Peaceful.

He opened the closet, retrieved a box from the top shelf and set it on his bed. Slowly, reverently, he unpacked his kufi and thobe, laying them out on the bed, then carefully put the ancient prayer rug on the floor, orienting it precisely toward Mecca.

Next, he stripped off his clothes and entered the bathroom. With no time to bathe again completely, he began the cleansing ritual he followed five times each day.

“In the name of Allah,” he said, then ran warm water over his hands.

When cleansed three times from head to foot, he slipped into the gray, floor-length thobe and settled the white knit kufi on his head.

He stood for a moment, facing Mecca, ready to offer his prayers to Allah. But he must still his mind first.

The mission — the mission of ultimate vengeance — was at last approaching fruition, and the excitement of it interfered with his concentration.

But it must not interfere with his prayers.

He must not risk angering Allah, for this week at the mosque he would ask Allah to guide him to the one who could provide the last bit of information he required.

His heart rate increased as he visualized it, standing silently, eyes closed. This quest was his: only he understood all the myriad details that made the plan possible.

He must be infinitely careful, make not even the slightest mistake. Just one inappropriate word, a single glance or gesture, and years of planning would go to waste.

That could not happen.

He would not let that happen.

Abdul’s left hand began to curl into a fist.

He relaxed his hand. The moment for retribution had yet to come.

This was the time for prayer and worship.

This was the time to escape from the pain of life and sink into the arms of Allah and the blissful anticipation of all that Allah promises to the faithful.

Taking a deep breath and putting all worldly matters aside, Abdul began. “I intend to offer two Rikat of Faird, Fajr prayer for Allah.” He assumed the qiyam posture, hands to his ears, and all thought vanished except the all-encompassing, fierce love for his god.

“Allah u Akbar,” he whispered.

Allah is the greatest.