His belt is undone, his stomach bulging freely. Luca holds up his hands in mock fear and the guard grins at him. The guard jerks awake, reaching for his rifle. In his office, he unplugs his mobile, grabs his camera gear and opens the front door of his apartment, checking the corridor and then taking the rear stairs.Ī security guard dozes behind a desk in the foyer. Sliding his hand beneath the mattress, he pulls out a compact semi-automatic 9mm pistol and tucks it into a holster in the small of his back. His sunglasses are not too foreign looking. He dresses like an Iraqi and tries to sound like an Iraqi. It’s already nearly ninety degrees outside and not even the shutters can keep the heat out once the sun hits the side of the building.ĭrying his hair, he chooses a thin cotton shirt, something plain, cheap. Droplets pour from his short dark beard and down his chest over his genitals. Stripping off his T-shirt, he scoops water from a bucket with a ladle, pouring it over his head. The government can only provide electricity during certain hours, which means the appliances trigger at random times, day or night, creating a strange symphony of music and metal.
#Empty makeup containers michaels tv
Luca had been woken by the racket of washing machines, TV sets and air conditioners coming to life simultaneously. These security measures were followed by all western reporters in Baghdad, but Luca had added a few of his own over the years-advice that came down to possessing three vital tools for survival: a natural cowardice several US hundred-dollar bills sewn into his trouser cuffs and a well-developed sense of the absurd. Do not assume that a place that was safe yesterday will be safe today. Do not go out before checking whether any suspicious vehicles are loitering outside. There were others, of course, most of them to do with staying alive in a war zone: Do not make an appointment to see anyone you do not trust absolutely.
#Empty makeup containers michaels how to
The second most important lesson was how to make spaghetti marinara with a can of tuna and a packet of ramen noodles. The most important lesson Luca Terracini ever learned about being a foreign correspondent was to tell a story through the eyes of someone else. “It’s not what you say-it’s what you do.” 1 Make him look at the camera’s red light: the drop of electrified blood.” Press the barrel to the back of his head and pull off the hood. Pull back the slide and the bullet enters the chamber.”
You are going to create a day that will live forever, a date that doesn’t need an explanation.
You and the others are going to be famous. Everything goes quiet and all you hear is your own heartbeat, the blood squeezing through smaller and smaller channels. In that final instant everything slows down-the cars, the buses, voices on the street. “I can’t remember, but I’ve never forgotten the warmth of the day, the blinding glare, the dust on the leaves of the apricot trees. It’s about pulling the trigger… simple as that. And forget about taking an eye for an eye. It is not about embracing revenge or nurturing hatred. “It’s not hard to take a life when a life has been taken from you. During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.