Jerusalem
Present Day
‘Won’t it be better if we get Shabak or the police to investigate? You won’t know whom to trust in Mossad.’ The prime minister turned off the TV and settled in his chair.
Levin remained standing, though Cantor had nodded at an empty chair. ‘One of the reasons Mossad is successful is its secrecy. Once I allow other agencies inside, that is lost. Let me clean my house, sir. My way.’
The prime minister swore softly and was waving a hand to dismiss the ramsad when his desk phone trilled and the aide popped his head through the door.
‘Sir, you should take this.’
‘I said, no calls,’ Cantor grumped. ‘Who is it?’
‘President Morgan, sir.’
The Israeli leader motioned for Levin to sit, cleared his throat, took the call and turned on the speaker.
‘Mr. President, it is good to hear from you, sir,’ he greeted the leader of the free world.
William (Bill) Morgan had been elected based on his manifesto to deliver change. Reposition America’s standing in the world, have closer ties with allies, regenerate employment, and, perhaps the most ambitious of all, bring peace to the Middle East.
He and the British prime minister were the only two world leaders to know of the peace negotiations and of the Israeli’s vision. Morgan and Cantor had become closer when the prime minister had revealed what he wanted to achieve.
‘Yago, I can imagine how things are at your end.’ The president’s Texas drawl sounded loud and clear in the room. ‘I wanted to check if you needed any help.’
Cantor knew what that meant. The offer’s genuine. But Morgan also wants to know what’s happening.
‘Sir, at this moment, what we have is not much more than what you’re watching on screen.’ He went on to brief the president with the available facts.
‘Could this be a false flag operation?’ Morgan asked. ‘Someone wanting to discredit Israel as well as Mossad?’
‘That’s a possibility, sir. Avichai Levin is with me and he’ll be investigating.’
‘Hello, Mr. President,’ the ramsad said, leaning toward the speaker phone.
‘Avichai, I have instructed our agencies to cooperate with you. Any help you need, any intel … nothing will be held back.’
‘I appreciate that, sir.’
‘Yago, has anything changed?’ The president asked, referring to the negotiations.
‘I haven’t had the opportunity to brief President Baruti, sir. I’ll be doing that shortly. We want the peace talks to progress. These killings haven’t altered that.’
‘That’s great to hear, Yago. I have instructed Alice to cut short her vacation and to return to Jerusalem. She will be more than happy to help you with anything.’
Alice Monash was the American ambassador to Israel. An experienced diplomat, she was widely respected by both Israel and Palestine.
‘We appreciate that, sir.’ Cantor hung up after speaking for a few more minutes with the president. He sat for several moments staring at the photographs framed on the walls. Muted sounds drifted in through the closed door. A phone ringing somewhere in the residence. Indistinct voices. Since he lived alone, Beit Aghion had become more of a second office and less of a home.
‘A bird cannot fly with one wing,’ he mused. ‘Shimon Peres used to say that. For peace, we need two parties. We cannot deviate. We will not waver.’
He reached for the phone and dialed a number from memory.
‘President Baruti?’ he asked when a voice came on the line.
He winced when a tirade erupted from the other end and held the phone away from his ear.
He gestured at Levin, who was rising, to remain seated and put the phone on speaker.
‘Mr. President,’ he interrupted the Palestinian’s angry words. ‘Mr. President … allow me to speak, sir.’ The two men spoke in Hebrew, as they usually did.
‘What is there to speak, Prime Minister?’ Baruti demanded, angrily. ‘You betrayed my country. You made false promises. You spoke nice words and I was drawn in. I thought, here’s an Israeli leader who is different. He wants peace and means it. I can do business with him. Business? Your only business was to kill my negotiators. You are a liar, Prime Minister. A liar who—’
‘Mr. President, I meant every word I said.’ Cantor’s face was flushed, but his voice was controlled. ‘I was committed to the peace process then. I am committed to it now. I was the one who told you my vision. Palestinians and Israelis living side by side, in harmony. That vision remains undimmed.’
‘Your Mossad killers have ended that vision,’ Baruti shouted.
‘Sir, we do not know if they are Mossad—’
‘Don’t know? Do you read the news, Prime Minister?’
‘I am aware of what’s being reported,’ Cantor replied stiffly. ‘However, there’s no proof. I have not authorized this operation. Director Avichai Levin is with me. He can confirm what I am saying.’
The ramsad switched to Arabic when he spoke, a mark of respect for the Palestinian president. ‘Sir, the prime minister is right. Mossad is not involved in these killings.’
‘But—’
‘I will be investigating those claims, sir. If any of my operatives were behind it, they acted on their own and will be dealt with. You have my word, sir. I know it is difficult for you to trust an Israeli’s word at this time. Nevertheless, this is a promise I make, in the holiest city of the world, Jerusalem.’
Baruti remained silent for a moment. ‘Yago?’
Cantor closed his eyes in relief at the mention of his first name.
‘I am here, Ziyan.’
‘You and Levin mean what you said?’
‘Yes, Ziyan. We are deeply sorrowed by the killings of Maryam Razak and Farhan Ba. We will investigate those killings and find whoever is responsible. But the peace talks should go on.’
‘Very well. I am taking a leap of faith in you.’
‘I will not let you down, Mr. President.’
‘I will send two more negotiators.’
‘That would be welcome, sir. Perhaps we could also release a joint statement.’
‘I thought you wanted to keep your vision a secret.’
‘We will not mention it in the statement. Both sides are committed to peace talks. That’s what the declaration will say.’
‘Let’s do it today, Yago. Let’s not waste time.’
‘I’ll instruct my office to work on this, Ziyan. They will contact your people.’
‘Shalom.’
‘Shalom.’
Cantor’s face was lined with fatigue. His eyes were narrowed with stress. Despite that, he managed a smile.
‘Avichai, I didn’t know you could speak so well.’
Levin rose and adjusted his suit. ‘It must be your proximity, sir.’
‘You fox,’ the prime minister laughed. ‘You’ll do very well in politics if you want to enter it.’
‘That’s not for me, sir.’
‘Avichai,’ the prime minister stopped him as he was opening the door. ‘This will bring pressure on me. My party, the coalition, the Knesset … there will be many calls to abort the negotiations. Many of our people will call me a traitor. You need to act fast.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Find them.’ Prime Minister Yago Cantor’s eyes turned steely. ‘Find these killers. If they are Mossad … deal with them.’
Levin nodded. He knew what the prime minister meant.
If the assassins were his operatives, justice would not be administered through any court of law.
It would be delivered the Mossad way.