Beit Aghion
Eight days after Assassinations
Three days to Announcement
‘You have seen the news?’ Prime Minister Yago Cantor addressed his visitors: Jessy Levitsky, Nadav Shoshon, Jore Spiro, Avichai Levin, Alice Monash and Zeb. They were seated around a conference table, newspapers strewn on its polished surface.
Seven am. They had finished breakfast and were sipping their beverages.
‘Don’t need to.’ Levitsky pushed one publication away with his forefinger. ‘I have been in meetings and press conferences all night. I know what the headlines are.’
‘EQB CELL STRIKES AGAIN,’ Cantor read out. ‘That’s just one of them.’
‘That’s our spin on it,’ Shoshon grunted. ‘We told the media that the killers were from that organization.’
‘No one’s talking of Mossad anymore,’ Spiro grinned slyly at Levin.
‘And no one should,’ the ramsad said resolutely.
‘What about the investigation? In the first killing?’ the prime minister asked his team.
‘That’s progressing slowly, Yago,’ Levitsky admitted. ‘We have had to move resources to the EQB and the Lebanese attacks. Frankly, I don’t think we’ll find those killers before the big day.’
‘What about you?’ Cantor asked Levin.
‘The investigator and the trusted kidon were at the Galaxy. They helped foil the attack. They have moved to the IDF base and will remain there until the press conference is over.’
‘What about the remaining operatives?’ Shoshon questioned.
‘I think they, too, are good, but I want to be absolutely sure. That investigation will go a little slower. For the same reason Jessy mentioned.’
‘Once Baruti and I make the declara—’ The prime minister shot a swift glance toward Zeb and checked himself. ‘I guess all the media will be focused on that day. If those killers are Mossad, we can manage it. After the event.’
‘Yes, sir.’
For the first time in several days, Cantor was feeling hopeful. Yes, there had been another shootout in the streets. One in which rocket launchers had been deployed. Sure, there was clamor from the opposition that terrorists were ruling Jerusalem. And he had to deal with Japan. However, that attack had served an unexpected political purpose. It had helped bring most of his parties together. The American ambassador was dealing with the recalcitrant ones.
‘Alice, how are you doing? Recovered from yesterday?’
‘Everything happened too fast for me to panic,’ the ambassador said, laughing. ‘Besides, I was surrounded by your soldiers. They were relaxed. They told me to stay down on the floor. They were joking. The hotel was getting hit, windows were breaking, the building was shaking, but all these soldiers could talk about was how bad the attackers’ aim was.’
‘They are Israeli soldiers, Alice,’ Cantor said proudly.
‘Yeah.’ She looked speculatively at Levin. ‘The Galaxy. Choosing it was your idea. Why didn’t it come down? Any other hotel anywhere in the world would have collapsed.’
There was silence in the room.
‘Am I missing something?’
‘That hotel just might be,’ Levin made a show of coughing, ‘a Mossad front. Built specially to withstand such attacks.’
‘You fox.’
‘He’s that and more,’ Cantor agreed. He brought the meeting back to business. ‘Alice, you met Omet Zeev?’
‘I will be meeting him, later today.’ She smiled mischievously. ‘Did you know he has a mistress? In Tel Aviv?’
Cantor’s jaw dropped. ‘Omet Zeev? Are you sure?’
‘Brown,’ she looked at Zeb, ‘found a money trail. That led to her identity. It was easy after that.’
‘Isn’t he the one who talks about family values?’ Shoshon chuckled.
‘Yeah, and that’s why we hold an ace. His party will disown him if they come to know.’
‘You’re heading to the base?’ the ambassador asked Zeb as they walked out.
‘Yes, ma’am. Beth and Meghan are outside. We’re going straight away.’
‘I’ll be joining you in the afternoon.’
‘You, ma’am?’ he looked at her in surprise.
‘Yes. I need to be there. The U.S. has to be visible. I will stay there until the press conference.’
‘Where will it be held?’
‘Didn’t Levin tell you?’
‘I think he has a lot on his plate.’
‘It will be in Teddy Stadium. It’s a good venue; I have seen it.’ She threw a sidelong glance at him. ‘You know what’s going to be announced?’
‘I worked it out, ma’am. Many people in this country will be ready to die to stop it.’
‘Millions more on both sides and across the world will be ready to die for it.’
IDF Base, Negev Desert
The Negev Desert covered over half of Israel’s land area, in the south of the country, with the Gulf of Aqaba at its base and Beersheba, its capital and the largest city in the region, to its north.
Despite the region’s size, it was home to just over half a million people, a quarter of which were Bedouins. The government had invested heavily in the desert to make it more habitable and to entice people away from the larger cities. A major IDF base was being constructed in the desert to house ten thousand soldiers and over two thousand civilian staff. A host of high-tech companies had sprung up around the military center.
It wasn’t just the IDF that had camps in the desert. The U.S. had an air defense base inside the Israeli Air Force’s Mashabim Air Base. There was the Negev Nuclear Research Center, plus civilian establishments, Bedouin towns and villages, and vast arrays of solar panels in the region.
Magal had eyes for no town or historic ruin. He sat alongside Shiri in the air-conditioned bus that was transporting the twelve kidon to the IDF base, paying no attention to the stark landscape rolling past. Negev means dry in Hebrew, and the view outside the window, once they had left the urban areas, gave truth to the name.
Flat lands, valleys, dried-out streams, hills and misshapen, rocky outcrops flew past. Magal slept. Or so the other operatives thought.
The kidon was actually wide awake. He was making plans.
Today to check out the camp. Tomorrow, to attack.
Time was at a premium. As was access.
The bus had cell-jamming technology, and no operative could make or receive calls. All Carmel had told them was that they weren’t going to one of the larger military bases. Their destination was not on any map. Yes, it was an IDF camp, she said when Magal pressed for more details. ‘Sayeret Matkal is based there,’ is all she would say. ‘Your cell phones won’t work there, either. Eliel, Navon, you’re from that unit. You must be familiar with the base.’
‘No,’ Navon shook his head. ‘They move bases often. This is a new one to us.’
Some kidon had protested about the cell phones.
‘Mine will work,’ she told them. ‘Abhyan has enabled mine. You have an urgent comms request, come to me. Carter’s and the sisters’ will work as well.’
A few voices grumbled, but they were half-hearted. All the kidon were mission-experienced. They knew good security protocol when they heard it. They didn’t question why the Americans had special privileges. They had seen how close their director was to them. With access came benefits.
Magal had anticipated comms challenges. He had made arrangements in Haifa and before boarding the bus, had spoken quietly to Carmel.
‘You might get a call from my foster mother’s house.’
‘Yes, of course,’ she responded, concern on her face. ‘I will let you know immediately.’
‘I might have to go for a few hours.’
‘I am sure we can make arrangements.’
‘I will come back, however.’
‘You don’t need to, Eliel. I understand the circumstances. Stay with her.’
‘This helps take my mind off it. I will return.’
‘As you wish. It will be a long ride, however.’
Haifa was a good three hours away from the base. Six hours of travel both ways. A sufficient window for Magal to travel to Beersheba, which was just forty minutes away, and pick up supplies. He had a network in that city, as he did in each major Israeli one.
Shiri and I against Sayeret Matkal. A thrill ran through Magal.
We will win.
Moscow
‘Yuri,’ Andropov roared when he entered his office.
The hacker scampered into his office.
‘See what’s in this,’ he said, tossing him the thumb drive.
‘What’s this?’
‘It’s a thumb drive, durak.’ Fool.
‘I know that.’ Yuri looked affronted. ‘What’s inside?’
‘If I knew, would I ask you?’ Andropov thumped his desk. A glass of water spilled, and he leaped up to mop it. ‘See what you have done.’
‘I didn’t do anything.’
‘Get out of my office.’
Yuri departed.
‘Wait!’
Yuri turned around, with a long-suffering expression on his face.
‘Send me the files inside that,’ he pointed to Yuri’s fist, ‘before you do anything.’