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After seven grueling hours Itzak texted Benny from Israel: I barely got into the Prime Minister’s office complex. It’s hell over there. They’re preparing for an imminent invasion. They’re about to call up the reserves. They were politely showing me out the door. Then, when I mentioned your name, they grabbed my arm and pulled me in. While I was there they were reviewing protocols for nuclear release authority. Not executing them, just reviewing them for familiarization.
Benny: Oh shit. Who’s going to invade?
Itzak: Anyone. Everyone. Something big is going on. I don’t know if it’s true, but someone said the global economy is about to collapse. And you’re one of four people at the center of it. They said the collapse is going to be especially bad in the Middle East. It’s going to be chaos around here.
Benny: Me? What the hell?
Itzak: I’ve been ordered to bring you home. I’m chartering a private jet right now. How soon can you get to SFO?
Benny: Don’t fuck with me. We’re under house arrest here. I can’t go out to my garden, much less SFO.
Itzak: What if I get you diplomatic immunity? I can get that to the US State Department in half an hour.
Benny: Good idea. Except for one little problem. They think I’m a US citizen. If Israel gives me diplomatic immunity, the US immediately arrests me for treason.
Itzak: There’s gotta be a way to get you out.
Benny: No. Even if there is, there isn’t. You know damn well about the autism. I can’t leave and I won’t leave. I hate the FBI being here. But, so long as they are here, we’re well protected. Though I don’t know from what or why. And the FBI presents opportunities for hacking I haven’t had before. If the FBI ever finds out what’s going on, then I’ll find out what’s going on. There’s lots of good pieces in play here Itzak. Powerful pieces. We need to put them together into a plan. But first I need to know what’s going on. Why is this happening?
Itzak: They wouldn’t tell me. They said neither of us had a need to know.
Benny: I’M FUCKING CAUSING A GLOBAL ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AND I DON’T HAVE A FUCKING NEED TO KNOW???!!!
Itzak: Not causing. Caused. It’s a done deal. They said there’s nothing you can do about it. You published something a few months back that started it in motion, that made it inevitable. It’s just taken this long to hit the fan. There’s nothing you can do to make it better or worse. There’s nothing anyone can do about it.
Benny: If I’m so fucking useless, why are people trying to kill me or kidnap me?
Itzak: Good question. I got no answer. Yet. I’ll head over to Mossad first thing tomorrow. Maybe they’ll tell me.