SIA HEADQUARTERS, ABU DHABI, UAE—14:35 / 2:35 P.M. GST
It’s been three hours since we asked permission to hit the warehouse! Three hours, Efraim!” The only thing that aggravated Nir almost as much as incompetence was unnecessary delay. It was stupid. It was pointless. It would get people killed.
Using his cool and tranquil voice, Efraim said, “Take a deep breath, then count to 50.”
“Tell me to take a deep breath again and I’m going to hop the next plane back to Tel Aviv and shoot you myself.”
“Achi, hostile much? Listen, we now know what’s holding everything up. Apparently, the UAE deputy chief of police and general security, Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, caught wind of us being here. He was the Dubai chief of police during the Mahmoud al-Mabhouh assassination and personally led the investigation. He saw your file, and it seems he thinks he saw your face on one of the CCTV cameras at the airport after the hit.”
Oh, that’s just beautiful. With feigned surprise, Nir said, “Oh, come on. You told them that was ridiculous, didn’t you? The first three months of 2010 I was in Brazil.” He said it for the sake of the extra sets of ears he knew were tuned into his conversation. Neither Nir nor Nicole had been allowed access to their cell phones while working in the SIA headquarters. They were told it was for security; Nir knew it was so every word they said could be monitored. Their football field, their rules. At least they’d been able to get rid of their in-room monitor and his ever-present notebook.
“Of course I told them that. But Tamim wants either a full investigation into you and your role in the assassination or for another team to be brought in.”
“Brilliant. Either should be concluded somewhere around the time the next terrorist group decides to attack the UAE. Can someone please explain to him that as talented an agent as I am, I cannot be on two continents at the same time? And can you please let them know that I need to get to the warehouse now?”
“I told them about the warehouse. They said if you give them the location, they’ll be happy to send a police car over to check it out.”
Nir dropped into a desk chair, causing it to roll back on the tile floor. He squeezed the phone’s handset until he heard a crack. “No, Efraim. It’s got to be me and my team. They can include some of their people if they want, but I won’t have some random patrolman stumbling onto the militia and tipping them off that we’re on to them. And by the way, likely getting himself killed in the process.”
Frustration was starting to show in Efraim’s voice as well. He sighed. “I’ll talk to the ramsad, see if he can help. But if he says to tell them achi, then you have to tell them.”
“If the ramsad says to tell them that, then he’s not the strategist I thought he was.” Nir slammed down the phone.
“That seemed to go well,” Nicole said from across the room.
Nir turned toward her with a scowl, then saw her sarcastic smile. He gave a bitter laugh and a shake of the head.
“Remember when I talked about trusting God?”
Great, the last thing I need. “Please, Nicole, not now,” he said quietly.
“I know, I know.” Her smile was softer now—and genuine. “I’m just saying you’re putting this whole event on your own shoulders. That’s too much for anyone to carry, especially if this doesn’t turn out how we want. If you give it over to God, trust Him to be responsible for the situation, He’ll give you peace that He’ll take care of it.”
Her words sounded nice but also like a bit of a cop-out. If he couldn’t handle the stress, then what was he doing in this job? Still, if what she said was true, it could possibly help him. Any higher frustration level, and it was going to start clouding his decision-making. He was liable to start saying and doing things he would later regret.
“Okay, I’m game. Tell me how to get this peace.”
“The Bible says we just pray and ask for it. When we do, it says—and I quote—that ‘the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.’”
“Yeah, well there’s the rub,” Nir said, again quietly. “How is my heart and mind guarded in Christ Jesus if I don’t even believe in Christ Jesus?”
“You don’t believe in a historical Jesus?” Nicole sounded surprised.
“No. I mean, yes, I believe there was a guy named Jesus. But was He the Messiah? No. I doubt there even is a real Messiah. It’s kind of like waiting for Superman to come along and solve all your problems for you. Sometimes you’ve just got to go out and battle Lex Luther all by yourself.”
“Wow, you really are a geek,” she said with a laugh.
Yeah, I walked into that one. “So, computer nerd, back to my question. How do I get the peace of Jesus if I don’t believe in Jesus?”
He was unsettled to see tears form in Nicole’s eyes. She started to say something, then stopped. Finally, she said with a sad laugh, “I don’t know, Nir. I’m sorry. I’m still new at this, and I’m not very good. I’m trying to learn more, but I don’t have all the answers.”
Nir walked over to her, and when she stood, he wrapped her in his arms. Just holding her calmed him down. “I appreciate what you’re doing,” he said softly in her ear. “I promise, I hear everything you tell me. I’m not ready to buy what you’re selling, but keep praying for me. There may be hope for this geek yet.”
The phone rang, and Nicole stepped away to get it. Lifting the receiver, she passed it to Nir.
“Tavor,” he said.
It was Efraim. “Get your guys together. It’s a go. They wanted you to go unarmed, just as observers, but the ramsad had a conniption. So gear up. You’ll have ten of the elite Presidential Guards unit going with you.”
“Efraim, you are a beautiful man!”
“Thanks, achi. That’s what my mom—” Nir hung up before he could finish.
“It’s on,” he said to Nicole as he moved toward the door. “Now that they’ve caved on this, demand your cell phone back and insist on using your own laptop with your most secure VPN. If they push back, have Efraim get the ramsad involved again. Let’s run with the advantage while we have it.”
Ten minutes later, he was in one of two BAE Caiman MRAP transport vehicles racing toward the Royal Falcon Drones warehouse, hoping he would find himself some terrorists to swoop down on.