CHAPTER 29

No longer in any rush to see Elena emerge from the restaurant, Eytan paced the sidewalk as he listened to Avi Lafner’s analysis of the exams performed on the unconscious woman after the struggle at the clinic. The doctor concluded with his diagnosis.

“You’re sure about these results?” the agent asked.

The question was rhetorical. The physician enjoyed a good joke, but he took his job seriously.

“A hundred percent. So why didn’t you tell me about the woman’s condition? Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to make the connection between the two of you?”

“You know exactly why I didn’t say anything.”

“By now you should know I’m not some Frankenstein wannabe like that demented scientist. One day that fact will make it through your thick skull. In any event, her affliction is spreading quickly. I don’t think she has much time left.”

“What about my serum? Could it work on her?”

“I already thought about that. The answer is no. She wouldn’t survive. The gene mutation in your body makes your metabolism move faster at certain times. Basically, you heat up, and the serum cools you down. Her metabolism, on the other hand, is in a constant state of above-normal activity, like a pot of water on simmer. The serum wouldn’t do anything for her. And I don’t know of any cure. At least, none in my area of medicine.”

“So what should I expect now?”

“Ah, I take it you’re still with her?”

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

“You’re such a jerk. Well, it’s hard to predict the progression in a patient like Elena. But it could start with a loss of consciousness, followed by vision problems, headaches, and mood swings. Nothing fun about it.”

“So how much time does she have?”

“Most people with Elena’s condition die within two to five years of diagnosis. But like you, she is far from the average patient. And since I’m unable to observe her more closely, I’d need a crystal ball to give you any more insight.”

Eytan saw Elena coming out of the coffeehouse. She had a smile on her face.

“Thanks, Avi. I have to go. I’ll keep you updated.” The agent ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket.

“Any updates?” she asked cheerfully.

“No,” he replied in a tone that was much more distracted than he intended.

“Oh, come on. What’s with the dagger eyes? I was only a couple of minutes late.”

“I wasn’t making a face.”

“It looked to me like you were.”

There was a moment of awkward silence.

“Guess we’re not going to quibble like an old married couple, are we,” Elena said.

Eytan held up the small briefcase and changed the subject.

“This time we’ll be traveling light. We’ll have to be deft.”

Two hours later, they were cruising north, toward Utsunomiya, in a rented car. Their destination was the delivery address Elena had retrieved. According to the GPS, the trip would take about two hours. Eytan drove while his partner divvied up the modest weaponry provided by Ehud Amar. They had two Beretta pistols with silencers, the giant’s weapon of choice, along with a round of magazines for each gun, and a knife with a serrated blade.

“Yep, we’re definitely traveling light,” she quipped.

Eytan was too absorbed by his thoughts and too focused on the road to respond.

They arrived on the outskirts of Utsunomiya in the early afternoon. They veered off the main route and drove through a suburban-looking area where tall apartment buildings were interspersed among single-story homes.

Eytan spotted a large sign, parked on the side of the road, and hurried out to examine it. Below the undecipherable Japanese characters was a short passage in English: “The Shinje Foundation Children’s Summer Camp.”

“I’m only asking this as a formality, but are you sure of the address?”

“Without a shadow of a doubt,” Elena replied. “It’s a perfect hideout for a secret industrial complex, don’t you think?” She winked at Eytan.

Eytan conveyed his agreement as he massaged his shoulder, injured at the Consortium’s BCI research center in Belgium. That place had been well hidden under an abandoned racetrack.

In a heavily wooded park at the foot of a mountain, the campsite extended as far as the eye could see. A simple fence marked the perimeter. A gate and a small booth occupied by two guards appeared to be the facility’s only defense. Eytan and Elena did a quick tour of the surroundings. They detected no other security measures, not even a surveillance camera.

“This just gets better and better,” Eytan said. “A few days ago we were raiding a Czech army camp. Now we’re invading a children’s camp. This isn’t a mission. It’s a circus show.”

“Stop complaining. At least now we know that our terrorist hypothesis is correct. Using kids as a cover, perhaps even worse, as human shields—that says a lot about our man, don’t you think?”

Eytan nodded. “All right, I’ve had enough. No more procrastinating. Let’s go in.” He started toward the gate.

“And what’s your plan?” Elena asked, chasing after him.

Ignoring the question, Eytan approached the door of the little guardhouse. The two Japanese men stood up simultaneously. They came out and bowed in unison. Eytan returned the courtesy.

The more muscular of the two barely cleared the giant’s shoulders. The stranger’s unusual size seemed to fascinate him and make him uncomfortable at the same time. But he wasn’t able to take in the sight for more than a few seconds. His good-afternoon greeting, “konichiwa,” morphed into a high-pitched cry as the hulk grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. Eytan then pummeled the puny guard in the head.

“Ouch,” Elena said. She launched a right hook at the second dumbstruck guard, who was sent flying into the window of the booth.

“What a shame,” she said, rubbing her fist. “They were so polite.”

“I bowed back, didn’t I?”

“Good point.”

Eytan dragged the two comatose men by their feet into their cubicle, while Elena meticulously searched it. No video surveillance monitors. No weapons. She did find a roll of duct tape, which she handed to Eytan so he could restrain the still unconscious victims. In a small wall cabinet, she also discovered a dozen keys labeled in Japanese. She grabbed them and stuck them in a pocket of her leather jacket.

With the guards secured, Eytan studied a wall map of the campground. It depicted the topography and features with the help of many simple icons. Apparently the camp offered a full range of activities from sunup to bedtime. The facilities included a swimming pool, tennis courts, a gymnasium, and even a riding stable.

The amenities were in the part of the camp that seemed to be farthest from the mountain overlooking the site. Eytan was puzzled by three icons of children’s faces affixed to buildings that looked like cabins.

“I’m not buying any of this,” he muttered. “If you had to build a laboratory filled to the brim with lethal substances, where would you put it?”

Elena thought for a second as she studied the map.

“In this spot,” she said, pointing to an “H” at the foot of the mountain. A heliport—perfect for a quick getaway. Plus, it’s not close to the kids.”

“I’ll go check it out,” Eytan declared in a tone meant to discourage any challenges.

“What do you mean I’ll go? What about me? What’s my job?”

“You’ll stay here and warn me if you see or hear anything strange. And don’t try any funny business.”

“No funny business,” she repeated. “So how am I supposed to warn you, boss?”

The giant squatted and turned over the tied-up guards. He unstrapped two walkie-talkies from their belts and handed one to Elena, who frowned as she took the device.

And with that, he left the booth.

“Morg, why are you leaving me behind?”

Elena’s voice revealed more than confusion. Eytan heard disappointment and even sadness. Lafner’s words had been spinning in his head ever since they had left Tokyo. He could not allow the woman to take any heedless risks. The Kidon operative respected her efforts, but she was off the mission. On top of that, he couldn’t figure out how to tell Elena about her illness and inevitable death.

He stopped but couldn’t bear turning around and seeing her face.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. This is just best for the mission and best for you.”

Eytan headed off at full speed. He knew there were many forms of combat, and it took just as much courage—perhaps even more—to fight a debilitating illness as it did to take on a human enemy. He repeated this in his head over and over.