CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINSTER, JERUSALEM, ISRAEL

Abigayil had kept him up the night before. A “predatory tigress who was volcanic in the sack” were the exact words that he used to describe her afterwards. She took that description as a flattering compliment on both her nature and her performance. As it was intended. Chaim Simmons struggled to remain calm as the flashing images of his wild night receded from his mind and the content of his morning briefing took hold. The smile from his morning afterglow died. The Prime Minister’s lips tightened together and his brow furrowed as he digested the update on Iran and its lunatic leader, President Hadi Samani.

It was only a matter of time, Chaim knew, that this freak show would claim to have had an actual interaction with this Mahdi boogeyman he kept calling to return. The problem was, Chaim didn’t believe for a second that Samani ever uttered a lie concerning his belief in the Mahdi, or his intentions to ignite global chaos to usher in the Mahdi’s return. Chaim knew sincerity of belief when he saw it, be it benevolent or nefarious in nature.

Hadi Samani was a devout and utterly insane follower of the doctrine of the Twelfth Imam. It was his sincerity in belief and pure honesty in his vocalized intentions that the world had been missing. This was no ploy invented by the Mullahs to arouse fear in the world. This wasn’t a giant blackmail scheme. No carrot in the world would tame this belief, this determination, this evil regime. Haven’t we learned anything from the Holocaust? Hitler told us exactly who he was and what he planned to do. The world ignored him until they were forced to engage him. How could the world be so blind as to make yet the same mistake? He asked these questions to himself, but knew the answers. He did not expect any bright light to pierce the world’s opinion and change their perception.

The briefing staring back at him told him that President Samani had proclaimed to the Iranian people, and to the entire Muslim world via Al Jazeera, that he had been blessed with a personal visit by the Mahdi himself. Furthermore, Samani announced that the Mahdi intimated to him that this was indeed the year that He would return and set up a worldwide Caliphate. Chaim’s blood boiled. As much as he expected to wake up and read such a briefing some morning, he was still not prepared for it, nor did its thrusting reality alleviate even a twitch of its haunting implications. Experience told him to calm himself, reflect on the news, and formulate a position and a decisive strategy before discussing it with anyone—be it his staff, the media, or particularly POTUS.

He slapped experience square in the face, deliberately ignoring its wisdom, and immediately dialed to get POTUS on the line.

“Mr. President, how are you this morning?” Chaim didn’t give a rat’s ass how Fitz was really doing. A raving lunatic who denied the first Holocaust and was planning a second just announced his Messiah was on his way—a Messiah who according to prophecy would reign in Jerusalem after annihilating the Jewish people.

“I’m well Chaim, is something the matter? It’s highly unusual for you to call without scheduling in advance. Should I be worried about something?” Fitz didn’t like the sound of Simmons’ voice. He was already rolling his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, and thinking to himself, Oh no, here we go with the war mongering again. Never a dull moment there in the desert. I can’t believe I have to deal with this guy almost every day.

“You’re damn right something is the matter. Have you gotten the latest news out of Iran? Samani has announced he’s been paid a ghostly visit by the Twelfth Imam. Do you know what that means? He says the Mahdi has told him that this is the year of His return. How do you think I’m going to digest this news?” Chaim was steaming pissed. Not just at the news, but also by the ever-growing apathy he perceived coming from President Jack Fitzsimmons. Their relationship had never gained real traction since Fitz took up residence in the White House.

“Chaim, this news just hit the wires. Don’t jump to any conclusions or do anything rash. We still don’t really know what all this means.”

“What? What the hell are you talking about? We know exactly what this means! Samani, and Ahmadinejad before him, have been telling us for years exactly what this means. It means its go-time for the Iranians. It means they’re moving forward with their plans to wipe Israel off the map and destroy America, the big Satan. Guess what? We’re first, and I plan to do all I can to stop it.” Chaim’s face burned as red as a fire truck. The tension was thick and growing thicker.

“Joint covert ops between our two countries are being executed even as we speak to seriously interrupt, delay, and potentially destroy their progress on the nuclear program. Sanctions are being advanced and intensified and diplomacy is being wielded to its fullest to neutralize the threat. There’s no need to irrationally go cowboy on the world right now.” Fitz was extremely adept at not reacting to Chaim’s temper. He was also adept at not fully understanding the immediacy and severity of a whole range of impending crises that faced his nation, and the world for that matter.

“Do you think that I haven’t thought for years about what I would need to do when this moment arrived? Do you truly believe that we, as a nation, don’t have a well-developed, and highly debated strategy to implement for this very scenario? We’re not impulsive. We’re students of history, particularly Jewish history, and the history of the world that has ignored the Jews and ignored the real threats made by the enemies of the Jews.”

“Samani is not serious about all this hocus pocus Mahdi stuff. This is just his tool to rally his people and get them to follow him. This helps him detract from their domestic problems. Samani doesn’t really want the world washed in blood. It doesn’t make any sense. Iran, and millions of Muslims, would be equally as effected as Israel and the West.” Fitz felt as if a rational, human application to the issue was needed.

“Samani and the Twelvers in Iran don’t respond to rational, earthly fear or normal negotiations. These are not the atheists of Russia during the Cold War. They’re an extreme apocalyptic death cult hell bent on the utter destruction of all Christians, Jews and non-Muslims. Think David Koresh running a country and being on the verge of having a nuke.” Chaim’s face was redder than hell and his voice rose in intensity with every syllable.

“Chaim, c’mon now, do you remember Waco? It was a disaster. If Samani is Koreshian in nature, the last thing anyone should be thinking about is storming the compound. It doesn’t end well.” Fitz smirked and leaned back on his chair.

“Okay then, if diplomacy and sanctions are the way to go, how come you haven’t had an inch of success in pushing your Russian friend towards condemning Iran’s nuclear program? Or your Chinese buddies?”

“I’m still working on my relationship with Maksim and making much progress. I think I can get him to come around on Iran very soon. You have to trust me on this. These things take time.”

“Time, huh? Like that’s in great supply. How much ‘time’ will it take with the Chinese?”

“That one is more difficult, but I think can change if I am successful first with Maksim.”

“I doubt it. China is not going to be swayed by you. You’re their debtor. They own you. The Bible is clear ‘The borrower is slave to the lender’.”

“I don’t appreciate you’re arbitrary application of scripture to insult me or my country.”

“Look, I’m sorry if I seem slightly out of line here. But you need to understand the position I’m in. Israel is at risk more than any other nation.”

“Chaim, I know you’re on high alert and you’re frustrated, but we’re still your allies, I wouldn’t dismiss anything at your peril but we need to tread carefully on this news, just like all news and developments out of Iran. We have different views on how to approach this, but we have to come to a consensus.” Fitz was pleading at this point.

“Maybe, Mr. President, maybe. However, for now, I must assume that present circumstances will continue to be consistent with the narrative of my people throughout history. We’re alone, and must act as such.”

Fitz never managed to have his rebuttal heard. The dial tone mocked him instead.

Chaim slammed the phone down and immediately opened up the Talmud sitting on his desk. His hands were shaking. He had not picked that book up in months. He didn’t even know where to start.