The Celestial Gate

by Avital Dicker

  They entered the ancient stone room totally spent. Yam and Mor lay the Jewish terrorist down next to the Arab terrorist. Anise took out the first aid kit from the backpack. The fracture was shocking to look at. The fibula – or was it the tibia? – poked right through the flesh. Anise had to take deep breaths to keep from throwing up again.

  She rigged up a compression bandage and tried to set the leg as best as she could. “He needs a doctor,” she said, stating the obvious. “I don’t know how to treat this. Plus, I think he’s got several cracked – if not broken – ribs.”

  Yam removed the gag from Nasat’s mouth. “Look at him!” he barked. “He’s just like you. A terrorist. Only Jewish. You’ve done this to one another,” he added with revulsion.

  Nasat answered with a look full of hatred. “We’re going to kill you,” he hissed.

  “Well, for now, a Jewish murderer and an Arab murderer are going to be tied together,” said Yam and stuffed the rag back in Nasat’s mouth. “You really don’t know when to stop talking, do you?” Yam added.

  “Forget about them,” said Anise wearily. “Let’s eat.” Yam worked hard to overcome his desire to punch Nasat and allowed Anise to lead him to the other side of the room.

  They ate the canned goods left over from the day before. It all tasted disgusting, but they were hungry and even this food was preferable to no food.

  Anise started to think about her mother. She wondered if the above-ground city still stood or if all the crazies with guns and hatred had blown everything to smithereens. “We have to get out of here,” she said for the umpteenth time, although now, after all that had happened today, she wasn’t sure they’d make it.

  But Yam was pointing to an exit on the map.

  “What makes you so sure it’s not blocked?” Anise wanted to know.

  “The explosion occurred here,” Yam explained, his finger on the map tracing a long line from where they were to the other end, the exit. “There’s a good chance that the far part wasn’t affected. And, besides, I don’t see any other option.”

  Mor approached the Jewish terrorist. “In Judaism, life is sacred. How does murder fit into that equation? You think you’re on your way to paradise?”

  The yarmulke-wearing terrorist didn’t answer, only stared at Mor with loathing.

  Mor laughed. “You know, the two of you have the same hate in your eyes. You really should have become buddies.” Anise, realizing that Mor’s nerves were about to come unraveled, took hold of his arm and pulled him away. But before moving, he hissed, “Tomorrow, both of you are going to talk. I guarantee.” Only then did he let Anise drag him to the other side of the room.

  Anise looked at Mor’s stocky, muscular body. He’s grown up in the last few days, she thought. The rambunctious kid had disappeared, to be replaced by a brave young man who aroused new feelings in her, feelings she couldn’t ignore.

  “Did you know that I saw you in a dream before we met?” Yam broke into her thoughts. She looked at him. The two of them – so different from one another. Each aroused different feelings in her and that confused her. Now is not the time to be thinking about this, she decided, feeling her cheeks burn.

  Mor was stretching on the step beside her. No, she had no intention of choosing between them. She had to stay cool and collected. If they got out of here alive, she’d consider her feelings, but not now. She turned her back to both and pulled the sleeping bag up to her chin.

  In the morning, when the boys were waking up, Anise brought leftover food to the two terrorists in the corner. She was putting the can down on the ground and straightening up when Yosef took advantage of the opportunity to kick her hard with his healthy leg. She fell back. Yam hurried to help her up, but then Nasat rose and head-butted him before he reached her. Fully synchronized, the two terrorists started to roll forward.

  Then a shot reverberated between the walls, and Nasat screamed out in pain. “Bull’s eye,” Mor smiled as he looked at Nasat’s other leg. “I’m getting better. I swear – next time, I won’t be aiming for your leg,” he said coldly as he helped Anise to her feet. She again experienced the same sensation she had when she looked at him the day before. Mor was no longer the little kid she’d grown up with.

  The boys tied the two captives up again and Mor cocked his rifle. “Hmm. So it seems that a Jew and an Arab can work together after all,” he said and snorted.

  Mor aimed the gun at Nasat’s head. “Please, don’t,” Nasat whimpered. Anise looked at the killer, repulsed: this man, who had tried to murder her just a second ago, was now begging for his life?

  “As far as I’m concerned, shoot him. We’ll wait outside until you’re done.” Anise intentionally spoke in Arabic so that Nasat would understand, and then she left the room with Yam. The rock door closed quietly behind.

  Anise and Yam leaned against the wall and waited for Mor. Anise was feeling gloomy and tried not to sink into despair, but she could not avoid thinking that their chances of surviving were not good.

  Yam, standing next to her, was taking an interest in the lines written thousands of years ago on the walls. “Look! I know that sentence,” he exclaimed, “my father used it.” The line appeared underneath a painting of figures fleeing a charging bull. A young woman holding a bow and arrow, depicted in the foreground, boldly stared down the bull. “Aspera per astra ad,” Yam read out loud.

  “What does that mean?” Anise asked.

  “To the stars through the difficulties,” Yam translated the Latin.

  Anise looked at the terrified figures, fleeing for their lives, and at the young woman ready to sacrifice her own. “To the stars through the difficulties,” she repeated softly.

  The rock door opened and Mor came out. He was pale and tired.

  “Did he talk? Nasat – did he say anything? What’s in the briefcase?”

  It took Mor a while to answer. “It’s over. We’re all going to die,” was all he managed to say.

  Chapter 14

  Theo had just finished getting dressed when Superintendent Azoulai entered the room. “A military vehicle will be driving you to the airport in an hour,” he said. Black circles under his eyes attested to many long, sleepless nights. Theo nodded politely. Of course, he had no intention of taking that ride. He wasn’t going anywhere without his son. Once Azoulai left the room, one source of tension was gone.

  Theo collected his discharge papers and stepped into the corridor. Exiting the hospital, he was greeted by the mid-July heat. Sual and Amalia were waiting for him at the curb, accompanied by a man he didn’t know.

  “This is Ido, a friend of mine from the army,” Amalia introduced the buzz-cut stranger. Theo smiled and shook his hand warmly.

  “We should move before the Foreign Ministry’s car shows up,” said the Italian consul, stealing a glance at Ido. He was very tanned and a three-day beard covered his face. He led them to a black Jeep parked nearby. Ido drove them to the outskirts of Jerusalem, finally turning into a residential neighborhood. Theo looked out the window. The newly constructed suburbs all looked the same.

  It’s hard to believe that, just a few days ago, the streets were full of boisterous children coming home after school, he thought. Now they were desolate, not a human in sight.

  Ido parked in front of a series of identical high-rises. Entering one, they found that the elevator was out of order and started up the stairs.

  Theo, still weak, broke into a sweat; every step was a physical effort. He was therefore relieved when Ido stopped and opened a door on the third floor.

  “The family that lives here is gone. Actually, almost the entire neighborhood is empty. Whoever could do so escaped,” Ido explained.

  “I’d love a shower,” said Sual.

  Ido steered the two women to the bedroom. “You’ll find fresh clothes in the closet. I hope they fit well enough,” he said and left, closing the door behind him. />
  For Sual, who had over the last few days shared a room and toilet facilities with five other patients, this was heaven on earth. Making straight for the attached bathroom, she stood under the spray of hot water for many long minutes, relishing the privacy.

  In the bedroom, Amalia found a pack of cigarettes in a bedside drawer. Lighting up, she looked out the window at the clouds of smoke hanging over the city’s center. Like a picture of the apocalypse, she thought. Armageddon.

  Sual came out of the bathroom. Putting out her cigarette, Amalia went in to shower.

  In the built-in closet, Sual found jeans and a T-shirt. After dressing, she looked at herself in the full-length mirror on the wall. The top was a little too tight to her taste. Normally, she’d never dare wear something like that, but these were not normal times. She re-bandaged her arm, ignoring the large bruise on her neck.

  Seeing Sual enter the living room, Theo’s eyes widened. The clothing accentuated every curve. She’s gorgeous, he thought.

  “You look wonderful. It’s hard to believe you just got out to of the hospital,” Ido complimented her. Sual blushed. Theo felt like strangling him

  “Let’s get started,” said Amalia, who’d just joined them. She was dressed in black and looked refreshed and energetic. I can’t believe she was hooked up to an IV just two days ago, Sual thought.

  “Look,” said Ido, “I’m going to take you into Jerusalem, but I have to get back to my unit, so I won’t be able to stay with you. You’re going to be on your own.”

  “We’ll manage,” Amalia smiled.

  Ido remained serious. “Amalia, I know you’re a professional, but this time it’s your own son. It could affect your judgment,” Ido warned.

  “He doesn’t affect my judgment. He’s my entire life,” Amalia replied softly.

  Ido looked at her for several seconds. “Look, I hate to be the one to say it, but you have to consider the possibility that your children are no longer alive,” he finally said.

  No one said a thing. It was the first time the words had been spoken out loud.

  “They’re alive. And we’re going to find them,” said Theo in a tone that brooked no argument.

  Ido’s intention had not been to cause these brave folks any pain, but he felt he’d had no choice but to prepare them for that eventuality.

  In a rapid change of topic and trying to sound more optimistic, he said, “Try to remember what your kids were wearing.”

  Amalia wiped away the tears that had started in her eyes. “Yam was wearing jeans, a white T-shirt, and a gray sweatshirt.”

  “Mor was dressed in jeans and a red top, and Anise was wearing a T-shirt with something written in English, in blue,” Sual said.

  Theo said nothing. Instead, he thought of the fact that he couldn’t even remember what his son had worn on that last day. He didn’t know what his son wore on any day. He didn’t know his favorite food, what books or music he loves. He’d never paid attention, he was never there. Theo wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted Mor.

  Sual, guessing what was going through his mind, put her hand on his. “Theo, they’re alive. I can feel it. Mothers know,” she said gently. He gave her a grateful look.

  Ido wanted more information and Sual provided it. She described the embassy building, the number of exits, and where exactly the children had been just before the explosion.

  Ido used a pencil to mark the embassy on a map he’d spread over the coffee table. Based on the path Sual was describing, he concluded that the children must have fled through the rear. This reduced the search area to three possible routes. The first went through the Valley of the Cross, past the president’s official residence. Ido marked the Trappist Monastery halfway down the valley in red ink.

  “I’d start here,” he said. “They may have found refuge with the monks.”

  The second route would have taken them into the Old City through Jaffa Gate. “Look, this is the most dangerous way. There are clashes in the Muslim quarter even as we speak. And there have been several attacks in the Jewish and Christian quarters too.”

  The last route went past the Mahaneh Yehuda outdoor market and led to the Supreme Court building.

  After a short discussion, they all agreed that it made sense to begin in the nearby Valley of the Cross and from there advance to the Old City.

  Ido took three handguns out of his backpack and placed them on top of the map. “Amalia and I will show you how to use these,” he said.

  Sual was shaken. She’d never imagined the day would come that she’d be forced to shoot a gun.

  Chapter 15

  Mor was eventually able to speak and tell Anise and Yam what he’d heard from Nasat. When he was done, no one spoke. They leaned against the trunk of the tree planted in the middle of the plaza, trying to assimilate what they’d just heard.

  “So no one is getting out of this alive,” whispered Yam, profoundly shocked.

  Anise was the first to look at things practically. “Fine. If we’re going to die, we have nothing to lose.”

  “She’s right,” said Yam, standing up. “We have to find the gate.”

  “So now you believe in it?” Mor asked.

  “My father says that the impossible is the most possible. You just have to believe,” Yam smiled. “In any case, we don’t have a better option.”

  “We’d better find the gate! This situation… Only God could get us out of it,” Mor said and barked a bitter laugh.

  “We have nothing to lose,” Anise repeated gently. She put her water bottle back in the bag, getting ready to move.

  They moved through the heart of the most ancient part of the city toward Golden Gate. Yam couldn’t get over how well this place had been preserved. The narrow alleys, branching and splitting, were lined with what looked like residential buildings. It wasn’t difficult to imagine these streets bustling with people.

  Their path had taken them to a plaza whose center was occupied by a well.

  “Wow,” Anise exclaimed. “They thought of everything.”

  Mor picked up a stone and threw it into the well to see if there was still water in it. From the depths came an odd scratchy sound. He peered down, but there was nothing to see in the dark shaft.

  Yam felt something crawling up his leg and shook it in disgust. It was a big black creepy-crawly.

  “Look!” Anise pointed. Many of the same black creatures were crawling out of the well and crowding the well’s edge.

  “That doesn’t look like anything I know,” said Mor, peering at the black critters with curiosity.

  Anise took a step back. Yam laughed. “Anise, they’re only cockroaches.”

  It wasn’t fear of the bugs that stopped her. Anise felt her stomach clench and was then overcome by a strange sensation. They were on the wrong path.

  “Listen, guys. Something’s wrong. We have to turn back,” she said loudly. The ground all around her was crawling with the big black insects. She turned on her heels and started walking back the way they’d come.

  “Anise, you’re being irrational. This is the way out. They’re only bugs, for crying out loud,” Mor tried.

  “Everything down here is irrational,” Anise shot back over the shoulder, without stopping. She picked up speed and, running, disappeared down on of the alleys. Let them think what they want. She knew what her gut was telling her. It’s a sign, she thought.

  The boys looked at one another. “She’s so freaking annoying,” Yam said.

  “Yup. She’s annoying, all right,” Mor couldn’t agree more. But their concentration on Anise was broken by a loud noise from the well. Water was bubbling over its edge and spilling down onto the ground. The speed with which the water was rising did not bode well.

  “You know, maybe she’s right,” Yam muttered. A worried Mor nodded his agreement. Both turned around and started running the
way Anise had gone. Just then, the sides of the well succumbed to the intense pressure. Mud sprayed in every direction as a waterspout shot up, drenching the plaza in white spume. The boys ran faster than they’d ever run before, the rush of water at their heels. Anise, by now at the end of the alley, stopped in surprise. Nearby, sunrays danced on the steps marking the exit, making her smile in victory. I was right, they took the wrong turn, she thought, looking at the exit. This is the right way. “Yam, Mor,” she called out and without waiting for them to answer she flew up the steps two at a time, craving the fresh air aboveground.

  Chapter 16

  Theo, Sual, Amalia, and Ido climbed down into the wadi behind the edge of the new development. They weren’t worried that anyone would hear the shots. Explosions and light arms fire had become the new soundtrack of life. Besides, the crowded and generally busy neighborhood now resembled a ghost town.

  “C’mon, let’s see if you remember anything,” Ido teased Amalia.

  Amalia, giving him a challenging smile, positioned herself at a comfortable angle, aimed at the cans of cola Ido had just set down on a rock, and shot.

  Theo’s jaw dropped at the sight of a line of perforated cans. He had not expected this. Amalia had hit every single one. What other secrets is the muscular, blonde Tel Aviv attorney hiding? he wondered.

  “Tell me – did you serve in the Mossad or something?” He tried to inject a joking tone, but the look in Amalia’s eyes discouraged him from pursuing the subject.

  Instead, Amalia showed Theo how to cock the gun. Surprisingly, he turned out to be a fairly good shot. By the end of the session, it seemed he had even enjoyed the experience.

  Ido assumed the mission of training Sual, but Sual used her bandaged arm as an excuse to stubbornly refuse to hold the weapon. The thought of shooting another human being made her shudder. She’d never be able to take a life, even to defend herself. Pointing her chin at Amalia and Theo, she said, “I trust the two of them,” thereby shutting down any further argument.