by David Hunter
~~~
Dr. Levin awoke to find himself in a room decked-out with all of the comforts of home one could want. Far more so, in fact, than the appointments of his and Rivka's own home. The opulence was, to him, distasteful.
"Dr. Levin, how are you feeling?"
"What? Who are you? Where . . . ?" His voice dropped-off as memories of the ordeal returned.
"In answer to your second question, my name is Marsha, and I'll remain with you during the daytime hours. As to the 'what,' you are in England, a countryside estate. That also covers the 'where."
"Then all that's left is 'why?'"
"I'm sure you remember your chat with one of your Project scientists, Miriam Northrup. The 'why;' therefore, must be obvious to you by now."
"Yes, I recall perfectly. Are you going to attempt to pick up where she left off?"
"No. I'm just here to protect you."
"You mean make sure I don't try to escape."
"Escape from this estate is impossible, what with the electronic and human safeguards. What I really meant, but didn't feel to put it so crudely, is that I'm here to make sure you don't take your own life. I'm aware of what was done to your wife, and what must be an impossible situation for you now. If you haven't already thought of it, you eventually will see suicide as your only means of exiting on your own terms. I'm afraid I cannot allow that to happen."
"There is nothing you can do to prevent it, if I am determined." Moshe instantly sprang from the sofa on which he was laid and threw himself to the hardwood floor, back side down. Laying on the floor for a few seconds, he appeared to be confused.
"Dr. Levin, please stop before you seriously hurt yourself. We scanned your body during your transport here. The neurotoxin capsule in your back was detected and surgically removed.
Feeling both sheepish and angry Levin situated himself on the sofa once more.
"Are you hungry, thirsty?"
"Not particularly."
"I'll have a meal brought to you anyway, should you change your mind. I understand you maintain a kosher diet. We installed a new kitchen and bought all new tableware to maintain your standards.
"That was so thoughtful of you." Moshe responded with an acidic quality in his voice.
"Dr. Levin, I'm going to be with you for the foreseeable future. Perhaps we can attempt to get along, just a little?"
"It would be unwise to hold your breath, young lady."
"See? 'Young lady.' I'm starting to like you."
He didn't let it show, but he couldn't help but be amused at her response. His thoughts then went to escape. Nothing, given the correct tools and time, was impossible.
Before long lunch was served. Moshe had no appetite whatsoever, memories of his wife's vacant face in death constantly returning unbidden to his thoughts - clouding and pushing away the exigencies of the moment.
No desire to eat notwithstanding, he ate heartily, realizing the basic fact that he had to maintain whatever health and strength to effect an escape at the first opportunity - or die trying. Eating the food he was surprised that he actually was hungry, and the food did taste good. Were the circumstances very different, he would have complimented the chef. A cup of coffee topped the meal off.
"When you've had a chance to rest, and acclimate yourself to your surroundings, we can go out to the garden for a walk and afternoon tea."
"That would be nice." Moshe had no interest in an afternoon walk, but an excuse to get outside to gain his bearings and assess the layout of the property and whatever security measures in place that were made visible to him.
"I love this time of year, the roses are beautiful."
"You are a gardener then?"
"Oh heavens, no, my husband is the gardener in the family. Not that much is allowed to grow, our two year old son has a way of pulling all of the plants as he helps his daddy weed the flower bed. Myself, I have a 'brown thumb.'" She's married, with a husband and young child. Moshe took note of that as well as every other detail about her as he could. She had a sturdy body, the sinews of her arms and legs flexing in a way that displayed a strength and energy otherwise hidden by her soft mannerisms that could almost, but not quite, be described as 'dainty.' Walking around the 'garden,' a sizeable area with an expansive lawn, beautiful hedges and rose bushes in full bloom everywhere, he was glad to get outside, feel the cool British sun on his face.
Moshe was able to observe five motion detection cameras on the mansion and in trees. He had no doubt but what there were many such more tech measures in place that were hidden from view.
Eight roaming guards, one with a visible weapon, roamed the perimeter of the 'garden.' Moshe took note of the path, speed, and how often any potential point of egress might be vacant and out-of-view. To his disappointment, it didn't appear that any inch of the surrounding wall was ever obscured from their line-of-site at any moment. Most likely, even if there were, the electronic surveillance would cover any such areas.
Each of the roaming guards looked like a human mountain of granite. Moshe doubted they'd need any weapon beyond their hands to dispatch another human out of this life. They didn't look in his and Marsha's direction, but he could tell they were always aware of his presence.
Every once in a while they spoke to an unseen person, pausing to listen to the same individual before speaking again. Moshe wasn't sure if this was a standard 'check-in,' or if their presence caused a change in the timing of this dialogue. The window of the dining room in which he had eaten overlooked part of the garden. He would 'enjoy the view' as he ate his meals so he could take further mental note of the guards, their movements, and how frequently they spoke with one another as well as the other person - or persons - on the other end of the microphone conversation. He needed to see how frequently they checked in and, if possible, what was said to confirm that all was as it should be.
"The roses are indeed lovely. I wish I had spent more time in my garden than I did in my lab. Don't get me wrong, I love - rather, loved - my work and it has given me a lifetime of pleasure and satisfaction. Still, if I could go back several decades, I think I would have spent more time in the garden."
"Good," Marsha thought, "he's trying to build some kind of rapport with me, gain my trust and confidence."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, Rivka and I were unable to have children. I suppose we could have adopted, but with my youth spent in education, then later years in research, it really never crossed my mind. No, to be honest, it did - but I never gave it serious thought. Looking back, I should have done it for Rivka's sake." Moshe's voice cracked as he spoke the last words. Pausing to gain his composure, he continued, "that is my one and only regret in life. Gardening wouldn't have meant much to me, I'm really not into plants. But the time with my wife," his voice broke again, but composure returned quickly, "while home gardening, or any other hobby at home, I think might have made her happy. Then again," he added with a slight and genuine chuckle, "I've known couples where the wife is happier when the husband is working. They get along great until he retires and is at home most of the time. That's when problems start!"
"I know what you mean. When my husband stays home for more than a week of holidays, he can get under my skin. Weekends together are more than enough for me."
"What does he do for work?" Moshe looked her in the eyes as he asked.
"He's an insurance adjuster." Moshe could tell she was lying. Just as he hoped to have her see him as a person, one who feels pain and sadness like any other, she was trying to gain his confidence as well - no doubt in hopes of getting him to eventually open personal insights to her, one friend to another. The difference was, he really did wish he had spent more time at home with Rivka. In Marsha's case, she didn't have a husband who was an insurance adjuster. He could work with this.
"Oh? What's it like living with an Insurance Adjuster? I imagine the table talk doesn't often go in the direction of his work."
"You can say that again!"
Moshe knew t
hat the Mossad was in high gear as they were working to locate him and, if possible, get him back home safely. He hoped that The Project was also being utilized, but couldn't be sure of the latter. Use of this new technology was under strict and carefully defined limitations, most of which he authored himself. The greatest fear in his mind, and that of his co-workers, was its potential abuse if even for the most noble of reasons. He knew that using the powerful, nearly godlike technology afforded them by the time manipulation function of The Project, was strictly forbidden in the case of the protection of just one person, or even a small group of people. It was approved, under current restrictions, only to defend his nation and people. Moshe hoped that an exception was made in his behalf, but doubted it, believing they'd honor the limitations he put in place.
Little did he know the exertions made in his behalf.
After returning from the stroll in the garden, mentally noting his observations, his thoughts returned to Rivka. He wondered how long it had taken for security to discover the situation and what had become of her body.
He knew that, according to custom, her remains would be treated with the proper respect that she deserved. But he also understood and accepted the fact that in this situation an autopsy would have to be performed if for no other reason than to discover the caliber of the bullet that was used by the assassin.
Knowing, as he did now, that the British were responsible; he knew that the Mossad would automatically assume it was an Arab or Farsi planned attack. He has hopes in the discovery of evidence linking them to the British Isles. Given the nature and complexity of the abduction Moshe realized that the GCHQ was behind the recently transpired events. He had no doubt that the Prime Minister gave his tacit, if not direct, approval.
Long ago he had hoped that his final sleep would come before Rivka's. Nature had not been allowed to take its course. Were it the last thing that he did, he would make sure that she was avenged.
Marsha interrupted his thoughts, "That was a pleasant walk; I enjoyed it. Would you like to rest a little bit now?"
"Yes, I think I would, thank you."
Escorting him to his room, then locking the door behind him once he entered the suite, she politely took her leave. Moshe was certain she would be informing her superiors of the events and conversations of the day. No, everything would have been video and audio recorded, computer and human analyzed to determine what course of action would be best to take with him. He settled down on the large overstuffed chair and began to plot an escape. Nothing came to mind but Rivka. He cried.
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8. Into the Lion's Den
"You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor." - Aristotle
Facility in the Negev Desert - State of Israel
Merav Ben-David was one of the people selected to go back in time with the rest of the team to Brasil. She had landed in the recent past eight times before, making her more of a veteran than anybody else in The Project other than Jeff Stauffenberg.
Merav was the first, and most obvious choice of people to join Jeff. Her qualifications were many, not least of which was the unique ability to remember everything she saw and heard. She could even repeat, verbatim, entire conversations she overheard including those in a language that was foreign to her. She was also a math genius.
Agent Ben-David was also a seasoned soldier, being recruited into the Shin Bet after helping to defend a small settlement during the Third Intifada. Fearless, but also wise as a serpent, she had sharp instincts that, coupled with her observation skills, made her a formidable foe.
She loved children and had aspirations to work as a special education teacher after her term of military service had ended. She and her boyfriend wanted children, at least three, but her prospects ended when he was killed in action. She just couldn't see herself with anybody else. Her friends kept telling her that she was young and shouldn't let her hopes die with him. Years later she still hadn't found his equal, though with the passage of time she hoped to. She refused to 'settle.' When the men she dated didn't meet the standards he had established in their time together, she quickly - but kindly - ended the relationship.
Even Merav's eyes were kind. While not catwalk model beautiful, Merav nonetheless was beautiful in her own right - a beauty she refused to use to her advantage, though she didn't doubt that it had opened doors. She preferred to be known and valued for her brain over her body. All who knew her did, indeed, acknowledge and respect her brilliant mind.
Born in Israel to Spanish immigrant parents she spoke Spanish as Fluently as Hebrew. With her parents and siblings they often spoke a mix of Hebrew and Spanish, flowing into and out of each language - weaving them together with such unforced ease - it was as if they had their own language.
Merav had a friend, and several acquaintances, from Brasil. Being a Spanish speaker she first thought that Brasilian Portuguese sounded like somebody who spoke Spanish very poorly, with a horrible accent. The Portuguese as spoken in Portugal sounded much more like the Spanish of her country. It didn't take long for her to acclimate, even to speak Brasilian Portuguese fairly well, but not well enough to pass for a native-born Brasilian.
She was excited to go on this landing. She never knew Dr. Levin, but certainly knew of him. Learning of the circumstances surrounding his kidnapping, especially the senseless murder of his wife, she was as eager as everybody else associated with The Project to bring the kidnappers to justice. She wanted it to be a swift and permanent justice, but that wouldn't be her call to make.
The previous landings gave her headaches when she returned, headaches that lasted nearly two full days. The same happened to the others who were in training for landings. For some the headaches didn't last as long, for others a little longer. Nobody knew why it seemed to affect all of them except for Dr. Stauffenberg. The prevailing theory was that there was something in Jeff's physiology, brain chemistry or otherwise, that protected him from the effects; maybe something genetic. If they could identify any such genetic marker it would be easier to recruit people for this aspect of The Project.
Merav was the only person to be able to go back to a time significantly before she was born where the lifestyle and technology was different from that to which she was accustomed. She enjoyed using a telephone where you had to actually turn the "wheel" to dial a number. The others who went further back to a time too unfamiliar to them suffered not only headaches, but also emotional side effects such as terrible night terrors and paranoia. Because the technology was no different, it was a near certainty that this was psychological - knowing you were living and breathing long before you were born. Psychological effects notwithstanding, a physiological explanation for longer time distance landings couldn't be discounted until more data had been aggregated.
Five of her eight landings were accompanied by Stauffenberg. She liked the guy, he reminded her of one of her brothers, though about ten years older. On first meeting him she invited him once to her flat; he politely declined. Knowing he was married she was still amused at his surprise. She knew he had a different approach to socializing. His friend, Rachael Siwel, explained to her that he'd not associate with a woman alone, there had to be one more adult present. She thought this was kind of a prehistoric way of doing things, but she appreciated the fact that he lived his principles. His wife was a lucky woman.
Merav was looking forward to working in the field with Jeff. Her previous landings with him were strictly for training purposes. This was an honest to goodness operation, her first.
Despite her experience with The Project, as most of previous experience in the Tzahal, she found herself experiencing a little anxiety. A small amount of apprehension she expected, but a mix of excitement and anxiety came as a complete surprise.
Her greatest fear was leaving her mom alone. Two of her siblings had immigrated to the United States, and the last one was something of a loner, rarely visiting home. Her mom was elderly now, in frail h
ealth. Were something to happen to Merav, she didn't know what would become of her. Not that she needed full-time care, or anything like that. It was companionship she needed, especially with her only grandchildren in America, she was frequently lonely. Merav tried to visit her a few times a week. What if something were to happen while on a mission? When she started her two year term of military service her mom worried months before it began, then cried nearly full-time the first week of her service. As she got older her loneliness and understandable dependence on Merav increased.
Finding she couldn't shrug off this anxiety, but glad to at least understand and acknowledge the root cause, she continued her preparations to assure as good a night sleep as possible.
There would be nothing to pack for this trip, only the clothes she would wear for the landing were carefully laid out. A cool blouse and shorts for this time of year in Rio. Once landed, they would purchase whatever else was required.
Once in bed she pulled her favorite comforter up to her chin, closed her eyes and thought back to her first trial landing. Apprehensive couldn't even begin to describe her emotional state at that time.
She was sent back to the time she first entered university. Careful to not actually go to any location where an older 'her' might be sighted, certainly not where she might encounter her younger self, all went well. Having kept a detailed, daily journal since her teen years, it was easy to avoid the places where she and her friends were to be found. That first landing lasted only a few hours, followed by a return to present space-time and multiple physical and psychological tests.
The other landings were similar, though none in Israel and each further back in time until just a few years before she was born. The further back she went, the worse the headaches upon her return. Nothing serious, but annoying and - of course - there was always in the back of her mind a concern about aggregated long-term effects. Thus far, no deleterious effects in the long- or short-term were manifested beyond the headaches.
The invitation to join The Project was brief and to the point. She was called to a meeting with the former Captain of her military unit, a man she knew well and held in the highest esteem.
"Ms. Ben-David, it's very good to see you again. I'm with a special branch of the Israeli Security Services. We have a specialized group that we would like you to consider joining. May I send a car tomorrow so that you can see our work and decide if it is something you would like to be a part of?"
Initially leery, her curiosity got the best of her. At the appointed time a sheyroot arrived, tinted windows, riding low to the ground - obviously heavily armored - not quite what she anticipated.
The first meeting was in a simple office of a plain run-down building, one she saw several times and never gave a second thought. She thought it was abandoned, or inhabited by squatters as there were still some lights to be seen through a few of the windows.
Yotam Friling, her former Captain, introduced the only other person in the room.
"Ms. Marev Ben-David, I would like you to meet Dr. Rachael Siwel."
"Pleasure, Dr. Siwel."
"Mine too and welcome, Ms. Ben-David. We appreciate you meeting with us. Please, make yourself comfortable." The chair to which she gestured didn't appear to be particularly comfortable, but it made do as all three sat at a small plain table.
"Before we discuss our purpose here, we will require you to sign the National Secrets Confidentiality Agreement." Papers were passed to Marev. She carefully read and initialed all of the pages but the last; on which she printed her name, then signed and dated the paper to complete the sequence.
Had she not carefully read the confidentiality agreement, she would have been presented with an alternative "secret" that didn't really exist and excused. So many attributes were critical, not least of which was a person who was careful in their dealings and didn't pass-off important details casually.
"You are, no doubt, aware of the nuclear facility in the Negev desert?"
"Of course I am. Diamona is the one nuclear weapons and power plant secret that Israel has been eager to share with the world while denying it at the same time."
"Well put. It's been a vital deterrent to the confrontation states. What is known, and will never be shared with the rest of the world, is a weapon of far greater value than a nuclear bomb. I trust you cleared the next several hours in the day?"
She thought back to what she was told at that meeting, and over the course of the next several days. It was so amazing, almost so much so as to be impossible to take it all in. In tandem with learning about her duties she also underwent the rigorous physical and psychological testing and training.
Now the time had come to put it all on the line. She knew she was up to it; she had no doubt. She knew this was what her life seemed to lead her to. She also knew that one of the others who would be making the landing in the team was somebody for whom she had started to develop feelings - having worked so closely with him for so long now. She felt sparks, and she knew Lior did as well. Neither of them were comfortable enough at this juncture to pursue it, knowing that developing a serious relationship might jeopardize their positions within The Project. At best one would be transferred to a different facility. At worst, one might have to resign altogether; something she didn't want and was certain Lior wouldn't want either.
From the start Marev liked Dr. Siwel. Knowing that she was a senior member of The Project, there since the day of its founding, Rachael would know best how she should approach a more-than-platonic relationship with a co-worker, if she should at all.
Marev thought she'd never find love again, not in her wildest dreams. But Lior, he was no ordinary man. She would ask Rachael's opinion the first reasonable opportunity.
She fell into an easy sleep, awakening the next morning refreshed and eager to get to the facility from which the team would be sent on their landing. The apprehensions and anxiety of the previous evening vanished as easily as did the darkness with the rising sun.
Dressed much more casually than she would normally have chosen for work, she arrived at the facility a little earlier than expected for the simple reason that she didn't want to feel rushed, stay calm and relaxed for this first landing of genuine importance.
She wasn't really surprised to see the other team members. The facility was fully staffed, the landing could have been affected that very moment, but there was one final briefing first.
"Well, it looks like everybody set their time by the same clock! I trust all are well-rested as we may not be afforded many opportunities to sleep in the next few days of reconnaissance." The team leader de facto, Stauffenberg started the briefing.
"I think we've gone over our objectives and parameters of this mission sufficiently as to not repeat everything again. Besides, the situation in real time requires a certain degree of flexibility. There are, however; some new details to be introduced. Udi?"
"Good morning. We have heard from the agents on the ground in Brasil, as well as data mining done here, and the news is disturbing. Please turn your attention to the monitor as I walk you through it."
Everybody not already directly facing the wall with the giant flat-screen monitor swiveled their chairs to the proper angle.
"We were initially operating under the assumption that an enemy nation, or terror group was behind the murder of Mrs. Levin and kidnapping of the doctor. While we cannot quite yet discount this completely, it appears that Great Britain may have initiated the action, or at least had some complicity in it."
Udi continued, "Facial recognition software of the area around the resort, as well as passengers landing in all South American countries in the month preceding the event flagged the identification of three SIS operatives. These are their pictures, names, and other data we have on them. Please take a moment to study the screen, it's important to instantly recognize them should spot them during the mission." After a few moments the screen changed.
"We don't believe Dr. Levin was taken to another South American country, or k
ept in Brasil. Up to two weeks of satellite imagery reviewed and correlated with these images of a yacht, fast forward time lapsed from three different angles as different orbiting satellites moved into position, circled in red as if a target, came into view and then departed show this yacht arriving just two days before the Levins were to depart for São Paulo. The time of its departure correlates to within the hour of the time the autopsy indicates Mrs. Levin was shot. What is of greater importance is the fact that infrared imagery shows nothing, it's as if nobody were on the yacht at all. That it was shielded from emitting infrared light waves isn't in and of itself isn't too significant. It could easily be a drug running vessel. But that fact, coupled with the arrival in South American of three British SIS officers, each arriving in a different county within days of one another is suspect."
"This has brought about a slight change in the mission. None of you are known to the SIS, or any other intelligence agency. We need two of you, any two - that's up to Jeff - to get close enough to this yacht to identify who is on it. The satellite images during the day are not good enough to make id's. And, of course, from our perspective in time, it's too late to reposition a satellite to direct it at an angle where any of the personnel could be viewed. It is as important to us now to learn more about this yacht as it is to learn about the individuals in and around the resort that were responsible for the murder and abduction. A pleasure boat, with enough water sports toys to make a Saudi prince happy, should be rented as soon as you arrive. Any questions?"
"I have one." Shabtai, the primary audio-visual tech continued, "if the kidnappers prove to be British rather than a known enemy, do the mission parameters change?"
"No. Not in the slightest. Whoever assaulted the Levins know that we are looking for them and will exact recompense. We cannot, once we confirm their identities, let them know that we're onto them. British, Arab, American, or French. The goal and parameters remain the same. Though, as with any mission, those parameters may be changed on-the-fly as required."
"Thanks Udi. Well, as everybody is here, let's get going."
News that the British government, for the most part a staunch supporter of the tiny Jewish state, was probably behind the events that led to this moment seemed to darken the atmosphere in the conference room. Everybody felt it.
Going to the area from which they would 'launch,' Jeff wondered who could possibly have let the Brits know about the Levins in the first place? Nobody outside The Project could, or should, have known about it. It seemed impossible, but here they were.
As their atoms were disassembled in this time, and reassembled in the recent past of Rio de Janeiro, Agent Northup was on her way to the dead letter drop to receive instructions from her superiors. As she made her way to the pre-assigned drop area Freddy Davies followed her progress through the scope of the British-made L115A3 Long Range Rifle that British Army snipers dubbed, 'the Silent Assassin', the weapon the Taliban feared the most.
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Thank you for reading the first few preview chapters of "Abducting the Time Master," the second book in the "Pendulum of Time" trilogy.
To learn when this and the final book, "Fluid Future" are available please go to the author's website: DavidHunterBooks.com
Online Information (Alphabetic Order)
Bahá’ís: Also referenced is the religion formally known as the Bahá’í (pronounced ba-HIGH) faith, whose followers are intensely persecuted, disenfranchised, with many hundreds more martyred in Iran. Learn more about this exceptional religion and followers at Bahai.org
Islam: The Islamic religion and faithful are often viewed with deep suspicion, even fear, in the "Western" world. This is due, almost exclusively, to politicized Islam emboldened and strengthened by the tools of terrorism. Terrorists' and political Islamists' aim is to control the minds and daily behavior of Muslim populations. Politicized Islam fears any that mandates and defends religious liberty and social freedom. It is nothing short of a perversion and defamation of legitimate Islam. For facts about genuine Islamic beliefs see islam.uga.edu. Recommended reading on Muslims fighting politicized Islam can be found at aifdemocracy.org
Judaism: As with Christianity and Islam, there is no one denomination or branch that fully represents all adherents of Judaism. An excellent educational source for basic Judaism, from the perspective of the Orthodox branch, is Aish.com
Latter-Day Saints: References to LDS (the "Mormons") thought are not intended as official church positions or teachings. Accurate information regarding Latter-day Saint beliefs, history, and videos of everyday Mormons; as well as some you might recognize such as Brandon Flowers - front man of the rock group The Killers - are found at Mormon.org
Mossad: People continue to be fascinated with the Israeli intelligence agency known as Mossad. See the official Mossad website. (For English pages, click the "EN" button.)
Quantum Physics: While the area of Quantum Mechanics is still largely in the realm of theory, aspects of it are being applied in real world situations, such as quantum computers. Learn more about this fascinating subject at Wikipedia.com
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About the Author
David Honaker (pen name "David Hunter") is a husband, father(-in-law), and grandfather (“Guppy”). He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brasil, later spending a few months in the sovereign and independent State of Israel. These and other life experiences heightened his love of, and respect for, different cultures and beliefs and contributed to a deeper understanding of the complex religious-geo-political issues impacting our world.
David is an ardent political Zionist without losing sight of the worth of each individual person to be found on the various sides of the issue. He looks forward to the elusive solution for a permanent peace between Israel and her neighbors in the region, including the Palestinians.
A life-long student of religious studies (major world religions with a focus on the five Abrahamic faiths), geopolitics, languages, physics (especially Quantum, Particle, and Theoretical), mathematics, and all things geek, he interweaves these passions into his books.
To be informed of additional books as they are released, please visit DavidHunterBooks.com. You can also follow David on Google.
Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, won't you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favorite retailer? Thanks! David Hunter
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