Fire in a Haystack: A Thrilling Novel

by Erez Aharoni

  A moment later, Ofer took Gali’s hand and pulled her with him as he escaped to the yard of the building. He quickened his pace, and she dragged along after him until they reached the large grove beyond the shopping center fence.

  “What happened, Ofer? Why did we run away?” asked Gali.

  “All these guys smell like formalin,” said Ofer.

  “You mean naphthalene,” Gali corrected him.

  “What difference does it make? It means the same thing. I don’t have any patience for all the ‘old people’s' conversations. Gossip and tall tales all day long. It’s a good thing you came to rescue me.”

  “I had to. We didn’t understand why you were sent home. When we heard what happened… we were in shock. We couldn’t talk at the funeral…”

  “Yes, we didn’t see it coming… this disaster… and you and I were about to celebrate our two month sweethearts anniversary this Friday. What rotten luck.”

  They sat on a giant log that lay at the edge of the grove. Her hand remained in his.

  She began to slowly move her fingers in his hand, and a hair-raising shiver passed through him. He placed his hand on her exposed shoulder. The shivering intensified. She shifted her hair from her forehead and gave him a long stare. He could not remember who started kissing who, but their lips attached themselves to one another, and their hands explored each other’s bodies with growing urgency.

  The sugary scent of her hair and the softness of her skin dazzled him. She felt his breath becoming heavier. Her pulse quickened when he passed his hand over her chest. She didn’t say anything when he continued and pushed his hand beneath her shirt and into her bra. His cold and boyish hand fondled the small breasts.

  Gali felt her body filling with an unfamiliar heat. His cheeks, adorned with the first traces of stubble, rubbed against her own pleasantly. The grove’s scent of pines filled her lungs and nostrils with the perfumes of nature.

  Gali gently scratched his back. An unfamiliar pleasure passed through her own back and she marveled at the gasp of enjoyment that escaped her mouth. She objected only when his hands began to caress her thighs then went further up and became more and more insistent and demanding.

  They didn’t need to talk, but if a shared thought had passed through their minds, it was this—I wish this moment would never end.

  To his surprise, Gali suddenly detached herself from Ofer and drew away. She huddled at the edge of the large log with a rumbling silence. What should I say? thought Ofer, guilt beginning to flood him. Did I go too far? Perhaps I overdid it? I acted like a wild animal in heat!

  “We’re leaving in a week,” said Gali.

  Her voice was trembling. She swallowed her saliva and tears appeared at the corners of her eyes. Her hair and eyes sparkled with the glow of the streetlight that illuminated the distant parking lot, and Ofer thought the news she had just given him was even bitterer than the death of his father.

  “What do you mean, leaving?”

  “Leaving Tel Aviv. Moving.”

  “Who’s we?”

  “My family. All of us, without my dad. My mother, me and my sister. He’s staying here in central Israel.” Gali’s voice cracked.

  “Why, where… how did it happen?” The words were torn out of his mouth.

  “He and my mom decided to break up. It’s been going on for a while. I didn’t have a chance to tell you. But now my mother can’t afford to support us financially by herself; she needs us to move closer to her family. There’s no other choice. What a nightmare it is to think that I need to leave. Leave all my friends… school… I’ll even miss Fliegelman… ‘Let’s talk about the shpring constant,’” she imitated their teacher and his weird accent.

  “At least your dad is alive,” said Ofer.

  “I’m not sure what’s better,” said Gali.

  “What will I do without you?”

  “You’ll do well… I mean it. Keep being a Boy Scout instructor, continue your activities in the student council. With your values and talent, I’m sure you’ll go far.”

  “It won’t be the same…”

  They sat silently for long minutes, perhaps because they knew words could only ruin the pleasure of a night that would never be forgotten. The smell of pine trees and the flavor of summer and burning kisses. The savor of the intoxicating life that had awaited them before powers beyond their control appeared from nowhere, threatened their youth and turned their sweet routine upside down.

  In that moment of pleasure mixed with pain, there was no hint that after the days of shiva ended they would meet again many years later. The first time by accident, at the central bus station, and a second time in Judge Jancovic’s courtroom.

  Chapter 11

  Joshua Fliegelman sat on a bench at the edge of the boulevard, a full half hour before the scheduled appointment.

  He stretched his blue shirt in an attempt to smooth wrinkles that were many days old. Fliegelman was proud of the security guard uniform he was wearing, black pants and a blue shirt, even though it begged for some ironing. His thin hair was combed back, and his tiny beard was carefully trimmed. Now and then he passed a hand over the butt of his revolver and felt a sense of security. He lit a cigarette and enjoyed the pleasant breeze that passed through the margosa trees.

  A minute before the agreed time, he recognized Gali’s proud gait from afar. He had no doubt she’d be there on time. She was happy to find him already waiting and hurried to sit beside him on the bench. They loved that place, where their first reunion took place after many years.

  The last sunbeams were still fluttering between the broad foliage of the trees, announcing the end of the day, and the boulevard gradually emptied out.

  “I brought you some cookies,” said Gali and set a plastic box in Fliegelman’s lap.

  “You really shouldn’t have,” he tried to protest feebly.

  “Don’t thank me. Just eat them. A little fat around your waist and in your cheeks will do you some good. Besides, I baked them myself, so you have no choice,” she said.

  “How are you progreshing?” he asked, trying to overcome the embarrassment of accepting food from her.

  “Slowly but surely. I’ll get there at the end, you know. You’ve probably learned a thing or two about me by now. But first of all, tell me about yourself. How’s your new workplace?”

  “Not too bad, conshidering. I’ve got no complaintsh. You know I would’ve acshepted anything gladly.”

  Gali winced as he spoke, remembering how cruel she and her high school friends had been about his mangled speech. “Did someone from the security company ask you anything?”

  “Luckily, no.”

  “They didn’t ask why you wanted to move there?”

  “No. They needed new guards for Viromedical so it was smooth and easy.”

  “What were you able to find out?”

  “Listen, Viromedical is a regular civilian factory. They manufacture medicine, vaccines, biological products. All kinds. I was pleasantly surprised. Everything is well organized and clean. It looks like the place is run with care. But there’s a factory within the factory.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Inside the factory there’s an additional fenced unit, there’s inner security in addition to the outside security. One can go inside only with special badges. I asked what was being done there and they explained to me it is a secret laboratory. I haven’t been able to discover what they are doing there yet.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Sure I’m sure. As much as I’m sure my name is Fliegelman,” anger crawled into his voice in response to her doubt.

  “Where is it located exactly?”

  “In the cellars beneath the main building. I haven’t been inside yet. There’s a chance they will transfer me there only after the trial period. Only people with a very high security clearance have access.”

  “Excellent. But I need another favor from you.”

  He looked at her with a slightly fearful glance.
He knew he owed the girl more than he could ever repay her, but the risks she burdened his shoulders with began to make him feel anxious. “What now, girl? You know that I’m only a temporary employee there,” he tried to bargain for some time.

  “Of course I know that. Who sent you there?” Gali tried to calm him down.

  They grew silent as an old lady, dragged along by three galloping dogs, passed them.

  “I need to know where they keep all the documents. What I’ve found in the trash cans is very nice and all, but I need more than that. I have to go through them quickly and make some photocopies. That is all, Mr. Fliegelman, find the documents.”

  “Josh,” he begged her, “I ashked you to call me Josh.”

  “All right, all right, Josh,” she said, “but you have to promise me, or you’ll remain Mr. Fliegelman forever.”

  “No, I can’t promise.”

  “Why not?” Her brown eyes became harder.

  “Because I don’t need to promise. It’s very simple.”

  “You know where their archive is?”

  “No. But I know where it’s written. The documents are in a warehouse somewhere in the Lod commercial area. They send documents there all the time. It must be a central archive for documents from all sorts of places. When the boxes are coming out of the factory, I need to check their consignment note and address with a special stamp that approves their withdrawal. There’s also very strict documentation of what goes in and where it goes to. I need to take a peek at that notepad. There’s a special vehicle that does that. It also returns some boxes now and then and I need to check where they came from and approve their entry.”

  “You don’t say. So can you give me the exact address? When’s your next shift?” Gali didn’t waste even a single moment.

  “Tonight. My shift starts at nine.”

  “So perhaps I can come inside the factory for a short time. Just for half an hour. No more than that. What do you care?”

  “Never, shweetheart, you’ll be shot. You can’t come inshide,” he mumbled helplessly, finding it difficult to resist his lovely savior. “If you want to come inshide, you need to find a legal way. Get invited there, or shomething. Why are you sho obsheshed with the plashe anyway?”

  “There are things going on there that I need to find out more about. The statistical information about ailments in all the surrounding settlements is unreasonable. My friends have checked and no other place or factory in the area can cause such damage. Even the court was convinced. I got a court order that prevents the selling of the factory until more is found out about what activities are going in there. But they’ll find a way to go around it, or throw me to the dogs unless I can come up with more evidence. So after disqualifying all the other factories, Viromedical is the only one remaining. A scientific deduction, right? Even you have to admit.”

  “No. Not so scientific but a step in the right direction. Without proof you are merely toying with theories. But if you insist, I’ve got an idea for you.”

  “Go on, tell me.”

  “You don’t have to check on the inside. You can check the outside. A factory like that takes out all its waste, toxins and trash through the sewer system. Trash, for those smart enough to examine it, can tell you the whole story. Show me your trash and I’ll tell you who you are. Perhaps you should start from there.”

  “Josh, you’re the greatest. You’re a real treasure. You deserve a kiss. You’ll have a guest tonight. Check your records and be ready with the address. No address, no more cookies, got it?”

  Gali kissed his forehead gently, bade him farewell, rose from the bench and went away with quick footsteps before he even had a chance to react.

  Chapter 12

  Ofer wasn’t too excited about the idea of going up to his house. In his current state of mind, he couldn’t really do anything. There was no way he would be able to concentrate enough to do some studying. In spite of the smell that stuck to his clothes from his night in jail, in spite of the vomit stains, he really didn’t feel like going into his apartment, not even to take a shower.

  He decided to go to the Dan Panorama Hotel to pick up his bike. When he arrived, an idea popped into his head. Why couldn’t he find out for himself where Natalia disappeared to? And what caused the blonde-haired chambermaid to send him to a night of nightmares in Abu Kabir? Maybe he would find the end of a thread which would allow him to untangle the jumble of mysteries involving Rodety’s death and his deadly personal flask. And maybe, if he could find whoever put the virus in the drink, he would also find someone who had a vaccine that prevented its deadly influence.

  The hotel lobby was quiet and air conditioned, just as it was during his previous visit. He snuck into the restroom, washed his face and combed his hair with his fingers. In the mirror, he saw that he now looked again more or less like a normal human being.

  The receptionist with the plum-like mouth did not wait for him behind the reception desk. The goddess of fortune did not deal him the right cards that day, he noted to himself with disappointment.

  In her place, there was a brunette girl, thick and energetic, who stretched her chubby body up, as much as she could and boasted a brilliant name tag on her blouse.

  “Hello, are you new here?” Ofer decided to try his luck anyway.

  She nodded.

  “Good luck with your new job,” Ofer smiled at her flatteringly.

  The bait was effective. A red blush could be seen through the donut-like girl’s shirt lapels; it colored her throat and began to invade her cheeks. “How can I help you?” she asked politely.

  “They sent me from the office to get a copy of the bill,” explained Ofer.

  “What bill exactly?” The chubby girl was making it difficult.

  “The bill for room 613. Including all the expenses up until yesterday evening. The guest of our firm—Geller, Schneider and Associates, forgot to take it.” To add credibility he hurried to wave the law firm’s business card.

  “Who was the guest?” she asked.

  “Rodety, Jacob Rodety… I think.”

  “There’s no such bill,” she answered after checking quickly. An expression of disappointment spread on her face.

  “I’m sorry, perhaps the bill in under the name Y. Brick Investments, Inc.” he said, following a spark of inspiration.

  “Yes. This is a bill I can see. But I can’t give it to you without authorization… and the manager is not in right now,” she hurried to add. She held the printout in her hand on the desk.

  Ofer hurried to take advantage of the opportunity and changed tactics, “By the way, maybe you know where I could find Natalia?” he asked.

  “Is she also a guest?” asked the brunette girl.

  “No, no, she’s one of the hotel employees,” he said.

  “Natalia what?”

  “I forgot her last name. She’s one of the chambermaids. I think she normally works on the sixth floor.”

  “Natalia Schulvitz?” she asked, raising her eyebrows after a brief search on the computer screen in front of her.

  Ofer was about to say, “I think so,” when Yoni, the hotel’s security officer, popped up behind him, his hands shoved inside his belt.

  “Hello to you. Whose body did you come to search this time?” asked Yoni.

  “Hi. No bodies today, if it’s possible. I came to ask about Natalia, the chambermaid, to see if she managed to overcome the trauma we went through together,” said Ofer.

  “That’s very nice of you, but she no longer works here, since yesterday. She didn’t work here for a long time. She was hired less than two weeks ago.”

  “Oh… I see,” he mumbled. “Thanks anyway.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw how the industrious brunette turned to the photocopier behind her and left the printout orphaned on the desk. He snatched the paper and went on his way before the diligent head of security could think about calling Nir Alush, the redheaded police officer, and report the guy who came back to stick his nose into
affairs which did not concern him.

  In the parking lot he found an isolated spot, opened the printout and read it beneath the light of a faint flashlight. Just as he had hoped, the document contained, in addition to the amounts for payment, all the telephone numbers that were dialed from the room and the charges they incurred.

  His own cell number was there. So was the office number. He didn’t see the number he was looking for. The phone number to which Rodety had planned to send the text message—“The fire is burning.”

  He mounted his bike, his mind troubled by various thoughts. Why did Rodety try to send a text message, why didn’t he try to call that person? Perhaps the solution to the mystery was hidden in the answer to that question.

  While driving, his cellular phone vibrated. He stopped by the side of the road.

  There was no room for doubt regarding the number that appeared on the screen.

  Morris was on the other end of the line.

  “‘Zagoury, your honor, I’m relying on the Zagoury verdict,’” he roared. “‘There is no presumption of dangerousness in my case as well.’ That’s what I told the judge. And the judge loved it. What a judge, goddamn it, what a judge. First class. He released me from custody. You’re the greatest.”

  “Congratulations, really.” The compliments pleased him.

  “I owe you one, brother, you’re the best, brother.”

  “I’m happy to hear that, but I need your help, Morris,” said Ofer. An idea sprang to mind, and he decided to strike while the iron was hot. He had a feeling with a character like Morris, who’d lived a life of crime since he was nine years old, postponing might be a mistake.

  “Just ask, brother, it’s on me, whatever it is you want.”

  “I’m looking for a girl called Natalia Schulvitz.”

  “Is she a looker at least?” Morris tried to get some identifying information.

  “She looks all right. Even more than all right, actually,” answered Ofer.

  “Did you try 411?” Morris offered a spontaneous solution. “Try the yellow pages. You know what, leave it alone. It’s on me. Give me a half hour tops and I’ll find her for you. Is she a friend of yours or do you need to shake her up a little bit?” Morris continued with an outburst of volunteer spirit.