by Uzi Eilam
“Let’s hear them!” Nahari interjected, signaling to Binyamin, who had just entered the room, to sit down.
“Soleimani has assigned Nimer the responsibility of mobilizing Quds Force fighters to free the captives. These are two experienced people, who are receiving assistance from Hamas operatives in Nablus. We don’t have any information on the details of their activity, but we know that they have already visited Israel, and particularly Tel Aviv, several times. In addition, Nahari, we have transferred Nimer’s son and sister to a new location, and tightened security procedures…”
“Yes, Gideon, and I trust our security personnel to stay vigilant. Binyamin has already updated the Shin Bet, and the hunt for the Quds Force cell has begun,” Nahari continued. “They know addresses and contact people who can lead them to the house where the Iranians are hunkering down. But that’s not what’s troubling you.”
“We’ve received information, from the secured channel serving Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard. Apparently, it concerns a device located somewhere in Tel Aviv, and we don’t know its exact nature. Dan’s team, which intercepted a conversation between Soleimani and Nimer, is thinking it’s an unconventional explosive charge…”
“Unconventional? In Tel Aviv? What is this? What part is Nimer playing in all this?”
“Dan and the young people only know that Soleimani wanted to verify that Nimer could activate the device. I asked him to make a supreme effort to find out what the device is, and where it was located. It won’t be so simple. The team is already utilizing the new algorithms they’ve developed for Big Data searches. They’re scanning a nearly infinite amount of data fragments, mostly from the Revolutionary Guard’s operational networks, but also material from North Korea.”
“This doesn’t sound good to me, Gideon. That friend of yours doesn’t seem to have any boundaries…”
“Right. It seemed suspicious and important to us, and that’s why Dan and his team are pulling out all the stops in order to figure out the nature of this threat.”
“Thanks, Gideon. Keep those efforts up, and don’t underestimate the danger that the Quds Force team poses to us. It’s important to stay in touch with the Shin Bet and to keep them posted when we uncover any sort of lead.” Nahari turned to his assistant. “In any case, Binyamin, we have to raise the alert level for our commando force and prepare them to intercept the Quds Force fighters.”
Gideon left the meeting with a somewhat lighter heart, knowing that Nahari was fully in the picture; involved and supportive.
Chapter 47
Noam received the instruction to change the location where Hassan and Jamila were being held. They were transferred during the third night of their stay in Israel. A crew of fighters from Nahari’s unit provided security for the relocation, and everything took place quietly and speedily. The new safe house was roomier. The refrigerator in the apartment’s kitchenette was well stocked, and Jamila, who had examined its contents, expressed her gratitude. Hassan kept quiet. The bookcase contained a shelf of textbooks in Arabic. Noam had made sure to obtain some console games for him, in the absence of access to computers and the Internet. She stayed with Jamila and Hassan until late into the night, and said goodbye to them only when she felt the tension they were under had dissipated somewhat.
“They’re calm now,” Noam updated the member of the security detail currently on duty. “I’ve locked the door. I’ll come back tomorrow morning, and let you or whoever’s on duty then know that I am here.”
“I’m right here, and I have a sightline on the apartment across from us. I’m ready for any development, in the unfortunate event that it occurs.”
***
The ringing of the encrypted phone echoed in the small room in which Quds Force fighters Bader and Gurji were staying. A Hamas operative in Nablus who was the commander of the city’s network had given them access to the apartment and helped them conduct reconnaissance in Israeli territory. A car with Israeli plates and their fluency in Hebrew allowed them to move freely through the country. The two fighters’ patrols in the last ten days had focused on the city of Tel Aviv and its environs. Only two days ago, they had received an encrypted message from Teheran that included details about the mission, described by the commander of the Revolutionary Guard himself as possessing supreme importance. The communication instructed them to find and free a Lebanese woman named Jamila and a student named Hassan, telling them that the Israeli Mossad was responsible for their abduction. There were no other details, other than the information that Dr. Nimer Al-Khaldi would manage the operation, and that they must fully obey him. The last two days had been dedicated to recon, particularly around the government district, Kiryat HaMemshala, in the city of Tel Aviv.
“Hello there, Bader.” Nimer’s voice sounded loud and clear. “May God bless you and your friend Gurji.”
“Hello to you too, Dr. Nimer,” Bader replied, having already recognized Nimer’s voice following their previous conversation.
“What kind of progress have you made with your preparations? Have you found out where the Israelis are holding my son and my sister?”
“Unfortunately, not yet, Dr. Nimer, but we’ve gotten a good sense of how to move around in the city of Tel Aviv, and we think we can reach any address that is given to us.”
“That’s not enough, Bader. I expect more from you!” Nimer lost his temper. “It’s not just anyone who can acquire the sort of reputation you two have in Quds Force and within the Revolutionary Guard. Soleimani himself praised you…”
“We know how important it is to free the captives, and how urgent it is…”
“Don’t forget the cameras spread out all over the city,” Nimer emphasized. “Your image might be captured by these cameras, many of which are installed throughout the HaKirya military base in Tel Aviv.”
“Thanks for the reminder, Dr. Nimer,” Bader replied. “We are aware of the danger and also make sure to dress in a way that helps us look like Israelis. Unfortunately, we have still not found the connection that will bring us to the place where Jamila and your son Hassan are being held.”
“Have you made inquiries about the Israeli woman who’s looking after my captives?”
“Oh… We don’t know anything about her. Who is she?”
“Her name is Noam Avni. She’s married to Dan Avni, the brains behind all the Big Data analytics that the Israelis and the Americans are using against us. She is also the daughter of Dr. Gideon Ben Ari, who managed the kidnapping operation,” Nimer said, mentally thanking the Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence force, which had managed, with a supreme effort, to find out details about his family members’ captivity. “I’ll send you the address and additional details that will help you find her,” Nimer promised. “Tracking her will allow you to find out where they are holding my loved ones. As for the rest of the activity, you have got enough experience; I don’t have to guide you.”
“Thank you, Dr. Nimer. We’ll take action immediately when we get the details about Mrs. Avni,” Bader promised.
“You have to act quickly,” Nimer demanded. “We cannot let this situation continue.”
“Will do, Commander.”
***
“How long will you keep us here? What do you even want from us?” Jamila complained when Noam entered the apartment in the morning.
“We are hoping to release you soon,” Noam tried to soothe her. “I hope that Dr. Nimer can come here and meet you shortly.”
Despite all her efforts, and the conversations in Arabic she conducted with Hassan and Jamila, Noam was aware of the captives’ mental state, and of the difficulties that their confinement caused them. It would be in our best interest as well, she thought, to end this complex situation as soon as possible. Before leaving the apartment, she signaled the security team and updated them on the captives’ mood. She decided to wander around a bit, thinking she might arrive at
Dan and the Talpiot team’s “war room” around noon.
Maybe I’ll go to that nice café in the heart of the Sarona neighborhood, she thought. I have to get a bit of distance from Jamila and Hassan. She was happy to fill the role of the captives’ babysitter, but her involvement was threatening to compromise her ability to think objectively.
Noam walked past the government bureau building at the beginning of Kaplan Street, enjoying the cool morning air. She thought back to the period of her military service as an officer in the Air Force when she would arrive for meetings at Air Force headquarters at HaKirya Base. It seemed to have taken place eons ago. Near the entrance to Air Force HQ, she remembered, was a café and French bakery called Biga. Her Francophile father had introduced her to the charming establishment, located at the beginning of Kaplan Street.
“Keep walking and don’t stop,” a young man in a suit, walking on her right, instructed Noam in a lightly accented Hebrew. Another young man, similarly dressed, materialized on her left. “I’ve got a gun in my bag. Don’t test us!” the young man on her right commanded. Noam listened to them speak, seeking the source of the accent. She believed it was Farsi, a language she had studied as part of her Ph.D. classes at Stanford University.
“What do you want? How can I help you?” she asked in Farsi, while pressing the emergency button on the cell phone she carried in the pocket of her slacks. She knew Dan would receive the message immediately, and would also know exactly where she was. The young men, surprised to be addressed in their own language, slowed their steps momentarily.
“What do we do now?” the young man on the left asked.
“We keep going,” Bader decreed. “Nothing is wrong,” he soothed. “You will lead us to where the captives are,” Bader continued to talk to Noam in Hebrew, in a quiet, confident voice. “Don’t try to lose us, or to take us somewhere else. No one will hear our guns go off, and you won’t make it out alive…”
I hope Dan got my message, Noam thought, trying to decide what to do. I have to buy some time, she decided, and continued walking toward the café.
“Where are you going?” the young man on her right spat out quietly. “You’ll take us to Jamila and Hassan, whom you’re holding captive, right now.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Noam tried to continue in Farsi. “You’re picking on the wrong person…” she said, taking care to continue walking leisurely among the morning passersby on Kaplan Street.
“You’re Noam Avni, Dan Avni’s wife. You took part in the kidnapping, and you will lead us to the place where you are holding them. Don’t you dare call for help, as it’ll cost you your life.”
That’s a hollow threat, Noam thought logically. I’m their only connection to Jamila and Hassan, and their threat makes no sense at this stage. It is important that I stay with the throng of pedestrians, and hopefully, Dan is mobilizing our people quickly. I’ll try not to expose the cell phone so that Dan can listen in on what’s happening.
“You’re wrong,” Noam switched to English. “I don’t know these people that you mentioned as having been kidnapped…”
She stuck to her story, hoping Dan and the team members were already listening in on the exchange.
***
“Noam’s in trouble!” Dan ran into Gideon’s office. “She’s being held by two men who are speaking Farsi, as far as I can understand…”
“Where are they?” Gideon leapt from his chair. “Let’s drive there immediately…” he blurted out, in a state of turmoil.
“At this stage, she’s walking with them on Kaplan Street in HaKirya,” Dan surprised him with his composure. “I can track them as long as she has her cell phone. They are talking Farsi as well as Hebrew and English. I heard them throwing Noam’s personal information at her, as well as her role in the abduction. We have to update Nahari immediately and summon the security unit,” Dan continued as they ran toward Nahari’s room.
“And what happens if they take her cell phone away from her?” Gideon blurted out, breathing heavily.
“I asked Itzik to deploy two ‘wasps’ toward Sarona and the government district. We can track them even without the connection to Noam’s cell.”
“What’s happening with Noam?” Nahari inquired urgently while Gideon and Dan were still in the doorway. “Has she been kidnapped? Where is she?”
“She’s…” Gideon attempted, overcome by his distress.
“Two men, apparently fighters from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, are ‘escorting’ Noam after intercepting her; we are still not certain exactly how,” Dan replied, continuing to exhibit a calm, businesslike manner. “I can still hear them talking as long as she keeps possession of her cell phone. The Iranians are trying to pressure her into leading them to the captives. They’re currently walking up Kaplan Street, just outside Sarona.”
“Binyamin, what’s going on with our security unit?” Nahari turned to his assistant. “They have to step in right now!”
“They’re getting ready, Nahari, and I’ll tell them to start moving toward Kaplan Street in the government district immediately.”
***
“I’m a student at Stanford University, currently visiting Israel,” Noam insisted on sticking to English.
“That doesn’t change anything,” the young Bader spat out in Hebrew. “You will lead us to where you’re holding the hostages, and do it right now,” he went on, his tone threatening. “Take out your cell phone and give it to me…”
Noam realized she could not refuse, praying that Dan would continue tracking them, and perhaps listening in on them as well. She handed the device to Bader, knowing that as long as the cell phone accompanied them, Dan could locate her as well as hear the conversation.
“Where are you going?” Bader whispered. “You have to bring us to the captives.”
“Don’t worry,” Noam replied quietly. “I’ll get to the place you asked for. It is not far…”
They’re professionals, Noam thought as she realized she could not shake off her escorts. Maybe there’s some other way to kill time? She decided not to give up, turning from Kaplan Street to Dubnov Street. There were fewer pedestrians here, and she noticed that her Iranian escorts exhibited more confidence. With some concern, she noticed a black Hyundai sedan that had been driving along slowly as they were walking on Kaplan Street, now turning leisurely onto Dubnov Street along with them.
***
A driver who was also a member of the security unit was already sitting in the car with the engine running when Gideon and Dan arrived.
“To Kaplan Street in HaKirya! Get the siren going! Every moment is crucial!” Gideon urged while Dan activated his powerful laptop, tracking Noam up Kaplan Street.
“I’ve lost contact with Noam’s cell! They must have taken it from her…” Dan called out. “Hold on… I’ve established contact with the ‘wasps.’ They’ve turned from the Ayalon Highway on to Kaplan Street…”
Dan tracked the information coming from the “wasps” and discovered a black Hyundai car that aroused his suspicion. It was driving along slowly, waiting on Kaplan Street until Noam and her “escorts” turned on Dubnov Street, when it turned as well. He quickly sent a message to the security team, whose vehicle was heading toward Kaplan Street, quickly catching up with Gideon and Dan’s own vehicle.
“We’ve got a sightline on the Iranians. They are pushing Noam forward,” Gideon updated the commander of the security crew. “They have turned on to Dubnov, and are approaching a café. Hold on! The black car is stopping next to them and they’re forcing Noam to get in…. We’re exiting the vehicle and we’re on our way there…”
The next few minutes were a flurry of activity. Gideon and Dan surprised the Iranians from behind before the car could take off. Noam kicked the Iranian on her left, breaking free of his grip, and Dan began to handcuff him. Bader managed to shake Gideon off and tried to aim his pistol at Gid
eon’s head. The driver/security man leapt on Bader and grabbed hold of his arm. The shot intended for Gideon was diverted harmlessly up into the air, and Bader, too, was quickly handcuffed. A crowd of pedestrians on the street began to converge just as the security force made its appearance. The two Iranians were quickly loaded onto the security team’s car, which promptly drove off. The black car disappeared, unobserved, during the chaos. Noam hugged Dan and Gideon wordlessly.
“I knew that you would come to rescue me!” Her ability to speak returned as she hugged Dan. “But it was very frightening…”
“Everything is okay now, Noam. You did great, and took exactly the right actions. We could not have reached you so quickly if you had not,” Gideon praised her, unable to hide the glint of tears in his eyes.
Gideon’s cell phone rang, with Nahari on the line. “The security team updated me, Gideon. I’m glad that it ended the way it did.”
“Thanks, Nahari. Noam deserves most of the credit and the thanks…”
“Right, that’s what I heard. Convey my congratulations to her. I’m waiting for you to conduct a debriefing and decide on what happens next.”
“We’re on our way.” Gideon walked with his arms around Noam and Dan, following their driver and bodyguard, who forged a path for them through the dozens of curious onlookers who were trying to figure out the drama that had taken place on Kaplan Street.
I’m so glad it ended the way it did, Gideon thought as he walked on with his arms around the two young people. Now I have a better understanding of what motivates Nimer and what makes him tick. Maybe that’s one more thing we share, in addition to our childhood memories. Gideon disengaged from his thoughts and returned to the joy accompanying the successful rescue of his beloved daughter Noam.
Chapter 48
Nahari did not delay and began the debriefing immediately when Gideon, Dan and Noam arrived in his office. The longtime loyal secretary hurried to pamper the three with a cold beverage and cups of fragrant espresso. Slices of coffee cake mysteriously appeared as well. Dan asked two members of the Talpiot team, Eviatar and Aaron, to join the discussion, which he believed was highly important. Itzik stayed on duty to continue the surveillance efforts in their “war room.” The commander of the security unit arrived after handing over the two Iranians to Shin Bet interrogators.