Trail of Blood

by Uzi Eilam

  “I don’t intend to dwell on the details of the course of events in which all of you are already fluent,” Nahari declared. “The important thing now is to focus on assessing the enemy’s next steps, mostly those of Nimer himself.”

  “The two people from Quds Force didn’t know where we were holding Jamila and Hassan,” Dan began. “That means we have an advantage for now, but I wouldn’t underestimate Nimer and his people’s ability to hack our networks. They will continue to dedicate a great deal of resources to the objective of freeing the captives.”

  “What can he do?” Nahari challenged.

  “Nimer can take another stab at discovering where we’re holding his sister and son,” Gideon said. “There are more agents, Hezbollah members or Iranians from Quds Force, whose locations are unknown to the Shin Bet…”

  “Gideon is right,” Dan confirmed. “The black Hyundai with the tinted windows that was tracking Noam and her escorts when they were walking on Kaplan Street, and then when they turned on Dubnov, disappeared after the Iranians were captured. If possible, we should identify it based on the information that the ‘wasps’ intercepted. It was probably a getaway car intended to carry Jamila and Hassan off after they were liberated.”

  “Dan is right; we should handle that promptly,” Gideon recommended. “I believe we should consider transferring the hostages to a military base, thus preventing Iranian agents from getting to the current safe house.”

  “I’m fine with that,” Nahari responded. “Look what you can get from the ‘wasps’ and pass all the material on for further handling by the Shin Bet.”

  “I’ve got news!” Itzik called out, bursting in on the discussion. “Both Teheran and Beirut already know about the failure of the attempt to free the captives. Soleimani, commander of the Revolutionary Guard, and the head of his Intelligence Division are already on a plane to Beirut. It looks like an important meeting is about to take place in Nasrallah’s bunker…”

  “Thanks, Itzik,” Dan quickly responded. “Every bit of information is important to us right now. You should go back to our war room immediately.”

  “Nahari, I recommend we wait for information about the meeting in Beirut to come in. It will be important to understand what Soleimani and Nimer are intending to do. We have no doubt that Nimer will not relent. Dan and his team should focus on the traffic that will help us prepare effectively.”

  “I agree, Gideon, and I’ll wait for additional information, like you said.”

  ***

  Secretary General Nasrallah looked more solemn than Nimer had ever seen him look before. Soleimani, too, was tight-lipped after shaking Nasrallah’s hand and greeting him. An aerial photograph of central Tel Aviv filled the large screen, and the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s Intelligence Division stood next to it in order to point out the location of the incident and the chain of events in the HaKirya area, primarily the junction of Kaplan and Dubnov streets, where the Quds Force fighters failed at their mission and were taken prisoner by the Israelis. Hezbollah’s military commander joined the meeting, and it seemed to Nimer as if he had decided to listen quietly rather than involve himself unnecessarily in the proceedings.

  “Welcome,” the secretary general began. “Thank you for arriving so quickly. This is a very important consultation, and with your help, we will rescue Dr. Nimer Al-Khaldi’s family members.”

  “We, too, estimate that this situation requires us to consolidate our forces and employ the sort of thinking that will help to forge a new path. We have to guarantee results.” Soleimani’s voice grew louder. “We can’t rest so long as Nimer’s sister and son are being held by the enemy. This situation cannot go on; we must do everything we can to free them.”

  The head of the Revolutionary Guard Intelligence Division pointed out the path the Quds Force fighters had taken, pausing at the place where they had been surprised by the Israelis and taken prisoner. He said it was unknown where the two were currently, but he assumed that the Shin Bet was holding them and trying to extract information from them. Soleimani noted that he trusted his men to know how not to reveal any secrets.

  “I’m unquiet too,” Nasrallah declared. “What should we do? We won’t send a barrage of missiles and rockets toward the settlements in northern Israel. That will not help our cause. What will? What do you suggest, Nimer?”

  “We have a few more agents hiding within the territory of the Palestinian Authority, awaiting orders,” Nimer replied. “That’s an option worth developing, but we shouldn’t rely on it exclusively. We’ve witnessed the Israelis’ surveillance abilities. I think that we should activate a threat on a different scale, perhaps a strategic threat that would force Israel to release Jamila and Hassan. Secretary-General,” he continued in a confident tone, “I recommend you allow General Soleimani and myself to conduct a consultation and inform you of an action plan in that direction.”

  “I have faith in you,” Nasrallah responded. “My assistant will take you to a quiet room, and may Allah’s blessing be with you,” he concluded.

  “I know exactly what you were talking about,” Soleimani said when the secretary general’s assistant left them on their own in a small room next to the bureau. “Are you certain that the suitcase you hid in the building next to HaKirya Base, where the military HQ is, along with its entire operation system, is ready to be activated?”

  “Yes, Commander,” Nimer promised. “I have got a secure connection to the activation apparatus. It is ready to go off, and only a special secret code can neutralize it. I am the only one who knows the code,” he emphasized.

  “Right. I remember that brilliant operation where you were the main player. You managed to smuggle the suitcase into Israel, and to operate within the enemy’s country without being detected. With the help of Hamas’s naval commando, you managed to obtain the additional explosives you loaded onto the suitcase in order to complete the system. I was highly impressed by your resourcefulness and courage.”

  “Thank you, Commander, but that’s already history. The important question is how to use this strategic system in order to ensure the release of my loved ones.”

  “We have to take into account, Nimer, that exposing the very existence of this ‘dirty bomb’ might eliminate our ability to make use of it in the future. However, after all your contributions to your home country of Lebanon and to us in Iran, I support any way of proceeding that will bring about the release of your loved ones.”

  “Thank you, Commander,” Nimer replied, moved. “What do you think the next step should be?”

  “Based on everything that we have learned, Nimer, the key person is Dr. Gideon Ben Ari. That man sets things in motion. Moreover, my friend, you know him perhaps better than anyone else…”

  “Me? What do you mean?”

  “A childhood friendship is not something that should be underestimated. It’s clear to us that traits exposed at a young age persist later in life as well. You’ll know what to tell him and how to motivate him to release your sister Jamila and son Hassan and set them free. We have a nearly unprecedented means of intimidation here. This ‘friend’ of yours will surely understand the meaning of employing unconventional warfare, with a ‘dirty bomb,’ in the heart of Tel Aviv and the country’s government center.”

  “If that is what you think, my commander, I’ll try to get in touch with Dr. Gideon Ben Ari…”

  “Yes, do it, and may your path prove successful, with Allah’s blessing.”

  ***

  Dan and Noam joined Gideon in the little room placed at his disposal in Nahari’s bureau. Small cups of espresso and pitchers of cold water, brought in by Nahari’s administrative assistant, hit the spot as far as Gideon was concerned. After the emotional event he had experienced, he was certain that further activity was the best way to shake off his shock following the Iranians’ attempt to abduct Noam.

  “Dan, what can we conclude f
rom the information we’ve gathered so far about Nimer’s latest steps?”

  “There’s no doubt that he’s determined,” Dan replied, “but that was obvious even without the recent information we’ve picked up. It seems highly important to me to intercept what Nimer and Soleimani are saying, and to figure out where Nimer is turning next.”

  “If you ask me,” Noam intervened, “we should grant some weight to the emotional component…”

  “Ahh, Noam… that’s your area of expertise,” Gideon replied, relieved to hear Noam return to her usual self. “What form will the emotional component take when it comes to Nimer?”

  “He will diverge from the usual precise, rigid style he uses to manage his operations… Emotion will lead him to do unexpected things…”

  The ring of Gideon’s unlisted phone cut into Noam’s speech. He produced the device and brought it to his ear.

  “Dr. Ben Ari, you know who this is…” Gideon held his breath, signaling to Dan and Noam: It’s Nimer… He transferred the call to speakerphone.

  “I want my sister and my son back, Gideon. I know you have them,” Nimer began in English, but immediately switched to Arabic.

  “We need to talk, Nimer,” Gideon replied, trying to ignore his surprise at this direct call to his private number. “Hassan and your sister’s fate depend on you, more than anything else.”

  “I want to see them now!” Nimer erupted.

  “They are in good hands, Nimer. My daughter Noam is in direct contact with them. She will coordinate a video chat,” Gideon tried to soothe, speaking in a mixture of Arabic and Hebrew, the way they had done as kids. “It’s a good thing we made sure Noam remained free to continue to look after their welfare,” Gideon hinted at the attempted Iranian abduction and its successful thwarting.

  “You don’t know what could happen to you if you harm a single hair on Hassan’s head…” Gideon was shocked by the unexpected tone of threat in his childhood friend’s voice. He made sure that the phone was indeed in speaker mode, hinting to Dan and Noam to keep listening. “It will not end with another liberation attempt by our fighters. We have something much more brutal in store for you…” Nimer continued in the same intimidating voice.

  Try to calm him down, Noam signaled with hand gestures. Listen to what he has to say, she added.

  “I promise you that they will be fine, Nimer, and you know you can count on my word…”

  “I trust your word,” Nimer acquiesced. “What’s the next step?”

  “Let’s set a time, say ten a.m. tomorrow, for your video conference with them…”

  “That’s fine with me,” Nimer confirmed. “But I know you have something else to tell me…”

  “You’re right, Nimer. How did you know?”

  “I remember you always insisted on a balance. If we’re cooperating, you claimed, then both of us should contribute…”

  “True, Nimer,” Gideon replied, sensing their old connection beginning to come alive. “I’m asking you to tell us about the special threat you mentioned. If we are cooperating, then all cards should be on the table, like you just said.”

  “There’s something I installed a few months ago on your side, over in Tel Aviv. With the push of a button, I could spread a radioactive cloud that would put a stop to life in the heart of the city, in HaKirya, as you call that area…”

  “A dirty bomb? Is that what you’re saying?” Gideon did his best to stay calm, signaling to Dan to listen to every word and try to get more information.

  “That’s exactly it! And don’t try to find it and attempt to neutralize it. It will blow up in your faces…”

  “And you can control it?” Gideon continued the conversation as if it were purely businesslike and hypothetical.

  “Yes. It’s primed now, waiting only for the activation code…” Nimer sounded very confident to Gideon.

  “I remember, Nimer, that you knew how to deactivate your traps that were set out on the hill,” Gideon continued. “Can you do that here, too?”

  “Yes, Gideon, there is a deactivation code, but don’t bother trying to crack it. It just won’t work, even with all your Big Data tricks. I will neutralize this device only after my son and sister are released.” Nimer did not try to conceal his pride over the intimidating system he had installed. He did not hesitate to reveal the secret, expecting that this very exposure would convey the force of the threat contained in the dirty bomb to Gideon.

  “Okay, Nimer, tomorrow you can talk to them in a video conference, like I promised, and there won’t be any more traps…” Gideon attempted a lighter tone.

  Chapter 49

  Gideon, Dan and Noam hurried to Dan’s “war room,” knowing they had to prepare for an extraordinary effort following the conversation with Nimer. The young team members, Itzik, Eviatar and Aaron, disengaged from their computers and straightened in their seats.

  “Nimer just called me; we are dealing with a situation that we did not anticipate,” Gideon began with no preliminaries. “I wasn’t particularly surprised by the call itself, or by the fact that he had uncovered my private number. The problem is a new threat we didn’t know about. Nimer has introduced us to his ‘doomsday device’: a dirty bomb hidden somewhere in HaKirya, apparently in one of the houses in the Sarona neighborhood. If his captive family members are harmed in any way, Nimer threatened, all of central Tel Aviv will be engulfed in a radioactive cloud…”

  “There was a segment of a conversation we intercepted recently in which Soleimani was talking to Nimer about his ability to activate a ‘device,’” Eviatar intervened. “If I remember correctly, Nimer said he was certain he could do it.”

  “That does indeed fit in,” Dan said, “and it’s now obvious to us, directly from Nimer himself, what that ‘device’ Soleimani asked about is, and what the threat is.”

  “We have to treat Nimer’s threat seriously,” Noam chimed in. “He won’t spare Israeli citizens if, heaven forbid, his sister Jamila or his son Hassan get hurt.”

  “Gideon, what is the significance of setting off a dirty bomb in the heart of Tel Aviv?” Eviatar queried. “Is there really a risk of thousands of casualties?”

  “Not really,” Gideon explained. “It’s not an atomic bomb like the ones dropped at the end of World War Two on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan…”

  “Then what is it really?” the young men prodded.

  “There is no single recipe for a dirty bomb,” Gideon continued. “It depends on the amount of radioactive material that it contains. The dispersal radius of radioactive particles depends on the structure of the bomb and on the explosive dispersing the radioactive material. We have to assume the material will be dispersed over a radius of hundreds of yards. If the radiation level is high, no one should stay for long in the affected area. It’s not a nuclear bomb,” Gideon emphasized yet again, “it would be proper to treat it as a terrorist weapon used for intimidation, more than anything else.”

  “I’m identifying two main tasks that it would be good to figure out by tomorrow morning, before we call Nimer for the video chat with his sister and son,” Dan determined in a clear-sighted manner. “We have to locate the place in the Sarona neighborhood where Nimer hid the bomb. However, that doesn’t spare us from exerting ourselves on the second important task: figuring out the bomb’s deactivation code. We heard Nimer sounding confident about our inability to discover the code.”

  “Dan’s right,” Gideon stated. “We have to drop everything else and focus on the tasks that he defined. I suggest you call in Yonatan from MID, who’s helped us before. I’ll ask Deutsch to recruit the NSA’s people at the American Embassy. All forces have to focus on these missions. I’ll go update Nahari,” he added, “while you get going immediately.”

  “It’s going to be a white night for us!” Dan declared, delegating the efforts to locate the bomb to the Talpiot team and to the American NSA per
sonnel sent by Deutsch. He turned his attention to the existing information on North Korea, which seemed to be the likely source of the “dirty bomb.” Dan also asked the team members to compile all of the recent feed from the cameras spread throughout the Sarona neighborhood on the dates that Nimer might have been in Israel, dealing with the installation of the bomb. Aaron, the team member from the Shin Bet, claimed that the task seemed to him like searching for a needle in a haystack. Dan replied that the new Big Data algorithm focused on gleaning pertinent data from massive databases would get the job done. He asked Yonatan from MID and Noam to join him in his efforts to uncover the activation and deactivation codes of the dirty bomb.

  “What’s new with you guys, Gideon?” Nahari greeted him. “Is it something from the creative mind of your ‘friend’ Nimer?”

  “He called to talk to me,” Gideon replied, “but you’ve already heard about that from your assistant Binyamin. Nimer knows about the failure of the Iranian Quds Force fighters’ attempt to release the family members whom we’re holding. We don’t know exactly how he found out. In his conversation with me, he demanded that we free his sister and son. But Nimer’s threat to set off a radioactive dirty bomb, concealed somewhere in the Sarona neighborhood, near HaKirya in Tel Aviv, seems important and urgent to us.”

  “Did you know about this? Is it real?” Nahari interjected.

  “Just recently, we intercepted a fragment of conversation between Soleimani and Nimer regarding Nimer’s ability to activate a ‘device,’ the nature of which was unknown to us until now. Only at this stage, when Nimer explicitly posed the threat to us, did we realize what is at stake. It sounds real and serious to us, and it’s obvious that this is how he intends to ensure the wellbeing of his family members.”