Blood Moon Redemption

by Judy DuCharme

  “He did, in his disdain. They saw the pleading in her eyes and the steel in his, but they had no idea it was anything so serious. They just felt he was not very fond of the Jewish mindset, but that he really cared for Tassie. They thought they were just picking up on a basic disagreement between them concerning faith. And, they assumed he was simply a secular Jew, not a Muslim. When the soldier took his phone, the Goldmans were a bit afraid, saw real anger, but again had no idea.”

  Jonas stood up. “All right, Jethro is going to Syria with a Mossad operative.”

  Rube felt himself shaking. Pull yourself together, man. It’s your sister, but you can handle it. She can handle it. She can. She’s a Stevens. She’s tougher than me. We’re of Columbus stock. Rube realized his eyes were closed and his face rested in his hands with his elbows on his knees. He opened his eyes. Jethro and the soldier were looking at him.

  Rube clapped his knees with his hands. “Okay, Jethro and a Mossad agent. Name?”

  “Esras.” Jonas smiled. “And he’s my cousin, so Rube, you and I will be the info and intel guys here, keeping tabs, monitoring, and ready to go if need be.”

  “Is there a plan?”

  Jethro and Jonas exchanged looks. Jethro stood up. “Rube, I’m taking the relic and am going to set up an exchange. Tassie for the relic.”

  “Wait. You do that, they’ll kill her and you. They’re ruthless, Jethro. Have you heard what ISIS is doing? They round up soldiers, cut off their heads, shoot them, and then post the video. They have kids using Uzis. He has no use for Tassie unless he thinks she can come back here and get the relic.” Rube realized he was yelling.

  Jethro put his hand on Rube’s shoulder. Rube pushed it off. “Rube, it probably won’t be a direct exchange, but that’s the end result. We have some contacts there. They will be told I stole it or purchased it from someone who did. I know all the details here, so Tugani can’t fool me with the minutiae of the place and background. We hope to sell it for a handsome price and in the meantime, free Tassie.”

  “Things don’t always go as planned.” Rube ran his hand over his face.

  “That’s true. That’s why you will be here, monitoring every step. And that’s why we need to go now.” Jethro reached out and shook Rube’s hand. “We’ll get her, Rube. I’ll have the relic of God’s blessing with me.”

  Rube pinched the bridge of his nose. “But once they have the relic, you won’t have it.”

  “True, but we’ll get her, and we’ll get back.”

  Tassie listened. Amazed, she could hear herself lightly snoring. She settled back in her seat and focused her mind and ears on Omar’s conversation. Her hands rested on the heavy fabric of the black burka. Not exactly my little black dress or my black power suit, but somehow, I sit in a powerful place right now.

  Omar sat in the front near the pilot’s cab. His elbows were on his knee and one hand was on his chin. The other hand held the phone close to his ear. He nodded and shook his head. Occasionally he cast an eye toward Tassie, and even though she could see and hear him, he basically ignored her presence, somehow convinced she was asleep.

  “No, that won’t do. I don’t care how long it takes. If they abandoned the weapons, I want them gathered. Most of them are American and we need their technology. This is not a short plan. We are in this for the long haul.” There was a pause. Omar rubbed his eye while he listened.

  “My cousin that just got released from Gitmo . . . Yes, get in touch with him in Qatar. He’s already contacted me. They’re already back on board. They can run interference and help ISIS map out the strategies. I know Baghdad is tough, but we can secure borders all around. He has some ideas on how to deal with Iran. America thinks Iran backs Al-Jamal in Iraq, but we have a lot of sleeper cells in Iran.”

  Omar stood and stretched. He grabbed a bottle of water, took a swig, and sat down. He waved his hand at one of his nearby men. The man walked past Tassie, paused to look at her, and went on. Shortly he returned with a plate of cheese, nuts, and grapes and set it on the tray table next to Omar.

  “The Gitmo guys, one of them has connections in Iran. They’ll get in touch with them . . . true, our calls would be suspicious. Let Lemkrof know that we have Russians in Iran and Iraq, as well as Syria. Tell him they have contacted us for assistance.” Omar laughed. “Of course, I know, but what does it matter . . . if we tell Lemkrof, he’ll believe us. All he needs is a ‘concern’ and he will act. Getting Russia’s military moving our way will totally confuse the Americans. They have no idea who to work with right now, Sunni or Shia, Russia or Ukraine, so they do nothing. It’s perfect.”

  Omar leaned back in his seat, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Let’s activate all the separatist cells in Ukraine. If they’re shooting down planes . . . or the Russian military is shooting them down . . . what difference does it make? The Ukrainians will fight back and then Lemkrof can move in. So can we. Now, the Czech Republic is the only one who is gathering troops on their borders. They stand with the U.S. and unfortunately with Israel, not Hamas. We need to step up our plans to get in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Lemkrof is too slow on that, but if we can rally even a few Russian Jews or any pro-Russian citizens, we can get Lemkrof or our own people in there to ‘assist’.”

  Omar stood and sat down in a different seat. “Patience. We will attack the U.S. all in good time. Right now, we need them confused and arguing about everything and accomplishing nothing. Their president thinks he should just be able to do what he wants with his pen, with no Congress or anyone to stop him or slow him down. He has effectively thrown the economy and the whole country into a tailspin. Like I said before, we need to act before the next president takes over. But right now, we need to focus on the Middle East and Eastern Europe.”

  Omar stood up and walked the aisle. He paused next to Tassie and stared at her for a few seconds. Tassie could hear herself lightly snoring still and marveled. She wanted to smile but did not dare.

  “Yes, yes, I almost forgot. We need to get out the information that Israel is finding good sources of oil . . . I know, who would’ve thought. However, that gives Russia another reason to go after Israel . . . for their oil. We need to find a few more Russians that will say Israel has not fulfilled their promise of prosperity to them and Lemkrof could almost take care of Israel for us. So, let ISIS know I said to get all the weapons they can and secure all borders out of Iraq, contact my cousin for more strategies to get those borders and to contact our people in Iran. Lemkrof needs to know there are abused Russians in all places, and that Israel is stealing their oil. What? Tell them you have proof that their oil reserves are connected to Russia’s. And, let Lemkrof know again we might consider sharing our chemical weapons with him . . . right, or use them in exchange for a few favors.”

  Omar hit the end button on his phone. After taking a few more bites of cheese, he rubbed his eyes, glanced back at Tassie, and pulled out his laptop.

  “Boss, weren’t you going to send those American weapons into Israel?”

  “Yeah, my Gitmo cousin is going to get some of them into Israel, and he has some American contacts that he’ll also move into Israel. In addition, he’s going to run some interference on the possible search and rescue of the woman here.” He nodded toward Tassie. “She’ll draw some Americans, perhaps Israelis, looking for her. We can take out some key people in Israel and then leave some dead Americans with the American weapons as evidence. That will increase suspicion and distrust between Israel and the U.S. which works for us.” He crossed his arms and pulled his shoulders back. “The plan is working quite well.”

  At that, Omar focused on his laptop and seemed engrossed in whatever information it held the rest of the flight. Tassie felt the strange sleep lift as they touched down in Damascus. She had heard every word and actually watched though she appeared asleep to her captors.

  CHAPTER 19

  PRESENT DAY

  Jethro and Esras played the part of antiquities dealers who stopped at nothing to
steal and make money on any antiquity they could find and sell. Jethro’s flawless Arabic served him well in the ruse.

  They stood near the portal entryways into the Four Seasons Hotel on the famed Barada River in the downtown district of Damascus. Slightly cluttered with marketplace treasures for sale outside, the inside displayed richness and class. Jethro haggled a bit with the sellers and kept an eye out for Omar while Esras gazed through the sale items making comments as well. Their contacts had little time to pave the way, so Jethro and Esras were on their own. When Jethro spotted Omar and Tassie, he and Esras quickly entered the impressive lobby area to wait.

  Jethro walked up to Omar as he entered the hotel, Tassie in tow. “Excuse me, great sir Tugani.” Jethro bowed.

  Omar stopped. “There are places for hand-outs. This is not one of them.” Omar turned away.

  “Oh, you wound me, my great one. I have something you desire and only request an adequate remuneration.”

  Omar turned back, and Jethro bowed again. “I have little time for your entertainment. What is it you want?”

  Jethro stood and smiled. “Oh, sir, it is what you want. Does the name Goldman sound familiar to you?”

  Tassie stood with her head down. Discreetly she looked around at the elegant furniture, the heavy curtains, and tried to see the art that filled every available spot. Old world jeweled vases, exquisite paintings with ornate frames, and sculpture graced a lobby decorated in deep warm reds accented with gold and cream.

  Then she heard the name Goldman. What? She looked up. The man looked familiar, but not. Could this be anyone she knew? She remembered her place and quickly looked down and studied the marble floor.

  “Goldman? The Jew who holds the . . . ?” Omar had switched to English.

  “A wise man you are, indeed. Yes, the Jew who holds the relic.” The man swept his arms out again in a bow.

  “Enough. What do you want?” Omar gripped Tassie’s arm tighter.

  “We deal in antiquities, sir. We have heard you were impressed with the Goldmans’ relic. We have our ways, sir, to . . . how shall I say, to obtain certain items that are desired by men of means, such as you.”

  Omar looked around. “Are you telling me you have the Goldman relic.”

  Tassie swallowed a gasp and tilted her head to observe this man again.

  He glanced over at his companion. “I told you he was a discerning man.”

  “Show me.”

  The pain in Tassie’s arm intensified. She lowered her head again but sensed the steel in Omar’s eyes.

  “Let us discuss our remuneration first, Mr. Tugani.”

  “I could just take it. There are armed guards around.”

  “True, true. I have an armed guard as well.” He signaled to his companion who revealed his Uzi under his coat. “But why make things messy. This can be an easy exchange.”

  “How did you obtain it?”

  Tassie stole a glance as the man smiled. “We have our ways. We can be very persuasive. We can also be very stealthy. I think that is all we’ll reveal about it.”

  “Where was it? Where did you steal it from?”

  “Oh, the little museum, where it sat on the quaint pedestal under the bell jar. They thought it quite secure.”

  “How much?” Omar looked around noting his guards.

  “One million would do.”

  “Too much.”

  “I understand you enjoy women, much as we do.”

  Tassie stifled a groan. Omar’s grip tightened once more.

  She looked at this snake of a man with her eyes wide. No, No. Suddenly a flashback filled her mind of the airport tarmac and seeing Jethro. She closed her eyes and turned away.

  Omar jerked her around. “This is a pretty one. I’m about done with her. What would be the price for this relic if I throw her in?” Omar chuckled.

  Tassie took advantage of the moment and looked at the man in the eyes. Yes, it was Jethro. Escape. They had come after her. She covered her mouth with her hands as if she were upset. Please, God, don’t let me blow his cover by being happy.

  “Five hundred thousand would do. She looks like a feisty one.”

  Jethro, I can beat you up.

  Omar jerked her up again. “That she is. If indeed you have the relic, I will pay your price and include this woman.”

  “Excellent, how soon . . . ”

  “I have a meeting right now. I will see you here at ten tomorrow morning. If you do not have the relic, I will have you shot.”

  Jethro bowed. “A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Tugani. We are staying here as well. We will see you in the morning.” He and the other man turned and walked out into the marketplace.

  Omar watched them for a moment, chuckled, and then went on to his meeting after making sure Tassie entered the women’s quarters. She hoped that, indeed, Omar would release her. The relic would be gone, but at least she had seen the relic. And she had a lot of information about Omar’s plans.

  The hotel room was clean and elegant. The furniture sported an excellent combination of comfort and sleek lines. The charcoal gray, accented with golden tones and a few deep reds, provided an inviting ambiance. Esras worked on his reports and gazed at the view from their high floor.

  Jethro paced. “It’s warm. Let’s walk along the river before it gets dark.”

  Esras smiled. “Americans. Can’t sit still. It’s fine. I like to walk.”

  Jethro hid the bottle in his clothing. Esras tucked his Uzi in his jacket, and they walked out into the beauty of the city. The warmth of the air wafted over them mixing with the smells of the outdoor restaurants and the market place. As they paused to examine the fruit in one of the kiosks, Jethro felt a gun in his side.

  “Give me the relic.”

  Jethro turned. Three men, big men, stood behind him. Esras had his hand on his Uzi, but one of the men already had a gun in his side as well. Jethro heard a shuffling noise. The sellers in the market place quietly removed themselves from the area. There would be no support. They had slipped up. Blew it. Perspiration gathered on his forehead. Will Tassie live, now?

  The gun was jammed further into his ribs. “The relic, now.”

  Jethro glanced at Esras. He nodded. Jethro reached inside his shirt to the pocket that held the precious antiquity that was to buy his cousin back. He carefully pulled it out and handed it to the men.

  Each man looked closely at it. They looked at Jethro. “This is it? This bottle?”

  “Yes, that’s it. Mr. Tugani was to purchase it in the morning. He is powerful. He will not be happy that you have stolen it from us.”

  The men laughed. “We work for Mr. Tugani. This does not look like it is worth a half a million, but we have it and will take it to Mr. Tugani, the rightful owner.”

  Jethro coughed. He wanted to protest and demand it back. He wanted to tell them Tugani did not own it, ever. He stuffed the argument down. Life would be a good exchange right now.

  “Tugani said not to kill you, at least not yet, so go, get out of here. Go back to where you came from. You have twenty-four hours. If you remain, you’ll be dead.”

  Jethro and Esras walked, glancing over their shoulders at times, to the hotel.

  Stopping just outside the hotel, Esras looked around. “That certainly didn’t go well. However, we are alive, when they easily could have killed us. Must think we’re not worth it. Should have known that once we revealed ourselves we would be targets. Foolish on my part. But God, blessed be He, has given us our lives. They may be watching us.”

  Esras faced Jethro and lowered his voice. “When we get back to the room, assume they’ve bugged it, so no talking, except for things unimportant. We’ll need to examine our clothing in case they have placed indicators or microphones. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll find our package and deliver it home.”

  Without speaking further, they returned to the room. The room had been ransacked.

  Quickly stepping in and shutting the door, Esras took a deep breath. “Guess it was
good we left. We’d be dead.”

  Twenty minutes later, their search discovered two listening devices. One was embedded into the heavy drapes on the window. The other was attached to the hinge of a closet door next the bathroom.

  “I think I’ll take a shower.” Esras began running the water and shut the door to the bathroom but stayed in the main room. He found a piece of paper and wrote a note. ‘If they realize we found their devices, they may return and kill us. Let’s try to mislead them’.

  Jethro walked over to the bathroom door and opened it. “Hey, man, that freaked me out. I’m going to bed. We need to leave by early afternoon tomorrow.”

  Esras walked through the door and turned off the water. “Yea, I hear you. I think I hear Qatar calling me.”

  As morning peeked through the heavy curtains, the call to prayer sounded forth as it did in all the Islamic areas six times a day. Jethro and Esras left the room very quietly, hoping the listeners would think they still slept.

  They found a quiet spot in the hotel restaurant and ordered breakfast. Elegance graced every section of the restaurant. Tablecloths and chairs were shades of gold and creams, and each table entertained tall narrow glass vases filled with yellow wild flowers. They examined the table for listening bugs and decided they were safe, at least for the moment, although it was most likely they were being watched and followed.

  “We need a strategy to rescue her, but we’ve no leverage now. We can’t separate. We’d be too easy to grab.” Esras picked up his coffee cup. “Do you think she’s here?”

  Jethro pulled a notebook out of his briefcase. He sketched a map of the hotel, river, road, and office buildings. “This is where we saw them yesterday, walking to the hotel from the building on the other side of park. Now perhaps they drove and parked, but maybe they are housed over there.”

  “Or that was another meeting. Tugani has his fingers in every surge of Islamic takeover that’s going on in the world. He’s got his relic. He doesn’t need Tassie.”