“But someone among us has to lead,” Hera said.
“We have Commander Sett and Captain Volk. We are in good hands.”
“So, what happened down there?” Perseus asked.
“As above, so below,” Sett said with a grin.
“That bad, huh?”
Sett nodded.
“And Hamanaeus?”
“We left him with some nasty company. And I don’t mean just Minos. They will both be demon dung soon.”
Perseus nodded in understanding. “And the disgronifiers?”
“Abishai and his team are cleaning out the station as we speak,” Volk answered. “Then they will dismantle them.”
“Dismantle the disgronifiers?” Perseus said. “How will we get back and forth? We’re not abandoning the humans, are we? As sweet as it sounds, those losers need us.”
“No one said anything about abandoning anyone,” Volk said.
“Then what’s with getting rid of the disgronifiers?”
“Don’t need ‘em,” Sett said. “How do you think we got back here?”
“I haven’t a clue,” Perseus admitted.
Sett pointed at the sky. “Kinda like that.”
“What the hell is that?”
Sett smiled. “That’s a Kohai.”
“Kohai?” Perseus said, confounded. “Cadet Kohai?”
I flew over to the captains and landed with a soft twirl. I saluted.
“Good job, Cadet,” Sett said. “You and Virgil have made us all proud.”
“Are you telling me that two beardless cadets demolished my entire army?” Perseus said in disbelief.
“We were merely the instruments of the Almighty,” I said.
“Where is this god of yours?” Perseus asked. “Where do you keep his statue?”
Sett laughed and shook his head. “Good grief.”
“What’s so funny?” Perseus said, indignant. “I’m a cupid like you, Sett. We prayed to statues our entire lives. What’s another one?”
“Lesson one, Captain,” Sett said. “You’re not a cupid. You are an angel of God.”
“An angel? We don’t believe in angels, Sett.”
“Volk,” Sett said. “Don’t tell me that I was this dense.”
“You, Sett? Perish the thought. All you did was try to kill Kohai when he told you the same thing.”
“Oh…that,” Sett said with a dismissing wave of his hand. “A little misunderstanding, that’s all. Sorry about that, kid. No hard feelings, right?”
“None, Commander,” I said. “It gave me the opportunity to kick your butt.”
Everyone laughed, except Commander Sett.
Grace limped over. She was dirty, and her clothes were torn, but she was still awesomely beautiful.
“A little late to the game, aren’t you Captains?” she scolded.
“Are you okay?” Volk asked.
“Do I look okay?” she retorted.
“Never prettier, actually,” the captain replied honestly. “You’re glowing, Grace.”
We were all staring at her.
Grace didn’t appreciate being gawked at like that. “A gentleman would not stoop to such cheap flattery, Captain. Especially in front of other men.”
“Madam Grace,” I said. “It’s not flattery. You really are glowing.”
The others nodded, mouths open, their eyes transfixed on her radiance.
“Huh?” Grace said, looking at her bare arms.
Volk traced the glowing aura around her head with his hand. “Whoa,” he said.
“What is it?” Grace said nervously. “Am I okay? Is something wrong with me?”
“No, Grace,” Volk said. “Something is very, very right with you. You are what a celestial angel is supposed to be. HaShem has forgiven you.”
Her silvery eyes opened wide. They sparkled. “He…has?” she said, her voice full of hope, her eyes misting. “Has He really?”
Volk nodded.
“Oh, Captain!” She rushed to him and threw her arms around his oak-like frame. “Thank you, Captain. Oh, thank you my precious Captain!” She began to sob in joy.
Perseus turned to Sett. “I really do have a lot to learn, don’t I?”
Looking around Volk’s shoulder, Grace saw two Anteros soldiers approaching, their hands in the air. Then, when they had come within a few yards of us, the soldiers reached behind and pulled out demon dusters and shouted, “Anteros is greater!”
“No!” Grace screamed.
Chiron and Sparta opened fire.
Captain Volk, hit multiple times in the back, slipped through Grace’s arms to the ground. Sett and Perseus too were shot. Grace stood frozen, her eyes wide in shock. Blood began to soak her blouse, and then trickle from her mouth. She crumpled to the ground beside Captain Volk.
Sparta and Chiron turned their guns on me.
Filled with a rage I had never known before, I thrust out my hand and hollered, “Die!”
I unleashed a blast of ruach so powerful that it didn’t just send the soldiers flying backwards. It obliterated them.
I dropped to my knees beside Captain Volk and Grace. “Captain!” I cried, slapping his face. “Captain!”
Virgil and Hera rushed up beside me. Upon seeing Grace’s motionless body, Hera burst out sobbing.
“Kohai,” Virgil said, “can’t you do anything?”
Sett limped over and put his fingertips to Volk’s pulse. He looked up, and shook his head regretfully.
“Kohai!” Virgil insisted. “Try!”
I laid my hands on Captain Volk’s chest and concentrated. I called forth all my ruach and directed it into a cool-blue healing energy that lit up my hands and Captain Volk’s entire body.
Taking my cue, Virgil followed suit. As he funneled energy into the captain, I switched to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, swapping my breath for his.
35
I Spy
“You lied to me,” Gideon said.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I wasn’t allowed to.”
“What about all that stuff about marriage and kids?”
“All true,” Malkah said.
“But you never had any intention of going to Phoenix with me, did you?”
“I did. But that was before I learned of your plans to take down Rosso, and my new orders.”
“You knew about Rosso all along?”
“I knew a little about him. I knew that he was bad. But I didn’t know how bad. He wasn’t my business. I knew that we considered him a threat, so I took pictures of your white boards and bulletin boards while you were asleep and sent them to my handler, who forwarded them on.”
“You were spying on me?” Gideon said in incredulity, angrier with himself for having been so naive than he was with Malkah for her deception.
“Not on you, on what you were doing,” she replied. “Mossad checked into a number of your cases and confirmed your data. They weren’t interested in the business about Lamed-Vavniks. They don’t believe in that. But they were very interested in the targeting of so many people. Prime Minister ben Yosef instituted a new policy after the Pesach War. Leading up to the war, Jews were attacked all around the world, and no one did anything about it. He told Mossad that those days were over, and that every murderer would be hunted down, no matter where they lived. As part of his policy of no retreat, no apology, he opened a branch of the IDF that works with Mossad to dole out justice.”
“How long have you been working for Mossad?” Gideon asked.
“Seven years.”
“Who recruited you?”
“My university advisor. A woman named Zeeva. She asked to see me before I dropped out of school. She invited me to her home to talk things over. I assumed she wanted to talk me out of quitting, just like everyone else. She didn’t. She had other ideas.”
“Is she still at the university?”
“No. After I agreed to some interviews and exams, she escorted me to Israel.
I told Ellen and Bubby that I was backpacking around the world to clear my head and figure out what I wanted to do. It was an easy sell. I spent eighteen months there in intensive training. Zeeva was one of my instructors. She’s an older woman, but still quite beautiful. She’s also one of the most amazing people I have ever met.”
“But why you?” Cyrus asked.
“Zeeva said I fit the profile. I was a straight-A student with an above average IQ, good at languages, athletic, already knew two martial arts, single—”
“Pretty,” Gideon said.
“Maybe,” Malkah said. “Because of my multi-ethnic background I can pass for a number of nationalities, anyway. But she didn’t mention any of those things when we talked. She said I reminded her of some other women she had known when she was about my age. Four close friends of hers. Their names were Noriko, Johanna, Melody, and someone name, Aidos. I gathered they were quite exceptional, especially the one named Aidos.
“Anyway, Zeeva told me it was a gut call. Mossad needed more convincing than Zeeva’s gut, but I guess I lived up to her expectations. It was the hardest, most challenging eighteen months of my life, but I loved it. I’ve been back for further training numerous times between missions. I use the excuse of having a bad case of wanderlust.”
“What kind of missions?”
“Intel gathering mostly. Not a lot of cloak and dagger stuff. They keep me cold for months at a time, longer sometimes.”
“Why were you stationed here?”
“Because the NPF is considered very hostile. They mask it with disingenuous drivel, but the NPF is no ally. They know it. We know it. And they know we know it. NPF isn’t like SLA or SFF who are real allies.”
“And Ellen knows nothing about your extracurricular activities?” Gideon asked.
Malkah chuckled. “Clueless. If she knew, she’d flip out. I stand for everything she despises.”
Cyrus pointed to the red circle on the map. “What’s waiting for us here?”
“Amit and Tomer. They will get us out of the country.”
“Us?” Gideon said.
“Well, you can’t stay here,” Malkah said. “Not now. Every NPF law agency is going to be after you.”
“Where to, then?” Gideon asked, still trying to get his head around the shocking news. How could I not see it?
Thinking back as she talked, the clues were all there. Her fighting skills. Her shooting at the range, though after just witnessing her in action, he realized that she held back at the time. Her familiarity with the night-vision binoculars. The languages. The travel. Her eagerness to join in on the raid, and numerous, now not-so-innocuous comments that she made in the course of conversations, like suggesting that certain foreign entities might be interested in Rosso’s files. In retrospect, it was all there.
“Israel, of course,” Malkah answered. “Where you belong.”
“What about my apartment? My stuff? My guns! And what about your Bubby?”
“Bubby is already there. I sent her a couple of days ago. As for your apartment, it has already been cleared out. Don’t worry, your stuff and your guns are in a container headed for SLA docks as we speak.”
“Malkah,” Gideon said angrily, “you can’t just take over my life like that! Without asking, without an explanation. Without anything!”
“I’m sorry, but it was the only way. Rosso was a very powerful man. You aren’t safe here. And I couldn’t tell you because I was under orders not to. We couldn’t chance someone finding out.”
“This is unbelievable,” Gideon muttered.
“Unbelievable?” Malkah laughed. “That’s rich coming from a guy who has spent a decade chasing a story about Lamed-Vavniks, believes in the existence of yetzers and angels, and who risked his life to take down one of the most powerful men on the planet.”
“Yeah, well, that’s different,” Gideon said. “I never intended to involve anyone in my crazy little world. Especially you.”
“Don’t worry. You’re going to like him.”
“Like who?”
“Prime Minister Ben-Yosef. He’s not your typical politician, not like anyone you’ve ever had to deal with before. I think you’ll be surprised at how similar his thinking is with yours. He’s looking forward to meeting you.”
“What about Cyrus?” Gideon asked.
Cyrus said, “Cyrus hopes that Malkah’s two friends have a first-aid kit.”
“What?” Gideon said.
Cyrus opened his duster jacket. He was sitting in a pool of blood.
“Oh my God!” Malkah exclaimed. “Cyrus, why didn’t you say anything?”
“Your story was much more interesting.”
“Can you hold on?” Gideon asked. “We’re not far. Another fifteen minutes.”
“I hope not,” Cyrus answered. He pointed to the fuel gauge. “We only have about five minutes of fuel left.”
“You’re pale,” Gideon said. “You aren’t going to faint and get us all killed, are you?” He turned to Malkah. “Your training didn’t include flying one of these, did it?”
“Nothing this antiquated, no.”
“Cyrus…?” Gideon said.
“I’m okay, it’s just my butt.”
“It’s all our butts,” Gideon reminded him.
Malkah pulled out her cell phone. She typed a quick message: Have packages. One requires repackaging. Sending airmail but lack postage. Pick up? She pushed send.
“Was that for your friends?” Gideon asked.
“Yes. They’ll get our coordinates from my phone.”
“I see a lake,” Cyrus said. “I’m landing next to it. Because of the lousy weather, I doubt there will be anyone around.”
Malkah said, “How can you see through this rain and fog?”
“I can’t. But I have a good idea what’s down there. I happen to have known a lot of people who regularly fished and camped in these parts.”
Through the six degrees of separation, Cyrus had the visual experiences of hundreds of persons who had visited the area as hunters, fisherman, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts.
“But not you?” Malkah said, confused.
“Not personally, no,” Cyrus answered. “But don’t worry, I have a pretty good idea of the layout. Hold on…”
Cyrus banked the helicopter and guided it downwards, cruising just above the treetops. The lake came into view and he flew low over it until he came to the shoreline. He set the copter down, but didn’t turn it off.
“Get out,” Cyrus ordered.
Gideon opened the door and he and Malkah bounded out.
“Gideon,” Cyrus said, “hold on to this.” He removed his duster coat and tossed it to Gideon. “It has the Rosso evidence in it.”
Next, wincing with pain and effort, he wiggled out of his clothes and handed over his shirt, pants, socks and shoes. He wore nothing but his blood-drenched boxer shorts.
“What the hell are you doing?” Gideon shouted over the roar of the blades.
“We can’t leave this bird here,” he yelled back. “I’ve got enough fumes to get me over the center of the lake. I’ll set it down there. The lake is 141.07 feet deep.”
“Cyrus, you’re nuts! Forget it! You’re going to have to swim half a mile in icy cold water with a bullet in your ass!”
“Two bullets. And by my calculations, it’s closer to .86 miles. It’s the only way, now close the door before I’m out of gas.”
“For God’s sake, Cyrus. Have you ever swum in such conditions before?”
“I’ve never swum before,” Cyrus hollered back. He lifted off, forcing Gideon to slam the door shut.
“What’s he doing?” Malkah asked as the helicopter pulled away. She had just sent another text message to her comrades to inform them of their final coordinates. Malkah glanced at the bundle of clothes in Gideon’s arms, and then towards the copter as it glided over the lake. “Don’t tell me…”
“He doesn’t know how to swim,” Gideon said.
“What?”
/> “But don’t worry. He has known some excellent swimmers in his day.”
“Huh?”
“Just like he didn’t know how to drive or fly a helicopter until today either.”
“What?!”
“He’s Cyrus,” Gideon said in explanation. “Ask your friends at Mossad. Maybe they can tell you who the hell the guy is. Or what he is.”
“I did.”
“You did? What did they say?”
“He is who he says he is,” Malkah said.
“He says he’s nobody,” Gideon reminded her.
“Exactly. It’s like he never existed. They couldn’t dredge up a thing on the guy.”
“Really…? Wow. Even the Mossad couldn’t make him? Now that is weird.”
Malkah’s conversation with Cyrus in the park felt like years ago already, but she had kept her word, and said nothing about it to her supervisors. If she had, she figured that they’d have questioned her sanity more than Cyrus’s. She still didn’t know what to make of that evening, or of Cyrus, but all the events that had transpired since that day did nothing to suggest that he was anyone but whom he said he was, a banished angel. It was impossibly absurd, but so was Gideon’s Lamed-Vavnik story, and yet, here she was on account of both of them.
Gideon put his arm around Malkah, and together they saw the blades to the chopper cut off. The whirlybird plunked into the frigid lake.
36
Winging It
Virgil and I concentrated, focusing our energies into Captain Volk. Sett, who had taken a hit to the leg and arm, tried to help Grace. Hera too laid her hands on Grace. Perseus looked on in wonder. He had been grazed in the side, but was okay.
“Captain Volk,” I pleaded. “Captain Volk, can you hear me?”
There was no response.
“Captain,” I begged. “You can’t go. You’re the only master left! We need you!”
Virgil and I were directing so much energy into the captain that he was glowing like a light bulb. I thought I saw him try to speak, and pressed my ear to his mouth.
“Yes, Captain,” I said. “Tell me how to help you. Tell me what to do!”
Shooting Eros - The Emuna Chronicles: Complete Boxset: Books 1 - 3 Page 85