by Uzi Eilam
“Impressive resourcefulness, Gerald,” Gideon said to his old friend with a grateful smile, hugging him tightly and letting out a deep sigh of relief. “And I’m not at all certain that this was just an innocent teenage prank.”
“Let’s take a bit of time to regroup and recover,” said Deutsch. “We can talk about it later.”
Chapter 25
When Dan returned from Val Thorens, he went directly to his communications room in the Defense Ministry Delegation building, determined to uncover precise information regarding the smuggling route. During the two days that had elapsed since he left town to observe the training exercises, Iranian communications had yielded no significant information, and Dan was beginning to wonder whether the Iranians had rerouted their confidential communications to some unknown channel. But based on past experience, he also knew he needed to be patient.
He had to come up with some relevant information. He blocked out all thoughts of what would happen if he let down the task force. The French and American teams had already arrived at the assembly area in the Basque town of Ascain, and each day that passed without the discovery of new information could mean the failure of the mission. Bernard’s coordinating team was also in Ascain, and Gideon was with them. Dan had returned to Paris for the sole purpose of identifying the smuggling route.
On the morning of his third day back in the city, he awoke particularly early and went straight to his office, where he was met by the night watchman. His communications room looked just as he had left it the day before except for the twenty rows of new text that had appeared on his computer screen. Hands trembling, he began typing and initiated the decryption process.
“Gideon! I’ve got some news!” The excitement in Dan’s voice was unmistakable.
“Don’t say another word,” Gideon instructed. “I’ll call you back on an encrypted line.”
When Gideon called back, Dan updated him enthusiastically, almost frantically, in one long stream of words. “I have new information about two locations they plan on using. They’ve decided on tomorrow night. I also have new information about who’s behind the entire operation.”
“Excellent! Good work, Dan! I suggest you join us here today. Dr. Deutsch is also planning on coming. You can coordinate with him and make the trip together. And don’t forget to bring all the documents and your equipment. We’re counting on you.”
“Thanks, Gideon. I’ll get my things together and leave immediately.”
***
“It’s happening tomorrow night,” Dan said. The operation’s coordinating team had convened in a secluded room in Hotel Basque that had been assigned to them by the management. “They plan on crossing at a mountain pass near Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, and they’ve designated an alternate pass not far from there. The estimated time of crossing is two hours after nightfall.”
“Outstanding work Dan!” Bernard said. “That gives us time to get organized. The gendarmerie team will take up positions at the first pass, and the SEALs will handle the second one.” He glanced at Deutsch and O’Connor for their approval and received a nod of agreement from each.
“The teams are trained and ready,” Bar-Oz reported. “They’re equipped with white skiwear and excellent night vision goggles. Every member of the team practiced positioning the geophones that will give us advance warning of the smugglers’ approach.”
“Well done, General Bar-Oz,” Professor Bernard said. “Dan, is there something else you wanted to report?”
“Uh…” Dan hesitated for a moment. “Well, yes, there is. The last transmissions indicated that the entire operation is being remotely coordinated, by the Guardians of the Revolution in Tehran, by a general named Ali Jamshidi…” Dan stopped speaking when he saw a spark in Gideon’s eyes.
“Wait a minute!” exclaimed Gideon. “Deutsch, O’Connor, isn’t that the general who ran the network in California? He did it remotely then also.”
“He sure did!” said O’Connor immediately.
Dan resumed his report. “The transmissions indicate that General Jamshidi may be coming to Paris, under a false identity, of course.”
“That’s extremely interesting,” said Deutsch. “It gives us insight into what we’re dealing with here. Good work, Dan.”
“Gentlemen, we need to update the two teams,” said Professor Bernard. “And don’t forget—we’re a group of nature lovers, and tomorrow we’re going on a tour of lookout points for birds of prey of the Pyrenees Mountains. On the way, we’ll see the herds of sheep that gave the milk to make the delicious cheeses we’ve already tasted. We’ll also surely see pottoks, the small horses that are native to the Basque country. And the whole time we’ll display the interest and enjoyment of the tourists that we profess to be.”
***
The combat teams were already in their positions at the snowy mountain passes when night fell, and the coordinating team met in their secluded room in the hotel. They knew it would be a long, cold night. But in the meantime, the fireplace was blazing, and the muffled popping of burning wood filled the air. Pitchers of coffee and a large tray of sandwiches, prepared by the hotel kitchen, sat on a table in the corner of the room.
Gideon exchanged whispers with Dan, who told him how worried Noam was about him. Haim was enjoying chatting with O’Connor, and the two men entertained one another with stories from the paratrooper units in which they had both served. Bernard and Dr. Deutsch engaged in an analysis of the situation and an attempt to determine what they needed to focus on. They recognized the need for additional intelligence information and the importance of Dan’s work, and Deutsch stressed the importance of making sure that Dan had the necessary support for his listening work. Two hours passed without a word from either of the forces, and the coordinating team at the hotel settled into a drowsy state of waiting.
“They’re saying something!” O’Connor sprang out of his seat when he heard the voice of the SEAL commander whispering over the two-way radio he had been monitoring. The group held its breath, and all the muscles in the room tensed with the anxiety of the moment. Bernard eyed his own radio, hoping that the French team would also see action.
“They’re attacking a group of smugglers,” O’Connor announced, returning the radio to his ear. A tense silence again fell over the room as everyone waited for the next update. Ten agonizing minutes passed before O’Connor received a long report delivered by the commander of the American force.
“They were just ‘regular’ smugglers,” O’Connor announced. “Our men have checked them out thoroughly and concluded that they’re running drugs. They’ll maintain their positions until morning.”
“Perhaps our force will have better luck,” Bernard said hopefully. “Dan,” he said anxiously, turning toward the youngest member of the team, “do you have anything new?”
“Not yet, Professor Bernard,” he said, “but I’ll keep listening.”
When dawn broke, the commando teams returned from their mission empty handed, and the debriefing also gave them no new information. The fighters retired to their rooms, and the members of the coordinating team also went upstairs to rest. Bernard set a time for a final meeting of the coordinating team.
***
“I’ve got news!” Dan joined the others, taking a seat in an empty chair at the table.
“What is it?” Bernard asked, and all eyes focused on Dan.
“The Iranians called off the night crossing. It was only reported this morning to their embassy in Paris.”
Haim was the first to react to the news. “But why? What happened?”
“I don’t have any other information,” Dan said, clearly disappointed. “I’ll keep monitoring the communications.”
The commander of the gendarmerie force began to grumble under his breath about the “intelligence failure,” and Haim also produced a never-ending flow of comments on the subject, to Gideon’s consternation.
“Gentlemen! Gentlemen,” Bernard said curtly, calling the group to order. “Our job is not over. Much work still awaits us in Paris. We’ll return today, as early as possible.”
Chapter 26
General Jamshidi stood facing his men and subjected them to a barrage of questions. “What’s the status of the procurement? What’s happening with the switches from the electronics company you promised us a month ago? And how are things progressing with the Kevlar fibers and the epoxy resin? Have you also explored the possibility of purchasing carbon fibers? You do remember that this procurement is important for both the production of the new missile engines and the advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges, don’t you?”
“We’ve made good progress,” Madani said hesitantly. “Arash can tell you exactly where things stand.”
“Arash?” Jamshidi turned to Arash Jawad, scrutinizing him with a penetrating gaze. “Have you made any progress? We’ve received nothing in Iran!”
“The switches are in our possession in Germany. They’re ready for shipment.”
“So, what’s holding them up?”
“Switches are a closely supervised commodity these days. We tried to transport the cartons to Portugal by land.”
“And?”
“It was supposed to be transported via the Pyrenees Mountains by people who we’re paying from the French Basque region. We established a good relationship with the manager of the airport in Lisbon, and from there it should be no problem to load the goods onto an Iran Air plane.”
“I don’t understand?! What am I missing here?! If everything’s in order, why is the shipment not already in Iran?!”
“Well, sir…we were forced to call off the crossing in the Pyrenees Mountains at the last minute,” said Madani.
“And why is that?!”
“It became clear that the French had learned about the transport plan. The Basque smugglers tipped us off that the French were preparing an ambush for us.”
“How did the French know about the crossing? “Where’s the leak?!”
“We still don’t know,” Madani said. “We’re checking a few possibilities. But now we need to come up with an alternate route to transport the goods to Lisbon, to Portela Airport. We have a few ideas, but we’ll need to evaluate each one carefully in order to avoid exposing ourselves again.”
“You also need to figure out where the French got their intelligence,” Jamshidi ordered. “Have you been in contact with the embassy on the matter? Sulat, the attaché, can provide you with Quds Force men here in Paris.”
“Yes sir. I met with Ali Reza Sulat, and he’s started to deal with the issue.”
“Good…Good…” Jamshidi’s voice returned to a normal tone, and he sounded somewhat appeased. “Sulat gets results. Arash, what about you? What do you have to report?”
“I’ve established a good relationship with a large company in Cologne that manufactures and supplies coarse Kevlar fibers and strong graphite fibers for the missile and aerospace industries in Europe. The deputy CEO attended university in Berlin with me, and he’s helping us solve the problem. We worked out a plan with him to send the strategic fibers as fibers for civilian use. I think this can be a solution to the problem, both in terms of the Kevlar fibers for the missile engines and the graphite fibers for the centrifuges.”
“And how will we receive these materials?” Jamshidi asked.
“They’ll be classified as dual-use materials, sir. Our friend, the deputy CEO, will help us route the shipments by sea from the Port of Rotterdam to Iran.”
“Farid!” Jamshidi snapped, focusing again on his man in Paris. “What do you have to tell me about the parts for the new UAV program? We asked you to explore the issue of the motor in particular. We need to start making progress in the reverse engineering of the American drone.”
“Our best chance is to buy it in France,” Madani replied, regaining his composure. “We have a reliable contact in the French umbrella company Safran, which was established as a merger of France’s avionics and electronics companies. Snecma can manufacture jet engines of all sizes, and Sagem knows avionics and electronics. I have no doubt that we’ll be able to find what you requested there, sir.”
“And when will we be able to see one or more engines?” Jamshidi asked.
“Well, sir, we still don’t know. The engine we need is under strict supervision according to the Missile Technology Control Regime guidelines for prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It can’t be classified as dual use. We’ll need to find a way to circumvent French supervision.”
“Move ahead with it. Funding will not be an obstacle.”
“I’ll get on it immediately, sir,” Madani promised. “May I suggest that perhaps we take a break and get something to eat? There’s a restaurant close by, here in the 4th Arrondissement. It’s called Benedict. It’s nothing fancy, but it will replenish our energy and allow us to prepare the apartment for the meeting with your man.”
“The meeting is scheduled for here, in the apartment? Remember, it’s to be just the two of us.”
“Of course, sir,” Madani reassured him. “He knows how to get into the apartment and will be waiting for you when you return.”
The four men exited the house’s inner courtyard and turned left, with the general’s bodyguard walking a few steps ahead of the others. They spoke to each other in English as they walked. The general continuously scanned the street before them and tensed up upon seeing a man and a woman wearing the blue uniform of the French police force and a second, more muscular, uniformed gendarmerie soldier with an automatic weapon. The three people in uniform stopped chatting when Jamshidi’s bodyguard passed them and closely inspected the four businessmen.
“Bonjour messieurs-dames,” Madani said nonchalantly in their direction and kept walking calmly, followed by his companions. The security personnel continued to follow them with their eyes, but did nothing else. Only after they reached the restaurant and were seated at a corner table did Madani let out a sigh of relief.
***
When Jamshidi left the restaurant, his bodyguard stayed close. The short walk back to the apartment gave him a few minutes to consider his two previous encounters with the man awaiting him. The first had been in Tehran, after he was referred to Jamshidi by a friend, the head of counterintelligence in the Guardians. At the time, Dr. Kayghobadi was about to join the Sorbonne’s faculty of business administration. The experienced general had tried to reassure the man, who looked tense and confused.
The briefcase that lay open on the general’s desk had contained the relevant information that the counterintelligence chief had managed to pull together. An impressive life story, Jamshidi remembered thinking at the time. By the end of the meeting, Kayghobadi had understood that all he had to do was integrate himself into the teaching staff at the Sorbonne and act as natural as possible until he received further instructions.
The second encounter had taken place when the man was back in Tehran on a visit home, after getting quite involved in university life after three successful years of teaching, and Jamshidi had explained the role he would play in the future. The Americans, the French, and the Israelis were working to thwart Iranian procurement efforts in Europe, and their success would mean a major blow to a number of Iranian projects. What he needed to do now was to somehow find his way into the French intelligence community and offer them information that would establish him as a reliable source. With his background, there was a good chance that they would be interested in such an arrangement, and Jamshidi was convinced that he would ultimately be of immense service as a sleeper agent.
He again recalled the frightened look on the man’s face and his need to reassure him. Now, Jamshidi thought as he ascended the stairs to the apartment, we’ll see what this man, in whom we have entrusted such a vital mission, has managed to achieve.
***
“Hello, General.” The man shook Jamshidi’s hand and bowed his head in respect. “It’s a pleasure to see you here in Paris.”
“It’s good to see you too, Dr. Kayghobadi,” Jamshidi replied, assessing the tension in the man’s face. “How are you feeling? You’ve gained a bit of weight since our last meeting, haven’t you?”
“That’s true, General Jamshidi. You have a discerning eye,” he acknowledged. “The task I’ve taken upon myself brings with it a level of stress I’ve never known before. I must have been eating much more over the past few weeks, without even noticing it, and these are the results.”
“What about the real results?” General Jamshidi asked. “What have you achieved so far? Where do things currently stand?”
“I have a good relationship with Professor Bernard, the senior member of the international task force,” Kayghobadi reported. “I passed his screening test, and I’m still feeding them the information I receive from your men. It appears to be working.”
“And what about your contact with the task force?”
“On that front, sir, I’ve made substantial progress,” Kayghobadi continued cautiously. “I’ve been put into contact with Madame Dominique de Saint-Germaine, the secretary of the task force.”
“Who is that?!” Jamshidi sounded annoyed now. “Are you sure she’s not a hindrance?!”
“Your concerns are justified, sir. Dominique holds a BA in political science from the Sorbonne and is a graduate of the National School of Administration. She’s an attractive and impressive woman and is serving as a liaison between me and Professor Bernard.”
“Try to get her to give you information regarding the task force’s plans for thwarting our procurement in exchange for the information you give her. Check her financial situation. If you think it’s appropriate, we would have no problem paying her hefty sums in order to ‘persuade’ her.”