by Uzi Eilam
Bernard looked down, pursed his lips, furrowed his brow, and said nothing. After what felt to Deutsch to be an extremely long time, Bernard raised his head, took a deep breath, looked him in the eye, exhaled, and spoke.
“I was uneasy about Kayghobadi from the outset,” he admitted. “And now, when you point out his exclusive relationship with Dominique, I recognize our error. And if we’re now in the business of suspecting everyone, what do you have to say about the source of the leak?”
“It’s too soon to know,” replied Deutsch. “We’re still analyzing the initial data from the investigation into Dominique.”
The time has definitely come to update the minister, Bernard thought, and to receive the advice of an intelligent man who is not involved in the day-to-day affairs of the task force.
“Bonjour, Professor,” the minister said amicably when Bernard entered his office accompanied by the director of counterespionage. “It’s good to see you after you’ve been neglecting me for these past few weeks! So, how can I help you?”
“Sir,” Bernard began, “I’m sure you’re aware just how much work has been involved in the project I’ve been heading up with your blessing.”
“Yes, Professor Bernard, I am. And I hope you’ll be done with it soon. After all, there are other issues I’d like to consult with you on as well. Mais revenons à nos moutons,” he said, using a common French expression meaning “Let’s return to the matter at hand.”
“What’s troubling us most at the moment, sir, is a serious suspicion that someone else, in addition to General Bar-Oz, is leaking information from the task force meetings. The Iranians took a few measures to counter our efforts, which had to be based on inside information. The FBI, with whom our American partners have consulted, has also urged us to make finding the source of the leak a high priority. With your permission, the head of the Counterespionage Division will present the relevant information on the matter.”
“Please, go ahead,” the minister said.
The director of counterespionage offered an account of the state of affairs briefly but without omitting major details, for good and for bad. He addressed the failed ambushes in the Pyrenees Mountains and noted that, despite the efforts that had been made thus far, the scope of the information leak from within the task force was still unknown.
“I’m certain you will leave no stone unturned in solving this conundrum,” the minister concluded. “Just make sure that you’re ultimately successful!”
***
The regular meeting of the task force convened as usual, in the conference room of the office of the interior minister and under Bernard’s chairmanship. It began with reports by Gideon and Deutsch on their meetings in Washington and Tel Aviv. General de Villiers brought the group up to speed on the new measures that had been taken by the Defense Export Supervision Division and promised that the lessons they had learned would be implemented and the system was now tighter. O’Connor updated the group on Swiss supervision of the movement of Iranian funds.
During his summation of the portion of the meeting that was devoted to reports, Bernard praised the wide range of work that the task force members had undertaken. “With your permission, ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to focus our attention on the future and begin thinking about a new operation.” The attendees straightened up in their seats, and the room was silent. “I’ll now ask the director of the Counterespionage Division to present a plan of operation based on an idea that was suggested within his division.”
“Thank you, Professor Bernard, for giving me the opportunity to present our idea to this esteemed task force,” the director of counterespionage began. “Most members of the task force are aware of the two Iranian safe houses we discovered a few weeks ago. You also know about the tunnel leading from the basement of the Iranian embassy to one of the two apartments in question. Our idea is to upgrade the acoustic and optic monitoring devices in the apartments and the tunnel to make them capable of detecting even the slightest movement. We also suggest placing special forces teams on permanent standby to ensure that they’re ready to take action in the event of an alert from one of the devices. According to the information at our disposal, the apartments are intended for the occasional use of the Quds Force operatives that are dispersed throughout the city and its environs. We expect that we’ll capture a few and, through rapid interrogation, we’ll find the rest.” He stopped and looked at Bernard.
“Are there any questions or comments?” asked Bernard.
O’Connor was the first to speak. “It’s an interesting plan. How will we know that they’re actually using the apartments? Also, what guarantees do we have that they don’t have any other safe houses?”
“Let’s not forget that we’re able to record at least some of the Iranian communications here,” interjected Gideon. “This will allow us greater certainty about what’s about to happen. I think the plan has promise.”
“Okay, everyone,” Bernard concluded. “I suggest we green-light the plan and have the Counterespionage Division head up coordination and implementation.”
“Dan,” advised Gideon, “you should be in touch with the Counterespionage Division and find out when they’ll finish installing the new devices and when the plan will be operational. You should also make sure that Iranian communications are being constantly monitored from here on in. Do you think your friends from the NSA could lend us a hand with the shifts?”
“If I ask them, I’m sure they’d be glad to help out,” Dan answered. “It won’t be a problem to tighten up our listening regime.”
***
Dan sat in his communications room in the Defense Ministry Delegation building inspecting the listening apparatus he had built with visible pleasure. The entire wall was lined with screens, each of which was connected directly to a different listening source. Every time a call was placed or received, a light would flash and an alert would sound. The room was quiet now, and Dan mulled over what he had heard during the task force meeting and the clear request that he ratchet up the listening regime. Gideon was experienced and knew what he was doing. He undoubtedly had good reasons.
Dan’s body tensed up as an alert sounded and a warning light flashed. It was Farid Madani’s mobile phone, and the designated screen immediately displayed the number of the phone booth from which the call was being made. Dan knew he had no time to lose and immediately called Professor Bernard’s secure line.
“Farid Madani, the senior Iranian procurement representative, just received a call and is still on the line,” he said, somewhat out of breath. “I’m sending you the number of the phone booth it’s being placed from. If they move fast, they can grab the caller. I’ll continue monitoring the call, and I’ll get back to you with more details.”
“Thank you, Dan,” Bernard said quickly and hung up.
***
“I’m not guilty of anything!” screamed Dominique, as dark mascara-colored tears streamed down her face. The second stage of the investigation had begun, and Bernard sat across from Dominique in a special interrogation room at gendarmerie headquarters. Sitting beside Bernard was the Counterespionage Division’s chief investigator, and he had allowed the tough, experienced professional to lead the interrogation. Before leaving his office, Bernard had called Dr. Deutsch and asked him to meet him at headquarters to observe the interrogation from behind a two-way mirror. Deutsch said that he was not surprised by the arrest and that he would leave immediately.
As the interrogation dragged on, Dominique continued to proclaim her innocence, to demand that General de Villiers be called in to testify on her behalf, and that she be released immediately.
Unfazed, the chief investigator presented her with the transcripts of her phone calls with Farid Madani. Although that was not all the evidence they had, it was enough to charge Dominique with communicating with the enemy and disclosing sensitive security information. A few hours later, Dominiqu
e confessed to her actions. The explanation she angrily offered in her own defense reflected motives stemming from ambition, the undesired advances of male colleagues, and money. A great deal of money.
“Good evening, Gideon.” Professor Bernard’s voice sounded tired over the phone. The interrogation had finally come to an end, and Professor Bernard knew he had to update Gideon. He contemplated how to go about it, as he had been aware of Gideon’s special relationship with Dominique from the outset. “We just finished a long and extremely difficult interrogation. At the end, Dominique confessed to her acts of treason. She’ll remain in custody until the end of the legal proceedings against her. Her family can afford the best attorneys that money can buy, but I personally wouldn’t bet on her husband’s willingness to spend a fortune on doing so.”
“I’m sorry to hear it was difficult, and I’m sorry for Dominique,” Gideon said softly, with a sigh. “But Bernard, I’m not at all certain that’s the end of the matter. Even if we don’t find another leak, we have to at least arrest the Iranian agent.”
“You’re right, Gideon. We still have some work to do.”
Chapter 38
“Madame de Saint-Germaine proved to be a tough nut to crack,” said Deutsch as he and O’Connor entered Gideon’s hotel room to share their impressions of the interrogation. “Even after she broke and confessed to passing on information from the task force meetings to the Iranians, the only person she implicated was Farid Madani, the one she was speaking to when she was arrested.”
“Something’s bothering you about the interrogation?” asked Gideon. “What is it?”
“I can’t seem to shake the feeling that there’s more here than meets the eye,” Deutsch began hesitantly. “Dominique still hasn’t told us everything she knows. We still have no idea if she was working alone and who recruited her.”
“Bernard appointed her to handle Kayghobadi, our Iranian agent,” Gideon reminded him. “Do we really know everything that went on between them? Maybe we only know what Dominique chose to tell us.”
“Is Madame de Saint-Germaine’s arrest public knowledge yet?” asked O’Connor, interrupting the conversation. “It seems counterproductive to announce it before we finish our investigation.”
“Based on what I heard from the professor himself,” Deutsch said, “a sweeping gag order has been issued regarding everything having to do with General Bar-Oz and Dominique de Saint-Germaine.”
“If that’s the case,” O’Connor said, “perhaps we can use Dominique to test our Iranian.”
“What do you mean, John?!” Gideon asked in a raised voice, clearly irritated. “What are we trying to do here? Who’s working against whom in this mess? And what does it have to with Dominique? She’s already under arrest.”
“Unless my gut is misleading me,” replied O’Connor, “Kayghobadi isn’t working only for us.”
“That’s where you’re going with this, John?” Deutsch asked with a thoughtful look. “That’s an interesting idea. Please, go on.”
“Kayghobadi?!” interjected Gideon indignantly. “That can’t be. He’s a fierce opponent of the Iranian regime and a well-established member of the academic community in Paris. And you have to admit that the information he’s given us since Bernard recruited him has been excellent!”
“Don’t be so naïve, Gideon,” Deutsch countered. “Haven’t you ever heard of double agents? Or sleeper agents, who wait for months, sometimes years, to be activated? As far as I’m concerned, his scathing criticism of the Ayatollahs, who had ostensibly stripped his family of all their assets, was simply too good to be true.”
Gideon calmed down, took a deep breath, and listened, with an expression that reflected that he was reconsidering the issue. After all, if he had initially been mistaken about Haim and Dominique, there was certainly a chance that O’Connor could be right about Kayghobadi.
“Okay, John. I see your point,” he said finally. “What do you have in mind?”
“Well, I was thinking we could convince Dominique to meet Kayghobadi for a regular meeting. We can get her released from custody and put a wire on her to monitor their conversation. If we promise to reduce the charges against her, it’ll be in her best interests to cooperate.”
“And you think Kayghobadi will incriminate himself during the meeting?” Gideon asked.
“I do,” said O’Conner, and Deutsch nodded.
“Dan’s recent monitoring of communications indicates that the Iranians are stepping up their procurement effort, and there have also been clear indications of pressure from Tehran to do so,” explained O’Connor. “And if that’s true, the result will be hastiness and mistakes.”
“It’s worth a try,” Deutsch concurred, looking at Gideon.
“Okay, I’m convinced,” said Gideon. “But we have to take this to Professor Bernard, and immediately. He’s the one who needs to initiate such a measure, which could be problematic in a number of ways.”
Seated in his office with Gideon, Deutsch, and O’Connor, Professor Bernard listened as Deutsch laid out their suspicions and O’Connor’s plan.
“If that’s true,” Bernard said, addressing Gideon now, “then this double agent—if he truly is one—managed to make us both fall asleep at the switch.” Bernard stopped speaking and sat quietly for a few moments, mulling over the situation.
It was Deutsch who broke the silence. “Professor Bernard, if you remember, I stated clearly from the outset that before we could use him, Dr. Kayghobadi needed to be thoroughly investigated and vetted. What happened?”
Professor Bernard shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. “I must say, Gerald, I really don’t remember you expressing any explicit concern. Are you sure it wasn’t something you kept to yourself?”
“I’m certain, Eugene. In fact, I remember stating it clearly, in unequivocal terms. But that’s water under the bridge. What’s important is how we handle it now.”
Professor Bernard started talking specifics, explaining that Dr. Kayghobadi had been acting tense the last time he had spoken with him but that Dominique had met with him alone most of the time. He liked the proposed plan, but it required ministerial approval, which he would get as soon as possible. He also took it upon himself to update General de Villiers, Dominique’s immediate supervisor.
“Who knows,” he said, bringing the meeting to a close. “Maybe we’ll be able to turn this to our advantage.”
***
“Bonjour Madame de Saint-Germaine!” The relief in Kayghobadi’s voice was unmistakable. “You disappeared on me. I was beginning to worry.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, Dr. Kayghobadi,” replied Dominique, completely naturally. “I’ve been busy with the task force. How about you? Is there anything I should know? Anything urgent?”
“Yes… Well, actually, not that urgent,” Kayghobadi answered hesitantly. “I do have some new information for you, and I was hoping you also had something for me.”
“We can meet today at noon at Les Deux Magots Café. Do you know it?”
“Of course,” he answered with a smile in his voice. “It’s on Saint-Germain Boulevard, just like your name.”
“Okay, it’s a date. I’ll see you at twelve o’clock sharp.”
***
Dominique arrived for the rendezvous at Les Deux Magots wearing a tiny transmitter that Dan had helped her conceal in her jacket. Gideon joined Dan in his communications room at the Defense Ministry Delegation building to listen in on the meeting. Bernard put the elite unit of the gendarmerie on alert and asked Deutsch and O’Connor to join him in his office to follow the developments. They all waited tensely for the meeting to get underway.
***
“Madame de Saint-Germaine! It’s so nice to see you!” called out Kayghobadi, who had arrived at the café early, and he got up to shake her hand. “You look wonderful.”
If he knew what
he was actually dealing with, Dominique thought, he wouldn’t be so quick to hand out compliments. She had firsthand knowledge of the effectiveness of Dan’s listening apparatus, and she had no doubt that the entire system was now linked into their meeting. She also knew she needed to inject a natural air into the dialogue.
“So what’s happening on your end, Dr. Kayghobadi?” Dominique asked. “I’m expecting something important.”
“I have new information regarding a number of issues that seemed to me to be sufficiently important,” he began. “To begin with, I can say that, overall, there’s a feeling of urgency and pressure from above, from General Jamshidi himself, to work quickly to implement the procurement plans—”
“That’s not so new,” Dominique interrupted. “You’ve already told me that.”
“Please, Madame de Saint-Germaine, let me finish, and you’ll understand how this is relevant to what I’m about to explain.”
“Okay. I’m listening,” Dominique said, feigning interest, although the only thing going through her mind at the moment was the fact that none of it interested her anymore and that the game was getting tiring.
“There was a major mishap with the uranium enrichment centrifuges at Natanz,” Kayghobadi continued, “and now a directive has been issued to purchase carbon and Kevlar fibers. The order specifies special cautionary measures to be taken to prevent the Europeans from once again thwarting this important acquisition. There was also a serious mishap during the last Shahab missile test. The general was decisive in his instructions to ‘spare no expense’ in procuring two hundred switches identical to the ones contained in the shipment that was seized in Portugal.”