“Two young men are waiting outside your residence in an official car. They will bring you to see the Prime Minister straight away.”
“The subject of the briefing?” she said to a dial tone, as she got up and ran to the shower with her phone in her hand. The message was a high priority simultaneous delivery recording and the terminating code word, ‘Blue 33’, signified something serious. Really serious. Ekaterina knew this was a decision on nuclear deployment.
Twenty-one people, twenty of them already in the underground bunker under number 9 Smolenskin Street in Rehavia, Jerusalem, received the same automated message. Ekaterina halted as she dressed, it would be wise to choose something appropriate. She turned to her walk-in closet and reached for a sombre dark blue suit, then she grabbed a blood red ruby pendant on her way by her dressing table. She dressed quickly and ran to the door of her Jerusalem-stone home on Radak Street. In the mirror by the front door she caught sight of the ruby resting in her cleavage. She smiled, she looked and felt good as she approached the Military Police vehicle. Its blue lights flashed on the yellow stone between long patches of lush greenery on the normally quiet streets. The journey was a mere ninety seconds.
The elevator shot downwards, lifting Ekaterina’s stomach. When the doors opened, an IDF soldier wearing full dress uniform took her elbow. He hurried her to a desk in front of specially hardened metal doors. One of the soldiers at the desk proffered a plastic box with her name on it. She dropped all of her electronics into the box, even her watch. Another soldier directed her attention to a new hand scanner under the retinal scanner to the right of the door. His hand covered a complementary hand scanner on the left side of the doors. Hydraulic mechanisms whirred as they sucked the thick metal alloy door into the ceiling.
In front of Ekaterina sat twenty-one people, including the Prime Minister. A place remained at the large table squeezed into a small room. As she walked around the table to her customary seat, a young man smiled and pulled her chair out. Ekaterina sat down. All the while the hubbub of discussions filled the room, some heated, some considered and earnest. On a large plasma screen a high resonance satellite image of Armageddon Valley zoomed to ground level. Thousands upon thousands of apparently unarmed Chinese men were formed up into groups of twenty. The scene looked like an artillery drill from a previous century as the men formed up into squares and stood awaiting their orders. Orders to advance.
“They’re moving,” said Ekaterina under her breath. The Prime Minister stood and banged an empty glass on the top of the table to gain attention.
“Silence, please” he said. “About two hours ago our friends on the plains of Armageddon started forming up into the military formations you see on the screen. I have just gotten off the phone with the Chinese Premier. He insists the men left China of their own volition without any premeditation by the Chinese government or military. He says they are tourists. We, of course, know better.”
The PM paused and took in the eyes of every person in the room. Some of them close friends, all of them valued advisors. He fixed Ekaterina with his gaze.
“Ekaterina, where is our nano weapon?”
“In Doha, Qatar, Sir.”
“Am I to understand that you sent our most secret weapon on a wild goose chase while this horde of marauding humanity awaits with bated breath at our gates?”
“Hardly a wild goose chase, Sir. More precisely, our weapon is at this moment in a Gulfstream aircraft en route to Israel after having successfully infiltrated the highest offices of General Chou. At this moment, our computers are sifting the mental patterns of the mind of the General.”
“That is better than I expected. How long before we have results? For that matter, when will the agent return?”
“The weapon will return within the hour; first results of the analysis are already coming in.”
The Prime Minister nodded. He turned to a man on his right.
“Get me the President of the United States.”
The man said something into a microphone and sat back. A voice from an overhead speaker system told the PM to activate the red button to his left on the panel in front of him. He complied and the weary but familiar face of the President of the United States filled a second plasma screen. She was sitting with a group of advisors in a room much like the one which held the Israelis.
“Hello Madam President.”
“Hello Adam - Mister Prime Minister. Have you reached a decision?”
“Yes, and I’m not happy with it, but I – we – see no other option. After careful consideration Israel will launch three tactical nuclear devices into the mass of bodies forming up to move further into our territory at this very moment. They represent too much of a threat.”
“You are certain?”
“Madam President. You are looking at the same satellite images that I am. Can you deny the aggressive nature of the moves? And can you deny that this is hardly a mass of humanity – these are mindless automatons, agents of the Chinese State?”
The American President slowly nodded.
“No, Daniel. I can’t deny it. But I cannot concur with the action you are proposing. If you go ahead, may God forgive you.”
“God would probably not forgive us if we failed to act.”
The picture snapped off and was replaced by a picture of a Gulfstream jet in flight being escorted by two Israeli fighters. The PM spoke again.
“Ladies, gentlemen, I think it only fair to give you one final chance to reconsider. It is not too late to step back from this extreme option. Please register your votes using the touch screen in front of each of you.”
Three members of the special cabinet advisory committee abstained. The rest voted in favor of a nuclear attack. The Prime Minister pulled a keyboard towards himself and he entered a code. After looking around the table once more he pressed the confirmation key.
Within seconds the weapons were launched from specially designated artillery vehicles overlooking Armageddon. For the first time since 1945, the world looked on aghast as the blast of nuclear weapons even though used in self-defense, soiled the air. Twenty-three people watched the results of their handiwork as it flattened sections of the men walking across Armageddon Valley. After three small mushroom clouds rose and dust and debris settled, the satellites focused again on the ground. The explosions left circular scars, vaporizing thousands of the Chinese advancing into Israel and many more outside the targeted areas.
The people in the room surveyed the destruction. Some were nodding, some shaking their heads. A couple of them had tears in their eyes. Then, to the astonishment of the political leaders watching the retaliation, most of the ‘walkers’ got up and started walking again. Even some of the men within the fallout zones stood up again and started walking.
All of the phone lines, represented by different colors on the panel in front of the Prime Minister, flashed at once. He winced. The lights represented calls from heads of state requesting the PM’s ear at this crucial moment in the security and peace of the world. Daniel Cohen Junior put his hands to his tired face and wept. His staff fielded the calls and in seconds only one light stubbornly remained flashing on the panel. The intercom interrupted the silence of the room.
“Prime Minister, the Secretary General of the United Nations wishes to talk to you and will not be put off.”
“Put him through, please.”
A graying patrician figure appeared in the plasma screen. His expression was grave.
“Mister Prime Minister, knowing you as I do, I can only imagine your anguish at this moment. Though I deliver harsh tidings, my heart goes out to you as a friend.” He paused. “Now, I am holding in front of me a document signed by every member of the United Nations, including your friend and ally the United States. In no uncertain terms the document demands that Israel cease and desist from military aggression against the men entering her territory, or risk becoming a pariah state. Furthermore, the representatives of the Israeli peace delegation must present themselves i
n two days in the UN building in New York where a world peace initiative will begin. We need to address the dramatic changes precipitated by the arrival of Chinese men, protected by a new kind of nano technology, at the borders of dozens of countries.”
Daniel Cohen Junior nodded his head and accepted the ultimatum of the UN Secretary.
“We will comply,” he said over the raised voices of the most vociferous defenders of Israeli independence in the bunker. He raised his hands to his closest advisors. “I will resign if you counter me.”
Each person in the room looked at each of the others. The Prime Minister continued.
“We can thank God that we are alive after the decision we have just made here, and that the censure of the world is not too severe. We have not succeeded in our intentions. Now we must sue for peace.”
The door to the fortified shelter opened and all but Ekaterina filed out of the underground stronghold. The PM had nodded to her as she stood up, signalling to her to remain in the underground chamber with him. She approached the PM, then took a seat to his left. She waited for him to address her. She did not have to wait for long.
“It seems your nano weapon and our agent may be our last defense. What can you report to me?”
“Sir, I have to inform you that our agent Kefira is in the custody of the Chinese-”
“You told me she was on the way to Israel as we spoke.”
“No Sir, I said the weapon was on the way to Israel. I was careful not to say that our agent was coming with it. Or more precisely, which agent.”
“I am too tired for word games, Ekaterina. My father, as the former PM, had the utmost faith in you but my patience is not as great as his. Please come to the point.”
“There was an incident at the overlook near Armageddon Valley. Chinese agents using their own nano technology overwhelmed our agent, my daughter, and kidnapped her. Fortunately, Kefira had the presence of mind to pass the nanosuit to someone she trusted. That person is working closely with us and operating the suit in her stead.”
“This agent also works for Mossad in your special division?”
“Yes, he has agreed to, but-”
“Agreed to? What are you implying here, Ekaterina?”
“He is not a regular agent, Sir. He is not Israeli, or even Jewish.”
“Our most secret weapon is in the hands of a ‘goy’?”
“Yes, Sir. But you can rest assured that he is cooperating in every possible way with our secret task force.”
“I see. I wish I had your faith in this man. Why didn’t you take the weapon away from him, Ekaterina?”
“It is difficult to explain, Sir, but let us say that when we became fully aware of the facts he had already become too proficient at using the device. He made his suit independent of our power supply by manipulating it at the molecular level. Instead of trying to coerce him we encouraged him to work with us.”
The PM shook his head.
“And we can trust him, you are sure?”
“I know my daughter. She would not have handed the suit over without some programming that even this man will not be aware of. He may think he is acting on his own volition, but Kefira’s implant will make him a reliable servant to our cause.”
“Good enough, I suppose. I imagine it will have to be.” He sighed. “Ekaterina, I’m counting on you to keep me informed of all developments on a twice daily basis. Use my private number to prevent bureaucracy from getting in the way.”
Ekaterina rose and left the PM alone with his thoughts. She made her way to Haifa military airport directly after leaving the bunker and was waiting on the tarmac when Thomas arrived with an unconscious Sue Ann Lee.
Thomas came down the stairs of the Gulfstream jet he had stolen at Hamad International Airport with the help of his suit. He held Sue Ann; she lay over his extended arms like a ragdoll. Ekaterina and Yatsick each got out of separate vehicles. Yatsick approached him and took the young woman from his arms.
“We are confused by the format of the data you sent us.”
“I couldn’t risk sending readable data but I wanted to make sure it preceded me. I’ll remove the encryption when we get there. Take care of Sue Ann. She needs fluids and rest. I’ve erased most of what happened to her in Qatar but the experience has left her exhausted. She’ll only have foggy recollections. She thinks she had a car accident on the way to the airport,” Thomas explained. His concern for his colleague was obvious.
Yatsick nodded.
“There’s a small military hospital attached to the airport. I’ll take her there.” He turned with the limp Sue Ann, handling her tenderly as he lowered her onto the back seat of his vehicle.
Thomas turned to Ekaterina.
“Let’s sit in the car,” he said as he went to the driver’s side of Ekaterina’s vehicle. Ekaterina looked at him uncomfortably; she’d intended to control this meeting and she was losing the initiative already.
When they sat in the car, Thomas took a deep breath, but didn’t speak. He elected to communicate mentally with Ekaterina. The intensity of his mind probe shocked the Mossad Special Operations Section Chief as it locked her into her chair. In seconds, she had a mind map of all of the events that had happened in Qatar and she understood all of the implications of each and every one of Thomas’ acts, though the way the information arrived in her head made her less critical than she might have been while debriefing him in the usual manner. Her guard was so low that she also didn’t question the veracity of Thomas’ selection and perspective.
“Efficient, no?” said Thomas as he released Ekaterina from his spell.
“Complete, at any rate, though I’m not sure I like a method of delivery I can’t question or control,” she said, getting back some of her independence.
Thomas had tweaked her brain to accept a gentle, yet persuasive probe that remained in place until he decided otherwise. He had to know if she could be trusted not to try to capture him. To that end, Thomas decided not to change the destination of their meeting place, trusting in his own speed and facility to be able to slip from a trap. She doesn’t show any memory of building an electronic prison for me. That's good. Too bad I didn’t have a chance to probe Yatsick deeply. Anyway, I can always use my new ‘stealth’ sensors to protect myself against Mossad tricking me into a place I couldn’t escape from, he thought.
“Can’t question? If it’ll make you feel better, ask away,” Thomas offered.
Ekaterina used the rest of the drive to Yano Street in Haifa to quiz Thomas about his mission. While on route, she received an urgent message from the Prime Minister’s Office. Apparently General Chou had submitted to the Central Committee’s order that he stop advancing into Israel until the end of the planned peace treaty negotiations in New York. That was unexpected progress. China had given the world an unspecified but limited amount of time to agree to its terms.
****
In Armageddon Valley, a purplish haze rose over the ‘walkers’. The whole world watched with trepidation as media outlets discussed only the peace process and displayed a continuous montage of the explosions of the nuclear artillery, spliced with videos of the Chinese Hordes standing up and carrying on after the carnage. Israel and surrounding countries closed their airports to tourist traffic to prevent an influx of ‘nut bars’ from establishing a vigil overlooking the valley.
Macaulay's Ploy
Ekaterina looked at the chest in front of her. It lay in its special room on Yona Street. After her last contact with the spear, it had taken on an unexpected aspect. It became an oracle. Thomas’ inclusion in the Vanguard and the presence of the nanosuits has somehow enhanced the spear’s aura, instilling in it the ability to offer counsel at turning points in the plans of the group. She drew a deep breath. I need its guidance now.
She took the spear out of the box and as usual felt its calming influence immediately. But this time there was something else, an urgency to her mental processes. Unlike before, when the spear helped her probe her hunches, it now e
ncouraged her to follow her intuitions, not just allowed her to have insights. Just touching the spear confirmed her hunches about Thomas, Macaulay and the young scientist suggested by Thomas, Jean Pierre. She shuffled the ideas in her head and arrived at several conclusions. She felt satisfied.
When she had made her decisions, she asked the others to come into the room. She started the chant: “Spear, Vanguard. Spear, Vanguard.” The others took up their places, one by one, and joined in the communion. When Thomas touched the spear, the same light and centrifugal force exerted itself, drawing them closer and closer as they walked around the artifact. In the same manner as the last time, they popped out of its trance at once, feeling exhausted. Eerily, Yochana voiced the collective wisdom of the oracle once again.
“Did you people feel it, or was it just me?”
They all nodded.
Ekaterina wrung her hands at the thought of contacting Macaulay. Yochana sighed deeply remembering his past treachery, but they both balanced their fears against one undeniably selfless incident. Two years earlier, perhaps in a moment of weakness, Macaulay gave Kefira the only diamond-based nanosuit in the world. In a sense, we owe him our trust after that gesture of goodwill, thought Ekaterina. Thomas joined his partners mentally as they went about making the crucial decision to enlist Macaulay’s support.
“I’ll get to the bottom of why he gave her the suit when we meet,” said Thomas, while at the same time, he was gently probing their minds for memories of their conversations with Kefira after Kefira’s meeting with Macaulay and his sister.
Thomas’ abilities continued to surprise him. Kefira had related an experience to her mother and he could see the vivid mental imagery Ekaterina had constructed of the event. He allowed it to come back to him in all its detail.
****
It was a warm evening and a gentle breeze swept through the white stone medieval town of Locorotondo, Italy. Kefira and another woman walked with arms linked, at least that was how Ekaterina pictured it. The way Ekaterina conjured her memories of Kefira’s description of the evening excited Thomas. It’s as though Ekaterina were present that evening. Odd though Kefira told her mother about her inclinations, thought Thomas.
Diamond Rain: Adventure Science Fiction Mossad Thriller (The Spy Stories and Tales of Intrigue Series Book 2) Page 12