by Odeda Yaari
“When are you going to call me again?” asked Santo. “And this time, be precise. I don’t have time to sit around and wait for your calls.” After a few moments of silence, Santo went on in a somewhat friendlier tone. “Is everything all right? How are you settled in? Where are you staying?”But despite his calm voice, Edo realized all those questions were targeted to pry more information out of him.
“In the meantime, I’m staying at a little hotel in Tel-Aviv, but on the weekend, I’ll search for something a bit nicer,” he said, to try and cover his tracks.
“Edo, I hope you relayed my invitation to your parents to come and visit here.”
“I’ve decided not to call my parents yet, to avoid any unnecessary explanations. I’ll figure out what to do with them later on. In any case, I haven’t forgotten your generous invitation,” said Edo in a confident tone, although the palms of his hands were already starting to sweat.
“So, call me like we said. When exactly will have any new information?”
“By Tuesday, I think. I mean…I’m sure. I’ll call you this time Tuesday.”
Edo waited for a reply, but Santo had already hung up. He could feel the sweat trickling down his back. His hands were wet and his heart was pounding. He got out of the phone booth and walked away quickly, feeling as though hidden eyes were watching him.
He quickly entered a quiet little café down the street, and rushed into the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. The pale image of himself in the mirror looked as if he we about to collapse. He caught his breath and went back out to the café. He sat down by one of the tables, next to the big window overlooking the street, and ordered a large glass of cool beer.
At the table next to him sat a striking young woman. She’s probably waiting for someone, a man or maybe some best friend, he thought enviously. I wish I could meet someone familiar. Maybe I should call Mom and Dad, to meet them and talk? I need to talk to someone!
He gulped down the rest of his beer and left a money note on the table. Without waiting for the check, he got up, pushing back his chair noisily.
At the sound he made, the woman turned her head. Something in her face looked familiar to him.
To his surprise, the woman smiled at him, got up from her chair and walked straight to him. “Hi, Edo. I haven’t seen you in years, that is, since you left and joined the army. I use to hear about how well you were doing at university from your parents every now and then, but I actually haven’t seen them in a long while either.”
“Forgive me,” he said, embarrassed, “but I can’t remember who you are.”
“I’m Sophie, silly. Your family used to live on the third floor and mine was on the first floor. You went to school with my older brother, Dan, and I used to follow you guys around, until he’d get mad and send me home.”
Edo gave Sophie such a hug, it was as if he had found his long-lost sister. The heavens had heard his prayer and sent him someone to talk to. He sat back down and asked Sophie to join him.“I thought you were leaving,” she said. “It seemed like you were in a rush. I wouldn’t want to hold you back.”
“No, there’s nowhere I have to be. Actually, I was feeling a bit lonely, and I had to get out. But now that you’re here, I would love it if you’d join me for lunch.”
While Sophie wanted some quiet time to herself, she thought an hour of nostalgia couldn’t hurt. It might feel good to put aside her disguise and shed the mask for a little while, let her real skin breathe. “I’d be happy to join you, and I could use some food. I don’t think I’ve had anything to eat since yesterday.”
Edo waved the waitress over and asked for the menu. In the meantime, the two of them sat back in their chairs and fell into a nostalgic conversation, catching up on a whole lifetime, talking about their parents and families.
“You know,” said Sophie, “my parents will be delighted when I tell them I’ve met you.”
Edo tensed up. Sophie, an expert in reading body language and facial expressions, noticed there was something heavy weighing him down, but he was afraid to talk about it.
“Is everything all right with your parents?” she asked.
“Yes, everything’s fine, but they think I’m overseas right now. They have no idea I’m back in Israel.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I promise not to tell my parents anything,” she said. “Can I offer you some friendly advice?”
Edo stared at her silently, not sure how to respond.
“I may not exactly be a close friend, but it looks to me like you really need someone who’ll listen. Can I help somehow?”
A tense silence filled the space between them.Edo fought the urge to speak but finally said, “It’s a long story, and I don’t know if you have the time. Maybe it’s best if we leave it at that, and say goodbye.”
“Are you sure?” asked Sophie, intrigued.
Something about his behavior told her to stay and listen to his full story. “I can make some more time for you. Wait a second.” She took out her cell phone and called the babysitter. “Mary? Hi. I’m going to be a little late. You don’t mind do you, sweetie? Thanks. And give Matan a kiss for me.”
She leaned back in her chair. “I’m all yours. Start spilling.”
***
The next hour for Sophie was like reading a thriller novel, with the main protagonist sitting right in front of her. Edo talked and talked, as if worried that should he stop, he would lose the nerve to finish his story.“And then two hours ago,” Edo said, “I got a call from David saying I could start working for him and Ron tomorrow morning. Sophie, these guys have been so cool with me. I feel like a mole.”
Sophie was silent. Here was the man who could deliver the goods she needed from the inside. He’ll talk, she thought.
“Edo, we both come from the same place. I can relate to what you’re saying. You have the chance to make a big score and finally stop living from paycheck to paycheck. True, this isn’t exactly the most ethical thing to do, but sometimes you have no choice but to play dirty to get ahead. You got mixed up with some bad people in Colombia who are much, much more powerful. I wouldn’t try anything smart with them. And stop beating yourself up! I’ve also done things back in the day that perhaps weren’t the nicest. But trust me, without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Edo was filled with a sense of comfort. He got the approval he so badly needed.
She’s right, he thought. I could be honest and fair, work myself from dusk till dawn like my dad, and still arrive at nothing. This is my chance, and I intend to go for it.
“I,” said Sophie, “would go for it.” Then she added, with a smile, “And don’t forget to give me my cut. Now I really do have to go, but here’s my number. Call me, we’ll meet again later this week.”
Edo got up from his chair as Sophie did, and in a surge of gratitude, he hugged her and kissed her on both cheeks.
“Thank you,” he said. “You don’t know what this conversation meant to me. And…please don’t say anything to your parents.”Sophie left the café feeling uplifted. She pressed the number one on her speed dial.
“Yoni? Sophie. Sit down. Don’t move. I have something to tell you that I think you’ll find very interesting. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
21
“This certainly complicates our story,” said Yoni, once Sophie had finished telling him everything. “These Colombians can be rough and ruthless when they’re after something. If they find out Ron has the answer they’re looking for, they will do whatever it takes to get it. I’m assuming they’ll try to lure him with money, but if that doesn’t work, they could go to more aggressive means.” He changed his tone of voice and said, “You, my dear, will have to keep close watch on both fronts. I’m sure it won’t get boring. Just don’t meet the two of them at the same time, unless you’re planning a class reunion. If you do, give me a call. I wouldn’t want to miss out on it.”
Sophie elegantly ignored Yoni’s insinuations.
“Edo said he was scared about using the phone in his hotel room. He thinks the Colombians are following him.”
“And that makes perfect sense. Just in case, we’ll put a bug on it and I’ll have someone on his tail. And as for the Americans, I say we wait a few days before letting them know about this new turn of events.”
“Yoni, now the clock really isn’t on our side.”
“Right,” he said, pensively. “And we just found out about this unexpected competition we have. Great, that’s just the way I like it, fast and furious. I want you here tomorrow morning, and we’ll hold a team meeting.”
It was late, and Sophie hurried to get home. She had been gone a lot longer than she had planned. Garry could be back any minute. She wanted to get there before he did, to have a little time to wash away her professional persona, get dinner ready, and spend some time with Matan.
***
At the team meeting, which took place bright and early on Friday morning, Sophie brought everyone up to speed about the previous day’s news. Edo was going to tell the Colombians on Tuesday to pull out the heavy cash, and that could potentially destroy any offer or initiative from the American side.
“It is my assessment that Ron, in his current mental state, will not be able to move forward with his research past the point he’s already at, and it may very well be that an ‘arranged match’ with the Americans will ease his mind and steer him back onto the productive path. I think we need to start pressuring him. We have no choice. Next time I see him, I plan to pull APC out of my hat.”“Do you think he’s ready for that?” asked Meir.
“He is considerably more nervous than he is letting on,” said Itamar. “Last Monday, after you reported to us about Ron’s meeting at the bank, we did some digging. Turns out Ron and the bank manager signed a non-formal agreement between them. Ron has two weeks to pay the money back. In the meantime, the bank manager isn’t going to take it any further.”
“That’s how it is when you’re born into money, huh?” said Meir sarcastically. “The guy’s just thirty years old and already he’s best buddies with the bank manager.”
“Look, he’s stressed for cash.” Sophie jumped in. “He doesn’t want to tell his parents what he’s gotten himself into, and that’s good for us. But there’s less than two weeks before he has to pay back the money. We now have this new competition, and Ron doesn’t even know who he’s up against.”
The others looked at Sophie questioningly. “Keep in mind that Ron was the one who decided to hire Edo. He sees him as a chance to find a solution. As far as he’s concerned, Edo could provide the inspiration they need to finish the whole thing.”
“But that leaves him right on the edge. What if Edo doesn’t come up with a solution? That leaves Ron with two days to pay the money back,” said Kobe.
“Sophie, when are you meeting Ron again?” asked Yoni.
“I’m going to call him right after we’re done here. We haven’t set up a meeting yet, but I want him to feel like he really needs me. I made sure not to answer any of his calls and to keep him stressed out. We know Edo isn’t going to come up with a solution for him, which will push him further into the corner. That’s where I want to come in, maybe in a few days.“By the way,” she continued, “I’m sure Ron would much rather go with the Americans. The Colombians are drug dealers, and Ron is absolutely against that. His mother heads an organization that helps addicts. His father’s verdicts speak volumes about how he detests anything that has to do with drugs. And there’s one more thing…” Sophie took a deep breath. “He lost his brother to drugs.”
Silence filled the room. This was new information. Everyone knew the judge and his wife had lost their son twenty years before in a car crash. But no one knew what had caused the accident.
“Ron told me about it. That’s why I think we have a chance. It’ll be tough persuading him to help drug dealers.”
For some reason, Sophie felt like she was betraying Ron’s trust. She may have been doing her job, but Ron had managed to get into her heart. Her thoughts were interrupted by Yoni’s voice.
“But if he needs the money, that’s a whole other thing.”
“I don’t think that in the long run Ron would drop the Anti-Drug development to help produce drugs. Does that make sense to you?”
“It doesn’t, but you never know what a person will do in times of need.”
“And what about Edo? Have you talked to him yet?” asked Meir.
“No, she hasn’t,” said Eran. “I’ve put a bug on his phone. Itamar and I are on him. When we’re not prying into Ron’s life, that is.”
Sophie went on. “We agreed that Edo will call me in the next few days. He has a lot of guilt about this move, and I’m sure he’ll call me in two days, tops. Then I’ll know more about their progress.”
Yoni did a quick recap. He wrote “TWO WEEKS” on the board. Then he crossed that out. In truth, this time none of them had any idea how much time they had.
“I don’t know when the Colombians are going to contact Ron. I hope they’ll wait on that for a little while. We also have no idea if Ron is going to be able to complete the product development, and we hope for our clients’ sake that he doesn’t. But as of right now—no scratch that, as of yesterday—we’re in a race against everybody. Make sure to stay on top of everything, because timing is of the essence. The time when we make our proposal to Ron could be critical, so I need every new bit of information to be delivered to me on the spot. Today or tomorrow, I’ll find out what the Americans are really willing to pay, and it will have to be a lot more than a hundred thousand dollars.”
***
The meeting was over. Sophie stayed behind and called Ron again. She had ignored the message he had left her the day before, in which he sounded anxious and nervous. This time, he picked up.
“Dana! You have no idea how happy I am to hear from you.”
“We keep missing each other, don’t we? You know I miss you?”
“I miss you, too. I just want to hold you. And…”
He couldn’t bring himself to ask for her help directly.
“Ron, I know what you want to say. I haven’t forgotten about you. I was just so busy with work, but I’m finding out some things for you. You’re not going to believe this, but I actually think I found a solution for this whole mess.”
“Really?” Ron couldn’t believe his ears. “When? What do I have to do? When will I have to give the money back?”
“Ron, I don’t have all the details yet. And I don’t have a lot of time right now. I have to go. I’m going to be busy these next few days. Let’s meet up and then we can talk properly. And maybe do some other stuff, too. What do you say?”
Ron wanted to meet right there and then. He wanted a replay of the amazing night he had shared with Dana, but at the moment he was more concerned about the money.“Okay. I can meet whenever is good for you. And I’m sorry for acting this way.”
“I completely understand. I would be the same way if I were in your shoes, but there’s really nothing for you to worry about. I’m working on something. So, is Sunday morning good for you?”
Ron thought of another wasted day that should have been dedicated to the research, but knew that in the pressure he was under he wasn’t going to come up with anything productive anyway.
“Sunday’s great. At a café?”
“No, nine a.m. at your place. You have such a nice apartment, and I intend to make the most of it. And stop being so nervous. I promise I’m going to help you. Under one condition.”
“What?” Ron failed to notice the playful tone in her voice.
“That you do to me what you did in Barcelona.”Ron smiled.
He wanted to come back with a witty response, but Dana hung up before he had the chance.
***
On Friday at nine a.m. sharp, Edo was at the office. Apart from the circumstances that had led to his employment at the company, he was truly excited to get started. It had been a long while since
he had finished his studies, and he missed the atmosphere of working creatively and tackling complex scientific questions. He certainly did not consider his work at the lab as such. He found Ron in his office, poring over charts, numbers, and data. Ron looked up, smiled, and nodded for Edo to take a seat, and a few minutes later David joined them.Ron pushed the documents aside and said, “Good morning, Edo. I’m glad you joined us. I’ll fill you in on the concept and details of where we’ve gotten so far, and I would love for you to roll up your sleeves and jump right in to help us complete the task. We feel we’re right on the precipice, but we’ve come to a standstill. It might just be that a fresh pair of eyes could lead to a breakthrough.”
“But before all that…” David interrupted. “Please read these confidentiality papers. I know the wording is a bit tough, but we’re dealing here with things that cannot get out. If you agree to the terms, sign. Then you’re a part of us.” He smiled.
Edo carefully read through the papers, which had been skillfully drafted by Ron’s father. The terms of employment and confidentiality were clear, and a breach would involve severe sanctions. Edo had no choice but to sign, thereby crossing another one of the lines he had naively set himself.
Over the next couple of hours, Ron brought Edo up to speed on the research. He presented him with formulas, numbers, and questions. Edo gulped up the data enthusiastically. Like almost all new inventions, he thought, the idea was so simple it was a wonder no one had thought of it sooner.
When they were done, Ron took Edo to the lab. He introduced him to the rest of the staff and left him to settle in to his allotted work space.
***
Edo began understanding the bigger picture. As he had thought, the solution the Colombians were looking for was already in Ron’s hands. If only they could find a way to spread the active gene in the soft poppy seedlings, they would be able to produce twenty times as much as they currently did. Edo realized that David and Ron’s move was to take the development a step further and neutralize the effect of the drugs, but for the Colombians, the first part of the research was all they needed. This meant he was going to be free from any financial worries for the rest of his life. He was sure that if he could only convince Ron and David, or at least Ron, to cross over lines and sell the development to the drug manufacturers, Ron and David would get more money than they could count. Edo did not know what was motivating the two to eventually reach the paralyzing gene. Apart from the fame and scientific respect they stood to gain, they weren’t necessarily about to get rich. Even the Nobel Prize money seemed humble compared to the unending wealth they could have.Over the weekend, he kept busy with an in-depth research of all the existing products in the market that could assist in spreading the gene. He was sure he had come across something in the past, but couldn’t remember the context.