by L. Rosenman
“It’s okay, three months upfront and a bonus for the hospitality of the beautiful Michal.” He glanced at Lynn, and she lowered her head. “It seems, your wife manages a small, but very successful restaurant here,” Saul turned to Dave.
“Michal’s not my wife,” said Dave. “We’re business partners, and I hope she will, indeed, be successful.”
Gidi couldn’t restrain a small smile. He was impressed by Saul’s skill for getting information.
“Before we go,” said Saul, “I thought you might like to profit from some other business.”
“Me? What business?”
“You invest as much money with me as you like, and within a week you get your investment back with 10% interest. After that, the more you invest, the more interest you get -”
Then Gidi intervened. “We have a method using the stock exchange to gain far more than you’ll ever get from these exploitive banks.”
Dave was tense. He realized that these people were the ones stirring up the tempest of investment fever in the camp.
“I don’t think so,” said Dave.
“You got burned by the banks once, Dave?” asked Gidi.
“Yes.” Dave lowered his eyes and conceded almost grudgingly.
“So you understand exactly what we mean. They exploit. We’re fair… and much more than that. Use some spare money and make more with it. We already have hundreds of satisfied investors. I can give you names.” Gidi opened the little notepad he’d tucked into his shirt pocket earlier.
Dave gestured at the notepad. “There’s no need, really. We’re a little busy now, but I think the answer’s no. Thank you for your contributions and good luck.”
“I’ll invest,” Lynn suddenly said, having not said a word the whole time. “What’s the minimum for investment?”
The three men looked at her in amazement, one of them with great disappointment and the others with clear joy.
“Maybe 500 shekels, but that won’t give you much return. If you round it up to 1000, within a week you get 1100 back. “
“Where do you live? I’ll be there tonight with the money.”
“The brown trailer in the back, second row from the border’s fence. Perfect. I’ll wait for you until ten o’clock, okay?” Saul responded.
“Okay. Bye,” said Lynn. They parted with handshakes and they left.
Dave remained sitting. “What money will you give them? Who can guarantee that you’ll even get your money back?”
“I’ve heard people here saying they’re getting their money, and that they’re pleased. I don’t know how he’s investing or where, but people call him ‘The Wizard.’ He must have his methods. He’s a genius. I’ll take yesterday’s and today’s revenues from the restaurant and we’ll invest.”
“I said I don’t want to invest. He’s a crook.”
“Then I’ll borrow it from you and you’ll get it back two days from now. Okay, Dave? I respect your opinion, but I think you’re being overly cautious.” She stroked his arm as she stood behind him. “You’ve been burned a lot by life, Dave, and no wonder you’re reluctant to take even low risks. It’s understandable. I’m probably more willing to gamble. We’ll see -”
He abruptly turned his chair toward her, faced her, and before she realized what was happening, he covered her mouth with a passionate and tormented kiss, pulling her close to him.
“Stop! What are you doing?” She pushed him violently until he lost his balance and fell off the chair. “Haven’t we agreed that the relationship between us will be nothing but tenant and landlord?”
“Yes,” he said in a cracked voice, “but it’s difficult to impose a contract on the heart.”
“So try harder,” she said, still angry. She was angry with herself and especially at the great agitation his kiss caused her. “It’s forbidden. You simply can’t. We’re too much alike.” She knew it in her heart. “This relationship won’t work. Think about someone else.”
She ran to her room and dried her eyes. It was hard to stay here and live with him while she so longed for his touch and love all while her inner being was screaming, “Stay away!” After she’d calmed down, she put on a dress and rummaged through her purse. The daily revenue was slightly over 650 shekels.
She combed her new dark curls, left the room, and asked in a soft and jovial tone, “Dave, can I get a loan of 350 shekels? The investment will be mine alone. Don’t worry. It’ll all be returned to the business in a few days.”
He gave her a long bleak look, pulled out his wallet, and handed her the amount she asked for.
“Thanks. Good evening, Dave,” she said and left the trailer.
Dave was upset. It had been years since he’d felt this way about a woman. On the one hand, he was attracted to her, but on the other, he felt the need to protect her. Despite his disability, he felt strongly that he wanted more than anything to keep Lynn safe and secure, if not in his arms, then at least under his roof. She was taking a risk hooking up with these people. He realized that she was wrong, but had no way of constraining her. There was something strange and mysterious between them. There was something lurking, hidden in the mist, maybe a shadowy past threatening to overwhelm them with darkness, but... the past had never been a threat, only the future. He was an optimist and had learned that time always worked in favor of those who were patient. He decided to wait.
Lynn knocked softly on Saul and Gidi’s trailer door. No one answered. Maybe there were children? No, that was unlikely. She knocked again quietly and finally opened the door hesitantly. She saw the two men sitting on a bed in the inner room. The door was partially closed and, in a flash, she realized that under the bed on which they sat was a strange black pipe that slightly disturbed her.
“Hello, here I am,” she said in a cheerful voice. They jumped up, rushed to shut the inner door, and went to meet her.
“Hi, Michal, please come in,” Saul said with a broad smile and opened his hand to invite her to sit on the small sofa by the wall.
“Next time, try knocking,” grumbled Gidi and Saul turned to him sharply. His smile became cold and stiff. “Gidi, let’s continue our conversation later. Didn’t we say you had a customer meeting to go to?”
“Yes, of course,” murmured Gidi. He glanced curiously at Michal and Saul, took his bag, and left the trailer. Saul stood and appraised Lynn shamelessly. He was taller than her.
“You’re very tall. ‘And there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people,’” she blurted out inadvertently.
“A girl who knows her Bible,” Saul murmured, his gaze momentarily switching from a kind gaze to a lustful one.
“Well, your name is Saul and you are tall. You immediately reminded me of King Saul from the Bible.” She smiled. They sat down on the couch. The magical moment was so vivid it was almost palpable. The sofa sank under their weight, and they were thrown very close. She felt the warmth of his body, his musky smell, and from the corner of her eye, she saw his chest muscles stretching his shirt.
After a few moments of silence, he roused himself and said, “Michal, I’m glad you took the wise decision to invest in King’s Bank.”
“King’s?” she asked in amazement.
“Yes, that’s the name.” He smiled. “Would you like a drink?”
“No, thanks.” She took out the cash she’d committed to bring, and Saul issued her a signed note for her deposit.
“You won’t regret the trust you’ve put in us.” He handed her the receipt, settled back, and said, “Tell me, Michal, you strike me as a smart, educated young woman. What brought you to this place?”
“Destiny.” She smiled. “And also... I was tired of living in Tel Aviv. Here, everyone helps each other. Friends.”
“You’re right. I’m also sick of Tel Aviv.”
“You’re from Tel Aviv, Saul? Where from?” she asked with interest.
“Forget it,” he waved his hand dismissively.
“You come to Eilat, you leave the past behind. Isn’t that right?” He turned to her and brushed at an imaginary crumb hanging from her hair.
“Yes,” she shuddered. His eyes scorched her. The ‘accidental’ touch and his proximity to her… their knees were practically touching, sent a stream of passion through her veins.
“Michal, I think you can help me out here. We’re new in the camp and, apparently, you know most of the people here. I’d be really happy for you to take part in our wonderful project and, of course, receive adequate compensation.”
“Don’t be so sure. I’m relatively new. What’s the part I’d play, and what’s the compensation?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Saul laughed thickly. “I love it that you’re suspicious. It’s a sign of a healthy, clear mind. I need someone to introduce me to the neighbors in the camp, to come with me to meetings and help me explain the investment system. I need much more than just a pretty face and a model figure.” She blushed at the compliment like a naïve girl. “I need someone who knows how to conduct business and make smiles bloom in the wilderness of the desert. And that’s you, my dear. You must agree that, with Gidi’s beauty and delicacy, we won’t make much progress.” She smiled. “Your profits come out of our profits: 10% of all profits. What d’you say?”
“And how do we supervise the profits? Who runs the accounts?” she asked and pursed her lips determinedly, causing him to expand his smile further.
He looked at her ambiguously and said, “Smart, just like I said. Leave the bookkeeping to me. I’m an expert at that. Ultimately, it’s a matter of trust. You’ll see. One week from today, it’ll pay off.” He ducked his head slightly to penetrate her gaze through the dense tangle of her eyelashes and didn’t let go until she answered.
“Ok-ay.” She wondered at herself. There was something about this man, the poise and dark charm flowing from him, that made her suppress the warning bells that rang incessantly. “We start tomorrow?”
“Perfect! Come over in the early evening. Let’s say around eight,” said Saul. He stood up, smiled broadly, and held out his hand. They shook hands, and she turned to leave. As she reached the door, he called her softly, “Michal,” but she didn’t turn around or answer. He waited a second and then took a big step closer and hugged her tightly from behind. She turned toward him in amazement only to run into his fleshy lips, mesmerizing eyes, and strong arms. He was impossible to resist. The kiss consumed her breath and brought tears to her eyes. She pulled herself forcefully from his grasp and ran away. He watched her for a long while, until she disappeared over the hill.
He smiled, touched his lips, and said, “She’s amazing. A first step toward David. And yet there’s something about her... and now I’m also sure she has a lot to hide. Her name is not Michal.”
Lynn ran toward Dave’s trailer, but began to slow down. Finally, she turned toward the beach and watched the dark waves, the ripples that had persistently hit the coastline for millions of years. In one evening, she’d been kissed by two very different men. Despite yearning for a connection with a man, she knew instinctively that they were both forbidden to her.
Dave was like pure, fresh water to her. His disability didn’t bother her at all, but she felt he was not for her. She wanted to help him, but she wasn’t the right spouse for him. The feeling with him was like that of a close friend, a beloved brother. If they were to become a couple, it meant that when she left, she’d hurt his feelings, crushing someone so dear to her.
In contrast, Saul was like dark waters, like thick, dark wine spreading through her veins, diverting her from sensible judgment. It was much more than his compliments. He manipulated her on dangerous levels. But... he was older, he could be her father, and therefore he also felt forbidden. Besides the passion, which may have derived from the sense of danger about him, she realized that he might be using her.
Then she remembered something that had bothered her the whole while. It was something in the small room, behind the door that was slammed shut as soon as she walked in. Then suddenly, the black metal pipe under the bed appeared clearly in her mind. It was not a pipe, it was the barrel of an M-16 rifle. She’d realized it right at that moment, by the barrel type. Maximum firing range: 1.64 miles. Barrel speed: 0.55 miles per second. Fire rate: up to 800 shots per minute. But the truth was that the effective range was shorter than 0.6 miles. The whole distance across the Uprooted Camp area was no more than 0.6 miles. Everyone here was within Saul and Gidi’s range of fire.
Damn, how did she know all this data? Customer Support workers at Telecall weren’t supposed to know these things! Moreover, as she envisioned the gun, she immediately felt the urge to handle it and fire at a target. She was good at it, she had no doubt. She sighed. The new members of the camp were probably shady types, but she felt no fear. On the contrary, she felt the adrenaline lifting her body to higher levels and knew she wanted to take part in Saul’s project. She didn’t understand what his plans were or how she fit into them, but she trusted her ability to hide information from him just as he was hiding it from her, and eventually she would tilt everything in favor of herself and Dave. She knew that she could protect Dave if he was in actual danger by entering the eye of the storm.
She climbed up the trailer steps, smiled at Dave, and wished him goodnight. He only looked at her and didn’t respond.
Lynn went into her room.
Chapter 11: Eilat Police Station
07/01/2013 - Sixteenth day of disappearance
Police officials and their subordinates gathered in the internal conference room: Head of Southern District Police Command, Commander Joshua Galili; Eilat’s Chief of Police, Chief Superintendent Robert Illouz; Deputy Chief of Police, Orly Weiner; Coastguard Patrolman, Sergeant Sam, and Tali the typist. The focus of the meeting was the problem of the underworld taking control of the stalls along the promenade.
Superintendent Illouz opened. “Good morning, gentlemen.”
“And lady,” said the gentle voice of the deputy from the back.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the police, if, until now, we were concerned about the activity around the not-so-legitimate promenade stalls, our concern has now become more serious. We have evidence that hostile - not terrorist, but certainly criminal - elements have taken over this market and are putting the citizens of Eilat and the tourists in serious danger every day. So we’ve invited the head of southern command, Chief Superintendent Galili to guide us with his experience and provide us with some important information unknown to us until now. Chief Superintendent Galili…”
Galili, a policeman with a wispy mustache and watery eyes barely visible behind thick lenses of glasses, stood up and began to speak. “Good morning. When the time is right, I’d welcome some further detail about your apparently ‘not-so-legitimate promenade stalls’”
Illouz got up quickly. “Let me explain -”
Galili shushed him with a wave of his hand. “Not now, not now. The crime level in the underworld has increased remarkably throughout the country and unfortunately has also reached your holiday paradise in Eilat. As we all know, we have the names of a few crime lords known to us for drug and people trafficking, protection rackets, arms dealing, and more. You also know we can’t get our hands on these bastards because of the so-called legitimate businesses they use as fronts and because of their teams of well-oiled lawyers. I came over here to help my friend Robert, because he’s encountered a series of very particular characteristics that resemble organized crime. This is a good time, I think, to outline those traits that have attracted your attention, superintendent.” He sat down and turned to the short, thin, Eilat police chief, whose teeth were stained yellow with nicotine.
Illouz seemed very nervous and moved impatiently in his chair which creaked to his every move. He turned to the coastguard patrolman. “Sam, speak up and illuminate us with your words.”
“I’m in charge of the beaches in the city,” said the patrolman. “Occasionally we get traders there who are
still drunk or high early in the morning. We don’t make arrests for such nonsense. Sometimes they’re a little beat up, nothing serious - bruises, minor cuts, broken fingers. They always blame their poor luck and can never name who’s to blame. Last week, at three in the morning during a routine night patrol, we found an enormous gathering behind the King Solomon Hotel. When we arrived, they all dispersed in seconds, as if the Earth had swallowed them up, despite the headlights on the patrol car being off.”
Galili sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Who goes out on a raid in a police car? Who?” The officer swallowed and stared at his superior, who gave him a hard look.
“However, on the ground we found a big guy, truly huge, injured and bleeding. He looked like a former fist fighter, but with bracelets and tattoos. He’d only say his name was David. He, of course, ‘did nothing and was jumped by someone.’ Interestingly, he wasn’t a merchant. He wasn’t drunk, and in his pockets we found 20,000 shekels in cash, plus 3000 dollars.”
“A lot of spending money,” Galili muttered.
“Yes,” the patrolman continued. “If someone had wanted to rob him, of course, there wouldn’t have been any money left in his pocket. After much pleading on our part -”
“Plus some serious threats”, the female officer added.
“He confessed that he was merely an investor. He’s investing in a private bank that someone set up here called ‘King’s Bank’. He didn’t want to say his name, wouldn’t provide a description, and only claimed that they’d had a disagreement about money. We got him on his feet, and while we accompanied him to the promenade, two traders from the stalls, who we’re familiar with, of course, passed in front of us.
“When they saw him in front of them, they took to their feet and were gone in seconds. This raises grave concerns,” said the patrolman. “They ran away from him, not us.”
Galili chuckled.
“We needed a little more pressure and a couple of days in jail for David to start singing. He said he, and only he, protects the traders on the promenade from criminals. His services are so good that he’s willing to accept money for it.”