Kill Them Wherever You Find Them (2 page)

Months of carefully piecing together the
surviving non-building or body related fragments confirmed that
some of the canisters in the research lab were missing at the time
it was destroyed. Whoever possessed them wielded the ability to
bring down powerful people, perhaps even governments.

The Kremlin braced itself for the worst as
the elite of the FSB, the grandchild of the former KGB, fanned out
in search of answers. The search would focus on the Ukraine where
Russian Separatists were splitting a large chunk of the country
with the assistance of the Russian military on the border and
Russian soldiers fighting with, and arming, the separatists. It
appeared to be but the beginning of a new Cold War with the
emergence of a new Soviet Union. Everything thus far pointed to
Ukrainian reprisal.

Russian intelligence had no actionable
details as to the hostiles' identity or how much time remained
before they would reveal their demands and intended target.

A
Zero Day
clock was counting
down.

Table of Contents

1. A Question of Time

"The only reason for
time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."
- Albert
Einstein

Phase One: Time as a River

Somewhere in the Negev Desert,
State of Israel

"
Ladies, Gentlemen, I'm
appreciative
of your time and efforts to attend this final meeting of the
initial stage.
The Project
has to this point largely been a
collaboration of the University of the Negev, the Hebrew University
of Jerusalem, and Technion as well as the government and
military."

"Each of you has been thoroughly appraised of
the extent of your individual responsibilities here.
The
Project
is to be conducted under the auspices of the Knesset.
We, however, are specifically accountable to the Prime Minister and
Lt. General Dan Ashkelon of the Tzahal. That’s better known as the
IDF to you Dr. Stauffenberg. Let me be a little more clear;
I
am accountable to these two while
you
report
directly to me. Questions anyone?"

"Yes, Moshe, yes. This was all covered in the
initial briefings. Can we
please
move things along?" Dr.
Rachael Siwel fidgeted with some papers on the table. "I haven't
seen my family in days and the Sabbath is due to begin in just a
few hours. I need to be home before sunset or I'll be stuck here
until Saturday night."

"Of course, Rachael, of course. Be patient.
I'll conclude our business here as soon as is reasonably possible."
Dr. Levin, Chair of the Theoretical Physics department for the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem responded curtly. A stern glare to
Dr. Siwel, coupled with an unspoken censure, accompanied his
response. She met his eyes, matching his glare equally with her own
until he broke off.

"Remember, absolutely no material in any
form: text, electronic, or otherwise, is to
ever
leave any
of the facilities. Your clothing and personal items will be
exchanged for lab clothes with each entrance to your facility.
Every entrance and exit will also include a complete body scan. If
the scan detects anything suspicious a cavity search may be
conducted. I am sorry we have to do this, but we must operate under
these extremes given the extraordinary nature of what we are about
to do. I'm sure you understand."

"Additionally, keep in mind that there is to
be absolutely no communication, in any form or manner, between you
when outside the facilities. To do so would be a breach of your
confidentiality agreement, resulting in . . . well, it won’t come
to
that
I'm sure."

"Should you need to contact me while away
from your facility, you each have a unique white code that will be
channeled to me within seconds, anywhere in the world. Use that
signal only once . . . it will be scrubbed after use and a new
signal provided."

"In the event of an emergency, or if you feel
your life to be in any kind of danger whatsoever, use the red code
as soon as you are able. Should you fall into the hands of hostiles
remember the speed alteration of your normal speech patterns so
that, should you be forced to relay a verbal message while being
held against your will, we will instantly recognize the situation
for what it is."

"I would encourage you, before you leave, to
also read the instructions for body posture and physical signals to
be used in the event of capture where you are allowed to only read
from a pre-written script while being video taped or in a live
broadcast feed. These nuanced, nearly imperceptible signals may
very well be the only means of you communicating critical details
such as the number of hostiles, possible location and so
forth."

"Likewise, remember the rotating code that
will be used should we need to communicate to you the need to go to
ground. Each of you has five predetermined safe houses throughout
the country. Obviously, in such moments time is of the essence
requiring you to go to the nearest one. When the situation is
considered safe and any danger has been neutralized we will find
you. Even when a friendly face shows up, the sign and counter-sign
must be properly given. Remember, these are also rotating and they
will correlate to the unique math and linguistics-based code each
of you has memorized."

"Don't forget the tried-and-true fall-back
plan. You may not be able to communicate any of the codes through
the proper channel. In the event of imminent danger to do so would
waste time and compromise your life. Each of you is required to
carry an already-open pack of cigarettes on your person at all
times when outside the facility itself. Putting the cigarette to
your mouth and moving to light it will instantly prompt your Israel
Security Agency, or ISA; formerly known as Shin Bet. For the sake
of simplicity and as it is still called Shin Bet in movies and
books, we will continue to refer to your security detail as Shin
Bet operatives. As your Shin Bet operative approaches you do as
they say without question or hesitation if you want to live."

"Doctor Stauffenberg, when you put the
cigarette in your mouth we promise not to snap a picture and send
it to your church leaders!" Nobody laughed, including Jeff, though
Moshe was at least rewarded by him with a knowing grin.

"Okay, that joke fell flat. Seriously, a
couple of you do smoke. Stop – you can’t smoke in any facility
anyway. If you habitually light up on the outside, you may be
tackled to the ground before you realize your error. Such a blunder
may very well disqualify anybody from returning to
The
Project
."

"Finally, a neurological poison capsule has
been implanted into each of our backs, between our shoulder blades.
You needn't worry about sitting in a hard-backed chair or even
accelerating in a car. It would take a sharp blow to the specific
area to break the capsule, with death following shortly thereafter.
This is a measure when all other options have been exhausted should
you find yourself in an impossible situation such as torture. Just
remember to keep your shoulder blades safe from the possibility of
any significant impact. It would require leaning back with
intentional force against something solid such as a wall to break
them, not a simple pat on the back. Best to avoid contact sports
until after the completion of
The Project
!"

"We had considered a specific-signature radio
isotope implant to track your movements in the event of an
abduction scenario. But if we can trace you, others can detect the
signal as well, using it as evidence of your value to the nation.
Ultimately it was decided this would pose an even greater hazard.
Are there any questions before we break for a few days?"

"Just one here Moshe." A man with thick
glasses and thinning hair held his hand up slightly; more of a
gesture than sign of formality.

"Yes Dr. Frankel. What is it?"

"How will we know that a person tailing us is
with Shin Bet, rather than a much less desirable agency such as the
Quds Force?"

"That is an excellent question, and one that
bears answering before you leave. Dr. Stauffenberg, forgive me if
you already know this: Doctor Frankel made reference to the Quds
Force. It is one of the intelligence agencies of Iran. They are
exceptionally well trained. We don't underestimate them and neither
should you."

"Everybody here, including myself, will be
shadowed for our own protection – as well as to insure nobody is
breaking protocol. Simply put, if you think somebody is following
you it isn’t the Shin Bet. They are too well trained to be spotted.
You could actively look for them and never be able to make an
identification. That said, contact me as quickly as is possible if
you have any reason at all to suspect you're being followed, feel
even slightly threatened, or have any indication of a threat made
against any member of your family or even a neighbor."

Moshe continued, "Except for Dr. Stauffenberg
you have all served in Tzahal. Two of you in the Sayeret Matkal
Special Forces unit of the military. Jeff served in an elite unit
in the United States military, so he has had similar training. Each
of you is also fluent in at least two languages, as well as
universal 'TechnoGeek.'"

The TechnoGeek comment briefly elicited the
desired laughter from the group. After a slight pause Moshe
continued. "We have confidence that you will be able to extricate
yourselves from most situations, or at least stay calm and alert
should capture be unavoidable. Just as we are targeting Iranian
nuclear scientists and taking them out with small magnetic bombs
attached to cars with their scientists in them, we have
intelligence – obvious deduction really – that Iran seeks to do
similarly with our own scientists."

"Then again that would require their drivers
being able to negotiate our streets on their own motorcycles to
attach the magnet bombs to our cars. Anybody who drives our
highways knows that they are more dangerous than any bomb. The
would-be-assassin is more likely to be killed than his target!"

"Seriously folks, in the event of capture
chemical torture will most likely be employed after other means
bribery and emotional and physical persuasion including your life
and the lives of loved ones - have been exhausted. Such foreplay
will take less than a day. Hold out as long as you are able but
don't feel any misguided compulsion to be a hero. Nobody in this
room but I knows the full details of what we are doing, or the part
each person plays in it. When you eventually spill your guts about
what you do, and I assure you that you will, no lasting damage will
be done to
The Project
. Other than some basic techniques
taught during your time in Tzahal nobody here has been trained to
withstand torture or the subtle art of misdirection when
information is eventually surrendered to the enemy. Anticipating
the possibility of just such a breach we have planned to minimize
as much damage as is reasonably possible."

"Indeed you have no idea where we are
precisely. Your drivers who picked you up at your pick-up points
see to that. When you submit in-house updates and other reports you
are using a pre-assigned code which then is altered electronically.
This protects your identity should somebody, who ought not to,
somehow access the report."

"Ideally we would have preferred that you not
even know one another’s real names. Given your backgrounds enough
of you have already met at scientific conferences, lectures, and at
times even engaged in collaborative research that such anonymity
would be at once impractical and impossible."

"Remember to alter your habits, never drive
to or from home the same way twice in a row. While we are all happy
with the convenience of the light rail between Tel Aviv and
Jerusalem, using public transport is highly discouraged while a
member of this team except under the most unusual of
circumstances."

"Don't shop or do other chores on a schedule
with discernible patterns, and try to alter the places where you
shop. Avoid patterns in times and routes as well as daily routines.
Avoid fast food, far too easy to slip drugs. Also avoid easy
abduction zones: crowded venues such as malls, sports events, and
theaters. Ask family members to also avoid such venues. Good luck
with that for those with teenagers."

More laughter – though not from those who
actually had teen offspring.

"Finally during one of your psychological
profile written exams you were asked if you had known Adolf Hitler
as a child, and you had absolute foreknowledge of what he would do
as an adult, could you kill him? Everybody here answered in the
affirmative."

"I want you, while away from this
environment, to consider not only the consequences of such an
action for yourself emotionally and mentally but also what such an
action would have on the course of history - past and present - for
individuals, families, groups, societies, and entire nations."

"Consider also the oft-cited theoretical time
conundrum: I go back in time to see my grandparents when they were
young. By sad accident I kill my grandfather before he sires my
father. Now, if I do so, my father is never born and I; therefore,
am never born. Were I never born I couldn't have gone back in time
to accidentally kill my grandfather! What is the outcome? What
might be the specific and general implications of such an
event?"

"If that is everything, Shabbat shalom."

"Shabbat shalom" the group spoke in near
unison as they stood to begin their exodus from the conference
room.

"Dr. Stauffenberg, I know you have taken
Ulpan studies. If your Hebrew isn’t fluent just yet, I wished all a
peaceful Sabbath. Being a Mormon you also observe a Saturday
Sabbath while you are in the State of Israel – so my Sabbath
blessing applies to you as well! Just remember to not meet with the
small Mormon community here. I'm afraid you must observe Shabbat by
yourself for the duration; we can't run the risk of somebody
recognizing you."