Kill Them Wherever You Find Them (33 page)

"I know this is something that none of us
could have been prepared to deal with, but deal with it we must.
To-date all of your work, all of your training and research and
actual implementations have been an unqualified success. We believe
that with the success of the initial phase, the hardest work is now
behind us. Historians and genealogists continue to confirm that the
landing
which facilitated the removal of one branch of the
target family hasn't altered anything beyond some immediate
effects."

"As time theorists suspected, an event that
changes something that already existed in the past is not unlike a
pebble being tossed into a calm pond. The radiant ripples caused by
the pebble breaking the surface have immediate and strong effect on
the surrounding water then, as they continue outward, they weaken
and eventually cease altogether. This has proven to be the case
with the outcome of the first phase. We still are pouring through
records in the temporally shielded archives, comparing them to
those outside the shield. The results continue to be favorable,
pointing to an unqualified success. Nonetheless, we will continue
our research until it is certain that we can safely proceed with
the second phase."

"I know you will give the new facility head,
Dr. Itzhach Mendlesøn, your full and undivided support as we go
forward in this critical second phase of
The Project
. I'll
now take questions, starting first with this auditorium and then
those gathered in the main conference room."

"General Aharonson, how can you be sure that
nobody else has been compromised? I mean, Dr. Abrams and the
military liaison in the General Staff, that Ben-Levi fellow - if a
hostile got to them how do you know somebody else hasn't already
been manipulated here or in another facility?"

"Thank you, that is an excellent question.
While we believe that the problem has been completely contained, we
must proceed under the assumption that Abrams and Ben-Levi were not
acting alone and that others may have been compromised, knowingly
or unknowingly. For this reason counter-espionage steps have been
strengthened, meaning each of you no matter what you do here, and
when away from this facility, will be under constant
surveillance."

"Respectfully, we understood ourselves
already to be under surveillance from the very beginning. Clearly
it didn't stop those two."

"You're right, and how that happened is still
under investigation. To insure as much as is possible – no plan can
be guaranteed 100% perfect - that 24/7 surveillance is solid, we
have implemented new methods in addition to those already employed.
I'm satisfied that you won't even be able to swallow a gnat or
avert your gaze to a cloud in the sky without it being registered,
let alone communicate with anybody in any manner, covert or overt,
without us knowing."

"How about our families? About two thirds of
us here were recalled to the facility, without warning or
explanation. When will we be able to see them again?" The questions
were posed by someone in the first row.

"That was regrettable but necessary, as I'm
sure all of you understand. Those who had scheduled leave must stay
here. Each facility is now under lockdown until the completion of
the second phase of
The Project
. In the case of people with
unique family situations, we have added additional living quarters
on the facility grounds. The families thus identified are being
moved here, as well as families of the other facilities, by
plainclothes military as we speak. I do apologize for the
inconvenience. Given recent events a full lockdown is our only
option from this point forward. As well as accommodating families
with special needs as best as possible, we have also backup
supplies of food, water, energy, medicine, etc. As you can imagine,
it was best to inform everybody what has happened as quickly as
possible, to avoid idle speculation and misinformation. Also, you
were all called in at once to circumvent panic by the lockdown once
you were here. Any spouses or significant others who can remain
where they are will be informed that your research will take longer
than expected, without providing specific details. Those with
family outside the facility will be allowed one carefully monitored
and screened telephone call once a week. Where children are
involved, two monitored phone calls are allowed. These calls will
be monitored on both ends, though your family will be unaware of
this to avoid worry. Anybody else have a question or concern?"

Grumbling at the news that they were in a
total lockdown for the unforeseeable future subsided to a murmur,
then silence.

This time somebody from the back of the room
spoke, "The timeline of
The Project
has been stepped up, for
obvious reasons. We have pretty much figured out what we are doing,
and why, relative to the other facilities in
The Project
. It
would have been impossible to have not reasoned the broader
picture. Will we be allowed to visit and review the work in the
other facilities when the second phase of
The Project
is
completed?"

"No. I would further remind you that each of
you signed a legal agreement binding you to not discuss your work
here outside of this facility, not with anybody – not even each
other. Should you encounter somebody from another facility when out
in public, as those of you in the scientific community invariably
will, nothing about
The Project
may be discussed to your
dying day. Any breach of this agreement will guarantee
incarceration for the duration of your life with no hope for
release."

"Anything else? Okay, then I open the floor
to those in the conference room."

"Thank you General Aharonson. I think I speak
for everybody when I say that we are grateful that you came here
personally. Our feelings about our colleague are beyond expression,
especially for those of us who worked closely with him on a daily
basis."

"Is there a question here?" Aharonson wasn't
one for idle chat or public back-patting.

"Of course, yes." The man continued, "As it
appears that the contributions of this facility are nearly
complete, will we be allowed back to our own lives of research and
academia once it has been agreed that work in this facility is no
longer required? I have been awarded a research grant that I must
start soon or lose the contract."

"All of you, without exception, will be
required to remain at this facility until the second phase is
complete and we have attained our goals and secured the safety of
the State of Israel and the Jewish people generally. If that
creates hardships in your own professional lives, I regret that but
it cannot be avoided."

"Never lose sight of the fact that if we
fail, you will have no research grants, no family, no home to
return to. Any additional time you are required to stay here helps
to assure that you, indeed all of us, have a future at all. Weighed
against that and the security concerns that come with it, I should
think any other endeavor, laudable as it may be, pales in
comparison." The General's chastening was unmistakable.

Though it was impossible to tell on the wide
screen projection in the auditorium, it appeared as if the man
posing the last question blushed as he looked down, appearing to
studiously examine his shoes.

"Any other questions?"

Aharonson paused for a moment, then
continued, "If there are no further questions from the auditorium
or those assembled in the conference room, I would like to thank
you all for your time and attention." She again looked around at
those in the elevated rows of chairs in front of her, when nobody
appeared to have anything to add, she looked at the projection of
the other group on the screen. Satisfied, she left the stage as a
guard smartly snapped to attention to salute her.

The last question surprised Shoshanna, making
a mental note to learn the identity of the man who asked it. Based
on his question he was a scientist, so presumably intelligent –
more so than most or he wouldn't have been invited to work with
The Project
. Was it really possible that he didn't grasp the
questions and concerns raised by the events with Ben-Levi and
Abrams? Was his motive only the self-serving one he brought up, of
maintaining a research grant, or was there something more that was
left unspoken? Maybe his brilliance and focus on matters of science
simply precluded him viewing a wider picture of realities on the
ground. Whatever the case, they needed to take another look.

Table of Contents

25. Man Down

"We are time's subjects, and time bids be gone."
–
William Shakespeare

Phase Two: Currents of Time

Haifa, State of Israel

The Shin Bet agent
who maintained the
afternoon watch over No'am called in the suicide after first
pocketing the memorandum he wrote, deleting it from his computer,
then secured his living area before exiting and closing the door
behind him as curious kibbutz members tried to peer inside.

Flashing a police ID, the agent closed and
locked the door.

He walked down a connecting sidewalk, still
in view of the residence, to call the head of Shin Bet. As he
pressed the direct speed dial button he noticed, from the periphery
of his vision, a woman walking a little more quickly than those
around her. He didn't give her a second thought once the phone on
the other end connected.

"I am sorry to interrupt you sir. I'm the
agent assigned to monitor No'am at his kibbutz . . ."

Unable to complete the sentence the agent
felt the prick of what may have been a needle, followed by the burn
of something injected in his upper back, very near his spine. His
assassin continued moving into the gathered crowd without the
slightest pause, showing a police investigator's shield and badge
to the group at No'am's door. None of the onlookers wondered how a
second police officer, not a part of the kibbutz security detail,
managed to arrive so quickly.

Unlocking the door to the living quarters she
proceeded to search for documents that No'am was scheduled to hand
over. "Damn it, nothing." She muttered to herself. It was too late
to check the pockets of the Shin Bet agent outside, by now his body
would have been noticed. This assessment was confirmed when a
couple of people banged on the door yelling that the other police
officer was on the ground, possibly dead.

Opening the door she feigned calling the
emergency in to police headquarters, requesting an ambulance assist
as she closed and locked the door behind her and simply walked
away.

~ ~ ~

Meir Halevi furrowed his eyebrows as the
agent who placed the call ceased talking mid-sentence. A clattering
sound, followed by uneven breathing for a very brief moment near
the phone, told Halevi that something happened to his agent. As the
breathing slowed, then seemed to completely stop, he heard
continuous chatter in the background from at least several
people.

In an instant they seemed to be directing a
barrage of questions at one person, addressing her formally. From
their deferential tone, this woman must be dressed in a uniform of
some kind of authority. He could hear that they had gathered around
his agent's body but nobody seemed to be in charge. Nothing more
was being addressed to the authority figure woman. She was probably
no longer to be found at the scene, let alone someone in authority
who had any business being there..

The mobile phone disengaged.

Meir signalled a "man down" code with the
location, instructing that the living quarters of No'am be sealed,
the agent taken to a hospital if still alive, brought back to the
Shin Bet morgue if not.

Additionally, ping the agent's mobile phone
and retrieve it. No calls in or out would be in the mobile's
history, no contacts stored, and no GPS location chip would be
found in the phone to give away information on the agent's
movements. Still, a cautious man, Meir preferred to leave nothing
to chance.

Meir wanted to identify and locate everybody
near the crime scene. In this day of ubiquitous mobile phones with
cameras, chances were good that somebody took photos, or even
video, of the event. Halevi wanted to nail whoever was responsible
for the injury, most likely death, of his agent. Retribution wasn't
the only thing on his mind, he was too seasoned and cool-headed for
that. He knew that this mystery woman could lead them back to more
people, possibly even the two they already knew were running the
entire show. He had to form a complete flow chart of the terror
organization, otherwise removing the two heads would simply create
a vacuum for others to fill.

The team leader of agents was on his way to
the kibbutz, Halevi confirmed. The team leader would report to him
directly, maintaining an open line. Finally Meir contacted the
audio analysis people to see if they would be able to confirm the
mysterious woman's voice to any of the archived voice data
files.

~ ~ ~

"Sir, this is Gilad Smith. We arrived at the
scene just now. Agent Schneerson's body is in the kibbutz
infirmary. He is confirmed dead. We'll escort his body to our
morgue once completing our investigation here."

"Thank you agent Smith, what else have you
learned?"

Halevi thought about Smith's parents. His
Jewish mother and Gentile father were two of the finest people he
knew. He was always surprised that John Smith had not converted to
Judaism, as he seemed to relish all things Jewish. Based on his
wife Lilah's heritage they immigrated to Israel when Gilad was
still very little, just a toddler if Halevi recalled correctly.

John had, some years after making aliya to
Israel and establishing himself, been recruited to work for the
Mossad. It was Mossad's strategy then, and now, to never recruit
any Israeli citizen until it was confirmed that they could first:
Fit comfortably and seamlessly into society, second: Establish
themselves professionally, and third: Be able to pass the cursory
background checks before an invitation was extended.