The Lost Codex (46 page)

That’s torture enough.

“It’s now Knox’s problem,” DeSantos said. “And the attorney general’s. When, and if, they find something, justice will be served. If not, Sahmoud is a really bad guy who did really bad things. He was a whole lot worse than Connerly. We take our wins where we can get them.”

“Where have I heard that before?”

Uzi pursed his lips. “I believe it was on a naval carrier on the Atlantic Ocean somewhere off the coast of England.”

They laughed again.

“You know,” Vail said, “if I didn’t know any better, it looked like you and Mo are in a good place.”

Uzi turned to DeSantos. “Yeah, well, hate to say I told you so.”

“But you’re gonna say it anyway.”

“No, no, no,” Vail said with a shake of her head. “I’m not buying that whole ‘I trusted him’ line, Uzi. I know you better than that. You embedded some tracking chip in Mo’s jacket, didn’t you?”

“Nope. I knew we could trust him.”

“Really,” DeSantos said.

“Trust has to start somewhere, Santa, and, really, we were trusting him with far more important things—our lives. I had faith in human nature, in
Mo
, to do the right thing. He’s a real person. True to himself. To who he is, who his family is. And was.”

Vail looked at him. “Remember what the rabbi said about truth? That there may not be such a thing?”

“I still think there are some truths in life.”

“And I still think you were at risk of being played a fool.”

“I made sure he wasn’t,” DeSantos said.

Uzi tilted his head. “What are you talking about?”

“I hedged our bets. Sorry, Boychick. Too much at stake. I took the active tag chip out of my satphone and slipped it into Fahad’s satchel right before we left the house. Need be, we could track it.” DeSantos chuckled. “Of course, I wasn’t anticipating cloud cover.”

Uzi leaned back against the railing. “So you’re saying that you didn’t trust my judgment.”

DeSantos considered that. “Faith is powerful, but at the end of the day, we’re just people. And people approach things with their own biases.”

Vail grunted. “Kind of like what the rabbi said about truth. We see things through our own lens. We think what we’re doing is right.”

“But others may not see it that way—and they may be wrong. So I needed an insurance policy that these historic treasures were not only placed in their rightful place but that they were not used as blackmail in peace negotiations. Those were our orders.”

“If Mo figured out that you’d given him everything,” Vail said, “and if he wanted to turn it all over to the Agency, and if he knew about the chip, he could’ve ditched your tech and disappeared.”

DeSantos nodded slowly. “Then I guess in the end, it all came down to trust. And some luck.”

Knox came up behind them as DeSantos’s phone rang. He excused himself, pulled out his cell, and took a few steps away.

Knox placed a hand on Uzi’s shoulder. “Thank you both for a job well done.”

“What will come of the scroll?” Vail asked.

Knox looked out over the brightly lit model of ancient Jerusalem. “They’re going to store it in the museum vault and keep it quiet. Their goal was always to bring it home. Disclosure of its contents was never part of the plan.”

“Do you believe it’s possible to keep it under wraps?” Vail asked.

“I know Prime Minister Wolff,” Knox said. “Making it public, causing harm, that’s not what he’s about. The director general told me it wasn’t their place to release any ancient text that would denigrate, in any way, Christianity’s belief structure. No one would benefit from that. Looking at it pragmatically, it’d drive a wedge between Judaism and the Catholic Church, requiring decades, if not centuries, to heal. I’m sure the prime minister doesn’t want that to happen. Neither does the Vatican. There’s a lot going on here.”

“That means we’re sworn to secrecy as well.”

“That goes for the entire mission, Agent Vail.” Knox leaned both hands on the railing. “The president has been pushing construction of a new airport in the West Bank and a shipping port in Gaza. I’m told he’s been riding the Israelis really hard. They’ve said that without a properly negotiated settlement and monitoring forces in place, and without the dismantling of Hamas, al Humat, Islamic Jihad, and Islamic State, the airport and shipping port would be significant threats to Israel’s survival. Friends of mine in the military and intelligence community agree. That’s what was at stake. That’s why we did what we did. That’s why we defied the White House.”

They absorbed that for a moment.

“Why do you think we had to defy the president in the first place?” Vail asked.

Knox stared off into the distance. His jaw tightened. “Our work is done here. Thank you both again for a job well done.”

As he walked off, Uzi gestured at the blood spatter on her clothes. “Tough time?”

Vail pulled the Tanto from its sheath. “Your gift saved my life tonight.”

“You know,” he said, “that knife is taking on legendary proportions: first it saved my life. And now yours. It’s got its own built-in mojo.”

“Should we do a
Game of Thrones
thing?”

Uzi tilted his head. “A what?”

“
Game of Thrones
. The TV show. HBO.”

Uzi shrugged. “Don’t watch much TV.”

“Robby and Jonathan got me into it. A medieval soap opera. The knights name their swords. What do you say we name this knife, ‘Tango slayer’?”

Uzi chuckled. “Hey, it’s yours now. Name it whatever you like.”

“I’ll have to think on it.”

After a moment, he said, “How about Tzedek?”

“Tzedek?”

“It’s a Hebrew word. For justice.”

Vail looked at the blade, spit on it, and wiped the dried blood from its surface with her blouse. “Tzedek. Justice. I like it.” She angled it forward, catching the glow of a nearby spotlight against its black matte finish. “You familiar with the Bible?”

He cocked his head to the left. “I think I’ve heard of it.”

“There’s a verse … ‘Never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.’”

Uzi shrugged. “I think a little revenge is okay sometimes. As long as it’s done with well reasoned moral intentions. To right a wrong. A tooth for a tooth.”

I’ve definitely had those feelings.
“One of the psalms says, ‘Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.’”

Uzi leaned back. “I never took you for a religious person. I learn something new about you every day, Karen. You’re a very complex individual, you know that?”

“Complex? Yeah. Religious? Not so much. The psalm is just something my mother used to tell me when I was a kid. I wrote it on an index card and had it above my computer screen in my office. I thought it expressed what I do as a federal agent. We maintain justice, always striving to do what’s right.”

Uzi examined her face a moment. “You said you
had
it over your desk. Past tense.”

Vail turned away. “After Robby disappeared … I—” She shook her head. “I did what I had to do. But I didn’t do what was right, I didn’t maintain justice. I stepped over the line.”

“Sometimes things aren’t black and white.” The voice came from a few feet behind them: DeSantos. “You did what was right for the one you loved. It didn’t meet the standards of the laws we strive to uphold. But if you—if
we
—hadn’t done what we did, a lot of people would’ve died. Good people. People who’ve done a lot of good things for a lot of
other
people since then.”

Vail played with some loose dirt by her left shoe. “You talking about back then, or this op? I did things tonight that—”

“Your moral compass is what matters, Karen. What’s in your heart. You always mean well. You always try to do the right thing. Sometimes it takes a while to know what the right thing is—or was.”

Vail smiled inwardly. DeSantos’s comment was similar to something she had once told Robby. She looked out over the model of Jerusalem and tried to picture herself back thousands of years, standing where she was at this very moment … learning from the wise rabbis who roamed the streets, doling out wisdom and creating law for a population who was only beginning to learn how to conduct themselves, how to live for the benefit of the community. How to put their trust in a higher being. How to
believe
.

It was the birth of a religion that would spawn other religions, changing the world in ways no one could have ever predicted. Good, bad, indifferent—organized religion had its positives and negatives. But its effect on civilization was palpable.

Vail was not sure if she believed in God or some other entity that governed the souls on earth. In many cases she thought she did not—she had looked into the minds of countless killers and seen evil. No God would dare create that. Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Bundy, Chikatilo, Gacy, Dahmer. Yet these scourges of humanity existed. She was sure religious sages had an explanation, but at the moment it was unimportant.

Vail turned back to the Israel Museum’s dome, where the Dead Sea Scrolls—and now the complete Aleppo Codex—were housed. She felt a sense of satisfaction that she had played a role in helping bring these ancient artifacts, these transformative documents—to their rightful resting place, back where they began millennia ago.

“You okay?” DeSantos asked.

“Huh?” Vail turned. “Yeah, fine. Just thinking. Waxing philosophical.”

“I didn’t know you had it in you.”

Vail had to laugh. “I learn something new about myself every day.”

Acknowledgments

I approached this book with trepidation because any time you wade into religion and/or geopolitics there’s potential for someone to get offended. That was not my intention. Any religious commentaries contained within are merely story points that evolved from ideas, discussions with experts, brainstorming “what if” sessions, character motivations, and dramatic potential. I was not attempting to discredit, support, proselytize, or convince. In other words, I was telling a fictitious story. That’s the definition of a novel.

Those of you who have read my previous works know that I strive to construct a compelling tale while keeping true to the facts of the source material. Although I have done that in the
The Lost Codex
, there are times when I deviate from the truth. One of those times involves the Aleppo Codex’s journey from Syria to Israel, which in reality was much more complex. While there are pieces of information—some verifiable and others based on witness accounts, statements, and court testimony—the current location of those two hundred missing pages remains unknown. A few books tackle the subject but one in particular is a standout read:
The Aleppo Codex: A True Story of Obsession, Faith, and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible,
by journalist/author Matti Friedman. Using his skills as an investigative reporter, he peeled back multiple layers of subterfuge and deceit. Regardless, as my editor reminded me, I am writing fiction and my job is to tell the most entertaining story possible. Although I altered the facts of the codex’s journey once it left Syria, everything up to that point regarding its history, relevance, and contents is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Finally, the issues affecting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians are fluid; public opinion changes frequently, and not everyone believes that the “mind-set” presented in
The Lost Codex
will prevail. Some believe peace is still possible. What form that takes, and if or when it happens, remains a mystery.

Because of the sensitive nature of some of the information I’ve included in this novel, certain sources wished to remain anonymous. Where possible I referenced the organization or agency, but in other cases I have remained silent.

With that in mind, thanks to the following individuals:

Steve Garrett
, US Navy Hospital Corpsman Senior Chief (Diver/Free Fall Parachutist/Fleet Marine Force)—also known as HMCS (DV/FPJ/FMF) (ret.)—for his thorough review of the manuscript and for correcting my Special Operations Forces terminology and procedures, for his knife-related expertise, parachuting and skydiving instruction (I would never send Vail out the back of a C-17 without getting it right!), for details regarding RIBS, IBSs, and Zodiacs, as well as body disposal methods in bodies of water. I did not ask Steve how he knew the latter.

Mark Safarik
, Supervisory Special Agent and Senior FBI Profiler with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (ret.) and principal of Forensic Behavioral Services International, for his review of the manuscript, for FBI and law enforcement procedural nuances, and for his assistance with details regarding behavioral analysis and fingerprint forensics.

Mary Ellen O’Toole
, Supervisory Special Agent and Senior FBI Profiler with the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit (ret.), and Program Director for the Forensic Science Program at George Mason University’s College of Science, for her information and background on psychopathy, suicide bombers, and sniper attacks, and for reviewing the pertinent excerpts for accuracy.

Tómas Palmer
, cryptographer (and technogeek first class), for once again saving the day. My initial email to Tómas carried the subject line, “Vail, Uzi, and DeSantos are in trouble again. Tómas to the rescue.” Tómas helped me understand cloud bouncing (yes, this is real), as well as satellite internet transceivers (also real), BlueJacking (real), RFID chip tags (real), and more. In Tómas’s lingo, he helps me “geekify” my novels and makes it possible for Vail and company to better the baddies.

Derek Maltz
, Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division (SOD), Drug Enforcement Administration (ret.), for his background, information, and stories regarding narcoterrorism and the collision—and collusion—of the drug cartels with Islamic terrorists. His framing of the issue helped immeasurably. Also,
Paul Knierim
, assistant Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration,
Dawn Dearden
, Chief of Public Affairs and
Joseph Moses
, Public Affairs Section Chief, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration.

Mark Spicer
, Sergeant Major, British Army (ret.), sniper instructor/trainer, and counterterrorism expert, for his information regarding terrorist threats facing the US, the Hezbollah/Mexican drug cartel connection, law enforcement’s approach to reining in these groups, and his experiences in England and Northern Ireland.
Rigo Durazo
, Director of Combative Training, Craft International, for his knife-fighting expertise and close quarters combat instruction.

David Weis
, rabbi, for background information and religious and philosophical discussions that helped me frame the issues, and for stimulating discussions regarding the
Dead Sea Scrolls
,
The Aleppo Codex,
and other ancient texts. His review of the manuscript helped ensure I didn’t make any egregious errors. Any remaining errors are my responsibility—or artistic license.

Theresa Moraga
, theologian, for her background information, theories, and discussions on a variety of religion-related topics and for her contacts with professional theologians. All of this was crucial in helping me understand, and construct, the issues triggered by the Jesus Scroll.

Matti Friedman
, journalist and author, for his background and insight on the Israel-Palestinian issue, citizens’ on-the-street sentiment, the Middle Eastern mind-set, the two-state construct, the
Aleppo Codex
, Gaza, and background on Islamic terror groups. Matti’s review of pertinent sections of the manuscript were vital. As noted, I recommend Matti’s nonfiction book,
The Aleppo Codex
, for a riveting nonfiction account of the codex’s disposition.
David Pollock
, PhD, Kaufman Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, for background information regarding Palestinian public opinion, Palestinian public opinion polling, the peace process, and West Bank security concerns in a two-state solution.
Avi Isaacharoff,
Middle East analyst for
The Times of Israel
, for background information regarding the two-state solution.

Lawrence Wein
, squad detective, NYPD, for help with the New York City chapters and NYPD-related questions.

Mark Waldo
, crime scene investigator, Santa Ana Police Department, Forensic Services Section, for his assistance with lifting fingerprints using makeup powder and Gun Bluing techniques.

Christopher Schneider
, executive director, agency relations, 5.11 Tactical, and assistant SWAT team leader Anaheim Police Department (ret.), for assistance with the equipment and logistics regarding DeSantos’s Desert Eagle and SWAT/tactical unit terminology.

Jason Rubin
, captain, United States Marine Corps, for help with the chapter dealing with the F-22.
Richard Drapkin
, restaurateur, restaurant consultant, and attorney, for his assistance with staging the kitchen fire aboard the dinner cruise ship.
Valentin Robiliard
, for ensuring my French translations were accurate.
James Rollins
,
New York Times
best-selling author, for being my eyes and ears for the C-17 cargo hold (he’s been there, done that).
Lauren Dellar
for her experiences living in Israel, for refreshing my memory regarding Ben Gurion Airport, and for her affiliated contacts at Palestinian rights organizations.

Steve Israel
, congressman
(D-NY), and
Gidi Weiss
, Lt. Colonel, Israeli Air Force (ret), and International Marketing and Sales Manager, Raphael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., for information regarding Iron Dome, its funding, and technology sharing between Israel and the United States. (The assertion that the program was funded by the US contingent on the premise of money for technology was my invention. For obvious reasons, I did not ask if it were true.)

Thank you to those who wished to remain nameless, who provided me with insight and perspective, and to those who gave me research and analysis regarding Congressional testimony pertaining to Iran and Islamic extremist groups.

The terrific team at
Open Road Integrated Media. There are many individuals toiling behind the scenes in the publishing and promotion of my novels, but among those I’ve worked with closely, I’d like to specifically recognize
Megan Buckman
,
Lauren Chomiuk
,
Rachel Chou
,
Hannah Dudley
,
Nina Lassam
,
Emma Pulitzer
, and
Andrea Worthington
. It would be tough to find a finer group of publishing professionals in the industry.

John Hutchinson
and
Virginia Lenneville
at Norwood Press, who produce those fine hardcovers that feel great in the hand and look wonderful on the shelf. Pride goes into every book they publish, and it shows. They are outside the box thinkers who never shy away from trying something new. It’s always a pleasure working with them.

Few things are as important in publishing as having exceptional editors who know your genre and your style and who can help you make your work realize its maximum potential.
The Lost Codex
is the eighth novel on which I’ve had the fortune of working with
Kevin Smith
and, as always, his insight and feedback help me slather on the wax from which I go to work, polishing the manuscript. On the topic of polish, I can’t say enough about my copyeditor,
Chrisona Schmidt
, whose elbow grease brings it all to a brilliant shine. Chrisona is the best of the best and she makes a tough task—navigating grammatical rules and style manuals—fun to tackle.

My agents,
Joel Gotler
and
Frank Curtis
, for their years of guidance and advisement. Publishing has become an ever-changing world and it’s vital having a team with decades of experience under their belts. Their counsel is a tremendous asset.

Richard Prati
and
Steven Johnson
for their support regarding Norwood Press’s hardcover edition of
Spectrum
. Norwood could not have done it without them.

My fans and readers, without whom my novels would go unappreciated; my Facebook fan group administrators,
Sandra Soreano
and
Terri Landreth
, for keeping everyone engaged and plugged into what’s happening in the “Alan Jacobson universe,” and to all those who post and keep lively discussions going.

As a writer, I am easily distracted, always thinking, observing, brainstorming. My wife
Jill
shares me with my fans and readers, publisher, publicist, agent, attorney, subject matter experts—and laptop, which is often mistaken to be an extra human appendage. But when I’m able to disconnect from my fictional world and step back into reality, my soulmate is always there for me.