Broken Lands

by Boaz Klachkin

  “Jez, I have a call coming in.” I had to interrupted the call suddenly. “I’ll call you later.”

  “Be careful and keep a strong watch out. These are rough times, and there will be many attempts at retribution, especially by Iranian operatives coming over the Syrian and Lebanese borders.”

  “Don’t worry! I am being well guarded. Bye for now, my love.” Jezabilah disconnected and began to dream about the big changes that were about to take the forefront of their lives.

  Jezabilah’s whereabouts were constantly being observed by satellite. We had set up special screens with mapped ID tags for every possible hostile individual within a kilometer of her location. Our Organization had two agents trailing her every move, just in case there would be some mishap in the technological aspects of our surveillance systems. Using the human factor for backup was an essential move, even though we had the most advanced security mechanisms. There had been numerous cyber-attacks, all originating in Iran, and we weren’t about to take any chances; especially while guarding someone as important as Jezabilah. Moments later after the briefing I received by phone, Khaled called me using the security code. He informed me that Inkasar intelligence sources received information about a pending terrorist attack in Jerusalem. The attacker was identified as Fahad Baroudi who had entered the Old City after being dropped off by an accompanying Hamas field agent operating out of East Jerusalem.

  Fahad was one of the most notorious Hamas agents and one of Israel’s most-wanted. No one had a clue where Fahad had been hiding for quite some time, but when the information provided by the Inkasar undercover agents was analyzed, it revealed that he had been kept safe in a tunnel network under a building in East Jerusalem, guarded by Al Qaeda agents still hiding out in Palestine.

  He always managed to stay in hiding, which is why it seemed so unreal for Fahad to make himself vulnerable, unsheltered in the open air. He was responsible for planning a multitude of suicide attacks in different venues; the result of which was the death of hundreds of Israeli citizens; Jewish, Christian and Muslim alike. Even though the rate of stabbings and vehicular homicide by radicalized Palestinians ceased, our security mechanism was still enforced, nonetheless. The information I got about Fahad was relayed simultaneously to Erez. He used special parameters for scanning the designated area, and he downloaded the images showing Fahad and his accomplice, the specific time and place where he was dropped-off. We were lucky to find this ruthless terrorist and we hoped to avenge all the hideous crimes that he had committed. Erez was busy inputting the data he received from the informants into his search engine and uploading footage of any other unusual movements near the border. He was smiling all the while as he sat in front of his screen, feeling his usual sense of importance and accomplishment.

  Fahad was now being tagged and pinpointed on the surveillance screen. The scanner images revealed that he was wearing an explosive device. With this information in mind, Udi updated the assigned commands and protocols for the various army and Special Forces units covering the assault. In a speck of time, there were soldiers situated at almost every corner of the area where Fahad was located. A dozen snipers had set up their positions on the surrounding roof tops.

  Ever since Inkasar’s revolutionary attacks became an everyday event, there was an understandable morale problem for Hamas. Fahad was no longer able to trust those around him, and having no power meant that he couldn’t control anyone. He was desperate to create havoc as his final curtain call rather than to rot in jail for the rest of his miserable life. Fahad continued on very defiantly, completely focused on his mission. He knew that the glory for him and his party was over, and that this was the end for him; his final mission. He had been in hiding from the Inkasar agents who were looking for him everywhere. Rather than fall into the hands of the Inkasar death squads, he wanted to enter his form of heaven as a true martyr, murdering as many Jews as he could, all in the name of Allah. However, as he slowly crossed the street, it was clear that he wasn’t thinking about virgins in paradise as evidenced by the amount of sweat running down his flushed, panic-filled face and shivering body.

  He apparently had one thing on his mind: to place a remote-controlled bomb near the entrance check-point to the Wailing Wall. Fahad kept on walking, vigilantly disregarding the massive presence of soldiers and their air of alertness. He was wearing a suicide belt strapped to his chest under his garments, fully loaded with explosives that were covered with pellets in order to inflict maximum, catastrophic damage. He was not aware that from the moment he entered the Old City, he was being tracked by an aerial scanner. Our advanced IsraEyes surveillance satellite was keeping track of more than 100 suspected terrorists and other criminals in and around the Middle East. Fahad’s location was now the brightest flicker on that screen’s matrix.

  The IsraEyes satellite, beside its hundreds of other functions, had its standard laser-fire capabilities; precise enough to disintegrate a bowling ball from its orbital location. These defensive methods using laser beam technologies were banned in the late 20th century, but we weren’t dealing with people who played by the rules, and neither were we. The IsraEyes satellite had special visual properties built in which enabled different filters to compensate for poor weather conditions. Cloud cover was the main interference for both reception and visual contact, but on this day, the sky was on the side of good, and suddenly the clouds disappeared. The picture became crystal clear for all to see: A most wanted terrorist, out in the open, crossing a street.

  Nathan Greenfeld was in charge of maintaining and operating the weapons systems that were built into the IsraEyes satellite. When he got the news about the detection of Fahad’s whereabouts in Jerusalem, a surge of adrenaline rushed through his body. The green light to kill Fahad came the moment the data appeared on the operations screen. The army’s special operation committees had long ago approved the order for Fahad’s extermination in a unanimous vote.

  The overhead laser was an extremely precise weapon that was an offshoot of Star Wars, the anti-ballistic defensive program of the previous century. Erez had expanded the design and included pinpointing matrix elements along with the most advanced technologies in telescopic scanning. The US and the world alliance, supported by the Israeli Central Command, used this method for taking out notorious terrorist avoiding collateral damage. Terrorists whose previous attacks resulted in the loss of human lives had been tagged for elimination, and many of those in the process of implementing an attack never got to see the next sunrise.

  Initially, before the final order, the operations managers at the Organization assessed the live shot, sniper-kill options and decided against it. The order for a satellite kill was approved and the image was crystal clear. This was the moment we had all been waiting for, and just as Fahad crossed the street in an open space with no one around him, Nathan pressed the firing switch without a moment’s hesitation. Simultaneously, a laser beam moving at the speed of light pierced the earth’s atmosphere and made a direct hit on the target. The point of contact was just a 20-centimeter penetration into the target, so that the explosives attached to his body would not be ignited. What had once been Fahad’s head turned into a mushroom cloud that rose in the middle of the street.

  The surrounding sidewalks were packed with locals and tourists. Those in the crowd nearest the designated target who saw the headless body, scattered in panic. Others who were part of the security forces stood in an appreciative trance of amazement. Everyone in the vicinity was in awe as to what had just transpired. Startled and dazed, the residents and tourists were led away from the scene by local police who had arrived a few seconds after the kill. The odor of scorched flesh was quickly blown away by the cool, gusty currents of wind that blew around the Western Wall of the Old Temple. Special bomb squads had closed off the area immediately after the hit, and in minutes, there was a crew already on the spot with a special remote-controlled robot. The robot began its programmed procedure to neutraliz
e the explosives still attached to Fahad’s body on the road. Only the smiling agents at the Organization’s Mission Control Module breathed calmly, acknowledging the success of a long overdue project. Our teams, and especially Nathan, were very proud of the success in having used such sophisticated tools and weapons to bring justice to the world.

  Nathan was especially relieved, as he rejoiced at being part of the experience. He had a good reason to be so pleased to see a murderer the likes of Fahad go up in smoke. The execution-style killing of Nathan’s brother by a terrorist cell that was headed by Fahad caused him many sleepless nights, and he relived those nightmares even during the day. Even back then, Fahad was in charge of maintaining the close contacts with the terrorists from the Al Qaeda organization. He was clearly a target that should have been taken out a long time ago, but the political correctness virus that spread around the old Knesset didn’t allow for such action. On this day, however, it was set into action. When the news about Fahad’s death came on the air, hundreds of the relatives of those for whose deaths he was responsible for, sighed a breath of relief. They were all pleased with the fact that justice had been served in the closure.

  Chapter Fourteen

  These were different times for the Palestinians, contrary to any in the past. The public praised Jezabilah for her deep-rooted motivations whose apex resulted in a genuine, coordinated peace with Israel. The call to dismantle the Palestinian government was immediate. Reports about the numerous demonstrations in support of Inkasar all over Palestine were being broadcast by the world media around the clock. Recent evidence, presented to the overseeing committees of the European Union and the US Congress, showed that Hamas and Fattah, because of their gang-like rule and perpetual corruption, were directly responsible for the oppression suffered by the Palestinians for decades. Many Arab nations who had previously supported the old Palestinian regime, wanted nothing to do with the old regime. There was a new awareness amongst many nations that now maintained a strict code and ethics and an elevated concern for human rights.

  Instead of the usual scornful agitation which had been the signature of the Palestinian nation for so long, expressions of glee and contentment could be seen on the faces of many in the gathering of large crowds celebrating the new direction for their nation. The people demanded new elections, and in the following weeks, Jezabilah’s face appeared on thousands of posters in every city and town. The public appreciated her objectives that were based on devoted aspirations to improve the lifestyle of her people. In every demonstration, the public showed their support and promised to vote for her, to enable her to reach her goals for a better Palestine.

  The calculated hits on terrorist organizations all around the world had weakened the backbone of the terrorist networks and strengthened our drive to bringing normality to our region. Many radicals were imprisoned or taken out by special task forces as a result of the successful coordinated attacks and synchronized missions that we executed.

  For the first time in the history, we had full diplomatic relations with most of the Arab nations, including some Muslim countries in Africa. It was certainly a time filled with pride for having creating the long-awaited unification with the international community, some of whom had never voted for any pro-Israeli resolution in the UN in the past. This was an incredible reaffirmation of acceptance which focused on world peace. Now that these nations had fresh perspectives, Israel was no longer an enemy. On the contrary, Israel was embraced as a nation among the free nations of the world that worked together to put an end to the radical Islamists of ISIS, Al Qaeda and Al Shabab; the poison of the Arab and free world. These Jihadist, radical groups were displayed as global target points on our IsraEyes system, clearly marked, just waiting for authorization to be fired upon and exterminated. Every day, I blessed Erez in appreciation for the great advancements that he had created for our strategic surveillance systems. We always expressed how important IsraEyes was, and how we couldn’t have possibly imagined our Organization succeeding without his special touch and intuitiveness.

  Jezabilah and I communicated frequently each day. She was always pleased to hear about all the successful projects that had been initiated. Our relationship was as substantial and real as it could have been under the circumstances. We would meet in different venues and always made the best of our precious time together. Sometimes, when the opportunity presented itself, we would meet at our regular venue, but that was rather rare, since neither of us could get away for prolonged periods. Arranging the usual adjoining rooms with such complex security parameters was a challenge of its own, but we managed. The meetings were an absolute delight, especially when it came down to the intrigue of escaping the eyes of the media and our own security staff. Yes, we did make love; but just being together and feeling the closeness and passion that we had for one another was enough. Some of the particularly touching moments were when we sat with our arms wrapped around one another, watching Nairah sleeping with her angelic smile. While dreaming, Nairah was hearing the recorded sounds of songbirds that we played for her. This soundtrack was in the background of the images of the animals that were running wildly through the forests and jungles that her mind created.

  The fall season had come into its full cycle, upsetting the heatwaves of summer. While having lunch in the dining hall at the Organization Headquarters, I watched reports being televised about the progress made by BAM. Many residents of the states of Washington, Oregon and Colorado had initially objected vehemently to their change of status set forth by the signed agreements between the US government and BAM. However, the residents in those states calmed down when they were informed that their new governing body, the newly created Native American Union, would revoke the income and property taxes that had been previously enforced. The only taxes that the residents would have to pay would be a flat 13% sales tax and only a 2% tax on any future real estate transactions. On the corporate side, a maximum 10% business tax was established for companies making over five million in net earnings.

  America has gradually become a nation with a deep conscience and sensitivity for the cultural deviations within society, but money, as always, was still a major focus in people’s lives. The more money people had, the happier they were. During the first months of the creation of the NAU, there was a surge of immigration and visa requests by American citizens who wished to move to the new Native American Union. Many had been inspired by the newly formed government, and looked upon the region as a virtual utopia where living with nature would truly be the key to a happy life. The firm policies dealing with civil rights stood above any domination by big corporations. All the residents, new and old, had to provide signed declarations which confirmed their understanding of the NAU laws and codes. The NAU’s governing body had no interest in issuing permits to run casinos, or to take advantage of the tax exemptions on liquor and cigarettes. On the contrary, gambling became illegal, as did the sale of cigarettes, firearms and alcohol. Only the sale of registered natural products produced organically like organic wines, marijuana and pure tobacco was permitted. The concentration was on getting back to the roots; living with nature and maintaining a serene, tranquil lifestyle, while incorporating as little of the technological mechanisms as possible. The previous welfare program that supported people for staying home and doing nothing would no longer be in force. Every citizen of the Union, unless physically challenged, was to be active in one way or another and perform 40 hours of community service per month. Those with special skills worked within their own field of expertise, yet would still have the option to do their share of hours working in other fields such as agriculture or social services.

  Setting up the agricultural boundaries was simple enough, but getting the soil back to its original, pure form was going to be a major project. The amounts of toxins and herbicides prevalent in the plant and animal life alike were at already risky levels, and much work was needed to purify numerous fields and streams. Oregon was the only state where
the soil and water had been kept at healthy standardized levels, due to strict controls which had been instituted by the previous local government.

  At the same time all these changes were going on in the NAU, in Israel, the Police and Justice Departments initiated a cleanup project of their own. The corruption and embezzlement which had polluted the Israeli political scene had reached an intolerably, disgraceful peak. The trails of incrimination were clearly visible. The investigations targeted those involved in misallocating public funds and amassing undeclared personal wealth founded by devious means, political favoritism and deceit. What had transpired for decades in Israel was exactly what had been going on in the West Bank and Gaza for many years during the Intifada. The omnipresent mayhem and confusion that had been at the foundation of everyday life enabled those in positions of power to openly take advantage of the economic mechanism to their own benefit, in and around Palestine and Israel.

  I called Jezabilah at our newly designated time slot. It was our daily conversation that refreshed both of our spirits as well as assessed the development of our joint operations. “Hi, Jez. How are you?” I said caringly.

  “Hello, Yair. You can imagine how much I have missed you. What is new with you?”

  “I miss you too, Jez. How is Nairah? I can’t wait see her.”

  “Adorable as always. She resembles you and has a special look in her eyes just like yours. I am overjoyed by her presence and this special bond we have.”

  “Wonderful, Jez. Give her a kiss and hug from me. This has been a great week. I have made some great connections with some very influential people in the government. I am so glad to see this new stage in our nation. This is especially important for us to implement, since your Inkasar movement has been an exemplary model on how the functions of government should be enacted.”