by R D Shah
‘That image and others like it are being pasted all over the internet. They’ve not appeared in the mainstream news yet, but they inevitably will.’ Rabin retrieved the photograph and placed it back in his satchel. ‘And then there is the death of John Strasser in Warsaw, whose apartment building you were both seen entering shortly before his death.’
‘That was a suicide, plain and simple,’ Chloe protested.
‘That may be the case, Doctor Stanton, but there is nothing plain or simple about any of the events that have occurred during the past few days. It might be worth reminding you that Notre Dame was not the only house of worship to suffer a terrorist attack. The main synagogue in Tel Aviv was also hit, with over one hundred deaths.’
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. ‘Who exactly are you, Mr Rabin?’ Harker asked, all of a sudden feeling enormously vulnerable.
‘All you need know is that I work for the Israeli security services, and the clue is in the name itself. I keep Israel secure, regardless of whether it is from an internal …’ – Rabin dipped his face closer to Harker’s – ‘… or an external threat.’
The reply was all Harker needed. ‘You’re Mossad, aren’t you?’
Rabin continued to stare at Harker intimidatingly, his silence an answer in itself.
‘Fine,’ Harker replied drily, ‘that’s good enough for me.’
‘As so it should be.’ Rabin replied, disconcerted at almost having to say it out loud. He took a step backwards and folded his arms. ‘Now, our friend explained the reason for your trip, so I had the Temple Mount checked from top to bottom, but they found nothing out of the ordinary. I also have a team watching the place, so if any undesirables do turn up then they are in for a rude awakening.’
‘It’s not the terrorists I’m concerned about,’ Harker replied seriously.
‘Oh, yes, I know about your secret pieces of paper,’ Rabin scoffed sarcastically. ‘Personally I think it’s a load of bullshit but, like I said, you have quite a knack of surrounding yourself with death and tragedy, so I’m not about to take any chances. You are free therefore to travel to the Temple Mount, and our friend has arranged for a private jet at Atarot airport should you need it, but… one of my men will be at your side during every moment that your feet are on Israeli soil.’
Rabin reached over and thumped at the wall, and the door of the storage container swung open to reveal their taxi-driving kidnapper standing outside, minus his gun.
‘This is Avi, and he will be your chaperone.’
‘You know you could have just introduced yourself at the airport,’ Harker remarked to Avi, getting out of his seat.
‘I could have, yes, but we don’t take chances on unknowns – and you are exactly that,’ Avi replied, gesturing with one hand for them to follow him.
Harker was already doing so when Chloe grasped him by the arm. ‘Aren’t you going to tell me who our mystery friend is, then?’ she asked, obviously referring to Brulet.
Before Harker could reply, Rabin’s voice boomed out from behind. ‘No, he is not, and furthermore you should just be glad to have such a friend.’ He aimed a large forefinger at her and wagged it from side to side. ‘No more questions now.’
Avi was hurrying them both towards the taxi when Rabin called out one final time. ‘Oh and, Professor Harker,’ the Mossad agent offered a wide grin and raised both his arms upwards as if offering an embrace, ‘Welcome to Israel.’
Chapter 21
‘No, no, no,’ the Waqf guard shouted. ‘No one is allowed inside the mosque at this time of day – especially an Israeli!’
Avi glanced back at Harker and Chloe, who were doing their level best to look as non-threatening as possible whilst surrounded by a group of Israeli policemen all equipped with scoped Galil assault rifles.
‘They are not Israelis,’ Avi replied to the increasingly irate guard. ‘They are UN inspectors and they have permits.’
The Mossad agent once again brandished the documentation in front of the guard’s nose, who in turn waved his hand and shook his head, his other hand never leaving his holster. ‘I have received no word regarding a UN visit, and without that you go no further. No word … No access.’
Harker looked on as the two men continued to argue. He was surprised they had even made it onto the Temple Mount, considering the troop of Israeli police they had gradually picked up upon entering the Temple’s west entrance.
‘Alex, one question.’ Chloe’s soft voice was in stark contrast to the deep-throated barking of the two men up ahead. ‘How did you expect us both to get inside the Dome if we hadn’t been given an escort in the first place?’
‘I have a few good friends in this city,’ Harker replied quietly, not wanting the policemen surrounding them to take any interest in their conversation. ‘One of them is even on the Waqf committee that oversee this whole area.’
‘Would he have been prepared to help?’ Chloe whispered back, following Harker’s lead in avoiding attention.
‘Not sure, but he’s a good man and he knows me. So I was hoping I could convince him.’
Chloe nodded politely. ‘Bit of a long shot.’
‘Chloe,’ Harker finally pulled his attention away from the still arguing men ahead onto her, ‘this whole trip has been a long shot. Why should this moment be any different?’
His answer drew a smile from her and, content that she was satisfied by his answer, he turned his gaze to the darkening Jerusalem skyline in the distance. Despite all his travels, both professional and personal, he had never yet visited the famous Temple Mount. The gold-domed Temple or Temple of the Rock as it was known – was one of the holiest places in Islam. For the Temple housed the actual piece of ground, known as the Foundation Rock, where the Muslim prophet Mohammed was said to have ascended to heaven with the Angel Gabriel to meet with God and all the prophets that had preceded him, in what became known as ‘the Night Journey’. He was said to have witnessed God sitting on his throne surrounded by angels – a pretty impressive trip by anyone’s standard. The historical truth was a little less jaw dropping though, as this story had not appeared in any of the Islamic texts until a few decades after the Dome was built, and so was widely believed by Western scholars to have been contrived simply to celebrate the Islamic victory over the Christians at Jerusalem. If or when Mohammed had ‘ascended’, it was unlikely to have taken place at this spot but, regardless, to millions it remained a place of worship, considered the third most holy in all of Islam, and therefore must be protected at all costs. In fact, the location was still a major flashpoint in the ongoing Arab–Israeli conflict. Situated on top of a thirty-five-acre artificial plateau known as the Haram al-Sharif, the Temple Mount was surrounded by four walls – including the famous Wailing Wall on the Israeli side, where devout Jews came daily to pray. The Dome of the Rock was also said to have been built directly above Solomon’s temple, which had once housed the Ark of the Covenant. All in all, the site was an immensely sacred place for Islam, Judaism and Christianity alike, regardless of who now laid claim to it.
‘Impressive, isn’t it?’ Harker remarked noting the wide-eyed enthusiasm with which Chloe was surveying the structure.
‘I’ve always wanted to visit this place,’ she confessed, flexing her back against the cool evening breeze. ‘My mother came here shortly after discovering she had cancer … she also visited the Vatican.’ She glanced at Harker glumly. ‘When it was still there.’
‘I suppose she was looking for answers?’ Harker quickly suggested, not wanting to revisit the still painful subject of the Vatican.
‘Something like that,’ Chloe replied lethargically.
‘Did she find any?’ Harker continued softly.
‘I’m not sure. She was a tight-lipped individual even towards the end, but I think it probably helped her find some peace.’
In the short time Harker had known Chloe, she had proved herself extremely resilient. Firstly after the disturbing event they had witnessed back at Notre Dame and
then regarding Strasser’s suicide, but this was the first time she had looked frail, with cracks beginning to appear in that tough mental attitude of hers. ‘This isn’t just an adventure to you, is it?’
‘No,’ she replied with a shake of her head, turning to face him. ‘I meant what I said back in England, about wanting to know if my mother has gone on to another place.’ She expelled a curious laugh. ‘I didn’t really expect to get any answers but …’
‘But now?’ Harker resisted the feeling of excitement rising up in his throat.
‘Now? Well, I’m still not sure but, given everything we’ve seen …’ She paused and gave a sigh. ‘Let’s just say my mind is open to the possibilities. Although, for the record, I still think it’s terrorists.’
The response induced a deep gulp from Harker. ‘God, I hope you’re right because if not …’
His reply was met with a smile from Chloe, who gently nudged her shoulder into his arm. ‘Why, Professor Harker, are you maybe regaining your faith?’
‘I wouldn’t exactly say that,’ he was not prepared to go that far, ‘but since the earthquake at the Vatican, let us say I too am keeping an open mind.’
‘OK, Professor, we’re in.’ Avi announced on re-joining them. ‘They will allow us ten minutes inside, but that’s all.’ The Mossad agent then turned his attention to the four policemen waiting patiently. ‘Thank you, I’ll take it from here.’
With an acknowledging gesture the law officers made their way back down the steps towards the entrance into the west wall, leaving them alone with the displeased-looking Waqf guard, who now headed back to his post.
‘They’re not happy with it,’ Avi explained, guiding them across the spacious enclosure towards the Dome’s entrance, ‘but I managed to convince them that an international incident would not be in the best interest of either my government or theirs at this time. Even so, we should keep this visit as short as possible.’
The Dome itself was about twenty-metres wide by twenty-five high, consisting of a wooden shell gilded in pure gold which shone like a beacon over the city of Jerusalem. The support building beneath it amounted to an octagonal drum, the outer eight walls of which were equally stunning, the lower half of each being panelled in rich white marble and the upper parts covered by a mosaic of fine Turkish tiles coloured in a stunning myriad of cobalt-blue, white and gold.
Harker paused at the entrance and marvelled at the wondrous building. Non-Muslims were usually forbidden from entering and to gain access had always been on his own personal wish list. Sadly, this special moment was sullied by the Waqf guard jabbing his finger aggressively towards them.
‘Ten minutes and then you leave,’ the man barked, before pulling open the main doorway.
‘Thank you, and As-salaam alaikum,’ Harker replied politely, using the traditional Muslim greeting.
‘As-salaam alaikum,’ the guard responded begrudgingly before gesturing them inside and then carefully closing the door behind him, leaving the three of them alone.
The sight that met them was awe-inspiring and Harker felt his whole body tingle at the stunning display of craftsmanship. He had seen dozens of pictures over the years but none of them did this place credit and he felt a flood of excitement wash over him. Right in the centre, and directly under the Dome, stood the Foundation Rock itself and the reason this entire building existed. The large central slab was encircled by a number of arches supported by majestic marble pillars, and a chest-high wooden partition bordered the edges to protect the humble rock lying within from any over-enthusiastic visitors eager to touch this piece of religious history for themselves. The flooring was composed of royal-gold and red tiles spreading out from the room’s centre, and they served to complement the intricate green and gold artistry of the wall tiles.
Harker took another moment to enjoy this sight, and it was Chloe who finally broke the silence.
‘Wow. Now, that’s impressive,’ she gasped. ‘So this is where Abraham offered up his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God in the Book of Genesis? Amongst other things.’
Chloe’s statement received a look of surprise from Harker. ‘You seem pretty knowledgeable.’
‘I said I was an atheist,’ she replied contemptuously, ‘not an ignoramus.’
‘Ignoramus! I haven’t heard that word in a while.’ Harker grinned.
‘Then you should get out of your classroom more often. Besides,’ she waved her mobile phone in front of him, ‘who needs an education these days when we have Google.’
‘God help us,’ he sighed and shook his head.
‘You have nine minutes left, Professor.’ Avi warned, tapping at his watch, ‘so I suggest you get on with whatever it is you’re here to do.’
Harker acknowledged the reminder with a casual salute before he made his way over to the large slab in the centre of the room, while giving Avi a curious glance. Up until that moment he had assumed the Mossad agent must be aware why he had so badly wanted access to this place, but it seemed that Rabin had kept it quiet from his own underlings. Yet Harker could have revealed it to Avi at any moment, so evidently Rabin had complete faith in his agent’s ability to keep any curiosity he possessed to himself. Either that or the Mossad chief believed this whole exercise to be a complete waste of time and not even worth discussing with his juniors. Harker dismissed the thought as he reached the waist-high white, wooden barrier, and stared down at the slab of rock contained within it.
The Foundation Stone did not have any particular shape. If one imagined a rectangle with a half circle attached to one side, that would not be far from describing it. Like Chloe, Harker had also Googled on the plane trip over from Warsaw, just to refresh his memory, and had managed to download a few images.
The edges on all sides were relatively straight, but the upper surface of the stone was a mismatch of uneven indentations. Some were the result of natural weathering whereas others were clearly man-made – such as the large cavity in the upper left corner.
Harker thought back to the words uttered by Strasser shortly before his nose-dive out of the top floor window to his death. ‘It’s at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, to the north under the protection of the old man of the rock.’ Harker had hoped that seeing the stone itself would enlighten him further as to exactly what Strasser was referring to, but so far that wasn’t happening.
He turned to their chaperone: ‘Is there a curator for the Dome?’
‘No,’ Avi replied gruffly. ‘The site is administered by members of the Waqf committee, and some archaeologists are allowed in, but nothing permanent. So it’s the guards outside or nothing.’
Harker was already continuing on around the rock, his frustration beginning to show as his pace became faster. Ever since Strasser had told him where to find the third Secret, he had spent little or no time actually thinking about it, with instead the death of Salvatore Vincenzo looming at the forefront of his mind. In truth it was only after his meeting with Rabin that he had begun to contemplate what the ‘old man of the rock’ part could refer to.
‘The old man of the rock,’ Harker repeated as he began to make his way around the stone’s perimeter a second time. If it did not refer to a curator or a site administrator, then who was it referring to? A mosque stood on the Mount’s plateau, no more than thirty metres away, and it would have an imam present, and he was most likely pretty ancient, but nothing to do with the Foundation Rock – or any other rock Harker was aware of.
Harker rested his forearms on the encircling wooden parapet and gazed down at the large stone block below, exhaling a deeply discouraged breath. Where the hell was he going to find an ancient old rock man in this …? Suddenly it dawned on him that he had just answered his own question. ‘Rock man? Wait a minute!’ he exclaimed, then made his way around to the other side of the slab. ‘Strasser said the third Secret was to the north, under the protection of the old man of the rock.’ Harker raised an arm and pointed directly in front of him. ‘Over there is north.’ He continued staring down at
the rock below and then pointed it out. ‘If you don’t look at it from the right angle, you could so easily miss it.’
Chloe and Avi were already beside him at the partition, trying to see what he was referring to.
‘What is it?’ Chloe asked.
‘That’s what we’re looking for,’ Harker replied triumphantly, a wide smile forming on his lips. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the Old Man of the Rock.’
It took a moment for Chloe to make out what he was pointing at, then suddenly she too saw it and, like an auto stereogram picture from a Magic Eye book, once you could see it you couldn’t imagine how you ever missed it in the first place. There, etched on to the rock’s surface, was the image of a man with his arms pointing in either direction. You had to look at it from just the right angle and then, when you did, even the smaller details of his hair, eyes and nose became visible.
‘Oh, my God, you’re right,’ Chloe uttered, shocked by spotting the image that seemed to have materialised right out of thin air.
Avi stood on tiptoe to look over Harker’s shoulder and get a better view. ‘Oh, that,’ he remarked indifferently. ‘I’ve seen that before. They say it was done by Roman soldiers a few millennia ago.’
The casual comment made both Harker and Chloe spin around to face him, and with the same look of surprise.
‘Then why didn’t you say something?’ Harker demanded, indignant because they were up against the clock.
‘I thought you were looking for someone real, that’s why,’ Avi explained, though looking ill at ease. ‘Besides, Professor it’s you who are the archaeologist. Shouldn’t you already know about this sort of thing?’
‘I have a lot on my mind at the moment,’ Harker said defensively, reluctant to explain himself further.
‘Clearly you have.’
Harker ignored the man’s jibe and turned his attention back to the rock. The man’s image had both arms outstretched in opposite directions and Harker traced a line with his finger outwards from the first, but there was nothing of any interest in that direction. He then switched over and followed the other pointing hand, until his finger indicated the only object in his line of sight: one of the inner stone pillars encircling the room.
