Seeing Double: An Elisabeth Reinhardt Novel

by Nancy Alexander

  Working as an arms dealer had its risks. For himself, he had no stake in this fight, he was a mercenary. Yes, he was a Syrian and yes, he loved Allah, or thought he did, but, that wasn’t his primary motivation. His primary motivation was money. The blood and the gore, well that was an added bonus or a burden, depending on how one looked at it. This new organization The Sword of Justice was desperate to act on its hatred. It was new and had to prove itself to its hopeful followers fast or it would lose them. In the Middle East there were many extremist groups. Some presented more extreme religious rhetoric while others presented more geo-political positions - all used terrorist tactics - preaching violence in the name of Allah. Groups like Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas and now this new group. These movements were large and well-funded; there was a multitude of fringe groups working together or separately in every Arab nation and every group was eager to buy what he had to sell. And he, Boulos, had lots to sell. It was interesting, he thought, that they had so much money to spend on their wars and weapons but no money on the impoverished ragged people they claimed to be fighting for. It made no sense to him. Why not take that money and use it for the people, for food and housing, for schools and factories? He wondered such things, but laughed at himself. Who was he to question it? It was better for him, after all, if they wanted to spend all their money on guns and bombs. That was his business, wasn’t it? He never found out who was funding these death-oriented movements but concluded those who funded the movements were pretty rich. The Sword of Justice had offered him 500,000 American dollars just to locate some weapons grade materials. He was to get another 500,000 when he delivered it. That was a lot of money and Duquq Boulos thought he was just the man for the job.

  He had been working with a group of mercenaries operating around the Caspian Sea when he got wind of this newly formed group and decided to approach them. He thought he had been very clever when he left his old partners. He knew they would be brutal if they ever found him. The Russians and Azerbaijanis were no joke! He felt a sudden pang of anxiety as he worried that perhaps they were his captors. That thought was terrifying. He preferred to think it was the Israeli’s or the Americans, their torture techniques would be more humane. As he prepared himself for what was about to happen, he wondered how he should ‘play’ it, should he present himself as an innocent in a bad circumstance or perhaps as a follower of the holy man or as the mercenary he was. In the end, he reasoned it might not matter. The end was, after all, the end.

  Ari Ben Aviv woke up face down on a stainless laboratory table staring into a clear glass beaker refracting the sun’s rays into a splendid sprawling rainbow. He had been testing the sample Friedrich Müeller gave Samira, when he’d dozed off. Ari, who received a degree in Chemical and Nuclear Engineering from the Imperial College of London, found his skills were in high demand with Aman- Israeli military intelligence, Shin Bet- Israeli internal security and with Mossad- responsible for worldwide intelligence and counterterrorism. He was glad to serve his country in any way that he could. Raised as he was with discussions of political intrigue, undercover work, religion and international problems, Ari was well versed in all aspects of The Middle East. He knew the governments, cultures and languages of every country throughout the region and during his years with Mossad had, along with his siblings, worked undercover in most of the world’s hot spots. He and his twin had great fun during those missions because they could do what no one else could do. They could telecommunicate. In many ways, they shared the same mind. As identical twins, they created a unique language understood only by the two of them. They could share thoughts and ideas without uttering a single sound. In time, they learned to master this skill and even at a distance flawlessly communicated. He smiled to himself as he remembered some of their adventures, which is how he thought of them now, adventures. Pausing he let his mind drift to connect with his twin far away and undercover.

  In his mind, he saw Rafi sitting with a group of men discussing the philosophy of their organization. He felt Rafi’s anxiety and knew he was in danger from those around him. The men listening to Rafi seemed awe-struck. Rafi had always had a gift for words, expressing himself with eloquence and passion. He had ‘right side’ brain power, intuitive and emotional, while Ari was master of the ‘left side’ being analytical and objective. He knew the pressure his twin was under to complete the mission but the fear of being discovered was torturous. Concentrating intently he sent his brother a message… it was one only he could send. “Tell me your worries and I will give you the answer.” Within minutes he felt Rafi relax … and Ari went to work.

  Several hours later, Ari looked across the room at Samira asleep on pillows scattered on the floor. Her black hair strewn around her in a mass of tangles, she looked like a fairy-tale princess. Pale sunlight was poking through the metal shutters of Bio-Tech Inc. which had been closed for repairs for the past 3 months. Ari and Samira had taken up occupancy of one small wing. They and the others assigned to this mission learned that several arms dealers had connections with American museums. One such connection was with a man called Muhammad Chehab and his nephew Imad. Recently captured they revealed that an arms shipment was to be air-lifted into the Beqaa Valley. The other connection was an as yet unidentified dealer who had ties with a new terrorist group calling itself The Sword of Justice, a fast growing group with a radical message of violence and a policy of ‘non-negotiation’ whose goal was to erase Israel off the face of the earth along with the entire industrialized world.

  Woven through this network of arms dealers a rumor floated that a well-placed Lebanese official was behind these operations. While that official had not been identified, the rumor mongers hinted that he was not a member of this new group but was manipulating its funds for political gain. Reportedly this man, high up in Lebanese government, privately scoffed at the tenants of this new group which was committed to the idea that only Arab nations should occupy the earth.

  Ari knew that shutting down this nuclear supply line was critical to the fate of the entire Western world. He also knew that his twin was smack dab in the middle of that powder keg.

  - 20 -

  LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

  They heard it long before they saw it; a low droning sound beyond the cirrus clouds, buzzing like a gigantic mosquito. Squinting they watched it, a tiny speck growing larger and louder. They moved slowly keeping pace with the image, squatting low as they inched forward, watching for other watchers, watching for an ambush. The two had worked together for many years they moved in sync, one looking right the other left. One moving forwards the other waiting, rifle at the ready. They were heavily armed, with long and short guns, knives and hand grenades, they were prepared for anything. In the early daylight, they could see the cliffs around them see the flat desert floor stretching in all directions. Nothing moved. They stopped. This was not right. There should be others waiting for the shipment. They knew from the captured uncle and nephew that others were to retrieve these packages; they were way too important to be left lying around the desert waiting for some wandering Bedouins to stumble across them. They saw no one. They would need to wait until the crates were dropped. Wait to see who ran forward to pick them up and cart them away. Being first invited death. They would stay hidden, flat against the desert floor, camouflaged and motionless like a blunt-nosed viper.

  Shamir was first to see them inching forward on their stomachs, just the merest flash of sunlight on metal. There were four of them clustered in an outcropping of the mountain range to their left. With the slightest gesture, he alerted Abdullah. Gradually they scooted sideways until they were facing their enemy. The small plane was nearly over head now; they could see the cargo hold opening, someone near the opening. Within minutes parachutes carrying shrink-wrapped crates would tumble out of the plane. Abdullah pressed a few buttons on his phone sending pictures of the plane and its clearly visible tail number to headquarters. The plane would be tracked until it landed wherever it was headed. The pilot would be ar
rested and questioned. Whatever else happened today, their efforts would not be in vain. Finding the locus of control was the main goal. They had to find out who loaded that plane and who hired the pilot. They had to stop them before the entire world became a nuclear wasteland.

  Elisabeth woke to find herself in her hotel room. All was as she had left it and she was alone. Puzzled, she rose scanning the space. She had a blinding headache. Reaching up, she felt her head had been bandaged and the side of her face was scraped and bruised. Random memories clattered across her mind like balls on a pool table. She stood, aching and unsteady and crossed the room to look for her phone. There was a text message from Gil, “For your complimentary coffee, call room service.” Smiling wanly, pressed some buttons. Within minutes there was a knock on the door. Wearing a bell boy’s uniform, Gil entered with a loaded tray which he placed on the table near the window. Pulling out a chair for her, he grinned and poured her a steaming cup. “I was wondering when you’d grace us with your presence,” he said.

  “I see you finally found a job worthy of your skills!” Elisabeth retorted eying his outfit. He chuckled as she accepted the cup and sat down. “Any aspirin?” she asked. “On the tray, mi’ lady,” he bowed gallantly and she reached for the pills. “Tell me what happened. Where is everybody?” she asked “I can’t remember anything.”

  “There was a bomb in the marketplace. We think Hadara was the object, but we’re not positive.”

  “Is she okay?” Elisabeth asked in alarm. “What about the twins?”

  Gil sighed and shook his head slightly, “We don’t know exactly. “No one is reported killed but several were injured. Simon and Sammy were with Hadara...” he said putting his hand up to stop her further alarm, “they are fine and will be here momentarily,” he continued to nod as Elisabeth relaxed slightly, “At this point we think she was kidnapped by a small terrorist cell.”

  Elisabeth gasped, “How are we going to get her out of there?”

  But Gil interrupted, “Hang on a minute, I got a coded message this morning from Yosef according to him, Mossad is tracking her. For the moment, we’re waiting to get word on what’s going on there.”

  “Do they know where she’s being kept?” Elisabeth asked.

  “Mossad seems to have a good idea; they have eyes on the ground. We’re waiting to hear more.”

  Two quick knocks on the door indicated that the twins had arrived. Simon and Sammy, slightly battered and bruised, entered the room to hugs and back slaps. “You haven’t lived until you survived your first Hamas bombing,” Sammy quipped.

  “Not funny, Sam,” Elisabeth frowned, “People were hurt, buildings destroyed and businesses ruined…”

  “I know, Sis, just trying to keep it light,” Sammy defended himself. “You know, laugh in the face of danger, and all that.”

  She sighed and shook her head.

  They all sat around the table, shared an informal breakfast and reviewed their experiences. “You signaled to me at that café Sammy, what did you see?” Elisabeth asked.

  “There was a man behind you, he had been pacing back and forth and casting glances at our table. He looked distraught and when he began to kneel I knew we were in trouble. I got Hadara as far as I could, she tripped over a bike and then we were running toward the street outside the marketplace when three men surrounded us, grabbed her and hit me over the head. The last thing I remember is running feet kept tripping over me until finally someone dragged me to the side of the road where I stayed until I could get up.”

  Elisabeth sighed and patted his hand and said, “Oh my G-d so it’s really the Middle East…” turning to Simon she asked, “And what about you?”

  Simon said, “I was right there with you, sis, in the backseat of the car this mad man was driving.”

  “So you got us both out of there?” Elisabeth said turning to Gil.

  “That’s why I get the big bucks, remember? I’m your go-to guy!” Gil said with a flourish.

  “Okay, so we’re all good and funny. Mossad will be working to get Hadara back. And what’s the latest on Saroyah? What do you hear from home?” Elisabeth asked.

  Gil nodded, “Mossad agents are working on the retrievals.”

  “Manny checked in a few hours ago. They are busy tracing and tracking. Everyone there is safe, except, perhaps our new German friend. He has a few surprises waiting for him,” Sammy said.

  “Yosef told us there would be no rescue attempt for Hadara at this point but they had the situation under control. We are charged with responsibility of making a plan to get Saroyah and her family out of the country. Mossad thinks the child was kidnapped by The Sword of Justice to pressure someone close to the Faysal family. They know of no other reason why a child would be taken but if that’s the case why have there been no demands? Why else would a terrorist group kidnap a kid?” Gil asked. “There’s something fishy about the kidnapping cause it doesn’t add up.”

  “Let me think about that,” Elisabeth said.

  “While you’re thinking, we need to find out more about what we’re dealing with. I’ve been researching the main groups we might be dealing with” Simon said as he clicked away on his laptop and pulled up reports on the main fundamental Islamic groups.

  Let’s start with Hamas, he said:

  “Hamas believes in the absolute authority of Islam in all aspects of life, and that resisting the “enemy” (i.e. Israel) is a religious duty required of all Muslims. Hamas’ charter states that their goal is to “raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine.” Hamas does not recognize Israel, and believes that all of Israel, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip, rightfully belongs to the Palestinian people. While Hamas has offered that it will “settle” for the West Bank and Gaza in exchange for peace with Israel, many Israelis are skeptical that any true peace can be achieved with Hamas. In fact, Hamas never talks of “peace,” but only of a “hudna”—a temporary truce—leading many in Israel to believe that should their government accept such an offer, it would only be a matter of time before Hamas set out to realize its original goal and occupy all of Israel.

  “Hamas believes based on religious writings, that the land of Israel belongs to them, and as the rightful occupiers, they are legitimate in their attacks on the Israeli “occupiers.” They believe the land is non-negotiable, and Hamas’ charter calls loudly and clearly for the destruction of the Israeli state and an establishment of an Islamist government in its place. Hamas has claimed over and over that there can be no peaceful negotiations with Israel, only jihad (“holy war”). Hamas has said that their beliefs are not anti-Semitic (anti-Jewish), just anti-Zionist, but a number of their statements, such as denial of the Holocaust, smacks of the contrary.”

  Elisabeth asked, “Does it seem like Hamas could be behind the bombing in the marketplace and Hadara’s kidnapping?”

  “Not sure,” Simon answered as he continued to type. “Okay, listen up you guys, here’s the scoop on Al-Qaeda:

  “Al-Qaeda is a global militant Islamist organization founded by Osama bin Laden; it is both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad and a strict interpretation of sharia law. Characteristic techniques employed by al-Qaeda include suicide attacks and simultaneous bombings of different targets. Activities ascribed to it may involve members of the movement, who have taken a pledge of loyalty to Osama bin Laden, or the much more numerous "al-Qaeda-linked" individuals who have undergone training in one of its camps in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq or Sudan, but who have not taken any pledge. Al-Qaeda ideologues envision a complete break from all foreign influences in Muslim countries. Among the beliefs ascribed to Al-Qaeda members is the conviction that a Christian–Jewish alliance is conspiring to destroy Islam. Jihadists believe that the killing of civilians is religiously sanctioned, and also opposes man-made laws, and wants to replace them with a strict form of sharia law. Al-Qaeda has fragmented since bin Laden’s death into a variety of regional movements that have littl
e connection with one another.”

  “What about Hezbollah?” Sammy asked, “Where are they in all of this? We need to differentiate these groups so we can understand more about how The Sword of Justice fits in.”

  “Hezbollah whose name means “The Party of God” derives its ideological inspiration from Iran and gets moral and financial assistance from both Iran and Syria. Formed in 1982 in response to Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, its stated objectives include the establishment of a Shiite theocracy in Lebanon, the destruction of Israel, and the elimination of Western influences from the Middle East. It has professionalized its military capabilities and also joined Lebanon's political process and enmeshed itself into the social fabric of Lebanese society. Its base is in Lebanon’s Shiite-dominated areas, including parts of Beirut, southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, where it ran training camps that instructed members of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations how to conduct assassinations, kidnappings, suicide bombings, and guerilla warfare. Hezbollah operates in Europe, North and South America, East Asia, and other parts of the Middle East, and it is believed to be responsible for a number of other high profile terrorist attacks.”