A few minutes later the van entered the Gecitkale air base where a private jet with no markings was waiting. Four men approached the van and removed the two stretchers with the prone Israelis and carried them to the waiting plane. A customs officer came over, was handed an envelope stuffed with bills and a couple of official looking papers stating that this was a medical evacuation of two tourists that had fainted and needed to be transported to a hospital in Ankara. The customs officer countersigned the documents and within minutes the plane took off on runway 09 heading east.
October 1st, Imam Khomeini International Airport, Tehran
Johnny and Oded were fully conscious by the time the transport plane landed at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran and taxied to a hangar at the edge of the large airfield. The plastic cable ties were cut with a sharp knife and two men were released from the stretchers. Oded instantly understood where they were and quietly said to Johnny that they were in Iran. Johnny needed a few minutes to recover from the shock of this revelation. He told Oded that they would probably be held as hostages for some kind of deal and that he was sure that his political party would pressure the government to expedite their release. Oded was not so sure about that but remained silent. They were taken to a washroom where they were given fresh underwear and clean khaki overalls which they were glad to put on. They were also given cheap plastic sandals that were a couple of sizes too big.
After they were dressed they were taken to a small office at the airport hangar. A respectable looking man met them and introduced himself as Imam Mourtashef and said that he was sent by the Supreme Leader. He was sitting in a comfortable chair and was wearing the standard clothes of a high ranking religious leader. In excellent British accented English he invited them to sit down on a sofa facing his chair. He then called a guard in a military uniform and ordered some hot tea and pastries for his guests.
Johnny seemed to relax a little after sipping tea and having a couple of pieces of sweet pastry. His headache had abated with the help of a couple of aspirins which he had asked for and got after they had landed in Tehran. He looked up and said "Why are we in Iran?"
The Imam answered "Mr. Shmaryahu, Honorable Member of the Knesset, you are our guest. You'll be free to leave as soon as your government agrees to the legitimate and miniscule demands of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Johnny wondered why the Imam bothered with such niceties like tea and pastries if Iran wanted to present demands to the Israeli government. "Imam Mourtashef, surely there are better ways to open discussion with the Israeli government than by kidnapping a Member of the Knesset. You could use one of your allies like Turkey or China or even Russia to open covert negotiations. You know that Iran and Israel used to be great friends. This friendship was based on the common interests of the two most scientifically and technologically advanced countries in the Middle East. In addition, there is the fact the Sunni Muslim world surrounding us regards both our countries as foreign entities that should be eliminated. Furthermore, there is a mutual respect between our two ancient and proud cultures. We Jews are especially indebted to King Cyrus the Great who decreed 2500 years ago the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile to the land of Israel after the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem".
The Imam listened patiently and said "You have a very selective memory. You forgot to mention the military and political support that Israel gave the corrupt and illegitimate regime of the Shah. You neglected to mention that the CIA and Israelis trained the feared and hated Savak – the domestic security service that was feared by every decent Iranian for decades."
Johnny was taken aback but this statement and said "The Shah was the legal ruler of Iran and as far as I know made great efforts to develop Iran and implement democratic institutions…"
He was cut short by the Imam whose outburst surprised the two Israelis "Nonsense, the Shah was a tyrant who usurped power with the help of the CIA and British Secret Service". Johnny tried to intervene but the Imam continued "The people had voted democratically to elect Mohammad Mossadegh as Prime Minister in 1951 on the basis of his promise to nationalize the oil fields. He intended to give Iran and its people their just share of the proceeds from our natural resource and to put an end to control of the Iranian oil industry by Anglo-Persian Oil Company. They exploited not only our God given treasure but also our people that were employed at less than minimal wages in the oil fields and refineries while their British bosses were handsomely paid. He also started to introduce social and political reforms for the benefit of the common people. The British regarded this as an affront to their international interests and managed to persuade the Americans that Mussadegh was a communist – a word that to the CIA was like a red rag waved in front of a raging bull. A coup was organized by the CIA and MI6 and executed by an Iranian renegade general. When the coup started the coward Shah tried to escape from the country but the senior CIA agent, Kermit Roosevelt who was a nephew of President Roosevelt, forced him to return to his palace. Since that coup the Shah had ruled Iran with an iron fist with the help of the American bayonets and the terror instigated by the Savak secret police."
Johnny asked "I have never heard of this. What happened to Mussadegh?"
After his outburst the Imam cooled down a little and said "He was placed under house arrest until his death three years later. The Shah made sure that he was buried quietly in his hometown. Maybe now you understand why Iranians have such a strong hatred for anyone who supported the Shah. We regard the United States as the Great Satan because of that and Israel as the Little Satan. You may not know that we used to call the Soviet Union the Lesser Satan because of its atheism, but now we don't regard Russia as such because it has come to our assistance several times and denounced the atheistic communism."
Johnny looked at Oded for silent approval and asked "What do you want?"
The Imam smiled and said "You'll be taken to Evin Prison and join your compatriots who are there. You will receive humane treatment as we want you as human bargaining chips. However, if your government rejects our demands and threatens to take military action against our people or our country you will be transferred to other places and used as human shields." He then called the guard and told him to escort the hostages to Evin Prison.
After they left the Imam smiled to himself and was content to know that his grand plan had taken another small step to being implemented. He knew that the Israeli government, media and people could not ignore the disappearance of a Member of the Knesset and that public pressure would surely intensify driving the government to open negotiations with Iran. He was also pleased that the abduction of Johnny and Oded was so neatly carried out by a person who looked Scandinavian and not at all like his Iranian father.
The Imam's English was perfected when he was sent to his post at the Iranian embassy in London. He was responsible for the religious teachings and political indoctrination of the embassy's staff. There were a great many temptations in London and not all Iranians could withstand the lure of alcohol, food that may have contained pork and overtly friendly women. For some of the staff, including the young Ahmaddi Mourtashef it was not attraction to alcohol, food or women, but the open way in which gay couples behaved in public. Furthermore, young men were drawn to the striking charismatic Mourtashef. His mysterious figure and the exotic garb he wore at ceremonious occasions, and the vibes he unconsciously and unknowingly sent, magnetized some of the younger and older men who had crossed paths with him. In particular a mutual attraction developed between him and a British officer, Major Ian Leopard who was in charge of liaison with the Iranian embassy. Ian was a major in the Queen's Royal Guards and seconded to the Foreign Office to expand his international acumen, as a step toward being promoted. Ian, like Mourtashef, was a repressed homosexual, and like him had completely abstained from sex. Their work brought them together on many official occasions but they unconsciously kept finding excuses for spending more and more time with each other. One evening, after they had fin
alized the details of an upcoming meeting between a visiting Mullah from Iran and a minor functionary at the Foreign Office they found themselves alone in the major's office. It is unclear who made the first move but within minutes they were engaged in a strong embrace that caught them both short of breath. The expression on both their faces was a mixture of excitement, fear and horror but neither of them wanted to break the magical moment. This may have been a small step for improving the Anglo-Iranian relations but a huge leap for the two repressed gay men. They got carried away and couldn't stop until fully satiated. Ian and Ahmaddi, as they now called each other, lay cuddled on the Afghan rug in the major's office. Half asleep Ian said that he didn't know what came over him, but he didn't regret it although as a Jewish man he shouldn't have gotten close to a Shiite clergyman. Upon hearing this Mourtashef who had also been a bit drowsy jumped up and almost banged his head on the major's desk. He quickly dressed and said that this had never happened, and that it was all just a bad dream. Ian looked up at him with embarrassment and agreed never to mention this and never to do it again.
The honorable Imam Mourtashef shook his head in disgust as he remembered the incident in London. He had never done that again and had kept his vow to abstain from sex. However, seeing the two gay Israelis brought back a flood of memories over which he had no control. Oded looked as if he could have been Ian's son or younger brother – the similarity was striking, or it could just have been a trick of memory. One part of him wanted to tear the young Israeli to shreds while another part wanted to cuddle with him. Perhaps, he thought, this was the reason for his avowed hatred to Israel, not the long explanation that he had given Johnny and Oded earlier.
Chapter 6
October 1st, Evin Prison, Tehran
Fatso approached the cell in which the Israeli hostages were held and with his baton beat on the bars of the cell. When he had the attention of the inmates he ordered them to face the wall. Two armed guards stood by his side when he unlocked the cell door. Fatso pushed the two new hostages, Johnny and Oded, into the cell and slammed the door shut. The inmates looked at the newcomers and instantly recognized the Member of the Knesset who was more famous because of his scandalous sexual escapades than for his prowess as legislator.
Zorik was the first to speak "Welcome to hell, Mr. Shmaryahu" and introduced all the inmates, explaining briefly where and when each was captured. Johnny looked at the varied collection of Israelis and said something about them being a representative sample of the Israeli society.
Johnny introduced Oded as his bodyguard and explained that they had been captured in Cyprus. He also gave a shorthand account of their conversation with Imam Mourtashef and his threats. He added that there was no public outcry in Israel about the missing Israelis but as a member of one of the Knesset's select committees on foreign affairs he was briefed by a senior intelligence officer from Mossad that Iran was involved. Zorik motioned to Johnny to keep his voice down and whispered that there were probably recording devices in their prison cell. He added that he suspected that this was the reason why they were all allowed to stay together. He also said that they had so far avoided speaking about anything except how they were captured – information that their captors obviously knew. Johnny looked at Inbal and a look of recognition crossed his face but before he could utter a word Zorik approached him and murmured something that only Johnny could hear. Johnny nodded and promised to keep this very sensitive piece of information to himself. Zorik didn't really trust him to do so, especially under pressure, but couldn't do anything about it.
Johnny said aloud that he was pleased to hear that the hostages were indeed treated well. He added that his sudden disappearance from Aiya Napa was sure to raise an alarm in Israel – after all, an elected Member of the Knesset had never disappeared into thin air before – and he was sure a thorough investigation was already under way.
October 2nd, Ayia Napa, Cyprus
David Avivi was sent to Cyprus to investigate the sudden disappearance of Johnny Shmaryahu the Member of Knesset. Johnny had been expected to contact the "whip" of his parliamentary party the previous day and tell him how he intended to vote on a certain issue. When all attempts to contact Johnny had failed the "whip" called the security service and as Johnny was abroad when he disappeared the matter had been passed on to Mossad. The Head of Mossad suspected that Johnny's disappearance may have been connected to that of the other Israelis and briefed David about the incident.
It took no great effort for David to find the hotel in which they had been staying. A couple of crisp banknotes changed hands and the hotel manager showed David the suite that Johnny and Oded occupied. Another couple of banknotes and the manager called the person in charge of room service and was told that a bellboy was sent to deliver two bottles of champagne to the suite. David asked the manager to summon the bellboy and when he arrived asked the frightened young man if he saw who was in the suite. The bellboy said that he saw three men and described them. David instantly recognized Johnny and Oded from the description. He pulled a few more bills out of his pocket and said that these should refresh the bellboy's memory and asked him to describe the third man in detail. The bellboy's eyes lit up as he looked at the bills and said that the man was in his late twenties, well built and had short blond hair. He added that the three men were already very inebriated and kept laughing but he couldn't say what they were wearing as they were all in bathrobes.
David, like many members of the public, was aware of Johnny's sexual preferences and knew that Oded doubled as a bodyguard and boyfriend. He understood that the blond man was invited to join the party but had no idea who this man was. He suspected that he must have been involved in the disappearance of Johnny and Oded that he now suspected was another kidnapping. He looked around the room and noted that it was tidy with no evidence that a fight had taken place in the suite. He reckoned that some kind of drug must have been used because there was no other way the blond man could have taken the two Israelis by force without a fight. David was aware that Oded was well trained in unarmed combat and would surely protect his employer and lover. David asked the hotel manager if surveillance cameras were installed in the hotel and the manager just laughed and said that there was nothing to fear in Cyprus so these were not necessary. David thought that there was nothing else he would find in the hotel so he thanked the manager, asked him to pack the guests' belongings that were left in the suite and send them to Israel.
He called Haim Shimony and reported his meager findings and asked if he should try to locate the blond man. Shimony told him that the two men were probably already in Iran or on their way there and there was no point hanging around in Cyprus. He added that Mossad knew that Iranian agents were very active in Cyprus, as well as agents from many other intelligence services. The small island had become an entry point for people trying to covertly get into the Arab countries of the Middle East as well as the exit point for people travelling in the opposite direction. Finally, Shimony told David to catch the next flight from Larnaca, the major international airport of Cyprus, back Tel-Aviv and to meet him at his office in Mossad headquarters as soon as possible.
October 2nd, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Haim Shimony asked for an urgent personal meeting with the Prime Minister. The PM demanded to know what progress had been made regarding his granddaughter and the other missing Israelis. Shimony told him about the disappearance in Cyprus of a Member of the Knesset and his bodyguard and reiterated the main points of David's report. The PM wanted to know if there was any hard evidence that the Iranians were responsible and became truly agitated when Shimony said that there were only indications but no definitive proof, except for information delivered by General Koliagin that the hostages were held in Evin Prison in Tehran. Shimony added the Russians could not be fully trusted because they had their own interests and their dirty hands were stuck in many pies. The PM concluded the meeting by saying that he wouldn't tolerate this situation for much longer and if Shimony could not provide subst
antial irrefutable evidence within three days then the PM would find someone who could do the job. Shimony was stunned as no PM had ever so blatantly threatened a Mossad head.
***
By the time David Avivi entered Shimony's office it was past ten pm. David immediately noticed that Shimony looked very tired and under great stress. He took the bottle of Ouzo that he had purchased at the duty-free store at Larnaca airport, poured some into a glass and added cold water. The clear liquid turned into a cloudy white drink and David invited his boss to sip some "milk" as the drink was nicknamed by its aficionados throughout the Middle East and the Balkans. A tiny smile crossed Shimony's lips as he took a sip and relaxed a little. He then told David about the phone call from the PM and its implications on his own career, and on the careers of several senior Mossad operatives that he had promoted. He didn't need to add that if he was fired the next Mossad head would be one of the PM's cronies who knew nothing about intelligence operations and would always act to please the PM even if it was not in the best interests of the country.
Chapter 7
Three years earlier, Boston, Massachusetts, USA and Tel-Aviv, Israel
Mr. and Mrs. John and Angelica Smith got out of the taxi that they had picked up at Boston Logan airport and checked into the small family hotel on Massachusetts Avenue that was located on the same block as the St. John Evangelist Church. The Chinese clerk at the desk did not believe that their real name was Smith nor that they were Americans as John's driver's license claimed, but as they paid cash up-front for one week he didn't really care who they were or where they came from. He tried to pry what they were doing in the area but John answered curtly that they were visiting their family and also had some business meetings at MIT. The clerk gave them a key ring with two keys and explained that their room was located in the building next door and one key was for the front door and the other for their room. They got a small room on the second floor from which they could see the traffic moving along the busy avenue.
The Dreadful Patriot: A Thrilling Conspiracy Novel (Techno thriller, Mystery & Suspense Book 3) Page 8
