"In a cave on Mt. Nebo." John stabbed at a piece of lamb as if he discussed the weather.
Natasha felt like she sat on pins and needles. She ate to hide her interest, barely tasting what went in her mouth.
Yaakov leaned forward, food entirely forgotten as he rattled off his decision. "It would be easy to gain access to such a location. Thankfully, it is an Arab nation. We will go for the relic. I hope it still resides there. Please excuse me. I am anxious to begin preparations. Enjoy your dinner." He rose and left the room.
Natasha dropped the roll she was using to scoop up meat and grabbed her linen napkin. "That was easy. Do you really think he'll give the ashes to the Israeli government after he finds them? He's more likely to offer them to the terrorists to gain favor."
John shook his head. "He seeks more favor from his own network right now. He wants the young Jews to favor him, but it matters not. When we leave, we will take them with us."
After dinner, Natasha piled up her dirty clothes then locked herself in the bathroom. She didn't like the idea of some guard touching her unmentionables. She hung them to dry on the towel rack and went to look for John. She found him in the library with Yaakov.
"Natasha, come sit. Yaakov has made a generous offer. You will be allowed to look for the ashes in Jordan. I will remain here." John's voice was level and without concern.
"I can't do that without you. I don't know where anything is. I've never been to Jordan before, and I certainly don't know how to excavate artifacts in a cave."
"Let us be frank, Miss Kelly. Able guards will accompany you. I prefer that no one else know what we're doing at this point. John will remain here, because I do not trust you not to attempt escape. With his life in your hands, there is a greater chance you will return. Are we quite clear?"
Natasha came close to hating Yaakov at that moment. He dangled freedom in her face, while taunting her with the demise of John. What a choice.
"I'll do my best to find the ashes." She stared into John's eyes. "I absolutely will return."
Yaakov stood. "Good. You may leave whenever you wish."
"You want me to climb a mountain in the dark with a horde of guards?"
"It is essential that your endeavor remain clandestine. If you start this evening, you will have the entire night to search. The morning light will aid you before anyone would see you. If you are unsuccessful tonight, then I suggest you remain hidden in the caves until the following evening. Then you can search again."
"Thanks," she murmured sarcastically.
"I have night-vision goggles and high-powered flashlights. I will send bedding and all the water and food you will need for several days. You can drop in by helicopter and radio for pick-up when you have finished. I realize this expedition is fraught with opportunities for disaster, but we have little choice."
"How am I supposed to go digging around in a bunch of caves, carrying enough supplies for several days? Who do you think I am…Wonder Woman?" She knew she was pushing Yaakov, but she didn't care.
"Two guards should be able to carry what you require. Have you any other complaints?" He asked with mock courtesy.
"Yes, I get to go to the bathroom without some guard breathing down my neck, and I want that English-speaking American guard, so there will be at least one person who can understand me."
This was risky. If Yaakov became suspicious, she'd blow the cover of that operative. With so much at stake, she felt asking for him was worth the risk.
Yaakov weighed his answer a moment. "You may have privacy, of course. The American guard will accompany you. It makes sense to have someone who can understand your vernacular. But be warned. The other guard will also speak English. Do not attempt anything stupid. John will be the one to suffer."
"You have my word."
Yaakov retreated from the room and closed the door behind him. Natasha took a deep breath then dropped beside John.
He patted her hand. "You push him too hard, Natasha. But he is greedy."
"I'm afraid, John. Those ashes were hidden two thousand years ago. What if I can't find them? He's crazy. He could go ballistic!"
He pulled her head to his shoulder. "Be still, child. For lo, I am with you alway, even until the end of the world. Amen."
"Amen. I know God is with me." She looked up from his shoulder. "I just wish you were with me, too. I promise to come back for you, John."
"I never doubted it. Come. Read over my notes one last time. Is there anything you don't understand?"
They peered at the notes John had painstakingly copied for her. The directions were explicit, if only everything on the mountain had remained somewhat the same.
"It seems clear," she answered. "Stay near the radio in case I have questions."
"I will not sleep until you return. I will pray."
"You don't have to do that. You'll be too tired to celebrate when I get back."
They smiled at each other for a moment then Natasha walked to the door.
"Shalom." He called after her. "Go with God."
"Shalom."
In the hall, she found Jake waiting. He leaned against the wall with a semi-automatic slung over one shoulder, his arms crossed on his chest, making his biceps bulge even more than usual. The jagged scar ran down one side.
"You rang?" He asked with a drawl.
"Amusing. Where do we go from here?"
"Bring a spare change of clothes to the courtyard." Jake loped off, his movements like those of a caged cat.
Natasha went to her suitcase and retrieved some dark, warm clothing. It was likely to be chilly on the mountain. She changed and bundled her spares. Within five minutes, she strode to the courtyard.
Chapter 8
The noise of a helicopter roared through the open door of the courtyard, where she found Jake waiting. He nodded, taking the case from her hand as she moved past him. When she passed the threshold of the door, the wind from the propeller blades lifted her hair. Good thing she'd brought rubber bands.
She and Jake scrambled on board. Another guard and several packs of supplies waited in the rear. A lone pilot sat in the front. Jake pushed Natasha into a back seat where she couldn't see out the windows, but it didn't matter. If she and John were really being held in Syria, the helicopter wouldn't be in the air very long.
She leaned back to consider the possibilities for calamity. Because she wore the amethyst earrings, David would note her rapid transit and move to intercept. She hoped for that, yet feared it. She couldn't ignore an opportunity to talk to the Mossad, but she didn't want Yaakov's real guard injured. On the other hand, she couldn't allow him to discover that she wore a transmitter. That's why she needed Jake. Somehow, she had to let him know what to expect. He could be on the alert to intercept any Mossad agents.
Natasha began to pray. So many things could go wrong, the least of which involved Yaakov's desire for a holy relic. She needed God to move a few things on her behalf.
A short time later, Jake leaned over, placing his mouth against her ear. "We've circled several times, attempting to locate landmarks from that monk's notes. We can't find a level place to land, so you'll have to jump."
Maybe it wasn't as bad as it sounded because the helicopter would be near the ground. Thanks to the Mossad, she felt up to the challenge, though her heart pounded with adrenaline. While the chopper hovered, Jake opened the door and tossed over supplies. He jumped down first. Natasha followed, landing on her feet and managing not to topple over. Finally, the other guard sailed out of the helicopter.
Jake opened a bag and began removing necessary provisions. "Hassan, keep watch."
Hassan moved off about twenty feet to the edge of a ledge, where he could detect any movement. The country of Jordan had laws governing how close a helicopter could fly to the mountain caves, and they weren't sure if their short violation would warrant an inspection by authorities.
The wind whistled over the mountain, and Natasha pulled her jacket closer. Jake handed her night-vision goggles, a flashlight, and a s
mall radio for communication.
"Jake, I need to tell you something important."
He held a finger to his lips and flicked a glance at Hassan. "Voices carry on the mountain."
They picked their way over the rough terrain and found themselves near a cave entrance. Jake reached for his radio, and Natasha heard his voice issue commands to Hassan. "We found a cave. Let's hide the equipment inside before beginning the search."
"Roger." Hassan returned to their position and picked up a load.
Natasha held a small case packed with John's notes, the flashlight, and water. She slid the goggles over her eyes and clipped the radio to her jacket.
They climbed past the pile of rocks at the mouth of the cave and walked back far enough to verify that it was large enough to protect them should they need shelter. After they stashed their belongings, Hassan peered out the cave at the night sky while Natasha and Jake studied the notes.
"We think we've landed just under this peak." Jake stabbed at the map. "The formation has been here for centuries and is well known to desert travelers. Now we count the openings on the west side, facing Israel."
Natasha grabbed his wrist and lowered her voice. Hassan stood well outside the cave, and the blowing wind would prevent sounds from reaching him.
"I have to talk to you now."
Jake nodded at her, and she pointed at her earrings. He nodded again.
She mouthed the words. "Tracking device for the Mossad. They could show up here any minute. You've got to watch for them. I'll keep Hassan with me. If they show up, put them in a cave somewhere so I can speak with them."
His eyes narrowed, and a frown stretched across his face. "I guess we have no choice. Someone could get killed."
They joined Hassan at the front of the cave, and Natasha held out the notes. "Does this look like the right place to you?"
He shined a flashlight beam over the page and read briefly then pointed up. "It has to be that one. There are many such peaks, but not facing Israel…and not with caves underneath."
"All right. Let's go."
Hassan led the way, having been chosen for his mountain- climbing abilities. Although Natasha knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she became a liability, he showed genuine concern for her safety, often correcting her stance and weight placement.
When they reached the right level, he stopped. "We should start scouting the caves."
Jake spoke up. "Go ahead. I'll keep watch."
Hassan stretched his arms until he gained the mouth of a small cave above them, set an anchor, and then leaned down for Natasha. When he lifted her as if she weighed no more than a feather, she gasped. The man was seriously muscle-bound.
They stepped away from the edge and turned on their flashlights. Hassan's hand shot out to grip her wrist. "Before we go any further, I need to talk to you…Look." He pulled back his left sleeve to reveal a long, jagged scar on his arm.
Lord, no. Natasha closed her eyes.
"What is the matter? I am Mossad, the friend Anya told you to trust. We faked the second shot."
His voice offered reassurance, but he didn't know what she'd done.
"I've made a terrible mistake. Jake has a scar on his arm. I thought he was the one. It was dark in the apartment when I saw you." She pointed at her earrings. "See these? The Mossad tracked me. I just told Jake to look for agents that might follow us up here. He could be radioing Yaakov right now. He could be killing one of our agents right now. What are we going to do?"
"He's not reporting to Yaakov. I have the radio." He patted his hip. "Let me take care of this. I know something that will work." He backtracked to the cave opening.
"What could work?"
"Trust me." Already he bent to the edge of the cave and abruptly disappeared over the side.
Natasha sat on the cold, hard ground to wait, too worried to look for the ashes. Then she remembered to pray. "You're right, God. I'm changing my ways. I can trust You with this. Please help Hassan. Show me who to trust and protect John while I'm gone. Lord, these ashes have a special meaning to You. Do whatever is Your perfect will."
She leaned against the wall, shining her light back and forth. How in the world were they going to find something that generations of tourists, Bedouin, and shepherds had never discovered? Only the Lord.
She checked her watch for the second time. Hassan and Jake should be back by now. What she needed was a distraction. She walked to the rear of the cave. It probably wasn't the right cave, because the notes said the passageway veered sharply to the left as soon as you entered the cave. This cave opened straight back, but she searched anyway. The farther she got, the more she noticed an acrid, musty smell. She shined her flashlight on the cave floor.
Ooh, bat guano.
She cast the beam up and saw very few bats. They must be out for their nighttime fly-by.
Pebbles tumbled at the cave opening, sending Natasha scrambling to intercept. Hassan pulled himself over the edge and leaned back, out of breath.
"What happened? What did you tell him?"
"I didn't tell him anything."
"Well?"
Perhaps Hassan couldn't find Jake because he'd already gone to tell Yaakov.
"I pushed him over the cliff." He took a deep breath then shook his head. "I'll have to think of something to tell Yaakov. Shouldn't be too hard to convince him Jake fell off the mountain in the dark. I hid the body in a cave. We'll take him back with us to prove he wasn't shot. Yaakov is very suspicious."
Natasha recoiled. She'd just caused the death of another human being. How had this happened again? How many times would she have to live through meaningless, violent death?
She held her fist over her mouth and leaned against the cave wall. She was in way over her head. Being a spy required you to give up more than your identity. You gave up your conscience. Oh God, what do I do?
She contemplated Hassan, still sitting on the ledge, breathing hard. What could she say? He'd done this for her. Should she thank him? The very idea was revolting. Obviously, he was waiting for her to acknowledge…something.
Hours of training flashed through her head. Hassan did the right thing for their situation. There was no other way out.
"Ok. I'll help in any way I can. Tell me what to say to Yaakov." She studied his set expression. Was this the first time he'd ever killed someone? "Are you all right?"
"Thank you, I am fine. It was difficult to carry the body to the cave." He stood and brushed himself off. "We should get moving now. How precise is the tracking chip in your earrings?"
"I think it works two ways. Satellite tracking will tell them what area we're in. When they get here, the closer they get, the monitor beeps. Can we leave any sort of marker?"
"That would be insane," he said emphatically. "We are expecting the Mossad to violate Jordanian territory in the middle of the night in caves protected by the government. On top of that, we have killed someone. No markers. Either they find us, or they don't."
"Right. That was stupid. Well, this isn't the cave. It doesn't veer to the left at all."
Natasha was ready to leave and get on with the quest.
"Wait, let me look." He shined the flashlight on the ceiling near the entrance. He investigated the walls and the floor. "You forget two thousand years have gone by. One cave-in, and this cave would cease to veer to the left, but these soil strata appear intact. Let's try the next one."
He handed Natasha over the ledge first then scrambled down. When they straightened, a bright light trained on their faces.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" asked a distinctly British voice.
Natasha caught her breath. Dirk!
"Dirk Sloan, this is Hassan," said Natasha. "He's the Mossad agent undercover with Yaakov."
"Actually, I'm Jadon Ashdod. But you can call me Hassan." Hassan held out a hand. "So, you're the great Sloan."
His light tone broke the tension of the moment, and the light clicked off.
"Natasha, what a
re you doing here?" Dirk asked coolly.
Her heart lurched when he said her name, but she stiffened her resolve.
"John is still in Syria, translating the manuscript for crazy Yaakov. According to the manuscript, a sacred object is hidden here on Mount Nebo in a cave. He sent us here to find it. John is held hostage so I'll behave myself. And Dirk, you wouldn't believe who Yaakov really is."
Hassan interrupted. "We need to take cover. It would not go well if we're discovered by the Jordanian government. Are you alone?"
"Yes."
"Come this way."
Hassan climbed over the boulders and jutting rocks. He helped, pulled, and prodded Natasha over dangerous areas. Dirk didn't interfere, probably because it was obvious Hassan knew what he was doing. When they reached safe haven in the next cave, they sat on the ground to talk. Natasha explained their precarious position due to Jake's death. Dirk brought them up to date on outside intelligence.
"I was dropped on the top and had to swing over the side to find you. Very clever, wearing those earrings. Surely the kidnappers didn't stop to let you put them on."
Natasha shook her head and felt her ponytail brush the wall. She hoped it wasn't slimy.
"The Lord told me. Too many things went wrong all at once. They threatened my warehouse, blew up the ship, sent those…pictures, and…killed Orin." A sudden feeling of self- consciousness made her stutter, but she kept on. "I felt all day something was wrong. It wouldn't go away. Finally, I prayed then clipped them on. How is Anya?"
"Recovering nicely. Benjamin understood your message and sent someone to the room almost immediately. I commend you on your quick thinking." He sighed. "What do you intend to do here?"
Dirk was letting them decide. She'd been afraid he'd insist on taking her out and leaving John to his fate.
"Find that sacred relic and go back to save John."
"I can help you," Hassan said to Dirk. "I haven't been able to get a message to the Mossad for some time. This is the layout of the complex."
For the next several minutes, she listened while they made escape plans. It was extremely perilous. Everything had to go according to plan, or John and Natasha would be at great risk.
The Syrian (Natasha Kelly, Mossad Spy) Page 13
