Agent of Vengeance

by Scott M Neuman

  Rajad learned to hate Jews and the State of Israel from his parents, his teachers, and his mullah. By the age of sixteen, Ali had a burning desire for revenge against the Jews. He longed for an opportunity to kill Israelis. And recruiters from a myriad of terrorist groups would often come to Jerash to seek volunteers. Rajad was eventually recruited by the largest Palestinian underground organization, Fatah, the Movement for the Liberation of Palestine. Rajad said goodbye to his parents, explaining that it was his duty to dedicate his life to fighting the Zionist enemy. His mother was supportive, telling Ali that she hoped he would one day become a martyr for the liberation of Palestine. His father, on the other hand, was reticent. He remembered the false promises of Arab leaders, and could not believe that their current state, however unfortunate, could justify the murder of innocents.

  Rajad was sent to a training camp about one hundred miles south of Jerash. Though of average build, he quickly demonstrated his superiority to the other participants due to his intellect and determination. After six months he graduated from the course and was singled out as an outstanding recruit by his trainers. His reward was the privilege of being sent out on a mission.

  The base commander, Abu Jamal, told Ali that the assignment would be easy. It would also help him gain experience which would prepare him for even more important missions. Rajad was tasked to smuggle a small amount of explosive material into Israel. He would pass off the material to another Fatah terrorist who would prime it in a device that would be planted at Machane Yehuda, the sprawling open-air fruit and vegetable market in central Jerusalem.

  Rajad crossed into Israel along with hundreds of day laborers by way of the Allenby Bridge, known to Arabs as the Al-Karameh Bridge, located just north of the Dead Sea. In his green duffle bag was a cardboard box that contained twelve large Catholic prayer candles in glass containers decorated with hand-painted religious images. One the candles contained not wax but actually gelignite, a highly explosive material made of nitroglycerine and wood pulp.

  When it was Rajad’s turn to pass security, the naive youth placed the bag on a table manned by a veteran Israeli customs agent. The inspector asked Rajad in Arabic to remove the bag’s contents. Ali then laid each item on the table.

  The Israeli focused on the cardboard box and asked Rajad, “What’s in the box?”

  Rajad said, “It contains candles for my family in Jerusalem.”

  The agent asked, “What are the candles for?”

  Ali answered, “For their mosque.”

  The inspector opened the box and looked at the twelve decorative candles. He could not understand why a mosque would need candles decorated with pictures of Catholic saints.

  The inspector told Ali to take the box to another table. There, an explosives expert noticed the slight difference in color and texture of the gelignite “candle.” He tested it and found that the candle was, in fact, made of explosive material. Rajad was arrested on the spot.

  Rajad had a short trial where in lieu of presenting a legal argument he shouted Fatah slogans and repeatedly claimed that a Zionist court had no authority to judge him. He was found guilty of smuggling explosives and was sentenced by a military tribunal to three years in prison.

  Rajad was interred at a prison near the ancient ruins of the biblical city Megiddo, just north of Nazareth. The prison housed mostly Palestinians that had committed acts of terrorism. His initial enthusiasm for the Palestinian cause and allegiance with his fellow freedom fighters was dampened by some unpleasant early experiences. Ali’s youth and good looks led him to be raped by his fellow prisoners in his first week. The next day, the humiliated Ali contemplated suicide.

  Ali’s fortunes abruptly changed for the better after he ran into his old friend, Ishmael Kalem, in the prison yard. Ishmael was a giant of a man, six-foot-five and weighing nearly 320 pounds. Ali and Ishmael had met at the Jerash camp, where both of them had hustled odd jobs in the market. Ishmael had been working for a fish salesman, who, despite being much smaller physically, would beat Ishmael when he felt he was working too slowly. One day Ishmael couldn’t restrain himself and threw a punch which fractured the fishmonger’s skull, killing him. Ali, having witnessed the incident, devised a cover-up which caused the authorities to recognize the death as having resulted from a slip-and-fall accident. From then on, Kalem felt forever in Ali’s debt. The two became inseparable. Together, they formed a gang specializing in petty theft and extortion. With Rajad’s brains and Ishmael’s brawn, the gang soon ruled supreme over the rough streets of Jerash.

  The two went their separate ways after an incident that led to Ishmael’s arrest and imprisonment. His cousin had been a member of a ring that stole cars in Israel and smuggled them over the green line into the West Bank. There, “chop shops” cannibalized the cars for parts that were resold back to crooked Israeli mechanics. Two years ago, his cousin was short one crew member for a night raid, and he approached Ishmael for some help. Unfortunately for Ishmael, the gang was caught in a police trap along the border and he received a four-year sentence. After his friend was sentenced, Ali decided to disband his gang and join Fatah.

  In the prison yard, the two were ecstatic to have been reunited. After some small talk, Ali told Ishmael what had occurred the previous night. Ishmael’s blood boiled as Ali poured out all the sordid details. The two agreed that in order to save Ali’s honor there would need to be extreme retribution. Ishmael happened to have a few blades stashed away that he had smuggled in via visiting relatives. That night after light’s out, Rajad and Kalem left their beds, slit the throats two of Ali’s assailants, and castrated the third. Prison authorities investigating the situation found that all potential witnesses were substantially less than cooperative, and in the official report the attack was ascribed to “unknown parties.”

  From that day, on Ali and Ishmael were feared by all the prisoners. Rajad formed a gang that quickly grew to be the most powerful at Megiddo prison. In fact, he was so successful that any illegal activity among the inmates became subject to his personal approval. That meant that anyone planning to sell drugs or other contraband had to give him a large share of the proceeds. Furthermore, if there was a conflict between prisoners, the “litigants” were brought before Rajad for his ruling, which was zealously enforced by Ishmael and their gang.

  Rajad, however, had his sights set beyond his interment at Megiddo prison. He was formulating extensive plans for the day he would be released. This included founding his own terrorist organization dedicated to the liberation of Palestine. He felt that the leadership of the currently active resistance groups were inherently corrupt and could never be a match for the Israelis. At the same time, he had plans to make himself rich, powerful, and universally feared.

  Part of his strategy was to form a cell of dedicated loyalists on the outside of the prison from his gang members who had been released. That way, when he left prison, there would already be an infrastructure for his new organization. As his gang on the outside grew, Rajad ordered them to corner the heroin and ecstasy markets in the West Bank, which would fund the group’s activities. Rajad had no qualms about providing drugs to his own people. He rationalized to himself that the addicts had to buy their drugs from someone, so why not him? Soon, Ali’s coffers were overflowing with cash. Ali told Ishmael that the funds were needed for seed money for their true goal, the liberation of the Palestinian people. Of course, no one would be hurt if they took for themselves reasonable “consultation fees.”

  By coincidence, the release date for both Rajad and Kalem fell on the same day. Israel prison authorities escorted the pair to the Allenby Bridge and warned them never to set foot in Israel again. They were greeted on the other side of the bridge by a cadre of gang members. The Palestinian Liberation Guerilla Army was ready to launch. Rajad’s dream had become a reality.

  In the first few months, members toured refugee camps across Jordan to recruit members for the PLGA. Rajad turned out to be an inspiring speaker, making passionate oration
s that brought in enthusiastic recruits by the dozens. His rallies were also a way to bring in donations. His donors were driven by disillusionment regarding the established organizations, hoping that Rajad was the real deal. Rajad used these funds to improve his standard of living, and soon he was being chauffeured around the West Bank in a bulletproof Mercedes. At the same time, he opened up offices in Beirut, Lebanon, and Tripoli to help launder drug proceeds and manage imports of weapons and other equipment. When funds fell short, he would send Kalem along with other trusted associates to wealthy Palestinians whose contributions he felt were inadequate. Needless to say, Kalem persuaded these holdouts to be quite generous.

  Finally, Rajad opened up a training camp in central Lebanon, where the PLGA trained the recruits in Ali’s personal brand of mayhem. At the same time, Rajad put out the word that his organization of trained killers was for hire. He found that he had a special gift for negotiating lucrative contracts. While most of his terrorism was against Israel, Rajad accepted assignments from around the world. PLGA cells perpetrated acts of terror in Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa. After several successful missions, the Soviets took note and began to use Rajad to promote their interests in the Middle East. Though Rajad had no interest in communism, he was easily persuaded to comply with their requests in exchange for advanced military hardware and cash.

  Rajad learned that the biggest paychecks came from the Saudis, Libyans, and other fanatical Muslim governments. Ali accepted contracts to send his men on suicide missions both into Israel and other targets chosen by his patrons. On one such raid into Israel, a nursery school was attacked by the PLGA resulting in the death of over twenty children. Although all the terrorists were ultimately killed by Israeli commandos, Rajad received two million dollars from the Libyans for this “successful” action to further the cause of liberating Palestine. This money was routed into personal bank accounts in Switzerland and Germany and used to import luxury vehicles and designer clothes for Ali and his top associates.

  Rajad felt justified in this manner of obtaining personal wealth. He felt that he was making a strong contribution to the Palestinian cause and at the same time earning a handsome living. The PLGA expanded to a force of over three hundred fighters, all trained at his base of operations in central Lebanon.

  The PLGA soon became the most feared branch of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, with which they maintained a loose affiliation. Rajad’s ability to plan and execute complex operations made him an object of fear. He maintained an ostentatiously large staff of personal bodyguards. He also knew how to work his connections. Rajad sent a constant flow of women and drugs to the mad dictator in charge of Libya, as well as select government officials in a half-dozen Arab countries. As a result, Rajad and the PLGA were shielded from nosy foreign intelligence services.

  He also knew how to use a combination of the stick and the carrot to keep the power brokers in Lebanon at bay. When they were his friends, they received gifts in the form of cash and jewelry. But if they dared question him, they knew their wives and children could quickly become PLGA targets.

  Just three years ago, Rajad secured the most lucrative contract of his career. Three men of obvious German nationality had entered the large anteroom of his Tripoli office where Kalem, officially second in command at the PLGA and chief of Rajad’s large personal security force, stopped them. Kalem asked the Germans to state their business. Their apparent leader removed from his pocket a small box, the size of a cigarette pack, and handed it to Kalem. He said in flawless Arabic that the box was to be given to Ali Rajad as a gift.

  Kalem was skeptical and ordered his men to watch the Germans while he ran a test for explosives on the box. When he was satisfied that it was not dangerous, he entered Rajad’s plush office and handed him the gift. Rajad was startled to find that the box contained about a half-dozen flawless diamonds. Having often received diamonds as payment for missions, he had acquired some skill in their evaluation. He removed a jeweler’s loop from his desk drawer and was shocked by their quality. In his conservative estimation they appeared to be worth at least two to three million dollars. Very pleased, Ali ordered Kalem to usher the Germans into his office.

  As they entered, Rajad was surprised to note that the three men looked like brothers. They were all over six-foot-three-inches tall, with blonde hair and similar facial characteristics. What was most striking was their matching sickly grayish-white skin tone.

  Rajad opened the conversation by asking, “What have I done to deserve such a handsome gift?”

  The leader answered, “It is not for what you have done for us, but rather it is a down payment on a fairly straightforward mission that we wish you to carry out.” His Arabic revealed only a hint of a German accent.

  “And what would that be?”

  “In this pouch I have three items that I would like you to place in specific locations in Israel.” He opened his black leather briefcase, revealing three individual compartments, each containing a shining steel cylinder.

  The German continued, “Please do not ask us what is in the containers. It is not your business. Just know, if you successfully complete this small task, you will receive six additional boxes of diamonds of similar size and quality.”

  Ali was delighted but somewhat skeptical. For such a payment the mission sounded too simple. The original box would be more than sufficient payment.

  “I am sure we can come to an arrangement,” Rajad said, “But I must ask, why the PLGA? I’m sure you could find someone else to do this task for much less.”

  The leader was prepared for this question. “You are correct. But we have determined your organization offers the highest probability of success. And if you are curious about the unusually large compensation we are offering, it has nothing to do with the difficulty of the mission. In fact, the containers are to be placed in areas open to the public, with easy access by motor transportation. However, we have unlimited resources, and we are requesting your personal involvement and oversight. A mission of such high importance cannot be doled out to amateurs.”

  Ali understood. He personally wouldn’t trust any of his rivals in the PLO to deliver a cup of sugar.

  “What are the terms?” Ali inquired.

  “The cylinders must be in their place by the eighteenth of this month. That is a strict deadline that must be kept.”

  “And how will I receive payment for my services?” Ali asked.

  The leader handed Rajad a small key. “We will know the location of the cylinders by means of the radio signal they emit. The moment the cylinders are in their designated places we will simply mail you a letter that contains the address of the bank and the number of the safety deposit box that holds your payment.”

  “Don’t be offended, but what keeps me from holding you here until my associates determine the location of the bank and retrieve the diamonds?” Rajad asked with a smile.

  The Germans did not see the humor in Rajad’s statement. “We know your reputation. That is not how you conduct business. Besides, the bank is in Europe. And we have many friends. We are expected in another location within the hour. If we do not arrive, our associates in Europe will simply remove the contents from the box. We ourselves, I’m sorry to say, are quite expendable.”

  Ali and his guards broke out into a laugh. “I was just joking. But thank you in any case for acknowledging my integrity.”

  The Germans did not respond. In Valhalla, there was no laughter or humor. Seeing that they didn’t get his joke, Rajad dismissed their behavior as due to cultural differences. He shook hands with the leader and the three Germans departed. Rajad never saw them again.

  As the Germans left, he remembered that he already had a contract to complete in Israel that month, a suicide mission on the Netanya beach. It occurred to him that the two operations could be combined, and the attack on the beach would provide a convenient distraction for his own activities.

  Regarding the cylinders, Rajad was not the least bit curio
us regarding what they contained. He daydreamed about the safety deposit box in Europe, and what he would import with the proceeds.

  As he drove past the Sea of Galilee, Ali Rajad smiled to himself. From abject poverty to seemingly endless wealth and power. Life was getting better all the time.

  10

  Joshua 74575 lived in block L3 in the concentration camp of West Clover, known simply as Holle, or Hell in German. Joshua had lived there since he was born because he was a Jew, and according to the Aryans, all Jews belonged in Hell.

  Joshua knew what being a Jew meant mostly from the SS education officers. Once a week, on what was known as the Jewish Sabbath, he and his fellow inmates stood at attention for twenty-four straight hours and listened to a series of German officers rant about the evils of Judaism. They said that Jews cheated in business, were communists, and controlled the banks. Joshua had no idea what business was, nor what a communist or a bank was, but he did know that it didn’t really seem like the Jews controlled anything.

  Each lecturer would usually finish with a variation on the mantra: “You Jews are filth, scum, subhuman and lower than dirt. You try to pretend you are human, when, in fact, you are the offspring of the Devil.”

  Joshua, being naturally intelligent and resourceful, didn’t believe a word of it. Having closely observed the Aryans, he had long ago concluded that the main difference between an Aryan and a Jew was that the Aryans had the ability to speak, while Jews could only mumble. Joshua had noticed that unlike Jews, Aryans possessed a small red flap inside their mouths. He was convinced that if Jews had flaps in their mouths, they too would be able to speak just like the Aryans. Instead, Jews were forced to communicate through a combination of grunts, head motions, and hand signals. What Joshua did not know was that when Jewish babies were born in Valhalla, the first order of business was for an SS physician to surgically remove their tongues.