Assassin 2 - Sleeping Dogs (Assassin Series) Page 10

  “Thanks, guys,” Jake replied. “We’ve also had some more sad news.”

  “What happened?” Nick inquired.

  “Sarah’s grandfather has just died!”

  Nick was totally sympathetic. “My God! It never rains but it pours! Give Sarah our sincere condolences, okay?”

  “Will do, bye.”

  Nick put the phone down. “Bye.”

  * * *

  It was another day of extremely sad, multiple funerals in both the USA and Israel, all being monitored from a distance by Akeem and his accomplice. They were both ecstatic that their carefully crafted master plan was going without a hitch as they sat back in a small house in the suburbs of Jerusalem. The whole world was looking for them, especially everyone in Israel and here they were, right under their noses. The millions that Akeem was being paid, would make the spending of it both satisfying and extremely enjoyable.

  He switched on the TV and it was a kaleidoscope of mourning. In the case of poor Daniel’s family, the two funerals in one family were devastating and getting national attention, where Daniel and his nephew were being buried simultaneously.

  In addition, there were more funerals taking place across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, of all the bank executives and now all the fatalities from the train station bombing.

  Sarah and her family were also trying to cope with their grief at the loss of Abraham, an icon in Israeli counter-terrorism, and for whom, a fitting funeral was being planned.

  In that morning’s edition of the LA Times, the leading article in the business section, expressed concern for the first time that due to the impact of the terrorist attacks on prominent Israeli commercial targets, there had been a major drop in the rate of exchange for the New Israeli Shekel against other major world currencies.

  It was also mentioned that the shares of Air Israel had hit an all-time low, due to cancelled reservations by nervous passengers and that tourism, which was a major part of the Israeli economy, had taken a major nosedive. In addition there had also been a drop in the price of shares of all the companies whose top executives had lost their lives.

  In Jerusalem, David Mischner was still a Prime Minister under siege. He was acutely aware that the latest spate of terrorist attacks were slowly debilitating what had previously been a flourishing economy and both he and his Defense Minister were struggling to find the true motive for all this mayhem.

  Having seen the images of the culprits that his Mossad team had identified, there seemed little doubt that the terrorists were Arabs, but with a wide variety of terrorist groups first claiming and then denying responsibility, the Prime Minister was still no closer to finding out which hostile Arab neighbor was behind it all.

  Ari was having a sad supper with his family, all still grieving the loss of Abraham, the head of the family, when he received a call from the Prime Minister.

  “Ari,” Mischner began. “We need to have a full cabinet meeting as soon as possible, to put our spin on what the government is doing in the wake of these terrorist attacks. Can you make it into Jerusalem after Abraham’s funeral?”

  Ari thought for a moment. “The funeral is in the morning, Prime Minister, I could travel in the afternoon?”

  Mischner was most sympathetic. “That’s fine, Ari and I will be coming for the funeral, so perhaps we can travel back to Jerusalem together?”

  Ari was happy with the plan. “That’s fine, David, I’ll see you in the morning and thank you for coming to pay your respects. Bye.” The Prime Minister rang off and Ari returned to his family.

  They all looked at him and he explained the call. “That was the Prime Minister, he’s coming for the funeral and then I need to go back with him for a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem later tomorrow afternoon,” he turned to Sarah and Jake. “I’ll be in touch during the trip.”

  Sarah nodded that they understood. “Don’t worry, uncle, everything is organized for the funeral tomorrow. We’re expecting a lot of people.”

  Ari nodded his appreciation. “Thank you, my dear.”

  She looked at her watch. “I’d better be heading for the airport, mom and dad are arriving in a couple of hours.”

  Sarah’s father Paul Golchen, Abraham’s son, was also devastated at the loss of his father and he and Sarah’s mother Helen had booked their flights immediately when they heard the sad news, so that they would be there in time for the funeral. Sarah’s father Paul, was still actively involved as a senior bank executive in Connecticut and Helen was retired.

  The minute Sarah saw them come off the plane, she ran to her mother’s arms and hugged her and then her father, tears of sadness in her eyes. Her mother, still attractive in a refined way, had tears in her eyes also. “Hello, my darling, are you okay?” she asked

  “Better now I’ve seen you.” Sarah replied. She looked at her father, a slightly built, distinguished-looking, dark-haired man. “Thanks for coming so fast, daddy.”

  He nodded and hugged her again. “It had to happen sometime, but I guess you’re never quite ready!”

  Sarah nodded. “Okay, let’s grab your bags, I’m parked outside.” they walked down the terminal, Sarah with her arms round both her parents.

  Helen turned to Sarah. “And how’s Miriam taking it?”

  Sarah sighed. “She’s a wreck, can’t wait to see you.”

  Helen gave a sad smile. “Me too, darling.”

  CHAPTER 25

  It was a sad day in the synagogue as the service for Abraham was in progress. Former colleagues and dignitaries from all over Israel had gathered for the high profile funeral of the Mossad forefather. Sarah with her parents and Aunt Miriam, were all dressed in black and Jake stood in the background, relieved that he had brought a dark suit with him.

  Ari looked like a broken man as he sat up front with David Mischner and the other international dignitaries. The Rabbi motioned to the Prime Minister to step forward for a brief eulogy.

  There was silence in the synagogue as the elder statesman began. “In life, Abraham Golchen was an inspiration to all of us. He and his wife were able to survive the death camps and later he would work tirelessly with the Wiesenthal Center to hunt down and prosecute our oppressors. He was also a family man of the utmost integrity and honor!”

  In the row of seats at the front, Sarah, her mother and her aunt, were already in tears, as were many of the other people gathered, many of them former colleagues.

  Mischner continued. “In life we honored him with our respect, and in death we remember him with our love. Rest in peace, my dear friend Abraham!” The Prime Minister returned to his seat and the only sounds being heard were the sounds of weeping.

  Jake looked across at Sarah, who was wiping her eyes, having been totally unprepared for the first major bereavement in her life. He shook his head sadly. As the guests filed slowly out of the synagogue, the Prime Minister comforted Ari, both senior statesmen surrounded by Mossad agents.

  Back at the house, Jake and Sarah were able to talk in private for the first time in almost a day. He could see that she was still devastated at the loss of her grandfather. He hugged her to him affectionately. “You okay?” he asked. She nodded bravely. “This is the first time I lost somebody close and I know how you must have felt, Jake.”

  He shrugged sympathetically. “Yeah, the only thing I can tell you is that it does get easier, but believe me, it takes time.”

  She tried to shake off the sadness. “Meanwhile, we’ve got a job to do and at this moment, we’re in limbo land!”

  He shook his head in agreement. “I agree, we’ve got pictures of these guys in every airport, train station, bus station, heck we’ve even got their pictures up in bars and restaurants, all places where the public congregate.”

  She added. “Which could pay off, always assuming they’re still in the country!”

  Jake was thinking out loud. “Right, and what makes me think they are still here, is that for some reason they’re also after you and me, as well as wreaking havoc on the Jewish economy
, so hopefully, they’re still watching us.”

  Sarah shivered involuntarily. “Scary thought!”

  They were interrupted by Ari, who stopped by to introduce the Prime Minister to Jake and Sarah, before the two statesmen left in their limo for the brief drive to Jerusalem.

  Ari did the introductions. “Prime Minister, I’d like you to meet the two people who are leading the investigation into all the terrorist bombings, assisted by our top staff here in the Mossad. This is Mr. Jake Harrigan and my niece Sarah Schaumberg.”

  Mischner shook hands with both of them. “How do you do.”

  They both replied in unison. “How do you do, sir.”

  Mischner looked just as stressed as Ari. He looked at Jake, a strange tiredness about him. “I wish we had some good news, Mr. Harrigan. These terrorists have us on the front page of every newspaper in the world and I don’t like it.”

  Jake sympathized. “I understand, Prime Minister, we’re now working with the Mossad, the FBI, the CIA and the counter terrorism group in LA, to try and track down these two individuals, who we managed to capture on tape at the various bombings.”

  Mischner was listening attentively. “Were they also at the train station, Mr. Harrigan?”

  Jake answered quickly. “Our Mossad colleague Agent Cohen is checking the closed circuit TV tapes as we speak, Prime Minister. These people have been lucky so far, sir, but believe me, they will make a mistake, and when they do the Mossad agents will close in very quickly.”

  The Prime Minister and Ari prepared to leave as Mischner shook hands with Jake and Sarah. “Please keep Minister Golchen and myself fully informed on all developments? Goodbye.”

  They both replied. “Goodbye, Sir.”

  As the limo taking the Prime Minister and Ari back to Jerusalem left Tel Aviv, followed by a protective cordon of Mossad agents, neither of the elder statesmen nor their escort even noticed the inconspicuous sedan following them along Highway One.

  * * *

  In the vehicle following them, Akeem stayed at a safe distance behind the convoy, grateful for the excellent intel provided to him concerning the two statesmen ahead.

  When the convoy reached Ari’s hotel for the night, he said goodbye to the Prime Minister and Ari and his two bodyguards checked into the elegant hotel, close by the parliament buildings.

  Ari was glad to rest when he reached his room and after his bodyguards had checked the room and the balcony before leaving, he quickly sorted out his papers for the meeting the next day and walked onto the balcony for a breath of air before disrobing and settling down for a soak in the tub ready for an early start the following morning. He was a stickler for punctuality. As he lay back in the tub and closed his tired eyes, he wondered what kind of additional stresses the following day would bring.

  CHAPTER 26

  The next morning, the Prime Minister and his cabinet were gathered ready for their meeting and Mischner looked at his Senior Aide Aaron. “Did Minister Golchen call in to say he’d be late, Aaron? It’s not like him.”

  Aaron, a dark, slim man in his 40’s, nodded his head negatively. “No, Prime Minister, I’ll check with his bodyguards.” he left quickly.

  In the corridor, outside Ari’s second floor room, one of his bodyguards Moshe, was still on duty outside the door as the other bodyguard Solomon was returning with coffee for both of them. Moshe’s cell phone rang and he answered it. “This is Moshe?” he listened a moment. “Yes, sir, we’ll check right now and I’ll call you back.”

  Solomon looked at him curiously. “Who was that?” he asked.

  “That was the Prime Minister’s office, they’re asking if Minister Golchen is delayed. We’d better check,” he knocked on the door of the room and there was no reply. He turned back to Solomon. “Maybe he’s in the shower?”

  Solomon, the senior of the two, motioned him to enter. “We’d better check it out.”

  Moshe knocked again and opened the door with the room key. He called out. “Good morning, Minister, this is Moshe. Are you awake, sir?” There was no reply and he entered the room. He switched on the light in the hotel suite and moved towards the bed that had not been slept in. Solomon was behind him.

  Now Moshe was looking nervous. “Minister, are you all right?” he called out as he walked into the bathroom and suddenly, his eyes widened in total shock. “Oh, sweet mercy!” he gasped as Solomon followed him into the bathroom. He was equally devastated. “I don’t believe it!”

  Inside the bathroom, Ari was lying naked in the tub, a bullet through his forehead, blood everywhere and scribbled on the wall in Ari’s blood was just one word - ‘Jihad’!

  The bodyguards quickly checked the suite and found the balcony door slightly ajar, indicating the point of entry for the unknown assassin. Solomon was already on the phone and in the cabinet room, Aaron’s phone rang. He answered. “This is Aaron?” he listened a second and his face turned ashen. “Lock everything down!” he answered. “We’ll send a team over. I’ll tell the Prime Minister and don’t mention a word to anybody, not even the hotel staff until the Mossad get there, is that understood?”

  David Mischner had been watching Aaron closely as he put the phone down. “What is it, Aaron?” he asked.

  Aaron was almost in tears. “It’s Minister Golchen, sir, I’m afraid he’s been assassinated!”

  Mischner sat down in shock as the other cabinet members looked on open-mouthed. The Prime Minister was devastated. “Please, not Ari? What happened?”

  Aaron explained. “The bodyguards stayed on duty all night as instructed, outside Minister Golchen’s room, but apparently the assassin got in through the balcony door.”

  Mischner sat there, his head in his hands as Aaron continued with the shattering news. “He had been shot in the head and the word ‘Jihad’ had been written on the wall in his blood!”

  Mischner had tears in his eyes. “No! No!”

  Aaron comforted his boss. “I’m so sorry, Prime Minister. I’ve got a complete lockdown in place until the Mossad can get there, even the hotel staff don’t know yet.”

  Mischner was rubbing his forehead absent-mindedly. “His poor family, they’ve only just buried one senior member. I must give them a call. This is one call I definitely don’t want to make. Please get me the number.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Jake and Sarah had arrived at the train station to survey the damage. The main area of the explosion was still cordoned off and Joseph was there to meet them. As they walked over to the area of the most damage, Jake asked Joseph. “So, where were the explosives set, Joseph?”

  The agent pointed over to the far corner of the ticketing area. “It seems they were hidden in a vending machine in the far corner. At least that’s what our forensics team are saying.”

  Jake was thinking out loud. “And what about the vending machine company?”

  Joseph sighed sadly. “More bad news, I’m afraid.”

  Jake and Sarah exchanged glances. “We’re listening?”

  Joseph continued. “The vending service truck was found abandoned, with the original driver dead in the back!”

  Sarah looked quickly at Jake. “Same MO as the bakery and the bank!”

  Jake nodded. “Exactly!” he turned to Joseph. “What about CCTV footage?”

  Joseph was expecting the question. “The impact of the blast took out the nearest CCTV, which wasn’t that close, but we did get some grainy footage from outside as they left the train terminal.”

  Jake was anxious. “And?”

  Joseph nodded in confirmation. “Even before we cleaned up the resolution...”

  Sarah didn’t even let him finish. “It’s them?”

  Joseph nodded. “No doubt about it!”

  As Jake looked around at the devastation, even though some of the platforms were back in action in the huge station, the place was almost deserted. He turned to Sarah. “Looks like a bunch of passengers have lost the taste for rail travel?”

  Joseph looked at him. “Wouldn�
��t you, Jake?”

  Jake was in agreement. “Certainly makes you think twice!” His phone rang and he answered it. “This is Jake?”

  A familiar voice came on the line. “Mr. Harrigan, this is Prime Minister Mischner.”

  Jake looked at Sarah and pointed to the phone. “Yes, Prime Minister, what can I do for you, sir?” he stood and listened and suddenly his face changed as he shook his head in total shock. “Oh, my God! What happened, sir?” he listened again and then he replied. “Yes, sir, she’s with me now. I’m so sorry, yes, please leave it with me, I’ll let her know. We’ll be back in touch. Goodbye, sir.” He clicked his phone shut, his mind in a whirl. It seemed like he was drowning in bad news lately.

  Sarah sensed that something was badly wrong. “What is it, Jake?”

  He motioned Sarah and Joseph to a seat as he swallowed, desperately trying to choose the right words. “I’m afraid it’s Ari, Sarah!”

  She immediately put her hands to her mouth. “Oh, my God! What happened?”

  Jake took a deep breath. “I’m afraid he’s dead, my dear!”

  Joseph was also in deep shock. “I’m so sorry, Sarah!” he whispered.

  She was desperately trying to concentrate. “What happened?”

  Jake explained. “That was the Prime Minister. When Ari didn’t arrive for the meeting this morning, they checked with his hotel and when his bodyguards, who had been outside his room all night, went in to check, he’d been shot by an assassin who got into the room over the second floor balcony! He must have left the door to the balcony unlocked!”

  Jake had deliberately left out at this stage, the bullet to the head and the word ‘Jihad’ written on the wall. He hugged Sarah to him, her face covered in tears. “I’m so sorry, Sarah.” he held her close for a moment before she moved away, a look of venom in her eyes. “And was it...?”

  Jake understood the half spoken question “They are not sure, but my money’s on it.”

  She took a deep breath. “We’d better go, somebody has to tell Mom and Dad and Aunt Miriam and I suppose that’s me,” she looked at Jake beseechingly. “Will you come along?”