At least the operation in Israel had gone as planned. Weisner had moved ahead of the Prime Minister in the polls. Harrison didn't really care who won the election. He'd achieved his goal, to provoke a visceral response on both sides of the Middle East equation. War was inevitable, whether the Ark was found or not.
If the Project located the Ark, McKenzie would take it from them. Harrison prayed every day that they would find it. Whether they found it or not, they would soon cease to be a problem.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Lamont looked like someone had added a little too much cream to the coffee color of his skin. A clear tube fed oxygen to his nostrils. But he was out of danger.
Nick finished telling him about Lev Gefen and the firefight at the castle.
"He had kids? That's a damn shame." Lamont's voice was weak. His breathing was labored. A monitor beeped quietly in the corner of the room.
Nick nodded. "I liked him. He reminded me a little of Korov, that same kind of attitude."
"What happens next?
"Selena is checking on the sword we found. Maybe it leads somewhere. If not, we don't have any other places to look. We're done."
"How are you and her getting along? Before I got hurt, seemed there was some tension between you."
"You picked up on that?"
Lamont laughed. It turned into a fit of coughing. Nick held a cup of water with a straw to his lips.
"You're kidding. Hell, Nick, you two are really obvious. We all know when something's going on."
Nick looked out the window.
"Ronnie said you were living apart again."
Nick looked back at his friend. "Yeah. Seems like a good idea right now. I've been tossing around a lot at night. Keeps her awake."
Lamont let that pass. He knew about Nick's nightmares. He also knew Nick had started seeing a shrink. He didn't say anything about it.
"Sometimes I wonder what the hell we're doing together," Nick said. "I don't know what she wants from me."
Lamont was surprised. Nick never talked about Selena, not to him. Not to Ronnie, either, as far as he knew. Nick kept things to himself. They all did. It went with the territory.
"What do you want from her?"
"Damned if I know. We kind of got caught up in everything and one thing led to another. I don't know where it's supposed to go."
Lamont said nothing.
"Anyway," Nick said, "if we get a lead from that sword we'll follow up. Selena found a bit of gold in the cave. She thinks it was part of the covering on the Ark."
Lamont was relieved Nick had changed the subject.
"The Bible says it was covered in gold, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
"You think it might still be around?"
"If it was in the cave when the guy with the sword was killed, that's only a few hundred years ago."
"Might as well be yesterday."
"My guess is that the dead swordsman was killed protecting it. Or trying to steal it, either way."
"Makes sense."
"The question is who took it and what did they do with it. They could have stripped it for the gold."
"I don't know, Nick. I mean it's the Ark. Everyone knows about it, at least everyone Christian or Jewish."
"Or Muslim. But there weren't any Muslims in Pembroke back then."
"I don't think anyone would just destroy it for the gold."
"You have more faith in humanity than I do."
"If you find it, it would help make Gefen's death worth something," Lamont said.
"There's that, I guess. I don't think it would be a lot of comfort to his wife and kids."
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
It was a day full of sunshine in the New City of Jerusalem, a perfect contrast to Ari Herzog's dark mood. He waited for Rachel Gefen to open the door. He'd brought a woman with him, another Shin Bet agent. He thought it would be good to have a woman along when he told Rachel of her husband's death. Lev had been a friend. Ari and Lev and Rachel had shared good times together. Ari felt that he had to be the one to tell her, but he wasn't looking forward to it.
Rachel opened the door. She was a handsome woman, not exactly beautiful, with strong, square features that spoke of her Polish ancestors. Her hair was her best feature, dark and lustrous, falling to her shoulders.
"Ari." Rachel was surprised. "What brings you here this time of day?"
"Are the children here, Rachel?"
"No, they're in school. Who is this with you?"
Ari looked at his companion. "This is Rebecca."
"Our daughter is named Rebecca." She looked at him. Something passed over her face. The warmth of seeing him went out of it.
"It's Lev. You're here about Lev, aren't you? Why isn't he with you?"
"Rachel…"
"Why isn't he with you?" Her voice rose.
"Can I come in?"
"No. Where's Lev, Ari?"
"I'm sorry, Rachel."
"I won't hear this. I do not want to hear you say you're sorry. Where is Lev?"
There wasn't any way to make it easy. "The chevra kaddisha is with him."
The holy society was a group of unpaid volunteers who prepared the body for burial.
Rachel's hand flew to her face. A loud wail came from her throat. Ari stood helpless, unable to do anything for the wife of his friend. Rachel leaned against the door and began sobbing.
"Rachel…" he said.
Rebecca put a hand on his arm. "Let me, Ari." She went to Lev's wife. "Come," she said. "Let's go inside."
Ari watched the door close behind them.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
The team studied a live satellite shot from high above Israel. Harker focused on the border with Jordan and Syria, then shifted to the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Everywhere, troops were mobilizing.
"Lerner is going to re-occupy the West Bank," Elizabeth said. "He's staging troops on the border with Lebanon and getting ready to go after Hezbollah."
"Tehran isn't going to let this happen without doing something," Nick said.
"The last time Israel went into Lebanon after Hezbollah it ended in a draw. This time, there's a heavier concentration of troops and logistics. Lerner means to smash them, once and for all."
"It will never work," Selena said. "Even if he succeeds, the militants will just regroup. In another year or two it will be the same old story."
"Maybe not," Elizabeth said. "This time it could go nuclear."
"What do you mean?" Nick said. "Israel doesn't need to use nukes. They didn't last time."
"It's Iran I'm worried about." She told them what Rice had said.
"This is confirmed?" Nick asked.
"Yes. Confirmation came in last night. A 600 Kiloton warhead salvaged from a Russian SS-13 Savage ICBM. It could be modified to fit one of Iran's conventional missiles. They have several that could reach Israel."
"When did they get it?"
"Three weeks ago."
"That could give them enough time to make the modifications."
"Yes. But we don't know the condition of the warhead. It's old. It could be corroded, unstable. They'd have to disassemble and reinstall it. It's not that easy."
"That is really bad news," Ronnie said.
"We can't do anything about it," Harker said, "except what we've been doing. Selena, what have you found out about that sword?"
"It's an officer's sword. Both the Royalists and the Parliamentarians carried swords during the English Civil War, but I think this one belonged to a Royalist. It's a rapier with silver fittings. That's typical."
"Wait a second," Ronnie said. "Who are the Parliamentarians?"
No reason he'd know, she thought. "The war was between the Protestant Parliamentarians, under Oliver Cromwell, and the Catholic Royalists. The two sides are called the Cavaliers and the Roundheads."