Hi-Tech Hijack Page 5

  Chapter 11

  The sleeping drug took its effect, and Eddie slipped back into a few more hours of dreamless sleep. The sun was leaning west in its course toward the sea and cast a pinkish hue on the light clouds that resembled a group of helpless, confused little sheep who lost their herd. The plane moved into a sharp downward angle, and two minutes later its wheels touched the black asphalt of the landing strip. The loud sound and jolting of the landing woke Eddie and Reuben up; but their hands were still tied and their eyes still covered, so they could not see where they landed.

  Instead of entering the terminal, the plane was heading in a relatively high speed toward a tall, brown building with a slanted roof that looked like a regular airplane hangar or garage. The hangar’s two large sliding metal doors opened, and the plane was swallowed whole into the darkness. The pilot shut both engines down and an ominous silence fell. The plane door opened downward and the built-in ladder almost touched the garage floor as the steward slowly went down the steps. He walked to a small office at the corner of the hangar and knocked on the door.

  A man inside verified the knocker’s identity through a peep hole before opening the door and motioning toward a desk where a broad shouldered and balding man with a brown complexion and well-groomed beard was seated. He instructed the steward to take a seat.

  “How did it go?” he asked in a calming, deep voice.

  “Alhamdulillah, everything went as planned,” he said, smiling lightly.

  “Are they still under?”

  “No, they woke up when we landed.”

  “Did they have anything to drink on the way?”

  “Yes, with their eyes blindfolded between the first and second injection.”

  “Very well. Let’s move on then. Tell the driver to start the car!” the man called out. Then he spoke to the guard at the door and said, “Bring the car to the airplane steps.”

  The guard nodded, exited the room, and walked swiftly to a gray Safari GMC that had the license plate of an embassy, guaranteeing a smooth drive avoiding any unwanted interruptions by police. When the car reached the plane stairs, the steward jumped out, opened the back door, and signaled to another man on the plane that the road was clear. The two kidnapped men were ushered carefully down the stairs, with the steward making sure they don’t slip and fall. It was clear the kidnappers were intent on delivering their cargo to the next destination in mint condition.

  Eddie was placed in the back seat with one of the guards next to him, and Reuben was placed in the middle seat with the other steward beside him. Not a word was spoken, and the driver drove the car out of the hangar and the terminal and headed north. Reuben and Eddie knew perfectly well there was no point trying to ask anything about where they were being taken. With their hands tied, their eyes covered, and the guards seating beside them, there was absolutely nothing they could do.

  The fear of the unknown rendered Reuben’s mind completely paralyzed, and he was dripping with sweat. Eddie on the other hand had practiced simulated situations of captivity in his military training and managed to maintain his composure. His mind was racing, but experience taught him it was best to stay passive and obedient at this stage and not to aggravate the situation.

  Eddie sensed they were driving at a high speed on a smooth road. He had no idea how many hours he had slept and could only surmise, given the quality of the car and the road that they were still in Europe driving down one of the continent’s superb highways.

  Two hours later the car slowed down and took a left turn toward a smaller road. They were now going much more slowly, and the road was bumpy. Eddie guessed that it was probably a dirt road they were on. Then the car stopped. The driver pulled down his window and spoke to someone, but Eddie could not make out what language they were speaking. The car moved slowly on and a muffled, metallic sound was heard.

  Probably gates opening and closing, thought Eddie, and the car was still again. They had entered a giant elevator that was taking them down below the ground. Despite the elevator’s speed the descent took a long minute. Eddie and Reuben could not understand why the car was standing still and what the muffled sounds they were hearing were. Even the slight jolt they felt when the elevator reached the bottom of the shaft did not signal out to them that they had been taken underground in what may very well be a one-way trip.

  The elevator doors opened, and the car started again, slowly maneuvering for a minute or two before coming to a halt.

  Eddie and Reuben were taken out of the car and through a winding corridor, along which were many closed doors and turns into other corridors. They still had their blindfolds on, but sensed they were advancing in a zigzag pattern along the corridor, with their shoulders brushing occasionally against the wall or a door. At the end of the corridor were two doors. Eddie was taken to the left room and Reuben to the one on the right. Once the doors closed behind them, the blindfolds were taken off for the first time in hours.

  They squinted in an attempt to shelter their eyes from the bright neon lights. As their eyes adjusted, they were able to notice the details of the room, which looked like an ordinary three-or-four-star hotel room: a large inviting bed with crispy white sheets, a bed cover folded diagonally, an elegant desk with an executive leather chair beside it, a green-shaded lamp on top of the desk, and a tall floor lamp standing in the corner. Over the bed was a gentle reading light and under that was a night dresser. A thirty-two-inch television set stood opposite the bed on top of a decorated chest of drawers. On the desk was a bottle of Perrier mineral water and two glasses. Under the desk was a mini bar. Eddie opened it and saw that it was empty. There were two doors—one leading to the corridor and one to the bathroom.

  Eddie went over to the wall and drew the curtains. To his surprise there was no window behind them. He went over to the opposite wall and drew the curtains there as well, but found the same thing: a windowless wall. The curtains were designed to give the illusion of a window and diminish the sense of claustrophobia of the person staying in the room. Eddie chose to leave the illusion intact, and drew the curtains shut again. He pressed the ON button on the TV set, and like in many hotels, a greeting to the guests appeared but in a slightly unusual variation: Welcome to Science City, Mr. Eddie Bartal, the caption read. Eddie picked up the remote and tried to change the station, but the greeting was there on every channel.

  Eddie went over to the entrance door and tried to turn the handle, but as expected, it was locked. He tried again, but his palm, sweating due to his state of stress, slipped on the stubborn round handle. He tried the other door, which opened, and found a spacious, well-equipped bathroom. Two large, thick towels were laid, folded, on a stainless steel shelf above the white tub. Near the sink were two medium size and two small towels. On a shelf above the sink was a Gillette shaving set, an Oral-B toothbrush, and red Colgate toothpaste. There was even a bottle of Drakkar Noir aftershave to complete the set. Clearly someone went to great lengths to ensure the comfort and satisfaction of the guest, just like in a fine hotel.

  Eddie sprayed some of the aftershave and a pleasant smell filled the room. Not my favorite kind, but better than nothing, he thought, smiling to himself in frustration. He threw himself on the bed and lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling in desperation. There was no clock in the room, and the TV did not show the time, either; he had no way of telling what time of day it was. If he could see through the walls, he would find Reuben in the adjacent room lying flat on his stomach with his face buried in the pillows and his eyes shut. Reuben did not even attempt to inspect the room. As soon as he was left alone, he tried to open the entrance door, and once he realized it was locked, he lay on the bed in despair without even taking off his shoes or clothes.

  The worst part was not knowing who had taken them, or what they were up to. The fact that they separated him from Reuben gave Eddie some indication about the line of action the abductors were taking, but he had no inkling of what they were after. Knowing Reuben for two years now, he wa
s more worried for him than he was for himself. Reuben was not made of the same tough materials as Eddie. In the army, Reuben served in the rear in a technological intelligence unit that was secret and prestigious, but did nothing to toughen his basic character, and Eddie was concerned for his resistance and stamina. He thought back to the first time they met at Udi’s pub, the night he was having doubts about his professional future.

  Chapter 12

  Ten stone steps led down from the street to the pub door. The dreary exterior was not very inviting, and the pub itself was quite small and relatively unknown. The pub owner, Udi, was the brother of Isaac, an officer from Eddie’s unit who had fallen in combat with terrorists in Lebanon. After Isaac’s death his comrades formed a special bond with his family. As months and years passed, the unit men and women were embraced by the family who bravely decided to keep in touch without pathetically imposing upon their dead son’s friends. Isaac’s parents would come every now and then for a cup of coffee, hoping to run into one of their son’s buddies. At times some of them would find themselves sharing thoughts and experiences with Udi’s parents that they never would have dared shared with their own. On the eve of every Memorial Day before visiting Isaac’s grave in the military cemetery, the family would hold a private, quiet evening at the pub for Isaac’s friends and loved ones, a night closed to the public and dedicated to the memory of their son.

  Udi made the lively pub, full of music and buzzing with the clamor of young people whose tongues have been loosened by alcohol, into a second home for Isaac’s friends whenever they came to the big city from all corners of the country. He installed a small, metal plaque with his brother’s name and picture and the date of his falling on the wall next to a casual hang out spot with rugs and cushions on the floor. This surreal combination between mourning and commemoration and every day fun was Udi’s special way of keeping his brother’s memory alive.

  On the night when Eddie came to the smoky pub, Udi was behind the bar talking with one of the customers and pouring a glass of whiskey on the rocks. Udi spotted Eddie as soon as he walked in, excused himself, and came over to greet him. The two men hugged in silence, patting each other on the back.

  “How long have you been back, brother?”

  “I just got back a few days ago.”

  “Welcome back. You’ll never believe who’s here—Ronit, your regimental medic. She’s a doctor now. She’s the one who worked on Isaac before they flew him to the hospital. She’s here with her husband sitting in your spot.” Udi pointed to the memorial corner. “Go sit with them. I’ll just finish watering this lot and join you.”

  Eddie knew Ronit well. She was the only female medic who was trained to be a doctor that was allowed to enter Lebanon after she had threatened to go to the Supreme Court with claims of gender-based discrimination. As soon as she got to the unit, beautiful, tall Ronit became an instant attraction for all the soldiers. All of a sudden, they became hyper vigilant about their health and found all sorts of excuses to visit the clinic. Eddie had little opportunity to see her during the three months she spent at the battalion since he spent most of that time deep in the field. Then Ronit left the unit for another year of medical school, and the percentage of soldiers suffering from head and back aches dropped miraculously. Since then, seven years had passed, during which Eddie only saw Ronit once a year at the annual unit reunions, to which she usually came alone.

  Eddie went over to the corner of the club. There on a pillow on the floor sat Ronit, holding her knees close to her chest, resting her chin on her knees and listening to the music that was playing. Next to her, sitting on a stool, was a clearly uncomfortable man with a bottle of beer in one hand and a fistful of peanuts in the other.

  “Good evening,” said Eddie, greeting them both and leaning over toward Ronit, who recognized him immediately and started to get up. “No, no. Don’t get up. Here, I’ll join you,” he said and sat down cross-legged on the pillow across from Ronit and shook her hand warmly.

  “I’d like you to meet Reuben, my husband,” she said. “This is Eddie, a commander from my unit.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Reuben extended his hand in a friendly manner.

  “What’s up?” asked Ronit.

  “Well, I’ve just returned from six months in Africa, and I’m supposed to start working. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. Not much has changed. I got my degree two years ago and have been working as a doctor in the infectious diseases department at the central Sharon Hospital. I finished my internship a few months ago, and now I’m one of the staff of doctors on the ward. Well actually, I’m the youngest and the lowest in rank there,” said Ronit modestly. “Reuben on the other hand has some news. He’s just finished his army service as professional major; he was an engineer in the Intelligence Directorate, and now he’s exploring some options. We decided to go out and drink to that, and what better place to do that than Udi’s pub?”

  “That’s interesting. I also came here tonight because I’m facing a big decision, and I needed to cool down for a bit.”

  Reuben joined the conversation and told Eddie about his service as a computer engineer and about the expertise he acquired in computerized mathematical applications. His unit in the Intelligence Corps served as a veritable breeding ground for the hi-tech industry, and many of its graduates went straight on to ride the wave and accumulate substantial fortunes and status quite quickly. Reuben, who had an impressive and interesting professional career, felt he was missing out on the possibilities that life outside the army offered and decided to leave and find himself a start-up, one that would take him to the peaks he had been reading about enviously in the pink economy newspapers. These papers were the ones that raved about the new hi-tech hot shots putting them on a pedestal. They were also the first to kick them when they were down as their visions fell through just like yesterday’s newspaper that found itself in the trash bin the very next day.

  “I have this idea, and I’ve been dreaming about making it the foundation of my own venture company,” Eddie told Reuben. “I was planning to work for a bigger company and gain some business experience before I put it into action, but the way things are looking now it might happen sooner rather than later.”

  “It has to do with biology, I assume?” asked Ronit.

  “Wow, kudos on your memory, Ronit! Yes, I got my master’s in biology about a year ago. Actually, my idea has a lot to do with infectious diseases—your area of expertise.”

  “Seriously? Then why aren’t you asking me to join you?” She smiled.

  “You’re already spoken for. By the hospital, I mean.” Eddie turned from Ronit to Reuben. “But I’d be more than willing to share my idea with you both.”

  “I can’t wait to hear it,” said Ronit.

  “It’s just an idea, and it’s going to take many years of research and development before it can be defined in specific terms. I don’t even know yet if I can patent it and protect it as intellectual property yet.”

  “Reuben also has some experience in biology. That is how we met. The army sent him on some education program in life sciences for some projects he was involved with, and I was a TA in one of his courses.”

  “You certainly struck gold there, Reuben,” said Eddie, smiling at Ronit. “And since you’re unavailable, Ronit, maybe I’ll ask Reuben to come work with me,” he said jokingly.

  “Let’s hear it.” Reuben was intrigued.

  Chapter 13

  “I’m sure you remember Amit, the team commander parallel to me,” said Eddie.

  “How can I forget?” Ronit laughed nostalgically. “Laurel and Hardy, stumpy and lanky, you guys were the funniest pair ever.” She told Reuben about the best couple of team commanders in the unit who would always fight one another to score the most difficult and complicated assignments for their teams.

  “Well,” Eddie continued, embarrassed by Ronit’s compliments, “Amit joined me on my trip to Africa.”

  “And where in Africa e
xactly did you go? Knowing you two I’m sure you didn’t go on a family’s trip to the Kenyan safari.”

  “You could definitely say this was not your ordinary African trip. After we climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, we headed west toward the Ebola valley.”

  “Where’s that?” asked Reuben.

  “In order to get there we had to fly to Kinshasa, Congo, which is located on the delta of the River Congo, which flows into the Atlantic. From there we took a tiny plane and flew back east about six hundred miles to a small area called Yambuku. We had to wait two days for the weekly flight to Bombe, the closest town to Yambuku. We flew in a twin-engine light aircraft that was more like an aerial taxi for six passengers. That flight at low altitude along the River Congo was an experience in itself. The whole area is covered in tropical forests and dotted with swamps, and from the air, you can spot groups of hippos and giant crocodiles. There are tiny little villages there with only hundreds, even dozens, of people living in each one. We landed in Bombe, a town south of the Ebola valley about one hundred and five miles from the valley itself. This town is the most remote place you can reach by plane from Kinshasa. There in Bombe, we had a Jeep waiting for us, and we fooled the car agency into thinking we were going to travel along the Congo River back west toward Kinshasa. In fact, what we did instead was drive northeast toward Yambuku.”

  “But wait—Eddie, why were you going there, and why did you have to hide your intentions?” asked Ronit, breaking in.

  “Because since the last epidemic was eradicated, no one is allowed to enter the area of Yambuku.”

  “What epidemic?” Now Ronit’s professional curiosity was intrigued.

  Eddie told them briefly about the epidemic that was first discovered in the monastery in the Yambuku area and about the difficulties in getting medical assistance from the West.