The weather was chilly and overcast that afternoon in mid-February, 2012, in Marrakech, Morocco, where in a small tavern off a busy market place set two agents, one CIA and the other, Mossad. These two men had work on several covert operations and had become close allies, they would talk but remained guarded. There was only so much trust these men could have between them as spies, but more than anyone else.
CIA agent, Jai Wilcox was drinking some tea that he had added a little something to, "You sure you don't want to give a little to lift to that drink of yours"
Mossad agent, Eyal Lavin shook his head no, "I haven't cultivate a taste for that stuff from India. And, by the way, I need to thank you. Taking the blame for shooting Fouad Saeed sure save my ass from sitting in some DC jail, that was personal mission, not Mossad sanctioned. "
"No problem Eyal, I take it your shoulder healed fine. Glad you killed that SOB - Fouad Saeed should have been a CIA target anyway. "
"Yeah, I was surprise that he wasn't and my shoulder is good, thanks."
"Guess killing Israelis isn't top priority for the CIA." Jai taking a long slip of his doctored tea, "I'm glad we are meeting, I need to tell you something I've been working on. I call it the 'Big Dipper', it involves Arthur Campbell, Director of the National Clandestine Service of the CIA."
Eyal raised his eye brows and winked his forehead, "Sounds like you treading in some dangerous waters. You sure you want to go after a big dog?"
"I have some information that he is being paid off by Middle-East oil money with connections to some terrorist cells. I'm getting close on several fronts." He took another drink and reached into his pocket and retrieved a flash drive. Handing it to Eyal, "I have received treats."
Eyal taking the flash drive from Jai, "Do you know from whom?"
"I think so, a group called 'Goupil', an old French word for fox. Goupil is an independent group of assassins for hire. They are a well organized unit located in Tipaza, Algeria and financed by oil funds, mainly by Isaac Al- Fakeeh. Also a rouge cell of the FSB, that identify themselves with a tattoo that looks like the Big Dipper."
"I have heard of this group but know very little of them, they are almost like banshees in the night."
"Look, if anything happens to me, get that drive to my father, he serving Federal prison time right now in Virginia but stills has a powerful reach." Jai looked off in the distance at people milling around in the street, thinking before he spoke again. "Christine Kaufman is the person you need to contact, she is my father's trusted collaborator within the CIA."
Eyal looking the flash drive, than shoved it in his pocket, "Christine Kaufman, huh, I have heard that name before but can't place where. It will come to me at some point. Question is, do you trust her?"
"My father trust her, so I guess I have to also. I went to see him in prison the other week, he is a different man - I think for the better."
Eyal smiled at Jai, knowing their past history had not been smooth sailing between father and son. "In the mean time, anything I can do?"
"No, just make sure my father gets that drive."
It was now mid summer - hot and Eyal was glad to be leaving Tel Aviv. He found his seat in first class, placing the briefcase he had on the floor under the seat in front of him, sat down, stretched out his long legs and hope the empty seat next to him would stay unoccupied. He watched as the boarding passengers file past him, seeking out their assigned seats. Good, no one had stop beside him to claim the other seat. Usually, he is a talkative individual with strangers on an airplane but this trip was out of the ordinary, he welcomed the pace and quite.
Once the flight was at cruising altitude, Eyal pulled out his briefcase and open it, sitting the case on the empty seat next to him. There were several files and he picked up the two files on top of the pile. Just before leaving Tel Aviv, he had requested these two records and this was the first time he had a chance to review them. The first report was on the death of Jai Wilcox, and the ongoing investigation by Washington DC police, the ATF and the FBI. Eyal had wanted to go to Jai's funeral but was on a mission Africa that he couldn't get away from.
Eyal open the file and starting reading, Jai had been killed in car bombing as he started his car in the parking lot of a diner. List of witness were there as well as their statements and one of the eye witness flagged Eyal's interest, Anne C. Walker of The Smithsonian Institution.
Under his breath Eyal uttered to himself, "What the hell was she doing there." He continued to review the file, trying to find any reason why Annie would be a witness, her statement was she had met Jai Wilcox for coffee that morning, they had mutual friends." Eyal put down the file, and looked out the window at nothing, what was missing? As he returned to read again the ATF report, he realized there was not CIA investigation - no acknowledgement that Jai Wilcox was with the CIA.
The next was the dossier on Christine Kaufman, he open it and looking at her picture, remembered where had heard the name. Oh yeah, Chris Kaufman the beautiful women with the crystal blue eyes. He had worked with Christine Kaufman in Switzerland on a case involving weapons technology stolen from US and Israel. He remembered her as being very creative, intelligent, and one hell of a kick ass agent.
Eyal starting reading her file, she was born 1960 in Amsterdam, moved to Tel Aviv with her parents as a child, relocated to United States at 18 with her family - Joseph Kaufman, her father, was in the Israeli diplomatic delegation attached to the Embassy in DC. She attended Georgetown University, majored in Political Science, received a Law Degree from Harvard and later joined the Department of Defense in Military Intelligence. She was attached to the Royal Air Force in Yorkshire, England with joint operations in intelligence and covert operations. Recruited by Henry Wilcox on a joint operations with the CIA while in India and he persuaded her to transfer form Military Intelligence to the CIA. She joined the CIA in 1995 as a field agent and quickly moved thru the ranks. She is now the Assistant Deputy Director of the CIA.
Eyal thought to himself, 'so this is Henry Wilcox's powerful reach - and powerful she is.'
His flight landed at Baltimore Friendship Airport, and waiting for him was an old acquaintance, Chris. Eyal tilting his head to the side, "Chris Kaufman, Chris is it really you, after all these years." he reached over a gave a gentle hug.
"I couldn't believe my ears when Jai told me to notify you if anything happened to him. Last I heard, you were in some eastern bloc prison on a life sentence for espionage."
"Just doing my job and that the thanks I got. Seems like there was a fire one night, they lost several people." He had that amazing smile and sparkle in his eyes, like he was the guilty party for the fire.
"Delighted you survived."
"Life takes many different turns, I must have found the right one because I'm here." He spotted a lounge and tap Christine on the arm, "There is a cafe across the way, let me buy you a drink." Eyal leading her to a nice lounge in the airport terminal. They spent a few hours talking about past experiences and people they had known in Tel Aviv. They had gone to the same high school and had some to the same teachers - small world.
He past the flash drive over to Christine, "I am saddened for the circumstances in giving you this, Jai was a good man."
"How well did you know him?"
"I had some history with Jai Wilcox and have meet Henry Wilcox. You see I save Jai and a reporter working with a Tel Aviv newspaper when they were caught in Iran. The reporter was one of our assets and Jai was her CIA contact. Also Jai and I had a mission to take out Abdoul-Haziz Eman, leader of a Libya terrorist cell in Israeli. He was a good man, I was stunned to hear about his death, although he knew his life was in danger."
The two had one more drink before parting ways, Christine headed back to DC and Eyal to catch a flight to London and his next mission during the Summer Olympics - sweet assignment.