Eyal turned over in bed, not wanting to acknowledge the fact his cell was buzzing away on the night stand. It's been days since he has even seen a bed and now he was stretch out in a one, sprawled between silky soft sheets in a cozy, comfortable and all the wonderful adjectives you can think for a bed to get some much deserve and needed sleep. Maybe if he keeps his eyes closed and pretend not to hear the buzzing it would go away. Oh good, it has stopped now back to sleep.
Not for long, buzz... buzz...buzz...buzz. The only way to make it go way was to answer the damn thing. With foggy eyes he read, Annie Walker. Sitting up fully awake he answered but his voice was hoarse and crackly, the grogginess he could not hide.
"Annie."
"Eyal hope I'm not interrupting anything important but I need your help." Annie thinking he was with a woman from the sound of his voice in mid-afternoon.
"No nothing Neshema. What is happening?"
"I'm in Frankfurt and about ready to go off grid. I need to fake my death." Annie being quickly to the point, no time for being nice or politeness.
"Did I hear you correctly? You know what that means?"
"I do and that's way I need your help. Where are you?" The tone in Annie's voice was of dead seriousness, monotone in fact, not the usual mixture of expressive tones Eyal was so accustom to hearing from her.
"Would you believe Mainz? Do you know where St. Leonhard's Church is?"
"Yes."
"I will be there in an hour."
"I'll be waiting." Annie disconnected the phone.
There was no need for him to even try to talk her out of the huge step she was about to take, one she may never come back from. All he could do is be there for her, to aid her in any way he could and faking death had been something he was accustom too - he as experience. Arriving at St. Leonhard's Church there sat Annie waiting, she looked ragged out, a look of desperation on her face, a last-ditch effort for something important.
"Hey beautiful." Eyal with a cheerful note all the while knowing there was nothing cheerful about what was going to happen.
"I'm sure you have heard about the crap with Henry Wilcox running amok in the CIA." Taking Eyal's hand, holding tight, as if grasping for dear life to the one person she could always depend on.
"Just bits and pieces but did hear Arthur Campbell had a son that Wilcox was responsible for killing."
"Teo, yeah and he isn't stopping. I'm now the target."
Her words of being a target hit Eyal violently, how could anyone want to kill Annie unless she being the better spy of late was treading to close to CIA's corruption. He nodded with genuine concern for her life and the willingness to do whatever, "You have a plan."
"Henry Wilcox's ex-wife, Sana is in Geneva and I believe she holds the key to bring him down. I need to turn her against Henry but not as Annie Walker."
"You are a marked woman." For Eyal, those words were uncomfortable to utter much less acknowledge the truthfulness - a marked woman oh how cruel.
"They have tried a few times to take me out."
Annie eyes were piercing dark - isolated, gone the sparkle, the dancing life that twinkled so brightly. Eyal could feel her ongoing nightmare burn in his flesh and all he wanted was to keep her safe but that couldn't be.
"And how is you support system back home feeling about your move?"
"If you mean Auggie, not good at all - down right against it. There is a new kid on the block, Calder Michaels my new handler. I spoke with him this afternoon. Tonight in an elevator there will be a shoot out and I will die."
"You know you will truly have to die for this to work. Wilcox's men will be watching and testing."
"That's why I called you. How to fake a death without leaving the world forever." Annie forcing a diminutive smile trying to make light of the circumstances.
"A drug you will have to administer without being seen. You will flat line and timing will become so critical. If you, without any doubt want to go through with this, we can make a plan. I have the drugs, both the one to flat line and the antidote."
"Tell me what you have in mind."
"A tiny pin under the bottom of your watch band with the drug for putting you out. When you get shot and hitting the floor make sure your wrist hits hard to administer the drug. Let me see your watch."
Annie handing him her watching and watching him. "You came prepared."
"I knew I couldn't talk you out of this so yes, against my better judgment, I came prepared." Handing the watch back to Annie, "Do not put it on until you a ready to be shot, don't run any risk of accidentally injecting yourself."
"Okay." Annie inspecting the watching carefully.
"Look here and don't smile, I need to take your picture." Eyal taking three pictures of Annie. "I'll have a hearse ready to pick you up and like I said, timing is critical."
"How long do I have."
"That my dear Neshema you do not need to know. Just know I'll be there for you with the antidote."
"You've been there before haven't you? In the cold I mean without any ties."
"Yes I have and Annie you are about to find out just how good of a spy you are. It is only you and your wit out there and it can get truly ugly. You know how to get in touch with me but I can't help but so much for your own safety. Too many people at CIA know our connection and from this point on, trust no one."
"But you."
"Okay, only me but no one else. You are going to be so in the dark it will be terrifying and you'll have the greatest notion to reach out but don't, it's your life."
"I have to go now and thanks for not trying to talk me out of it."
"I know you to well Annie, it would have been a waste of my good breath. Remember, I'll be there for you." Eyal gently touching her face and smiling, giving her reassurance for what is about to go down.
The hours flew by, Eyal had things to do, clothes of buy for Annie and he knew her size. He has always been good at guessing women's sizes and Annie was no different so his first stop a ladies casual wear shop. She needs to blend into the woodwork so everything in dark colors. Stay away for bright, a dark gray pull over, charcoal color lightweight jacket and black jeans. A couple changes of underwear now that should take care of that part.
On to the next store, a good quality leather shoulder bag just the right size to carry what she needed but also for her to travel light. He wasn't much in the mood to buying these items knowing the reason. Having been there himself he knows what she would need but still hated being the one helping her to lose what he dearly loved the most in Annie, her empathy. Can't worry about that now, he has more stops to make.
The bank for cash and setup a blind account for her to draw on, he would make sure it stays funded for her needs. His guess is the CIA would provide no backing, much to dangerous; he was becoming her only life line. Next to a shady cobbler he knew, a temporary passport until she could establish a more suitable one.
"I can have it complete in an hour. An American and what name?" Oscar was asking Eyal.
Eyal giving the cobbler a picture of Annie he had just taken and smiles. He was amused at himself for the thought of being the person to give Annie a new name even only temporary. The first name to pop into his head was of the first American girl he met back in high school. A cheerful friendly blond from Vero Beach, Florida and part of the foreign student exchange program. Eyal had dated her a few times and liked the American, a care free spirit, much like Annie.
"Jessica Matthews." Eyal wrote the name on a note pad. "You don't remember anything." Eyal slipping him an extra hundred.
Leaving the cobbler, he passed a candy store with imported chocolate. A little something sweet in her bag so when the realizing fully hits her, a small piece of chocolate for comfort. Looking at his watch, time to get moving he still needed a hearse and pick up Annie's new ID.
Parking down the street and waiting for the call. Eyal was uneasy, too much could go deadly wrong but all he could do now was wait. Reading thru the Mossad folder he prepared on Sana Wilcox, familiarizing himself with the information he was going to give Annie. Picking up another file, this one on Henry Wilcox. He wanted to know all the details about the man Annie was so hell-bent to bring down. Reading the file, his heart started to tighten at the hideous acts this one individual had perpetrated on others. People he knew to be close to Annie and now understanding more the drive for her to go dark. The stillness of the night came with a jolt of his phone, the call for a body pick up.
Backing the hearse to the service entrance, Eyal watch a man raise the sheet covering Annie and checking her neck for a pulse. It took every ounce of fortitude not to step out of the hearse and snap the asshole's neck but he had a mission - bring Annie back to life. He went through the motions, signing the release papers, and helping with loading the decease into the back, close the doors and drive away.
Three blocks down the street and with time ticking away, Eyal pulled into an alleyway and with a small bag, climb into the back. There Annie lay, so peaceful looking but her new life was about to start. Eyal injecting the antidote and with a sudden awaken, Annie setting up, gasping for breath.
"You look terrible." Eyal with a half-smile and delighted the antidote was given to her in time with only minutes to spare. All he wanted to do was hug his dear Neshema that she had survived the first hurdle but held back from acting on his passionate emotions.
"I feel terrible." Annie trying to become acclimated to her surroundings. "We're here alone...It worked."
"After all the times we've had, how could you have any doubts?"
"I never had any doubt." Annie with her wonderful smile, "I trust you with my life."
"Clearly." Eyal with a reassuring smile and tilt of his head, he opens the door, the symbolic opening of a new life; one he knew would forever change Annie Walker.
Helping Annie out of the van, she was unstable on her feet, still wheeling from the deadly drug that flat lined her into a convincing death for Wilcox's cohort to be satisfied she is dead.
Eyal with his strong arm around her waist to steady her, "Not so fast girl, take your time the world can wait a bit longer."
Annie leaning against the side of the hearse, "I'll be okay, just give me a second."
Eyal making sure she could stand on her on, reached in the front of the van and retrieved the leather bag for Annie. Handing it to her, "So you have a change of clothes, money, a temp ID until you can cement a new one, and a Pesek Zman."
"A what?"
"It's Israeli chocolate."
Turning back to the front of the van, Eyal pull out a file, "And this is the Mossad file on Sana Wilcox."
"Mossad? I thought you quit Mossad."
"Why would you ever think that Neshema." Eyal being light about his staying with Mossad but yet, at that moment was so regretful for not tell her how Rivka had persuaded him not to quit but remain with Mossad and even gained a promotion.
"I bet you never even got on a boat, did you?"
"I never even got out of Europe. Mossad is not very big on vacations. So this is really the end of Annie Walker?"
"Yes."
That simple yes and the fear crossing Annie face, she was beginning to comprehend the gravity of what Eyal had told her, the dreadfulness of being in the dark. He could feel her having some second thoughts. He wanted to say there was still time for her to turn back but he held his words, choking them down and instead he with the warmth of a caring soul placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Then it gives me great pleasure to be the last one to ever tell you this. You are an amazing woman Annie."
"I can't thank you enough." Annie with a look of total admiration for him, boarding on deeper feelings from their longstanding friendship.
"Thank me the next time. Whoever you'll be."
She could no longer maintain the formality between them, grabbing on to him with a hug she melting in his arms. Eyal holding her close, not wanting to let go, to let slip away the woman he has watched grow from a greenhorn fresh off the farm spy into an equal, a master spy if you will. Knowing all the pit falls she would face and not being able to help was tearing him apart.
Stepping back, holding her at arm's length, "Go." He tilts his head, giving his approval the best he could at the moment, to send her into the realm of darkness and danger. Annie hesitates for a second, maybe having a last word to say to him but instead she turns and walks away.
"Good-bye Annie."
The pain was great, he watch her disappear down the street knowing her going dark would forever change her as it did him. His 'Good-bye' was not to the physical person of Annie Walker but the inter person the beautiful soul of caring for other people. The kind-hearted angel that could see the good in all people even in the worse of the worse. Gone would be the wonderful full body laughter or her playful tags at him, the quips that so often amused him.
Eyal turned back to the van still thinking of the vanished Annie. Being in the dark would harden her, turn her once warm loving heart to ice. The emotions that drove her to help others against all odds would become void, replaced with indifferences. He so well knew that void and the heartache that goes with it - the long nights of loneness without the closeness of love ones. The killing, yes the taking of another's life would be second nature without any feeling of sorrow.
Once being in the dark himself and after years of being a breathing robot had his heart started to melt its ice barrier and feeling again the joy of being attached to someone as amazing as Annie Walker. Now, only to be the trusted friend to aid in her walk on the dark side and how he loathed the idea. Annie reached out to him and as in times gone by, he would be there for her, to help or pick up the pieces.
"I'll be there for you Neshema - always."