Chapter 2

Eli David was not a man to be toyed with or to be kept waiting. However, Schmeil's phone call summoning him sounded urgent and surprisingly desperate so he came. Now, here he was pacing the floor in his Mossad, Tel Aviv safe house wondering what problem could there possibly be that would require a man of his stature to be summoned by someone like Schmeil. Truth be told Eli David was not a fan of Schmeil's. He hated the way the man easily floated between being a Mossad agent and being a studious scholarly professor, this was always quite irritating to him. Why wouldn't the man just choose one life and live it. He couldn't understand how one could quash the fire and adrenaline that the life of Mossad offered and just return to ancient, stuffy books, and quiet, solitary libraries. But alas, Rivka adored him, to her he was a kindred spirit and a like-minded person that also dwelled in her husband's world. Someone she could relate to. To be honest, Eli knew the only reason he tolerated the man and didn't assign him to a suicide mission was because Rivka's relationship with him was so important to her that he didn't want to see her hurt. Never mind the fact that the little bookworm seemed to know all his "transgressions", and in thinking of his former 'transgression", Orli Elbaz, his agitation with Schmeil increased. She was another woman in his life that fell under the "Schmeil Affect". She too saw him as a kindred soul and they had also become very close friends. It amazed him how the man was actually a very good friend to both of them while never betraying either one.

He sighed as he thought about Rivka, so happy and beautiful when they'd married. Accepting his life in Mossad with a smile and warm heart. Her response to his month-long clandestine missions was always "You are who you are and that's why you do what you do. I love you, just come back home to me". As he stood gazing out the window, he thought about how Rivka was his solace from the brutality of his job. She was so full of love and life. She'd accepted the situation with Ari without batting an eye. She'd said "He is not responsible for how, when and why he was brought into this world. I will love him as my own, because he is part of you and I love you." He'd never seen someone so good and pure. Someone who believed the best of the world, someone who believed the best of him. Feeling weighted with memories he sat in the overstuffed chair, leaned back and closed his eyes. He thought of how he'd never thought he would see the bright light of life go out of her eyes or the warmth of love go out of her smile, but then and again he never thought she'd have 3 miscarriages. After the first one, she'd smiled through her pain and tears and said, "It was God's will, we'll try again" and they did try. Again, and again. But after the second and third miscarriages there was no smile through the pain, just tears. Uncontrollable tears. Never-ending tears. He sighed heavily as he remembered, how as a man used to masking his emotions, he was too ill equipped to give her the emotional support she needed. So, she'd turned to books to escape reality and to Schmeil for human friendship. As for him, he'd turned to Orli Elbaz.

Whenever he found himself thinking of her he couldn't keep still. It was as if by physically moving about he could escape the wave that drowned him when he thought of her. Now he found himself pacing the floor and visiting memories he no longer wanted to remember. Orli knew him better than he knew himself. When she'd first come to Mossad from the IDF, she'd been partnered with him to learn everything there was to know. She was eager, impressionable and a quick learner. Her skills were unparalleled. There was no officer that could best her in firearms, hand to hand combat or espionage. She had a natural way of gathering intel, and dispatching enemies that was eerily fascinating. Orli Elbaz was essentially a female version of himself. Their affair had been brief but intense. He told himself that she was an opportunist, just using him to get ahead but deep down inside he knew she'd loved him and in his own twisted way he'd loved her too. She'd always had his back no matter the situation and he could always count on her. He had looked to her for the balance he needed in his life. Where Rivka was comforting, loving and graceful, Orli had been passionate, strong, and ferocious. With a heavy heart he recalled his passion for the young, dark curly haired Mossad officer. He would miss her but having a trained Mossad assassin as a mistress was not a good look for a man on his way to being the director of Mossad.

With a sound so quiet, an untrained ear would have missed it, Schmeil, entered the Safe House. Although, Eli stood with his back to the door, there was no doubt that he knew the older man had entered the room. As he turned to face him, the displeasure of being summoned was evident on his face and Schmeil braced himself for the usual wrath of Eli David. Although, Eli towered over Schmeil in physical height, the seasoned agent had an assurance and air about himself that stated quite clearly, he was not and nor, would he be the least bit intimidated by the likes of Eli David. However, he also was no fool and he knew just how dangerous this ambitious man was. Schmeil knew that their usual antagonistic sparring of words would not suffice for the conversation they would be having today. He would need all his confidence and cunning to get Eli to see things his way. Today they would have to put all their differences aside for the welfare of the beautiful baby waiting in the car with Corrie Bodnar.

With an almost invisible sigh, Schmeil continued into the living room and sat down on the couch. Because he knew the ego of the man, he knew Eli would interpret the gesture as antagonistic but right now he was tired and didn't care. Looking at Eli, he could see what his two best friends saw in the man. His presence exuded authority and machoism, and the intensity of his eyes could make you feel secure in his loyalty. With these attributes in mind both women had on more than one occasion commented on how irresistibly sexy they found his dark exotic looks. But Schmeil saw something in the man that neither of them could or would ever see and that was the dark sinister pit of his soul. Schmeil had been on enough missions with Eli to have seen the evil beast unmasked and freed of its constraints. He'd seen firsthand how he took too much enjoyment and pleasure in the torture and assassinations required of the job.

With weariness in his voice he looked up at Eli and said, "Have a seat, we have much to discuss" and before Eli could protest Schmeil, raised his hand to stop him and said, "with the things I must tell you Eli, you will probably be better off sitting than standing." As he lowered himself back into the overstuffed chair, Eli reassessed the sudden tiredness of the older agent and concluded that this issue must be of vital personal importance for it to have such an effect on Schmeil.

In his quiet but firm manner Schmeil, began, "Eli, I have known you since your days in the IDF, and God knows I know you better than you think I do. Unfortunately, I also definitely know more about you than I am comfortable with. So, before we have this conversation, I need to tell you, I will be doing the talking and you will be doing the listening." Eli jumped to his feet and before he could speak Schmeil interrupted him by saying "Your plan to kill Orli Elbaz has failed."