Chapter 4

I put my head back on the seat and thought about how my father and Ari became close friends.

Years before in Egypt…

"Papa, can we ride a camel?" asked Niko.

"I want my own camel," I begged. Being Niko's twin sister didn't always mean we shared everything.

My father was a US Army liaison officer with the Egyptian Army. My mother, brother, and I lived in Germany but for two weeks we were vacationing together as a family in Egypt. During the evenings, my parents were entertained by high-ranking government and military officials. On the weekend, an outdoor affair included Niko and me. Proper behavior had been drilled into our minds so as not to embarrass the parents, US Army, or the United States.

Niko and I were 13, but I entered puberty early and was already 5'9", slender, athletic, and growing a womanly figure. Niko was several inches shorter. Men looked at me with more than casual eyes. My parents kept me close.

On our last day in Egypt, I came down with a stomach ailment. My mother decided to sleep with me while Niko slept with Dad. Apparently sometime after 0200, several people snuck onto the hotel floor, killed the two guards outside our hotel suite door, and entered. They came directly to my bedroom. My mother was killed and I was drugged and carried away. My father and brother heard nothing.

I awoke disoriented and extremely nauseous. Somebody was wiping my face. I was restrained. A needle prick in my arm was followed by a burning feeling. I wanted to cry out but fought the urge.

"I'm sorry, my dear, I had no idea you were so sensitive to the drug." The accented voice was unfamiliar. When I opened my eyes I saw a middle-aged man, medium-dark complexion with dark hair and silver streaks on the sides. Still unsure why I couldn't move, I looked and saw shackles on my wrists and ankles.

"Do you need to urinate?"

I shook my head hoping it would mean being released. Instead, he slid a bedpan under me, "Begin." I was mortified.

"Begin or I will put a catheter into your bladder." The term meant nothing to me but my shy bladder still wouldn't release. I quickly learned about a catheter.

Once nausea subsided, he began feeding me broth. After only a few mouthfuls, he took the broth away, "Not too much to start." He then turned back to me, "My dear Vassiliki, I regret to tell you on your way to the airport there was a horrible auto accident. Your father, mother, and brother were killed. You received a head injury and have been in a coma for weeks. Since you have no other family, I will take care of you now."

My mind swam in circles. I didn't remember a trip to the airport. And who was he? My father's family was from Kythira, Greece, my mother was from the Caribbean island, Martinique. Was this a cousin or uncle? Why was I shackled in this dark room like a prisoner? This wasn't a hospital. Something was wrong, very wrong. I pulled on the restraints hoping they'd release.

"You are restrained because I did not want you to get up and move around when you didn't have your mind. If you settle down and cooperate with me, you will be richly rewarded and live a luxurious life. In my culture, women must obey men. Never refuse to do what I tell you. I don't ask, I tell. If you refuse in any way, you will be punished. Do you understand?"

I shook my head no. It wasn't that I didn't understand; the broth was coming back up. I vomited just as he slapped me across the face and left me in my filth.

When he returned, he was in a foul mood. After harshly washing my face and shoulder free of the vomit, he pushed the catheter aside and raped me. I couldn't stop yelling as I felt like I was being torn apart. Finally, he put his hand over my mouth and nose. I passed out.

When I came to he was redressing himself. "You will accept this as your responsibility as a woman. I will not be generous next time and cut off your air. The more you fight me, the worse it will be for you."

In the dark and stuffy room, time had no meaning. He came to feed me, tend to my personal needs, and sexually molest me. After learning exactly what constituted a refusal, and how painful the consequences would be, I became more obedient. With obedience, came more freedoms; the overhead light remained on for a few hours but time meant nothing. Also, I could move around the room, though one leg remained shackled to a chain attached to a post. At least, I had access to the toilet and sink. Unfortunately, he insisted on bathing me, which included more molestation.

A small table and 2 chairs sat near the bed. Meals were irregular, according to my stomach. Sometimes, it seemed as if I just ate, other times I was ravenous when the food arrived. Every meal he sat and watched me, making sure I ate everything. He also tutored me in Arabic. At first, he spoke to me in English, French, or Greek, but eventually only in Arabic and expected me to answer in the same language. I had to learn to read and write the language and was given regular exams. Failure to answer correctly or study hard was an infraction resulting in physical punishment. The more he punished me, the more he sexually molested me.

I had been there for what seemed to be an eternity and failed to note I had stopped menstruating. The whole monthly routine was somewhat new, so its absence was a blessing. After taking urine and blood samples he announced, "You are going to bear a child." I had no idea what he was talking about. Adult married women had children, not me.

Papa took Mama's body back to the US to be buried. Niko was enrolled his son in a private school near West Point Military Academy where Papa's friends in the Army could look after his son. Papa returned to Egypt for look for me. The US Army, as well as the US government, had been trying to get the Egyptian police, military, anybody, to continue investigating Mama's murder and my kidnapping. After six weeks, the Egyptians insisted I had been sold into the international sex and slavery trade and could be anywhere in the world. The authorities had no leads. One police officer seemed especially frustrated. "I don't understand Lt. Col. Christofondodoulous, there are no leads on your wife's and the guards' murders or your daughter's disappearance. Nothing."

Finally, the Egyptian government insisted Papa leave the country. The day he was forced to leave, he found a card in his jacket pocket. He did not know where it was from or when it came. On one side, it simply read: Mossad. When he turned it over, it directed him to a cafe in Cyprus five days in the future.

-0-

It was a sunny, humid day. George Christofondodoulous sat sipping his Greek coffee at a seaside cafe near Trinity Beach on the east side of the island. Dhekelia, the British military base, was nearby. Though in appearance very much a Mediterranean, George stood out, not by his military uniform as he wasn't wearing one that day, but by his size. He stood 6'5" tall, muscular, looking more like a football player, which he had been at West Point, and had maintained his fitness over the years. Ever observant, George watched everything without being obvious. He figured the busboy clearing the tables would be his contact and indeed he was. The busboy cleared a nearby table and spoke in Greek, "Colonel, we can find your daughter. Nod if you wish us to begin." George nodded. "We'll be in touch, go back to Germany."

George gave a tiny affirmative move and remained in his seat until the busboy disappeared. Trained in intelligence, George knew how to wait and remain calm. After a while, he rose and left the cafe, returning to Germany.

Several weeks later, George was returning to his Heidelberg apartment in the late evening when he found the busboy from the Cypriot cafe sitting in his living room. The Colonel knew his locks were up to date, but this apparent Mossad agent knew how to get through them.

"Good evening, Colonel, I am Elisha. I bring news about your daughter."

George sat down opposite Elisha and with a careful voice hiding the enthusiasm in his heart he asked, "What information do you have?"

"Through our network, we feel your daughter is still in Egypt being held captive by a high ranking official or family member. We've determined the clamp down on information is not coming from the government or police. The police are frustrated and the government is embarrassed. They are trying to minimize public information. The official who told you she had been sold into sex slavery had been ordered to tell you that by his superior. The superior got his orders from someone outside of the police, someone with authority."

George's eyes grew cold, "Military or civilian?"

"Sir, we have our suspicions, but as yet uncertain," Elisha said calmly.

"And the reason for the kidnapping?" though George already suspected the answer.

"She is young and very pretty. Most likely, she is being held as a sex toy or maybe being groomed to be a wife. Worst case, she will be groomed for an operation to glorify their god."

The Colonel felt ill. It was bad enough thinking of his 13-year-old daughter being forced into sex, but it was a thousand times worse than she might become a pawn in the growing urban warfare of proxy bombing, forced to wear a bomb vest in a public location.

"Why is Mossad involved?"

"That I cannot tell you."

George nodded. He didn't have a right to know. "What do you want from me in return?"

"Believe me, sir, when I say nothing. We already know you support Israel and our democracy. You do not flop in the wind depending on your current administration. All we ask of you is to remain steadfast in your belief in us."

"You'll want something in the future."

"Maybe, maybe not. We hope you remain in the Army and continue to be our friend. You'd be ashamed how many of your officers swing back and forth on the question of Israel's right to independence. They are protecting their careers depending on various executive administrations."

George had seen this as well. The US's only ally in the Middle East had been treated poorly by several administrations in the name of oil or human rights. They conveniently forgot Israel was constantly under attack, from within and without, since its inception by groups whose only aim was to finish what the pogroms and Holocaust couldn't. The Jews wanted to live in peace, something denied them for centuries. They did not rely on worldwide handouts; they were innovators, self-sustaining and indeed leaders in medical research and development. Surprisingly, they were a technical powerhouse second only to the Silicon Valley in California.

Elisha hesitated, "Colonel, how cooperative is your daughter?"

"What do you mean?"

"The more cooperative she is, the better her chances are to survive."

George groaned openly. "She is very independent but does respect authority if she finds it just."

Elisha looked concerned then nodded. "Headstrong?"

"She's an adolescent female." Saying more seemed superfluous.

"Hopefully, she has learned discretion."

-0-

I was aware my body was changing. My breasts were becoming tender and not just from the man's constant manipulation. The sexual assaults continued; however, my moods became crankier and I was punished often.

One afternoon I awoke suddenly; I was sitting at the table studying Arabic and had fallen asleep. As I stood to make my way to the toilet, I was seized by horrible pain. I fell to the floor, gasping, and began crawling to the toilet. My legs were bloody, my menstrual cycle had returned. What did that mean? Would the man be mad? I had no concept of miscarriage.

I was bent over at the sink, naked, washing my legs trying not to whimper in pain. The man entered the room and grabbed me from behind. His hands were exploring my anal regions as he rubbed himself over me. I was horrified and stood quickly, lashing back, "'Ahbadaan, never," I screamed. Finally, I released my seven years of martial arts training, lashing back with my elbow into the man's nose and ribs. Propelled by hormones, pain, fear, and the disregard for my own life, I continued to lash out but forgot about the ankle shackle. With a tug on the chain, I lost my balance and fell backward striking my head on the floor. Though dazed, I felt the man kicking me about the head and chest. I lay on the concrete floor grateful he had left the room. I may have dozed briefly but was jolted back by the sting of a whip tearing into my back, shredding my skin. I tried to scream but my mouth wouldn't open properly. Soon vomit filled my mouth and throat and darkness returned.

I awoke and saw the man on the floor, just a few feet away. His head was twisted at a strange angle. Two men were washing out my mouth very gently. Any movement caused incredible pain in my face and jaw. Then one ripped the bed sheet into long bands and created a sling for my jaw. The rest of the sheet was gently wrapped around my naked body. The larger of the two men picked me up and carried me in his arms to a waiting vehicle. Other men stood guard with small arms weapons. Pain encompassed me. The larger man handed me off to the second man who had already crawled into the vehicle. I wanted to sleep, maybe the eternal sleep. Sensing this, the man holding me said, "My name is Ari. We are taking you to your father." I wasn't sure if he meant my earthly father or Heavenly Father.

Motion, darkness, occasional lights and overwhelming pain swam around me. Any sudden movement made me groan but the sound was muffled by the man's large chest, arms, and neck. The motion stopped and was replaced by metallic sounds and ocean smell. Lights passed my eyes, one at a time, marching from my toes over my head and then I was laid on a metal table. I whimpered as much from pain as fright.

"Vassi, I am Doctor David, you are safe now."

My mind cleared a little...he said "Dah-veed" instead of "Dav-id."

"Mossad" I mumbled through my jaw restraint.

The doctor looked surprised, "Yes".

Daddy said Mossad is the best.

Present….

The G650 jet sliced through the air on its way to Israel after refueling in Canada. The hum of the engines and air passage was muted by exceptional soundproofing.

"Vassi, we confirmed your suspicions in Syria. I don't know how you figured it out. "

That's what I do Ari, I watch and listen."

He chuckled, "You make it sound so easy."

"It's easier with Mossad's help. I'm always grateful for your support."

"As we are with yours and your family's. Pretty loyal for non- Jews," he smiled.

"You saved my life. It's a debt I've yet to repay."

Ari looked over with deep sadness in his eyes, "And now I ask you to give it back. A large-scale invasion would lead to global conflict. If you can expose the facility and the suppliers, block transmissions while others destroy the facility then millions of lives will be saved."

"I hope the seismic reports are correct. It will be one heck of a ride without also causing an earthquake," I answered.

"If the team fails to get everything into the deep underground tunnel and you fail to block their transmissions before the proper time…"

"May the winds blow to the north or east," I sighed. One slight miscalculation and the team and I would be vaporized along with whoever was ever in the area. Up until Alamogordo, I didn't really care if I came out of this alive. Life held no happiness, only painful memories. Now I had a reason to live, Pierre. It wasn't fair!

-0-

(A/N: I know nothing about computer hacking so no pitchforks and burning torches please. Go with the story…..it's fiction, remember.)

Dallas

"Silvio" was Ranger's only greeting when they met in the hotel room not far from Dallas-Fort Worth airport.

"Ranger, I'm sorry to disturb your vacation, but this is critical," Silvio apologized.

"Where do we stand?"

"Ranger, thanks to VC we are secure again...for a while."

"How long have you been working with the Colonel?" Ranger asked as he sat down at the room's table opposite Silvio. Tank sat on the bed.

"She was my commanding officer in the MPs and later in Intelligence. We were there at Billabong bar. When I left and came to Rangeman, I lost track of her. One day, I was trying to gain very secret information for Rangeman by breaking through military firewalls. Suddenly, I was shut down. The whole system went blank. Before I could panic, my private unlisted phone rang: it was VC. How she knew my private number, I don't know. She chewed me a new one, worse than you Ranger. She told me one more step and the Pentagon watchdogs would have me by my nuts and destroy Rangeman."

"Was she one of their watchdogs?"

"I thought so at first but she offered to be my eyes if I needed to get into super-secret locations or do the research herself."

"Did she explain what you did wrong?"

"Yeah, she did," Silvio hung his head slightly. "I was searching at the same time as she was, and she saw my attempt. She recognized my old algorithms from the Army. How she shut down my computer and found my private phone is beyond me."

"She must have one heck of a computer setup," Tank added.

"Yeah, she can't tell me but what I've read about others who surmise its capacity, it is beyond imagining."

"Do you trust she's not a spy?" Tank asked. This was not the time to let personal feelings get in the way.

"I trust her and believe she's a spy on OUR side."

"So how does this affect us today?"

"Someone has been assaulting our firewalls. I've been able to stop most but some were getting mighty close to breaching. That's when I contacted VC for help. She said she saw some old code used by the FBI years ago so she didn't think it was THE FBI, meaning anyone current. She suspects it is someone with decent computer skills who worked with the FBI in times past. She gave me the most confounding programs I've ever seen to shore up and seal the firewalls. They are way beyond my understanding."

"So are we secure now?"

"The firewalls are secure; however, she said Rangeman Trenton is bugged."

Tank reacted quickly, "That can't be. We sweep daily. How does she know?"

Silvio rocked back in his chair chuckling, "We used to call her The Ghost. She could get places and back out without leaving a disturbed electron."

"What do you mean?"

"Electronic fingerprints such as a little bit of code left behind or a spy program set up to watch hackers."

She also said the other offices are bug-free. Ranger, our detection stuff is good, but not the most up-to-date. Newer bugs, newer masking techniques are always coming online. She's sending me security updates and suggests you leave a few building bugs in place and feed false information to whoever is listening."

"That means someone is a spy."

"Yeah."

"We have several new guys and the contract workers." Ranger couldn't help but think about Stephanie.

"Don't discount someone who has been with you for years. Situations change, someone may be holding a grudge all this time, or is being blackmailed by someone else," Silvio warned.

Tank was going through the roster mentally, "So really, it could be anybody."

"Yes."

"Will Hector and Manuel know how to use her updates?"

"No, you'll have to let me come up for a few days to work with them. Good thing my cousin in Newark is getting married."

"Is this a legitimate story or do I have to start laying the foundation?"

"We don't need a cover story to get past the spy. Do you want to come to the wedding?"

Ranger smiled, "I'll pass. Some in your family wouldn't appreciate me being there."

"It would make an interesting wedding, though. Old grudges die hard in my family."

"You would think me hiring you and setting you up in Miami would soften their hearts towards me," Ranger huffed.

"They aren't convinced Rangeman isn't a higher level gang and you finally trapped me," Silvio chuckled. "It's not like we walk around in corporate suits. We still are armed."