Darkness has fallen outside but the interior of the tavern section was occupied with the evening meal, chatter and friendly laughter. Eyal eating and keeping a watchful eye on Annie and others, hoping to see some glimpse of their target. He looked out the small window to the courtyard to see it well lighted but the street side was dim, only one underpowered light from the side of the exterior wall of the inn gave off little brightness.
The meal coming to an end, some of the customers were beginning to leave, a couple walked toward the courtyard entrance when Cimon and Annie also stood to leave but not to the courtyard but to out on the street. Eyal followed.
Once outside, Cimon and Annie stopped beside the rental car that can't run and exchanged a few words, not loud but strong - Annie was objecting to something. Eyal walked by never glancing at the couple and kept down the street to the edge of the inn wall where a gate opens to a narrow path leading to the inner courtyard of the inn. Leaning against the wall, he took out a popular band of Turkish cigarettes and lit one, remaining there to enjoy the highly aromatic smell of his smoke and his right hand resting on his cold steel side arm.
Annie said something rather sharp, threw up her arms and with an unmistakable resolve expression on her face and quickly walked away, leaving Cimon standing there. She was hastily walking in the direction of Eyal when Cimon came trotting after her. Annie had just passed Eyal when Cimon caught up to her, grabbing Annie by the arm and whiling her around with pointed words of irritation.
Without hesitation Eyal stepped forward and with a smooth shift, snapped his neck. Instantly Annie grabbing Cimon to keep him from falling to the ground, Eyal slipping his arm around the man's waist and Annie pulling one arm over her shoulder they were able to hold him upright.
"Sweet move Neshama."
"Hello Eyal and not too bad yourself. You are growing a beard. Almost didn't recognize you but for those tantalizing eyes." Annie was beaming with delight.
"I have a reason for the growth." Eyal chucked, "Keeps my face warm."
"Our room is just inside the courtyard." They moving the through the gate and starting down the path that ran beside the inn and an abounded vegetable garden the fruit trees in back.
"Our room? What's with the OUR?" Eyal questioning Annie.
"Cimon registered us as husband and wife, saying it was a cover."
"He might have had other ideas. Where is your room."
As they entered the courtyard there was a group of guest sitting on a bench, taking in the cool night air. "Over here Eyal." The room was directed across from Eyal's room and under the second level walkway.
The guest didn't notice the two dragging the third to the room or if they did, figured the poor soul had one too many, which is normal in a rural area - boredom.
Dropping Cimon on the floor next to the bed, "Sorry Annie I think your husband is going to a little limp tonight."
"Funny."
Eyal pitching the prayer beads on the dead man's chest, "Hope you enjoy your seven virgins."
"You think that will be his reward?"
"No. Now tell me where is our target?"
"But first." Annie slipping into Eyal arms that automatic held her tight and with a passionate kissed, "I've missed you."
"And I also my Neshama." He caressing her neck and slowly letting his hand slip over her chest and around her back. Nuzzling his head in the curve or her neck, "Oh how I've miss you." Nibbling at her earlobe.
"I going to play the strong one now, we have a job to do." Annie backing away from Eyal.
"Kill joy." Kissing her quickly again, "So tell me the set up."
"She is in the room directly above us, guarded by one man, maybe two."
"Have you had eyes on her?"
"No. Maybe I can entice one of the guards to step out of the room and you know the rest."
"Like your idea Annie or we can go in like Rambo with guns blazing." Eyal knew which plan it was going to be, guns blazing wasn't Annie's style.
"Rambo is out but being on the safe side, hope you have a gun for me."
"Always." Eyal pulling the gun from his back and handing it to Annie. "Deep breathe now - you ready girl."
"Ready." Leaving the lower room, they saw the courtyard empty - good. Climbing the stairs to the second level, Eyal motioned for Annie to stand on the left side of the door as she knocked.
In Arabic, "Who's there?"
Annie speaking in English, "It is Annie, Cimon needs help."
The door bit by bit opens and a barrel of a semiautomatic rifle pokes out. Eyal with a hard jerk pulls the rifle and man out of the room and with his pistol cold cocks the man beside the head, knock him unconscious as Annie enters the room with gun drawn. Eyal bending down, kicking the rifle away and once again snaps the man's neck. Checking behind Annie as he enters the room, Annie fires off a shot hitting another guard coming out of a back room.
Eyal stepping over the now dead man and pushing the small revolver away from his hands and Annie taking a place beside the back room door. Eyal would be the first in with Annie following and there they found a dreadfully frighten Mina Mustafa tied to a bed.
In Arabic Eyal in a soft low voice, "Don't be unset. I'm with Mossad and she is CIA, we are here to get you out."
Tears were streaming down her face and as Annie untried her, she found burns on her wrist. She had been tortured. Annie showing Eyal the burns, Eyal asked. "Are there any others?"
Mina trying to find her weak voice mumbled, "One other."
"A black hair guy with a square jaw, he is dead." Eyal helping her to sit on the edge of the bed, "Can you stand?"
Nodding a frail yes, Annie was there with a scarf to cover her head. Both helping her to stand and gingerly moving to the outer room.
"We'll take her to the gate and you wait there. I've a car down the road out of sight, and guess what, its gray."
"It there any other color in your choices of vehicles?" Annie joking as the eased down the steps and out to the path leading to the street.
"Be back pronto with our chariot." Eyal running down the street and vanishing.
They were on their way south, Annie and Mina in the back with Eyal driving. Mina still crying softly as she was in pain from beating and electrical burning torture. Annie holding her close was trying to comfort her as they drove through the night. The next hurdle to overcome was crossing the check point at the green line but Eyal being prepared, a case of Scotch in the trunk.
They made to pier 58 without any more trouble and Annie with Mina Mustafa was on their last leg of their voyage. Yoav Gabai was waiting for the arrival of his passengers. Warmly greeting them, he showed Mina to the deck of his small merchant marine cargo ship.
"You not coming with us?"
"I can't Annie, not yet. My leaving Mossad was rather abruptly and Rivka wasn't all that happy. I never did an exit debriefing - hell you know how I hate debriefing." Eyal holding her at the waist.
"Were are to going now."
"Back to London. When you are finished in Tel Avi, join me in London. The weather is cold and snowy, maybe not Christmas but let me give a holiday weekend with all the trimings. I'm sorry I missed Christmas with you, maybe this will make up for it."
"I'll be there." They kiss and he watched her walk up the gangway and board the ship. One last wave, Eyal turned and walked into the night.
She only could stand at the rail long after watching Eyal vanish into the darkness of the night. Annie's heart joyful in being with him again but broken at their parting. Would this be the norm for them, only fleeting interludes and why always interference. She truly loved that Israeli; a smile crept across her lips, yes she would be in London for Valentines and with her one and only love.
"He is your lover."
Annie surprised at Mina joining her at the railing, "You speak English."
"A little. The language of love is universal, I could tell it by the way he looks at you and how you glow when he is near."
"Yes he is."
"Like Romeo and Juliet" Mina whisper sweetly.
"More like Lancelot and Guinevere." Annie giving Mina a warm embrace around the waist as both women watched the darkness engulf them as the engines churned, pushing the ship out to sea. Next stop Tel Aviv and on to London.