The next morning and Eyal was up early, showered and rummaging around in the kitchen to find something to eat. He had been gone from Tel Aviv for over two months, imbedded in the Qumar splinter group, a small but well trained and funded group that had planned a series of small attacks into the southern part of the Golan Heights, the heavy's populated area.
A stop at the market would be on his to-do-list. Finding breakfast cereal bars and coffee, well that would have to do. A quick check on Annie, she still being asleep, he sat down to his breakfast and hot coffee at his home computer and placed in the flash drive from Mujahid. Date, times and connection to the funding source and the larger group of al-Qaida that was organizing Syrian rebels and training them. Camp locations and leaders names.
Reading the intel he knew it had to get to CIA quickly but without him being attached. Annie was running silent on her mission and he also knew he would have to let Auggie know she was hurt and recovering. Not really trusting Auggie with receiving the intel and keeping quiet about him, Eyal decided to put the intel on the information sharing network between CIA, Mossad, MI6, the French DGSE and the Germany's BND. Maybe not the best way but since he had almost exterminated Mujahid's small army the immediate threat was gone.
Next Auggie, hoping the lost dog web-site he had setup with the rescue of Annie from the Russian prison was still being monitored by Auggie and maybe since she was in Israel he would. Great the site is still active and there was a current message, 'Blonde collie moving to new neighborhood and may try to return home. Keep a look out.'
Eyal chuckled, Auggie back to being over protective but he wonder if Annie even knew. Eyal wrote, 'Lost collie found but at the vets. Two weeks before return to owner.' Okay all that business taken care of and to wake Annie.
Fixing her a tray of ho-hum breakfast and picking up another bag of saline he walked into the bedroom. She was just opening her eyes and looked at him trying to focus. "Eyal?"
"Right here Neshema. How are you feeling this morning." putting the tray down on the nightstand.
"Oh have I got a splitting headache and my body, well it could be a lot better." Annie lifting her hand to touch her forehead and trying to smile at Eyal.
"You have a slight concussion that's why I'm keeping the room dim. Bright lights will only aggravate your condition." Eyal going about changing the saline drip bag and check the needle and drip rate, slowing it down as she no longer needed the rapid fluid. Her lips not showing signs of severe dehydrated.
"Must have happen when the asshole slammed me to the floor. Hit my head pretty hard." Annie taking another look around the room. "Where are we?"
"My apartment. Sorry for the bland breakfast but I haven't been home in months. Let me have a look at your wrist."
Annie holding out both arms to him and even that movement was painful for her. The bandages were a bit bloody and he would change them after she had something to eat. Helping her sit up in bed and handing her the tray, "You need any help?"
"No, I think I can chew on my own."
"Good, you haven't lost your wit." Eyal pulling a chair next to the bed. "You eat and I'll talk."
"Okay." Annie picking up one for the breakfast bars. The breakfast experience was going to painful but necessary.
"Got the intel from your flash drive out on the wire. Some damn good information on it Neshema and still you being in Israel is not known.
"I need to check in before they send a search party after me."
"I know about you and always checking in. It's taken care of. The communication link Auggie established back during your Russian stay is still active. He knows it is going to about two weeks before you return to Langley. I can only hope he thinks and not show up here in Tel Aviv."
"At one time he would but I don't think so now." Annie taking a second bite of the bar and slipping coffee. The coffee was hot and it felt good going down.
Annie words did not go unnoticed by Eyal, he mused things had cooled between them, timing is everything and he was waiting his time.
"I've a few stops to run today, stocking up on food being one and the other is my dreaded trip to headquarters for debriefing, you know how I hate debriefing. My mission was a success and now I have reports to finish but nothing like the paperwork the CIA mandates."
"I'll be fine here."
"I know you will. I've called in reinforcements and she should be arriving soon with a pot of chicken soup. My mom is on her way and delighted to help you. I called her last night."
"I can't put her to any trouble. It's not fair."
"And she would be awfully hurt if she couldn't help. Wait until you meet the Jewish Florence Nightingale." Eyal was saying over his shoulder as he was leaving the room to answer the knock that came on the apartment's door.
"Imah" (Hebrew for mom) opening the door for his beloved mother. It is well-known that Jewish mothers can squeeze the breath out of their child with hug and Mrs. Lavin was different. She was loaded down with a tote stuffed with whatever and a thermal carrier that held chicken soup and Eyal knew Annie was going to get some great mothering. Dropping both on the kitchen table it was now time for her to hug her second born.
"It has been too long since I've seen that handsome face of yours." Safta Lavin grabbing Eyal firmly in a loving hug. "You are thinner now."
"Gam ani ohev otach Imah." (I love you too Mom) Eyal kissing his mother on the top of her head.
Safta being a short woman with curly snow-white hair cut short and framing her face attractively with the same dark eyes that she has passed to her son, so caring and sparkling. She was trim and her hands were graceful, a musician's hands and she did play the piano. When Eyal called her Florence Nightingale he wasn't joking, she had been an intensive care nurse for close to forty years and one of the reasons Eyal went to medical school.
"Where is our patient?" Safta seeing the blanket and pillow on the sofa smiled, her son the gentleman.
"In the bedroom trying to choke down a breakfast bar."
Safta reaching in her tote for a small zip bag with ice in a single serving cup of Greek yogurt, "This should help make the bars go down."
Not waiting for Eyal she finds a spoon and off the meet the American Eyal had brought home. "Hello dear, I'm your nurse for today, please call me Safta."
"Good morning, I'm Annie." Looking up the see Eyal's mother and her smile, the same smile she saw during Christmas on a younger version of Eyal, the smile of Avi.
"My grandson has told me about his trip to America and spending a holiday with you and your family. He quite enjoyed his visit, said he felt right at home and loved the food, gifts and merriment. Now here is something to help with any feeling of being nausea and I'll brew some tea with ginger." Safta went about helping Annie with her breakfast. "If you feel up too it after breakfast we'll clean up a bit and I get fresh sheets on the bed."
"Avi is a wonderful young man and I wish we had spent more time together but he was in a whirlwind mode to see as much of America as he could."
"And his report for school earn him a top-level grade."
"You are okay Annie." There was no need for him to ask, Annie and his mother seem to hit it off.
"Fine now. Go do what you need to do." Annie with a smile to Eyal and sluggish words, yeah she was fine, hurting like hell but fine.
"I should only be gone for three or four hours. Anything special I can get for you?"
"Some of that American ginger ale for her to drink and fresh pineapple to help with the bruising and healing." Safta making suggestions.
"You Annie, anything you want." Eyal standing in the doorway.
"Some of Dr. Jaria's pain medication."
"You remember anything about last night." Eyal with a half chuckle.
"No why." Annie looking at him inquisitively.
"I now know that most cats are left pawed and that priceless piece of information will surely come in handy the next time I meet a cat."
Safta starting chuckling, "Israeli morphine injection and a free pass to a night in euphoria, including hallucinations and all."
Annie tilting her head to Eyal, "You saying I was high."
"As a kite. Look I've got to run and see you good ladies later." With a kiss on his mother's cheek and a pat on Annie foot, he was gone.
Sitting in the chair Eyal had pulled next to the bed, "My son tells me you met a few years back and became friends. That delights me as he is such a loner. Always has been even as a teenager. A mother understands what a child does not say."
"He has such a charming personality hard to understand him being a longer."
"Oh he is a charmer alright but do you really know what he is thinking. His father would say when Eyal was in one of his quiet moods that he's meditating on whether a flea has a belly-button."
"No. Now that you have mentioned it, no I don't know what he is thinking but he seems to read my mind quite well." Annie delight for this time with Mrs. Lavin, maybe learning a little more about Eyal.
"It is a gift he has since being a small lad, he calls it his sixth vision. When my daughter Sarah was born he knew my labor was going to start four hours before it started. Now my Sarah was a beautiful child and Eyal took to being the protective big brother of her..." They chatted aimlessly about families, Israel and America while Annie worked on choking down her breakfast, it was hard for her to swallow and feeling a little queasy.
Safta changing sheets on the bed, nice fresh smelling sheets and helping Annie back in bed. "Sleep now my dear and I'll wake you for lunch. Some chicken soup the Jewish answer to penicillin."
Mossad headquarters wasn't a bad place for Eyal to visit and that was about all he did was just visit went his job mandated it. There were the friendly chats with people and a few to telling him of the latest gossip, a quick stop by the logistic department and a quick rundown on his movements. Fran Goldman, an American transplant and always happy to see him, they had natural chemistry between them and he had chalked it up to just plain bad luck she was married.
The logistic department was a maze of work-stations cubicles for field agents to use when in Tel Aviv. Logging on to the network computer with his code, Eyal started his report, much was answering direct questions before his actual written summary. A one on one debriefing would happen later. There, submit and close, Eyal now ready for a snack break and tea. As he was standing Fran came over to him.
"Rivka would like a word with you."
"Wow that was quick. I just finished my report and ready for a break."
"Don't think it's your report but she is in a cheerful mood." Fran walking away from Eyal to catch-up with another agent.
"You wanted to see me?" Eyal tapping on Rivka Singer's door.
"Shalom and close the door."
"Before you start I have this for you." Eyal pulling the flash drive from his pocket, "It has some decent intel on it and already on the hot line."
"What is the source."
"A CIA mole in Qumar kind of left it behind." Eyal knowing she wasn't going rest with that answer.
"There is more to this mole story than meets the eye and possibly involves Lisa Kingman."
He knew it, facial scan came back with Annie Walker aka Lisa Kingman. "She was in Israel for a simple brush pass from the informant, the mole being untrained was followed to the drop point where he turn a chicken shade of yellow and ran but not before throwing the flash drive at her. She was kidnapped, beaten rather badly like really heavy-handed abuse before I could get to her. Somehow she grabbed the flash drive and I don't think she even knows I have it."
"This wouldn't be a reverse trickery CIA is trying to pay us back."
"No way Rivka, she had no idea I was imbedded in Mujahid's organization and it was only by chance I saw them when she was brought into the compound."
Rivka buzzing for her assistant, "Get this to intelligence geeks and verified ASAP." Handing the flash drive to Levi.
"So now tell me, where is Lisa Kingman?" Rivka with her smirk of the woman who know all.
"In a safe place recovering."
"Alright, she is your responsibility and the nice part about it is the CIA will not be making inquires as she isn't suppose to be in Israel. When will they ever learn how tight we cover our borders and airports."
"Come on Rivka, you know good and well they believe CIA is superior to Mossad." Eyal shifted in his chair as he had a favor or two at ask. "Now that I'm baby-sitting I'm going to need two weeks leave."
"Granted."
"And a passport to get her back into the US. I seemed to have blown all her ID up with Mujahid's compound."
"No trace of her?"
"None. Also there is a Jaguar that needs to be stolen, cleaned and burned near Rosh Pina or the Heights."
"You have the keys?"
"Of course not. Need the team to pick it up today, back of my building." Eyal standing as he was terminating the debriefing and going to bypass the official one.
"Why is it when you go on a mission there is always complications and clean up."
"Because I'm that good. I would do my own clean up on this one but I have a baby-sitting job to get to. Drones could have taken out Qumar compound but you need me to bring back vital intel. Am I making my case?"
"That you are. Check back in two weeks. I'll have her travel package ready."
Leaving Mossad and Eyal pleased with himself, it went a lot better than he thought it would knowing Annie's entrance into Israel had signal red flags and glad Rivka waited for him or did she? His guess was no and Joan Campbell denied any knowledge of the whereabouts of Annie Walker. Okay, now to the market and home.
Mid-afternoon and Eyal loaded with food supplies and a different type of pain killer, more of a sedative, he not going to take another chance with morphine and Annie. Safta was sitting on the sofa reading a book and looking up at him with her warm motherly smile, "Shush... She taking a nap."
Safta following Eyal into his kitchen. His apartment was a spacious one bedroom with a first-rate kitchen. Safta had always though he purchased the place just for the kitchen as he loved to cook, it was relaxing for him, along with his music. She knew the gentle side of her son, the little boy who would bring hurt stray animals home and nurse them back to health. In her heart she was disappointed he left medical school but understood and supported his decision. Comforted him during the heartbreak of his wife leaving. How other people saw Eyal as the charming but aloft man was the protective Eyal and not the son she so well knew.
"You didn't forget the pineapple. It will help with the healing of her spleen. She is such a nice person you are very fortune to have her as a friend and she in you."
"Mutual aid from time to time. She does trust me and I'll never let her down." Eyal with his mother's help putting away the supplies.
"Your neighbor and my friend Mrs. Meisel came by to visit. Thank heavens Annie was asleep. She wanted to know when we could start planning the celebrations."
"What celebrations?"
"The wedding what else. She is trying to marry you off." Safta was chuckling at the thought of her now confirmed bachelor son getting married. "Said this is the first time she has seen you with a woman and she had started having her doubts."
"She is such a yente." (Yiddish - busy body and gossip)
"Yes she is but you know if you were ever in town and I or Avi had heard from you I am to worry."
"Imah I'm a grown man, no need for you to worry about me."
"It is a mother's right. After all the pain I had bringing you into this world."
"There you go again with the guilt. Abba told you I was an easy birth, three hours of labor and you with an epidural." Eyal giving his mother a quick hug before checking on Annie.
Safta followed Eyal into the bedroom and putting her arm around his back at the waist, they looked like Mutt and Jeff, he standing at six-two and she stretching to be five feet. "She has such a noble soul and kind heart. How long will she be here?"
"Two weeks for recovery."
"Wonderful, than I have more time to get to know her. I'm sure when she feeling better Avi would want to see her again. She made a solid impression on him."
"She has that way about her. A heart full of joy and empathy."
"Have to run now. There is more chicken soup and she likes it. If you need me call and I will be hurt if you don't."
"I shall and thank you."
"No thanks needed, that is what family is for. Love you son." And Safta Lavin blowing Annie a kiss and left. She left a happy woman because he saw something in Eyal's eyes she hadn't seen in a long time and being with Annie was the reason. She was going to visit some more, get to know Annie and take pleasure in Eyal's happiness.