And they are back!

Since my last story (Dark Control) 4 years have passed:

Eyal is now a fine ER doctor but still very much active in the spy world.

Sharon is working for both Mossad and MI6 in conjoint missions and extreme extractions.

Victor is still Director of the Mossad with Rivka as his boss. They are both trying to ease the Mossad in a path of collaborating with world spy agencies… but still maintaining a certain "secret aura" around the Mossad ways of doing things.

Sandy (Victor's wife) is happily retired from the Mossad and a stay at home mother to their daughter and expecting a baby boy. She is sometimes recalled for special mission!

Kevin (Sharon's son) and Avi (Eyal's son) are both in their second year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty of Medicine. Avi deferred his compulsory military service while pursuing his academic studies. Both dabble as tech nerds at the Mossad under their parent's supervision.

Jonathan (Victor's son) and Marie-Pier (Sharon's daughter) are in their fourth and last year as linguist at University of Cambridge. Between them they are fluent in 10 languages. They are still active as junior spy but very much in demand to become full field agents. Eyal, Victor and Sharon have made sure it did not go more than simple information gatherings and exchanges, but the pressure is high for such promising candidates to join the spy ranks!

Ima (Eyal's mother) and Robert (ex-Director of MI6 and Sharon's father) are married and travelling the world. Robert's retirement is going just as he wanted… he is still quite active in the spy world!

Annie and Auggie are thriving at their assignment in London - COS - the president's senior intelligence officer and personal intelligence representative in the country where he and she are serving. It took them less than 24 hours after being offered the job to be back in the field. The COS job became their "official" NOC (Non-Official Cover).

And it begins...

Eyal splashed some very cold water on his face, closed his eyes and said to himself, "Spy life is a piece of cake compared to 48 hours nonstop ER duty!"

A nurse called "Dr Lavin, we have incoming wounded, where do you want them?"

Looking around, he asked, "How many?"

The nurse lifted her shoulders, "6, 8 maybe more, we are always the last to know!"

"OK Monic, emergency hallway, it's all what we have left! Get them or more 'park' them there. I'll put myself on triage duty!"

"Dr. Lavin, that is not your job…"

Eyal's temper flared "Monic, my.. our job is to do the best we can with what we have! Look around, I am the only one that doesn't have my hands in blood up to my elbows! I can coordinate the ER while doing triage, it's called double-duty."

Monic swallowed hard and turned around. Eyal realized his reaction was maybe a bit over the top.

"Hey, Monic, I'm sorry!"

"It's OK, it's not you, it's me. Pregnancy hormones don't do well under this much pressure!"

Eyal's face fell. "Monic, are you pregnant?"

"Yes, Dr. Tali just confirmed it and all hell broke loose before I could pull myself off duty!"

Eyal gently took her arm and guided her towards a maintenance room, closed the door, and spoke,

"Want you to make yourself comfortable, you're going to sit this one out! Monic, this is not the place for a woman that has tried for now more than four years to get pregnant!"

"Eyal, I'm pregnant not dying...and they need me!"

"Monic, I don't have time to argue, but I can do as I did with Misha…"

With a sly smile, Monic answered, "OK, I'll wait this one out…handcuffs are not my style. Tell Eileen to replace me… please."

"Good, that's more like it. To phrase a known actor, I will be back! We are going to talk!"

Eyal was off. They received only 6 more patients. The paramedics told him that they were the last ambulance. Two were DOA (dead on arrival) but their wounds were not ones of being caught in a mortar attack. Both had been shot in the heart, professional hits he thought to himself. The next two would need surgery. He looked at the surgeons available and was surprised to see that one of them was his uncle.

Calling him, he asked, "Uncle En, what are you doing here?"

"Eyal, I'm a surgeon… I'm operating!"

"You're finally retired, have been for now 6 months!"

Chuckling, Uncle En added, "I was asked and agreed to help for 48 hours! Not a first, not a last ... sadly!"

"Well, I have a guy that's going to need your services, you're next in line!"

"That's what I'm here for, get him to room 14!"

Eyal went on to organize the treatment of the other patient with another surgeon.

Before checking the two last patients, Eyal rapidly assigned his team of nurses and interns to tying-up-ends/clean-up duties.

"OK, last two, ready or not here I come!"

Approaching the stretchers, his heart skipped a beat! "It can't be…. Damn!"

Checking the vitals of both patients, it did not look good! The paramedics had put them aside signaling to the ER personnel that they would likely not make it. That is why Eyal had saved them for last!

Eyal stabilized them the best he could, covered them, and ID the bodies as DOA. Looking around and seeing all were occupied, he got them both to the morgue. He asked the doctor on duty not to touch or tamper with the bodies since IDF wanted to have a go at them. It happened often and the doctor did not find Eyal's demand strange. He had enough work as is!

Getting back to the ER, he joined Monic. She had taken a shower and was ready to leave.

"Hey, have a favor to ask… how would you like to dip in your old way of life and help another so-called retire spy!"

"Cause toujours!" (French for keep on talking)

Eyal smiled and silently said… "Once a spy always a spy".

"Look, I have two seriously injured friends, temporally "parked" at the morgue. Would need you to help me treat them plus get them out of here unseen and unheard of."

"Mossad?"

Eyal said no with his head.

"What agency?" Monic asked.

"Does it matter?"

"No but would like to know for whom I'm putting my career on the line for."

Eyal shook his head and said, "CIA"

"Damn, they are far from home! What in the hell were they doing in this war zone?"

"Monic, I know them well. I can assure you there is a somewhat logical explanation. They might just have stumble upon the organizers of this bomb attack and put their lives in the line of fire to stop it. It's their way. They are the no protocol type that work their agency usually for the better good of all!"

"My kind of people! Let us get to work, what do you need, Dr Lavin?"

Eyal smiled, "Call me Eyal… we are not on duty! Well, for what I need…. How does "everything but the kitchen sink" sound?"

"I get the picture, which morgue?"

"Room 003"

"Will meet you there as fast as I can. As usual, I bill Dark Control for the medical inventory for treating employees?"

"Yes"

Monic touched Eyal's arm, "Don't worry, they will be OK! They have the best to care for them! Plus, Mossad and hospital administration recently came to an agreement that you can do some "private consultation" if it's off duty, incognito and that you pay for the services."

"Not that side I'm worried about! You didn't read their vitals, don't quite know what happened to them but they were roughed up bad. At least no gunshot wounds, that is a lot harder to hide from authorities."

Monic went to gather the necessary equipment while Eyal called Sharon.

"Hi, love, would you be interested in an extreme extraction?"

Sharon laughed and answered, "Sadly, heard about the bombing and the numerous casualties. Want me to extract you from the ER? What do you want; the heli, Dark Control's jet or my wonderful family car?"

"Not me…. I have two CIA officers that need your special extraction experiences. Can't say more."

Sharon rapidly switched from wife to spy. "Got you, need life support?"

"Yes, for both. Sharon, it's a special case, ask Dave for help and get Sarai and our sons out of the turbulence zone."

Eyal ended the call and Sharon went into action. Clara, their nanny, was instructed to bring Sarai (Eyal and Sharon's five years old daughter) to their safe house. Plus, Kevin and Avi received words that tonight the safe house was also their home. She then asked Dave (their personal security person) to help her get their helicopter ready with medical equipment and the needed stretchers.

Eyal becoming a doctor had upped her extractions duties. She was, on occasion, called in for extracting and caring for Mossad spies who were in under the radar missions that had gone bad. For special cases, Mossad had provided them a safe house with upped security. For treating the injured spied, they had a mini hospital. The installation was not visible to the human eye and did not interfere with their family life. All in the household knew about these special quarters, were read in on a need-to-know basis and accepted this as a way of life.

At the hospital, Eyal and Monic stabilized their patients, gave them the necessary blood transfusions, and waited for Sharon.

Monic spoke, "Eyal, you need some sleep! You've been here for now more than 48 hours. Those two will need constant care for the next 48-64 hours… you're not up to it! You must ask for help!"

Eyal massaged his face with both hands, "Yes, I know. Called Victor, he'll be calling upon another doctor to assist me. I finally gave in and accepted that I sometimes can't do it all."

Victor arrived at the hospital and Monic escorted him to Eyal.

"Victor, Eyal is dead on his feet. He is not up to treating those two. One is presently in an induced coma for his brain to heal. The other will need constant supervision. Both are in critical condition. Please don't push, you know Eyal, he'll say yes!"

"Monic, thanks for your concern. I know our man well! How long was he camped here?

"A bit over 48 hours, no sleep, constant casualties, and he was the coordinator of the ER team. Our big boss is tending to his sick mother."

"Ouf! Monic, it goes without saying that you do not report anything of what went on here."

'Victor, I'm not a rookie! Been doing double duty for what seems like a lifetime. But must admit, love working with Dr. Lavin. He's the best I've encountered. Victor also must tell you that I'll be taking a leave of absence. I just learned that I'm pregnant!"

"Congratulation! I'll hold on to that good news… sure this situation is going to get worse before it gets better with those two CIA operatives! Any idea how they got injured?"

I don't have a clue. Wasn't there went they were brought in. Eyal, having learned of my pregnancy, quarantined me!"

Smiling Victor nodded and said, "Good man!"

Victor met up with Sharon, who had just arrived. Both were anxious to see who the two CIA officers were.

Pushing the door, they both said, "Annie and Augie,…. WTF!"