Brian Freemantle - Deaken’s War

And for which his wife had suffered. He knew that was how she regarded it, from his leave in Moscow. It would take a long time for them to reestablish the relationship they once had had. But he would do it, he determined; she was so beautiful, so loyal. Maybe he had been wrong expecting her to make the sacrifice for his career. He didn’t think she would feel that way for long when she saw what it meant for them.

The route was crowded, as he had found it the first time, but today he drove without impatience, actually admiring the scenery. It was prettier than anything around Moscow; even the hills in springtime, after the snow went. He had heard that Sochi, on the Black Sea, had a climate like this. Perhaps he would be permitted to go there as part of the reward. She would enjoy that.

Levy was expecting him, coming from the house as soon as he saw the car.

“We’ll talk afterwards,” said Suslev.

“All right,” said the Israeli. “Why the newspaper?”

“It proves the date.”

“I’m glad it’s being done this way.”

“I decided it was better,” said the Russian easily. He remained in the car, hunched down in his seat, as Karen and Azziz were brought out into the garden at the side of the house and posed with the copy of Nice Matin held before them. Levy took two Polaroid pictures, plucking them one after the other from the camera and watching them develop.

The South Africans had a more elaborate camera, with a telescopic lens, and they managed four exposures before the driver, frightened of discovery, said, “OK, that’s enough,” and drove on.

There was a communal table, as there had been in the farmhouse at Rixheim, and the Israelis gathered around it for the final briefing from the man they knew as Underberg.

“Everything is going as planned,” he said. “It’s going to be a perfect operation.”

There were smiles and nods of satisfaction. Leiberwitz said, “How soon?”

“Two days, three at the outside,” said the Russian. “That’s why I wanted this meeting. We’ve got to move to the next stage now.”

“Getting the stuff into Israel?” said Levy.

Suslev nodded. “Which normally would be impossible,” he said. “But I’ve found a way.”

There were more smiles.

“I’m calculating that the freighter will get back on the thirteenth; the excuse for returning, officially, will be engine trouble,” he said. “All its documentation is in order so there’ll be no need for customs examination. I’ve hired two lorries. The ship’s crane is sufficient to offload what we want. I want it put into the lorries, to convey the impression that we’re going to try to move the stuff by road.”

“How is it going to be moved?” asked Greening.

“I’ve chartered a smaller freighter,” said Suslev. “The Marriv. It’s docking on the twelfth. We just use the lorries as carriers to transfer from one vessel to another and then sail up the Mediterranean to Haifa. I’m calculating five days for the voyage, but it’s not important because there will be contact ashore. In the customs department at Haifa there’s a friend, Hanan Cohen-his parents were among the first to be thrown out of Hammit. Now they’ve no business, no home, just some paltry compensation. When he hears the Marriv is approaching, he’ll arrange to be on duty. Everything will get straight in.”

“Do we all sail?” asked Levy.

Suslev nodded. “It’s the obvious way to get back,” he said. “When you disembark in Haifa, I’ll be waiting.”

“It sounds remarkably simple,” said Kahane admiringly.

“It is,” said Suslev with a grin. “Like I said, it’s going to be a perfect operation.”

“How about the exchange, the boy and the woman?” said Levy, immediately aware of the concentrated attention upon himself.

“Nothing can go wrong here either,” said Suslev. Succinctly he explained how the return was to be made, in a way to protect all of them, conscious as he talked of the tension forming among the men.

“That entrusts everything to Levy,” complained Leiberwitz.

The Russian frowned. “Levy’s in command; that was the arrangement we made before we left Israel.”

“I don’t think he should be any longer,” said Leiberwitz, making an open challenge.

There was no place in any contingency plan for these people to argue among themselves and Suslev felt a spurt of uncertainty. “Why not?” he said.

“I don’t think he’s impartial any more,” said Leiberwitz.

“Nothing is going to endanger our mission,” said Levy. “We’ll get the weapons as we intended-and we’ll stage the protest as we intended.”

“What about the woman?” demanded Leiberwitz.

Suslev saw Levy flush, and began to understand.

“You’ve heard the arrangements,” said Levy tightly. “She’s returned, like the boy.”

“Why shouldn’t she be?” said Suslev to Leiberwitz.

The huge man sneered towards Levy and said, “I’m not sure he’ll be able to part with her.”

Suslev made a quick assessment and decided that the situation didn’t present a danger to his plans-as a distraction for them, it could even work to his advantage.

“Well?” He looked questioningly at Levy.

“It needn’t concern anyone in this room,” came the reply. “It’s not going to cause any problems.”

“Was it wise?” Suslev said, feeling he should be seen to take some position.

“I don’t have to account to you or anybody else,” said Levy, tight-lipped.

“What about your wife?” said Leiberwitz.

“That’s my business,” snapped Levy. The flush had gone; now the man was pale with anger.

The Russian looked round him trying to gauge the feeling of the other men. To Levy he said, “Do I have your promise this won’t end stupidly?”

“You don’t have to ask me that!”

“I think I do.”

Levy hesitated, then said, “Yes, my promise.”

To the rest of them Suslev said, “Shimeon has been involved in this since the beginning; it’s as much his action as it is mine. I’m not interested, morally, in what’s happened-only that nothing interferes with the success of the operation. I’m prepared to accept his assurance.”

Levy relaxed slightly.

Only Leiberwitz had spoken in open criticism, realized Suslev. Deciding to take the risk, he said, “Should there be a vote on it?”

“Yes,” said Leiberwitz at once.

“In favour of Shimeon remaining in command?” proposed Suslev. He raised his hand as he spoke. Kahane and Sela responded immediately. Katz hesitated and then he came out in favour. Seeing the direction of the feeling, Habel finally raised his hand in support.

“Against?” said Suslev.

Leiberwitz and Greening voted simultaneously.

“Shimeon remains in charge,” said Suslev.

“It’s a mistake,” insisted Leiberwitz.

“The matter is closed,” said Suslev.

But the tension between them increased when Suslev asked to be left alone with Levy for the handover briefing. The Russian produced a map to ensure that Levy knew the identity of the place, then passed over the keys and a photograph of the villa where the boy was to be left.

“It’s miles from anywhere” said the Russian. “No one will find him accidentally.”

“I don’t like the idea of abandoning him like this,” protested the Israeli.

“There’s a good reason.”

“I understand that,” said Levy. “And it’s good. I just don’t like the idea of leaving him.”

“If Azziz is sensible, it’ll only be for an hour or two,” assured the Russian He left the Sisteron villa thirty minutes later, the developed proof in his pocket. The internecine squabbling was a definite advantage, decided Suslev. Not that he was taking any chances. There was a freighter called the Marriv due in port on the twelfth. There wasn’t anyone in Haifa named Hanan Cohen, though. It didn’t matter; he was sure they wouldn’t think of double-checking. There was no reason for them to do so. They trusted him.