Greg Iles - The Spandau Phoenix

nuclear partnership, and stated that he had personal knowledge that

there were some in the South African defense establishment who had

anything but Israel's best interests at heart.

The writer claimed he believed that Israel might actually be in danger

of a nuclear attack, and that the best line of inquiry for us to pursue

was with a South African defense contractor called Phoenix AG."

Natterman caught his breath. After several moments, he said, "Forgive

me, Stern, but there's something I don't understand here. You told me

you were retired. This situation seems serious enough. that Israel

would be making a significant effort to investigate it."

Stern's smile carried the bitterness of a lifetime's disillusionment.

"You would think that, wouldn't you? But some people don't see it that

way, Professor. South Africa is Israel's nuclear partner, remember? No

one in Jerusalem wants to upset that status quo.

The Israeli/South African 'special relationship' is so close that, as we

speak, a secret contingency plan exists to remove South Africa's entire

stockpile of nuclear weapons to Israel in the event, that the blacks

appear likely to overthrow the government."

Natterman's eyes grew wide. "My God. This is all so unbelievable. Why

would Israel sup orta repressive, even genocidal state like South

Afiica) "The Israeli people probably wouldn't, Professor. But decisions

guiding Israel's nuclear program were never voted on in the Knesset.

Israel's nuclear policy is formed by a very few men who happen to hold

the key positions in the government." Stern sighed. "And some men will

do anything in the name of survival. For some Jews, the Holocaust

justifies any act to prevent a repetition of history, even a preemptive

Holocaust perpetrated by Jews." Stern reached beneath his seat,

withdrew an orange from his leather bag, and slowly began to peel it.

"Professor, how much do you know about Israel's resistance to the

British during the Mandate and World War Two?"

Natterman shrugged. "I know about the Haganah."

"What about the Zionist terrorist groups?"

"The Stern Gang and the Irgun?"

"Yes.

"Some. Which did you fight with?"

"That is unimportant now. What matters is that prior to World War Two,

both groups violently resisted the British occupation of Palestine. But

when the war broke out, the two groups split. The Irgun supported the

British, rightly believing that Israel could never be born in a world

under Hitler. But the Stern Gang believed that driving out the British

was more important than defeating the Nazis."

Natterman's eyes widened in disbelief "The Stern Gang actually sent

delegations to meet with representatives of Hitler's Reich and

Mussolini's Italy. They actually promised to fight for the influence of

Germany and Italy in the Middle East, if Hitler and Mussolini would

agree 1

to allow Jews to leave their countries and also guarantee the safety of

Israel after the war."

"Madness," Natterman breathed. "What fools could have believed that a

guarantee from Adolf Hitler was worth anything?"

Stern shook his head in disgust. "One of those fools was Yitzhak

Shamir, the prime minister of Israel."

Natterman sat in stunned silence. "Shamir was a Zionist terrorist,

wasn't he? The Stern Gang ... my God."

"And that," said Stern, "brings us the the present, to the new LAKAM. I

left the agency seven years ago. At that time it was a model

intelligence organization. But under Shamir, LAKAM has grown completely

out of control. Up until two years ago, they actually ran a spy against

the United States.

Jonathan Pollard gave LAKAM information on U.S. weapons systems,

satellite capabilities, even nuclear targeting data-the most sensitive

intelligence in America. And do you know what Shamir did with this

tanned face paled with fury sent it to Moscow. That bastard risked the

life-giving support of America to prove that Israel could not be told

what to do by anyone, even the United States!"

"Does LAKAM know about the Phoenix AG warning?"

Stern answered with bitter sarcasm. "The current chief of LAKAM feels

that the Phoenix warning was fabricated by someone who wants to start us

on a destructive mole hunt.

LAKAM is pursuing the warning, but very slowly, like a man walking on

ice. There are 'constructive discussions' going on between Jerusalem

and Pretoria. The only reason I found out about the Phoenix warning at

all was that an old friend at LAKAM felt that the warning was not being

taken seriously enough."

Stern smiled mischievously. "That is the main reason I went first to

West Berlin rather than South Africa-to stay out of LAKAM's way. But

there were other reasons. The name of the company-Phoenix AG-reminded

me of Bruderschaft der Phoenix in Berlin. And when an old friend

happened to mention that Spandau Prison was being torn down only two

weeks after the warning arrived, the timing seemed impossibly

coincidental. All I could think of was the 'fire of Armageddon' note

that had mentioned Spandau.

Spandau as a city had always been too large to investigate, of course.

And while Hess-excuse me, Hess's double-was being held in Spandau

Prison, it was one of the most closely guarded buildings in the world.

But when I heard it was to be knocked into pieces, well ... it was

enough to get me on a plane to Berlin."

"But how are all these things connected?" Natterman asked.

"Where is the direct link between South Africa and Germany?"

Stern pursed his lips. "I don't think there is one, Professor. I think

the link runs through EnglandThe British governed South Africa until

1961, remember. They're a minority now, but a powerful one.

Take Phoenix AGit's a defense contractor based in South Africa, but the

majority stockholder is a young Englishman named Robert Stanton, Lord

Granville. His father and grandfather owned the company before him."

"Granville!" Professor Natterman shook his forefinger excitedly.

"That's why you brought me with you. You think this nuclear danger to

Israel could somehow be connected to the Hess case. To the English

conspirators!"

"Keep your voice down!" Stern glanced across the aisle to make sure

Gadi was still asleep. "LAKAM traced the paper used for the Phoenix AG

warning to an English mill. Lord Grenville's family has owned and

operated the corporation since 1947. But it still doesn't add up.

Britain has always been anti-Semitic, but what motive could Englishmen

have to support fascist groups now? Captain Hauer mentioned German

reunification to you. Could these Englishmen stand to make great

profits if Germany reunifies? Or could they have been blackmailed all

these years by Germans who knew their dark secret?

Germans who had secret ends of their own?"

Natterman was shaking his head. "I keep coming back to the past, Stern.

Consider our highly placed clique of Nazi sympathizers in the wartime

Parliament. I would imagine they had quite a bit of 'old boy' control

over British policy vis-A-vis Palestine, wouldn't you? Think about it.

In 1917

Britain promised the Jews a national home in Palestine. Yet while

England drifted into war with Hitler-the man who had vowed to

exter?ninate world Jewry-the British government used military force to

prevent every European Jew it could from reaching safety in

Palestine-the country Britain had already promised them. Was that

rational policy? Who really made those decisions? Could those