The 13th Tablet

‘Don’t think I’m being ungrateful here, but I can’t possibly,’ she swallowed hard, and tears sprung to her eyes again, ‘…I can’t possibly explain how much I need you to be honest with me right now.’

‘What do you mean Mina?’

‘I mean, who follows someone to a different country because they’re worried for them? Don’t lie to me. I’ve been beaten up and almost murdered by people I trusted, and Liat… they murdered her.’ Mina was racked by sobs.

‘Mina, listen to me! Your friend Liat is in a sorry state, but she’s not dead. I took her to a hospital and she’s recovering. They told me she’ll be OK in a few weeks.’

A wave of relief washed over Mina.

‘She’s alive?’ she stuttered, ‘Oh thank you Jack, thank you. I have to see her, I need to explain.’

‘No, Mina. I convinced her not to talk about what happened, as it would be too dangerous to do so right now.’

They both remained silent for what seemed like an eternity. Mina stroked Jack’s hand, ‘I’m sorry I said the things I did in Mosul. I didn’t mean them.’

‘Yes you did. I’m sorry I lied to you.’

She looked at him inquisitively.

‘The reason I followed you was that I couldn’t make out if you were a player or a victim back in Iraq. As I said to you, those men in your flat were serious mercs.’

‘Mercs?’

‘Mercenaries… and there you were, half-Iraqi, half-American, beautiful, clever, apparently out of place in that university, involved with mercs and off to Israel.’

‘Beautiful?’ She arched an eyebrow. He smiled.

‘Well, very sexy too, but that wouldn’t be a prerequisite to be a spy.’

‘Why don’t you tell me everything, from the beginning.’

‘Alright, here goes. I knew from your last email…’

‘What? You went through my email?’

‘I’m sorry. I promise never to do it again.’

‘You promise?’ she asked him.

‘Yes. Can I continue? I thought you were a spy then.’

‘OK. Go on.’

‘So I followed you to Amman and then to Tel Aviv. I booked a room in the same hotel under an assumed name…I have a number of passports. Anyway, the information I had gathered on Oberon Wheatley warranted some serious concern. I needed to check the hotel and its immediate surroundings. One of my contacts told me that Wheatley’s private yacht was anchored in the harbour marina and that usually meant that he was aboard. I thought it was a strange coincidence that you should both be here at the same time. So when he suddenly showed up at your interview, I knew the whole thing was a trap.

‘How did you know he was there?’

‘I placed a bug in your handbag.’

‘Oh man, you’re in so much trouble. This story is getting worse by the minute.’

Jack pretended not to have heard her and continued talking, ‘the harbour was under surveillance, especially the area around Wheatley’s yacht. I would either have to make contact with you directly or find a way to approach the yacht without raising suspicion, which would be difficult. If the surviving attacker at your flat in Mosul worked for Oberon, he’d recognise me immediately. I can’t tell you how anxious I was waiting all night for your drunken return after you left to party with your friend. I was worried that your enemies had decided to act before the interview, so I was pretty relieved to see you stagger into your room at last. To tell you the truth, I did think to myself then, ‘here I am, in Israel, trying to protect a woman I hardly know from people I know even less about. I must be mad.’ Then again, I guess that’s part of the reason I joined the army, and never completely left it… to be in a position to protect and defend beautiful women in peril!’ Jack grinned.

‘How very gallant of you!’

‘Besides, I’ve been known in the past to thrive on danger. Anyway, after your interview, while you paced on the terrace without a care in the world, I was fuming back in my room. The listening device I’d placed in your handbag had picked up your entire conversation. You’d fallen into Wheatley’s lap. I knew you’d never leave his yacht alive; I was absolutely sure of it. The obvious thing to do was to meet you in your room and tell you it was a trap. But, as things stood between us, you’d almost certainly not believe me. I’d also have had to explain why I’d followed you and bugged your bag.’

‘Yup.’

‘It all came down to bad timing. Had I met you before the interview I might have been able to warn you, but it was too late. So I stuck to my original plan. I got some scuba gear, hid by the yacht and waited for them to… well you know the rest.’

‘Listen, I don’t know why Wheatley tried to kill you, but if you want my help, I need to know everything.’

‘I agree.’

Mina leaned on Jack’s shoulder and started telling him about the meaning and importance of the tablet and how Oberon was desperate to get his hands on it. She suddenly sat up in anguish, ‘I actually told him where the tablet is. I sent it by courier to a hotel in Safed. We need to get there now or all of it will have been for nothing.’

‘But we have an advantage.’ Jack answered, grinning.

‘What do you mean?’