Murad's apartment

An excerpt of my 12th book 'On both sides of the abyss'.

Idan Karni sat with his boss Ron Solel the external activities and operations department's head, some forty five minutes before the organization's department heads weekly session with the big boss will take place; for an ultimate check of the department's main tasks to be executed yet, and those that were completed successfully.

Ron was passing over the printed list, while his deputy sat absorbed in his thoughts, and waited patiently till his boss would raise his eyes above the spread document on his desk.

'Well done Karni,' his boss said having finished reading the document prepared and written by his industrious deputy. 'There's just one problem that bothers me, it's the Nour project.

'Do you mean her thirty six hours of absence?'

'That's right Karni and that piece of information concerning the attempt to kidnap her, which wasn't checked thoroughly yet.

'It's being checked Ron but it will take time, and we haven't got a reliable source in Beirut… We're doing our best to get in touch with optional sources, and we hope to cover this issue too.'

'What about her character and her assets? Is Mandi around I'd like to have a word with him?'

'You mean Murad?'

'Yes I forgot his nick, but he recruited her and lived almost a year with her, his opinion who she is and what are her capabilities could assist us  to solve that riddle.

'Well he was on leave last week after having completed successfully his task in London, and he's back now in Italy.

'That's a pity but who's is bound to return from Europe this week, Bob isn't it?'

'Oh I've met Bob yesterday night, he resides in Murad's place now; it was simply a matter of convenience. We didn't have to look all over London for another flat to let as Murad evacuated it. Well Bob told me that he was pestered by strangers that kept calling him through the apartment intercom, guess who they were looking for…?

'Oh come on Karni, why didn't you tell it to me as soon as you've heard it?'

'Well they turned to him in Arabic and the only words Bob know in Arabic are Allah acbar, that's why I thought it was an irrelevant coincidence or an attempt to frighten him.'

'Do we know who they're?'

'Bob said the Brits told him that they were members of the Syrian embassy staff.'

'Well that's a very interesting piece of info Karni! I hope our Nour project heroine had just a slip of tongue, and it isn't a much serious matter.'

'May I remind you Ron that Murad dealt with other tasks too, which could have drawn the Syrian embassy agents to his address.'

'You're right Karni but nevertheless the possibility that this incident is connected directly to our Nour project must be checked, and do get in touch with Murad through our embassy in Rome.

© Haim Kadman November 2013 " all rights reserved.