Abu Sitta was still fuming the next morning about the treatment he had received at the hands of Minister Karimi, 'it was all well and good him sitting in his grand office whilst others did his dirty work', he thought. 'He needs to be taught a lesson in diplomacy, and I am the one ordained to do so, but how?' Then the idea suddenly struck him, one way he could show the arrogant Karimi who was really running the show. Sitta leaned forward to pick up the Com-unit that lay on the plastic table that served as his desk, but then stopped and had another discussion with himself. What he was about to do went against everything he had ever stood for, but maybe, it could be a way of getting inside as a double agent, he justified his actions. Without hesitation this time he leaned across and activated the com.
Prime Minister Goldbloom was feeling very pleased with herself and very satisfied that the Ark of the Covenant was once more in the hands of Israel, and was now safe. However interrogation of the three mercenaries had revealed nothing about the operation to steal the Ark, other than, as expected, the Palestinians had been involved. The winter holidays, in the form of Hanukah, were nearly here and she was looking forward to a break as well as the celebration, which had also been designated Ark Day by the Israeli government, the following week. It was planned that the precious artifact would be paraded through the streets of Jerusalem, to the site of the new Third Temple to the side of the Temple mount. A special vehicle had been constructed that would allow a full view of the Ark by the people, whilst protecting it within state-of-the-art security. The mobile security enclosure had been designed by Pickles Industries especially for Israel and the Ark, and of course her friend Rick Pickles would be there to oversee everything.
Heidi was roused from her thoughts by her intercom buzzing, “Yes,” she said, “What’s up?”
“Madam, Minister Marks is here, says he needs to speak to you urgently.”
“OK, send the Minister in please,” she instructed her PA.”
Ben Marks entered the PM's office with what could only be described as a very worried look on his face, which was a deathly grey. “What's up Ben,” the Prime Minister asked immediately.
“I have just had a very interesting conversation Madam prime Minister, one that I cannot even now believe that I have had.”
“Sit down Ben and tell all,” Heidi said.
Ben seated himself across the desk from his boss and took a deep breath, “I have just been talking for the past half hour with Abu Sitta.” explained Ben.
“Abu Sitta! Abu Sitta the terrorist?”
“None other,” confirmed Marks. “What the hell did he want?”
“It seems that all is not well within the Arab camp, he didn't give any details, but I could tell that there is a breakdown between his organization and Iran, who, incidentally, Sitta tells me has been funding the Palestinian terror program. However, getting to the core of the conversation; he wanted to warn us that Iran will be staging an attack on Jerusalem on the twenty-fifth of this month.”
“What!” The PM stood and walked around to the other side of the desk and occupied the other chair next to Ben Marks. “Do you believe Sitta, or is he just making trouble?”
“Yes he is making trouble, but I also believe him. He admitted that the attack on the Ark rescue party last week was down to him, and several other operations against us in the past couple of years, which puts him on our wanted list. It seems that the plan is to detonate another implosion device, a very big one this time, and knowing the self protection system of the Ark, it alone will be left untouched. Mercenaries, dressed as Israeli uniforms, are then to move in and take the Ark. It seems its totally Iran's plan, which Minister Hooshy Ar Karimi is at the centre of it.”
“So, we must assume that the attack is an official act of war by the Irani state,” stated Goldbloom.
“I would class it as a pre-emptive strike, Mam,” stated Ben, “If we declare war on Iran then we will be seen as the aggressor, but if we do nothing they will destroy us.”
“Let me see if I can contact Minister Karimi,” proposed the PM. Heidi opened her Com-unit and accessed the secure section with a password, after a few seconds it was answered by a man speaking Arabic, “Office of Minister Ar Karimi.”
In English Goldbloom asked, “Please put me through to the Minister, this Prime Minister Boldbloom calling.” There was silence for some forty seconds.
“I am sorry the Minister is unavailable,” said the man, now in English.
“When will the Minister be available please,” asked Goldbloom.
“The Minister says that he will not be available to you until after the western New Year,” the voice replied just before the connection was cut.
“Well, I'd say that settles the matter, Ar Karimi is obviously there and I think that was a snub, Mam,” said Ben, summing the situation up. “What do you propose Prime Minister?”
“I propose that we call a full cabinet meeting, I will be recommending a declaration of war, again,” stated Goldbloom with not a little sorrow, “seems like it's a return to the bad old days. Do I have your support Ben?”
“Certainly, Prime Minister,” said Ben, “meeting this afternoon?”
“Yes,” answered Heidi, as Ben made for the door, with his hand on the door-handle he stopped, and turned.
“Oh, by the way, I just heard, Russia's request to join the European Union, it was turned down by a large majority, shame that.”
“Thank you Ben.”
The secure ‘red’ com-system receiver buzzed urgently on the desk of Sir James Hennessey's desk. He looked at the receiver with trepidation; it was always bad news when that happened. “Hennessey!” he said and he listened for fifteen seconds and then exclaimed two words, “Oh crap!” After another ninety seconds and a curt “OK,” he replaced the receiver and sank into his leather swivel chair. The internal communication system was something out of a museum, but at least they were secure, which was more than could be said for the digital systems that 'leaked' data. Sir James lifted the telephone, handset, another museum piece, and punched in the extension for Abe Marks' desk. When Marks answered, Sir James asked, “Abe, can you get up here straight away, the bloody Israelis have declared war on Iran.”
Abe Marks was in Hennessey's office within sixty seconds, “What happened,” he asked before he was through the door.
“I don't have all the details as yet but it seems Iran is, or was planning an attack on Jerusalem on Christmas day,” explained Sir James, “you may want to talk to your cousin about that. However as one of Israel's allies this may have far reaching implications.”
“I'll put in a call now Sir, if I can use your com?”
“Please, be my guest,” said Sir James nodding toward the main console. Abe took a seat at the com and punched in his personal code and then the direct code for his cousin Ben, within seconds Benjamin Marks appeared on the screen.
“Abe, I thought I may get a call from you, call it premonition,” Ben laughed.
“Nice to see you too Ben; family OK?”
“Sure, but what you really want to know is what is going on here, right?” asked Ben.
“Right Ben, I'm here with Sir James Hennessey, we just heard about your declaration of war, what's the story,” Abe asked. Ben Marks spent the following ten minutes briefing Abe and Sir James on the situation.
“Are you one-hundred percent sure about the accuracy of Sitta's intel,” asked Sir James, “we know him as a master of deception.”
“We are Sir James, but in the end it's take a chance that our knowing will have dissuaded the Iranians, or taking control of the situation,” explained Ben.
“Under the circumstances, I will recommend to the PM and the European Security Council, that we support you Mister Marks, historically we have a commitment to Israel. It was us that championed the State of Israel after World War two, after all.”
“Thank you Sir James, I will convey that to Mrs Goldbloom,” concluded Ben Marks.