Ashes of the Red Heifer Page 7

  Just as she reached a family group with men, women and children knotted together, a hand landed on her back, fingers scrambling to grab her shirt. She dropped her shoulder and plowed into two plump, middle-aged women in headscarves and loose knit pants. The hand on her shoulder lost purchase and a jolt of adrenaline shot her away from the shouting, complaining women.

  Annie flew out the nearly closed gates and down the stairs, taking several at a time, shoving and bumping faceless people.

  Hassan’s voice sounded further away. “Wait! Annie! Please…”

  EIGHT

  Annie crashed through the gate and flew down the stairs, knocking into people and banging against the stone wall. Where was David?

  Behind her Hassan appeared in the gateway and started down the stairs, holding his ribs with each step. The other men stayed at the gate within the confines of Al Aksa. They probably didn’t want to venture outside into a crowd that wasn’t purely Muslim.

  It seemed to Annie that there were people everywhere, and they all had angry faces. She had no way of knowing if they were Muslim, Jewish, disturbed tourists, or like her, just trying to survive.

  The area before her opened into a wide plaza facing an expanse of wall. Across a low barrier Annie looked over an open courtyard with knots of people scattered throughout and a larger gathering around a man next to the wall. One side of the area was sealed off with a huge wall of sandstone bricks rising above the ground about fifty feet. Chairs were shoved against the wall, facing it, and twenty feet away stood a waist-high concrete barricade. The wide area in front of the wall was partitioned in two sections by a set of panels. A checkpoint, guarded by armed soldiers, stood at the left of the plaza.

  Blocks of sandstone looked to be about four feet high on the bottom and gradually decreased in size. Spidery green ferns grew out of cracks between broken and ill-fitting blocks.

  Annie searched for David, glancing over her shoulder frequently to check on the progress of Hassan. He had disappeared in the crowd or maybe given up and gone back to Al Aksa.

  She spotted David just as he saw her. He was on the other side of the plaza on the outskirts of the crowd gathering around the man with a bullhorn. He started for her, a look of concern clouding his handsome face. Annie fought the crowd to get to him, anxious to put more distance between her and whoever chased her. And even more anxious to be close to David.

  The man standing on the knoll at the other end of the plaza held a bullhorn to his face. He wore a white button-up shirt that had come untucked from black trousers. His long, curling side hair looked Orthodox, yet he seemed to be a mixed bag of different sects. “The words of our Sages instruct us in an endless number of sources, and it is explicit in Mishpat Kohen, section 94, ‘If there will be a desire, that we rebuild the Temple, even before the Messiah comes.’ My people. The Lord’s chosen people. We have a desire. Today we will lay the cornerstone. It is time for the Messiah.”

  A cheer went up from the crowd around him. More people squeezed into the plaza, and all of them were men. Several of them gave her disapproving looks but most had tense expressions and didn’t pay any attention to her.

  David reached her and leaned close. “This is the men’s side. You can’t be here.”

  A man in a black suit knocked her into David. “What is this place?” she asked.

  “The Wailing Wall. The closest they’ll let us get to the Temple Mount to pray.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the street.

  Shouting voices rose from a side street. A crowd surged toward her. She scrambled to get out of their way but they overtook her and carried her along in their fervor. She lost her hold on David’s hand. Fear sucked air from her lungs and her heart thundered like a runaway stage. She fought to get to David but his face receded into the press of men.

  The men surrounding her all wore black: hats, coats, long curls, and they chanted something Annie didn’t understand. Moving against them was like battling a dangerous undertow.

  The people gathered in the plaza roared with excitement. The whole place thrummed with expectation. Chanting turned into song. The man on the bullhorn joined the group and shouted, “The cornerstone is here. We are doing the Lord’s will today. Blessed be Israel!”

  Growing panic pulsed through Annie. She felt trapped, forced along with the crowd toward the wall. She searched for David, wanting desperately to get out of the roiling mass of people.

  From the corner of her eye she saw something drop from the sky. A man raised his arm above his head. Suddenly more objects fell. People screamed and shielded their heads. A man next to her cried out and dropped to the ground, grabbing his head. Blood seeped between his fingers.

  A stinging blow grazed her ear, followed by a smashing on her shoulder that drove her to her knees, numbing her arm. She finally understood that people above, on Al Aksa, were hurling rocks into the crowd. Covering her head with her good arm, she struggled to her feet and fought the mob to get away from the onslaught.

  People around her started to run, screaming with frustration, anger, and pain. Annie ran with them, not knowing where to go. In the panicked stew, she heard orders shouted over a bullhorn, but not the exact words. A crush of uniformed men wielding guns rushed through the crowd, knocking people aside.

  Someone grabbed her arm. Hassan wheezed beside her. “Hurry… tear… gas.”

  Panic seized her at the sight of Hassan. He and his accomplices would drag her away. She’d never be seen again. She wrenched free. A fist-sized rock smashed into the back of the man in front of her and he went down to his knee. David fought the mob to get to her. And she was in his arms.

  He pulled her close and bent over her. “Are you hurt?”

  She pointed. “Hassan.”

  Rocks hailed on the plaza; the noise of the mob deafening.

  David squinted at Hassan. He pulled her tighter and together they struggled through the panicked mass.

  Annie tried to see if Hassan followed. David tugged her along. She strained to look behind her. Hassan’s eyes focused on her, despite the interference of others.

  Suddenly two men in Israeli police uniforms grabbed Hassan from behind. His eyes flew open in alarm. He fought to get free.

  “Hassan!” Annie squirmed from David’s hold. She shoved someone out of her way to get back to him. She didn’t care about the Silim or that he’d wanted to kidnap her. He was in trouble. She had to help him.

  The policemen seemed to swallow Hassan and drag him away.

  David grabbed her. “Annie, no!” he yelled into her ear. He pulled her out the narrow opening and into the street.

  She looked back once. Hassan was gone.

  David held her hand in a death grip as he pulled her at a trot down a narrow, ancient street away from the riot.

  Her face pounded with the heat and her T-shirt stuck to her sweaty body. She shoved straggles of damp blonde hair from her face. “We have to go back. They’ve got Hassan.”

  David didn’t slow down. “It’s too dangerous.”

  She pulled against him. “We’ve got to do something. What about going to the police?”

  He let go of her hand and leaned over to catch his breath, hands on his knees. “It looked like the police that took him.”

  “The embassy. Or an Israeli official.” She rubbed her arm, the feeling coming back slowly.

  Sweat glistening on David’s face. “What did Hassan tell you up there?”

  She waved her hand. “Nothing.” She couldn’t tell David that Hassan was part of the Silim. She hadn’t figured out what it meant and telling another person, even David, might put Hassan at more risk.

  She pointed in the direction they’d come. “What was that about?”

  David stood in front of her as if to shield her from people passing them. He sounded angry. “It was a group of Temple faithful Jews getting ready to lay the corner stone of the new Temple.”

  She squinted up at him. “And I take it the Muslims aren’t thrilled abo
ut that.”

  “Of course not. For the Temple to be rebuilt the Dome of the Rock needs to be destroyed.”

  “Why can’t everyone compromise and the Jews could build a temple to the side of the Dome? There is plenty of space up there.”

  David paced a bit in front of her, clearly angry. “You don’t understand the importance of the Temple. It must be built on the Holy of Holies. In the exact spot. There is no compromise.”

  Annie began to walk down the narrow street. It seemed no matter how the conversation started, in Israel, it always ended up about religion. She didn’t even believe in God and still he managed to invade her life. Holy of Holies, right, Crazy of Crazies more likely. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what the religious conflict had to do with Hassan, David, her, or their research but she was sure religion was at the base of it all. And what it meant to her was another failure.

  He took her hand and walked beside her, increasing his pace, clearly annoyed.

  “What?” she said.

  He stopped in front of her. “They had no business bringing out the corner stone. It causes needless agitation and brings attention to things that should be left alone.”

  “Such as?” She stepped around him and kept walking.

  He shook his head and joined her. “Never mind. The thing is, even if the Dome were gone, we can’t lay the cornerstone now.”

  We? Was he throwing himself in with the fanatics at the Wailing Wall? Had she really thought marrying was a conceivable option? She flexed her shoulder, working out the ache from the rock. “Because?”

  “Because we’re ritually impure and don’t have the means to purify ourselves, yet. We can’t step foot on the sacred ground to lay the cornerstone until we can perform the required ritual.”

  “You’re unclean and can’t pray on the mount so you all pray at the wall instead.”

  Again, his pace accelerated. “The Kotel is no substitute for the Temple. It is sacred only because of the many prayers of our people. Jews have only prayed at that place for two thousand years.”

  Annie raised her eyebrows. “Only two thousand?”

  “It is an insult, really. Some Jews think it’s holy but praying at the wall only emphasizes our exile and failure to worship God as he commands us.”

  They walked in silence for a few seconds and David turned to her. “Where are we going?”

  “To the American Embassy.”

  “Do you know where that is?” he asked.

  She nearly yelled in exasperation. “No. There’s got to be a phone booth around here somewhere. We need to get someone there to find Hassan and take care of him.”

  David abruptly stopped, pulling on her hand. “He’s a terrorist. Why do you want to help him?”

  She stomped ahead. “Hassan is no terrorist.” She didn’t want to talk or argue or even think about religion. She wanted to find Hassan.

  “What will it take to make you understand? He lied to you from the beginning.”

  She whirled around and faced David. She hadn’t told him what Hassan said on Al Aksa. “How do you know so much?”

  A roar of a car engine made her suddenly aware of their surroundings. When had they turned off into the alley? The car rushed toward them and Annie watched, thinking vaguely about teenage hoodlums. Distracted by David’s words, the car didn’t alarm her.

  David’s hand tightened around hers and she looked up at him. Something about his tense face caused her heart to leap as if shot with a hundred volts of electricity.

  The car tires screeched as they skidded next to Annie. Adrenaline surged through her and she flinched toward David.

  The car doors flew open and four dark figures tumbled out. They rushed toward Annie. Confusion and disbelief froze her momentarily, then she took off.

  Too late.

  The first man caught her arm and wrenched her back. She screamed and fought as the second man crashed into her and scrambled for a hold around her waist. They wore dark clothes and black ski masks pulled down over their faces.

  Pain ripped through her as she cracked her head and her knee against the car. They men stuffed her into the back. Within seconds, someone bound her hands with duct tape, slapped a piece over her mouth and jerked a ski mask over her head.

  “Annie!” David called.

  She heard grunts, fists striking flesh and then a body smashed into hers.

  Car doors slammed. Someone yelled, “Go, go, go!”

  NINE

  At the roar of the engine, the car lurched forward throwing Annie’s head against the back of the seat. Where were they going? What would these silent men do to her and David? In a panic, she tried to pull the mask from her face. Her hands were bound. A scream rose in her throat. With her mouth taped it had nowhere to go and choked her.

  David stirred next to her and groaned. Annie heard a rip from the roll of duct tape and a startled grunt from David.

  The ride was short. The car braked; the goons opened their doors. David jerked away from her. Rough hands clutched her arms and yanked her out. She heard traffic noise not far away and smelled car exhaust and hot grease from a nearby restaurant. But their footsteps echoed on closed-set walls. They must be in an alley off a main street.

  The goons didn’t say anything as they manhandled Annie up a few stairs and into a building. Muffled grunts sounded as though David called her name. Once inside, the man holding Annie by her shoulders gave her a push and she stumbled, banging her knees. David fell against her on the cold tile floor. A door opened then banged shut.

  Knowing it wouldn’t be intelligible Annie spoke against the tape at her mouth asking David if he was all right.

  He garbled words back to her.

  With her hands taped behind her back she struggled to her feet. She stood next to David, blind, bound, the pounding of her heart as loud as David’s heavy breathing. At least his breath was regular and he stood steady next to her. He couldn’t be hurt too bad.

  Light footsteps approached. Annie wanted to run or attack but without her hands or eyes, all she could do was wait.

  A man’s high-pitched voice pierced her ears. Alanberg. “Shalom. We are waiting.”

  He approached her and lifted the mask until he could take hold of the tape over her mouth. He ripped at the tape and Annie yelped at the stinging. He lowered the mask again.

  The smart reaction would be caution and restraint. But something about being kidnapped rankled Annie. If she were going down, she’d go down fighting. “You son of a bitch. What the hell is this all about?”

  He moved to David. “We have our reasons.” Rip.

  David drew in a sharp breath. “Annie, are you okay?”

  She ought to be more frightened but her anger burned hotter. “Yeah. Fine. I’m blindfolded and my head hurts like hell. I have no idea where I am or why, and this little turd in front of me could shoot us any time. Best danged day of my life.”

  Alanberg stepped back. “You are in no danger.”

  “Dr. Alanberg? Why are we here?” David demanded.

  Annie’s words spit from her mouth. “This is the Silim, David. Alanberg’s the slimy filth that killed Avrel.”

  Alanberg sniffed as if he’d been insulted. “We are not the Silim. You may think of us as…The Corporation. Unfortunately, you, Mr. Kaufman, did not factor into our plans. We meant only to bring Dr. Grant.”

  David’s voice sounded angry. “You’ve got me now. What are you going to do?”

  Alanberg made a tsk noise but didn’t answer.

  Annie fought the tape at her hands. “Take this blasted mask off my face. And untape my hands.”

  She heard Alanberg move behind her. “The mask stays. Don’t ask again.”

  What kind of group was this? What did they want? Annie felt him slice at the tape between her wrists. Once freed, she brought her hands in front of her and peeled the duct tape off her wrists, wincing as it tugged her hair and skin.

  She thought she heard him cut David’s hands free.

  Alanb
erg pushed the middle of her back. “This way.” He slid around in front of them.

  David’s hand brushed against her and she grabbed it. With a sudden move he put his arms around her and pulled her close. She felt his heart beating under her face and she pressed into him.

  “This way,” Alanberg urged.

  David released her and took hold of her hand. They followed the footsteps to a narrow hallway. With her free hand, she groped along the wall.

  Alanberg directed them through a door and she lost her grip on David’s hand. This new room was dark and theirs were not the only feet that shuffled on the floor. It smelled strongly of cigar smoke. Funny, she never realized her sense of smell could tell her so much. Leave it to the dramatic blindfold to open a whole new world for her.

  “Shalom. Come in and shut the door.” The voice was low and powerful, the accent harsh with Hebrew inflection. It sounded impatient, even angry. If this were a corporation, he would be the CEO.

  Alanberg brought her a few steps into the room. She heard him pull a chair across a bare floor. “Sit.”

  Reaching out and feeling the ladder-back, she moved in front of it, eased herself to sit, feeling a table in front of her. David sat in another chair close by. His hand bumped her leg and she reached for it.

  “Why are we here?” he asked.

  She didn’t hear any fear in his voice; it gave her courage.

  “You, Mr. Kaufman, are here as a mistake. But it can’t be helped. We are interested in making Dr. Grant an offer of employment.”

  She spoke to the room. “Nice job interview.”

  “We have an unusual situation,” the CEO said.

  “Since it’s me you want why not let David go.”

  A low growling voice erupted from her right. “Whether he chose it or not, he is part of this. Since he is your colleague, I assume he can help you with the research, no?”

  She faced the voice. “And if I say he can’t help me?”

  The room grew quiet. Their silence said all she needed to know. But she’d be hanged if she’d let them see her shaken.