Hi-Tech Hijack (5 page)

After talking to Orit, Eddie felt even more confused. During the entire time he was traveling through Africa, the job at Biotec.com was the one constant anchor that brought him back to reality. Whenever another adventurous idea popped into his mind, knowing he had that job waiting for him was what ensured his timely return to Israel. Even the short romance with Rose delayed his return no more than a week. And yet now everything was suddenly changed: his place of employment ran off to the States and his friend, the beautiful Orit, was confessing her attraction to him and asking him to join her there. He wondered how he could have been so blind as to miss out on all the signals of her interest in him. Did he think so little of himself that he couldn’t even fathom someone like Orit would be interested in him?

Orit had been an excellent student, but in Eddie’s eyes, she always looked easygoing and somewhat frivolous. She seemed to care most about going to parties and hanging out with friends, and there was always a group of lackeys surrounding her, happy to run any errand or help in any way just to be near her. And she, the queen of the faculty, did her part by gracing each fan with a smile, a compliment, or a little hug while still remaining unattainable. Eddie never went along with that collective game. He was not cut out for that sort of thing and never imagined Orit could want him.

Eddie never ruled out the possibility of spending an extensive period of time abroad as part of his career path, but this was too soon. He thought it would be better as a second or third position, if he ever came round to it, before realizing his own independent dream. He thought of his parents who would be left in Israel all alone with nothing more than his brother’s grave to keep them company after both his sisters had already left the country for an indefinite amount of time.

Orit’s enthusiasm for life in Santa Monica rubbed him the wrong way. It sounded premature—a superficial infatuation with all that glitters in the ultimate land of opportunities, which went quite well with his perception of her. But what started to sound appealing was the way she felt about him, the way she so explicitly wanted him to come. He wondered how lonely she was. Was her attraction toward him real or did she simply needed someone and set her heart on him, a colleague, a classmate whom she had gotten along with? He had all these questions piling up and not one definitive answer. He went back to his room and started going through the stack of mail. He left Orit’s letter until last, allowing himself some time for everything to sink in.

The evening rolled by slowly. He lay in his room, Orit’s letter in hand, staring at the ceiling. He read it several times and was convinced that asking him to join her there was not a spur-of-the-moment whim, but something that had been building up for a long time. Between the lines, he could make out that it was really Orit’s doing that he did not receive a formal letter from the company. She chose to seize the opportunity and open her heart to him.

“Eddie, are you having dinner with us?” asked his mom, Rachel, as she opened the door and interrupted his thoughts.

“I’m not hungry, but I’ll sit with you. I need to talk to you about something.”

“Ok, well, I’ll set a plate for you just in case.” She smiled and went back downstairs.

“So what was it you wanted to tell us, Eddie?” his mom asked as dinner was almost over. Eddie, who was not hungry, had already finished his second serving.

“Biotec.com has moved to California and is no long operating out of Israel. Most of its employees have transferred there, and they’re asking me to do the same.”

A silent surprise filled the kitchen until his mom spoke up. “And what do you think?”

“My initial reaction was that I really don’t feel like it. But I’m not sure. I’m having a hard time thinking of working for a long time abroad, even though in today’s industry nothing lasts for more than a few years. And I hate the feeling of being a pawn in this big game. Just because some fund invested in the company my life shouldn’t be affected. I’m really disappointed with Dr. Hakmon calling on us to join him in this mission that would benefit the nation and then switching nations for his own personal good and expecting us to follow. I think this industry leader is starting to look more and more like the Pied Piper.”

“But you were the one who explained to us this is the way things are in hi-tech, that nothing is permanent except for constant change,” insisted his dad, Arye.

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to be ok with it. And also, what are you trying to tell me? That you’d be fine with me going away for several years?”

“You know we’d rather have you here, Eddie. It isn’t easy for us. Your sisters followed their husbands to the United States for what was supposed to be three years and have been stuck there for almost a decade, and we only get to see the kids twice a year. But you have to do what’s best for you professionally. Unlike your sisters, you’re not following anyone, I hope, and I’m confident you’ll know when enough is enough and come back in time.” His mom surprised him by sensing with her female and maternal intuition that matters of the heart also played a part in his dilemma.

“Right, but keep in mind this wasn’t the only company that was after you. I’d look into some of the other options here in Israel if I were you,” his father chimed in. As the son of pioneers who settled the land and dried the swamps of Hefer Valley back in the 1930s, Arye raised his children to believe that leaving Israel was the act of a defeatist, and he could not stop agonizing over the failure of having his daughters live abroad. In Arye’s eyes life’s calling was to give back to your country and to be the best in whatever you do. As a boy Eddie always knew he couldn’t ride his bike to the beach with his friends before he finished his chores, hoeing the soil, or driving the tractor to bring the milk to the village center—tasks that contributed to the building of the land. For Eddie, executing every task perfectly became second nature and failing to live up to his father’s high standards was a weakness he could not allow.

He chose not to say anything about Orit. He assumed his mother had noticed the envelope from California but respected his privacy and did not pry. He did not tell them about Rose either. Being away from home for many years during his army service and the studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem created a distance between Eddie and his parents’ day-to-day life, and they learned not to bother him with questions like any curious parent would normally do whenever he came home. Eddie never even shared with them his dream of independently starting his own company and leveraging the Ebola virus to fight cancer.

The more he thought of moving to the States, the more he realized the main attraction was Orit. But frankly, what did he really know about her? He felt extremely flattered by her pursuit of him, but they were never that close or shared anything other than their studies. Orit was the object of desire of every man on the faculty, but after all, desire and love were two very different things. Was she the kind of person he could love, or was she just a trophy anyone would be proud of so he should snatch her up now that she was ready, willing, and able?

He paid no mind to the job itself or the professional challenge it may present. America simply did not appeal to him at this point in life. He felt he could not make a sensible decision and that he needed to get some air. He took his parents’ truck and headed to Tel Aviv. It was 10:30 p.m. The roads were clear, and in half an hour, he was in Udi’s pub, where his army friends would meet on the weekends. Even though it was a weekday, he thought he’d find someone to talk to there. Anyone would do, really, as long as they would help clear his head for a bit.

The sleeping drug took its effect, and Eddie slipped back into a few more hours of dreamless sleep. The sun was leaning west in its course toward the sea and cast a pinkish hue on the light clouds that resembled a group of helpless, confused little sheep who lost their herd. The plane moved into a sharp downward angle, and two minutes later its wheels touched the black asphalt of the landing strip. The loud sound and jolting of the landing woke Eddie and Reuben up; but their hands were still tied and their eyes still covered, so they could not see where they landed.

Instead of entering the terminal, the plane was heading in a relatively high speed toward a tall, brown building with a slanted roof that looked like a regular airplane hangar or garage. The hangar’s two large sliding metal doors opened, and the plane was swallowed whole into the darkness. The pilot shut both engines down and an ominous silence fell. The plane door opened downward and the built-in ladder almost touched the garage floor as the steward slowly went down the steps. He walked to a small office at the corner of the hangar and knocked on the door.

A man inside verified the knocker’s identity through a peep hole before opening the door and motioning toward a desk where a broad shouldered and balding man with a brown complexion and well-groomed beard was seated. He instructed the steward to take a seat.

“How did it go?” he asked in a calming, deep voice.

“Alhamdulillah, everything went as planned,” he said, smiling lightly.

“Are they still under?”

“No, they woke up when we landed.”

“Did they have anything to drink on the way?”

“Yes, with their eyes blindfolded between the first and second injection.”

“Very well. Let’s move on then. Tell the driver to start the car!” the man called out. Then he spoke to the guard at the door and said, “Bring the car to the airplane steps.”

The guard nodded, exited the room, and walked swiftly to a gray Safari GMC that had the license plate of an embassy, guaranteeing a smooth drive avoiding any unwanted interruptions by police. When the car reached the plane stairs, the steward jumped out, opened the back door, and signaled to another man on the plane that the road was clear. The two kidnapped men were ushered carefully down the stairs, with the steward making sure they don’t slip and fall. It was clear the kidnappers were intent on delivering their cargo to the next destination in mint condition.

Eddie was placed in the back seat with one of the guards next to him, and Reuben was placed in the middle seat with the other steward beside him. Not a word was spoken, and the driver drove the car out of the hangar and the terminal and headed north. Reuben and Eddie knew perfectly well there was no point trying to ask anything about where they were being taken. With their hands tied, their eyes covered, and the guards seating beside them, there was absolutely nothing they could do.

The fear of the unknown rendered Reuben’s mind completely paralyzed, and he was dripping with sweat. Eddie on the other hand had practiced simulated situations of captivity in his military training and managed to maintain his composure. His mind was racing, but experience taught him it was best to stay passive and obedient at this stage and not to aggravate the situation.

Eddie sensed they were driving at a high speed on a smooth road. He had no idea how many hours he had slept and could only surmise, given the quality of the car and the road that they were still in Europe driving down one of the continent’s superb highways.

Two hours later the car slowed down and took a left turn toward a smaller road. They were now going much more slowly, and the road was bumpy. Eddie guessed that it was probably a dirt road they were on. Then the car stopped. The driver pulled down his window and spoke to someone, but Eddie could not make out what language they were speaking. The car moved slowly on and a muffled, metallic sound was heard.

Probably gates opening and closing
, thought Eddie, and the car was still again. They had entered a giant elevator that was taking them down below the ground. Despite the elevator’s speed the descent took a long minute. Eddie and Reuben could not understand why the car was standing still and what the muffled sounds they were hearing were. Even the slight jolt they felt when the elevator reached the bottom of the shaft did not signal out to them that they had been taken underground in what may very well be a one-way trip.

The elevator doors opened, and the car started again, slowly maneuvering for a minute or two before coming to a halt.

Eddie and Reuben were taken out of the car and through a winding corridor, along which were many closed doors and turns into other corridors. They still had their blindfolds on, but sensed they were advancing in a zigzag pattern along the corridor, with their shoulders brushing occasionally against the wall or a door. At the end of the corridor were two doors. Eddie was taken to the left room and Reuben to the one on the right. Once the doors closed behind them, the blindfolds were taken off for the first time in hours.

They squinted in an attempt to shelter their eyes from the bright neon lights. As their eyes adjusted, they were able to notice the details of the room, which looked like an ordinary three-or-four-star hotel room: a large inviting bed with crispy white sheets, a bed cover folded diagonally, an elegant desk with an executive leather chair beside it, a green-shaded lamp on top of the desk, and a tall floor lamp standing in the corner. Over the bed was a gentle reading light and under that was a night dresser. A thirty-two-inch television set stood opposite the bed on top of a decorated chest of drawers. On the desk was a bottle of Perrier mineral water and two glasses. Under the desk was a mini bar. Eddie opened it and saw that it was empty. There were two doors—one leading to the corridor and one to the bathroom.

Eddie went over to the wall and drew the curtains. To his surprise there was no window behind them. He went over to the opposite wall and drew the curtains there as well, but found the same thing: a windowless wall. The curtains were designed to give the illusion of a window and diminish the sense of claustrophobia of the person staying in the room. Eddie chose to leave the illusion intact, and drew the curtains shut again. He pressed the ON button on the TV set, and like in many hotels, a greeting to the guests appeared but in a slightly unusual variation: Welcome to Science City, Mr. Eddie Bartal, the caption read. Eddie picked up the remote and tried to change the station, but the greeting was there on every channel.

Eddie went over to the entrance door and tried to turn the handle, but as expected, it was locked. He tried again, but his palm, sweating due to his state of stress, slipped on the stubborn round handle. He tried the other door, which opened, and found a spacious, well-equipped bathroom. Two large, thick towels were laid, folded, on a stainless steel shelf above the white tub. Near the sink were two medium size and two small towels. On a shelf above the sink was a Gillette shaving set, an Oral-B toothbrush, and red Colgate toothpaste. There was even a bottle of Drakkar Noir aftershave to complete the set. Clearly someone went to great lengths to ensure the comfort and satisfaction of the guest, just like in a fine hotel.

Eddie sprayed some of the aftershave and a pleasant smell filled the room.
Not my favorite kind, but better than nothing
, he thought, smiling to himself in frustration. He threw himself on the bed and lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling in desperation. There was no clock in the room, and the TV did not show the time, either; he had no way of telling what time of day it was. If he could see through the walls, he would find Reuben in the adjacent room lying flat on his stomach with his face buried in the pillows and his eyes shut. Reuben did not even attempt to inspect the room. As soon as he was left alone, he tried to open the entrance door, and once he realized it was locked, he lay on the bed in despair without even taking off his shoes or clothes.

The worst part was not knowing who had taken them, or what they were up to. The fact that they separated him from Reuben gave Eddie some indication about the line of action the abductors were taking, but he had no inkling of what they were after. Knowing Reuben for two years now, he was more worried for him than he was for himself. Reuben was not made of the same tough materials as Eddie. In the army, Reuben served in the rear in a technological intelligence unit that was secret and prestigious, but did nothing to toughen his basic character, and Eddie was concerned for his resistance and stamina. He thought back to the first time they met at Udi’s pub, the night he was having doubts about his professional future.