SANCTION: A Thriller by S.M. Harkness Read Free Book Online

network, Sat phones used Near-Earth Satellites to receive and transmit signals. They could be used in the remotest spots on Earth.
    He sat on the edge of his bed and opened the main display. The phone lit up and he dialed a number on the keypad. He went through several layers of security to get through.
    “I’m glad this wasn’t an emergency Avner.”
    “What do you mean Ben?” Avner’s English was crisp. No trace of his Israeli upbringing present. It was something that had taken the master spy years to develop but the effort had been more than worth it.
    “Because there is no such thing as being able to dial straight to your desk. I always have to go through two or three people before I can connect. It’s slow.”
    Avner huffed.
    “Well, you wouldn’t want just anybody being able to get ahold of a Mossad section chief would you?” he laughed.
    Avner Tobias was an enigma. He was a very powerful man yet officially, he didn’t exist. His records with the IDF and Mossad had been destroyed by order of the Prime Minister when a ranking member of the Hamas had called for his assassination. He had moved and relocated every member of his family. The disappearing act had been so thorough that few within the Israeli Intelligence Agency even knew he was still around, let alone how to get a hold of him.
    “I’m not just anybody, Avner. Anyway, guess where I am sitting right now?”
    “Do you really want me to answer that?” Avner asked. The two were good friends considering the professional relationship they had. Avner had never felt like Ben was an employee and Ben had never felt like Avner was a boss, the two had enormous respect for one another.
    “Nazari’s private compound in central Syria. Arrived half an hour ago.” Ben knew Avner was going to flip. But the intelligence that this was bound to yield would push their office’s investigation into Nazari forward by at least four of five months.
    “What?” Avner stood up from his seat in front of his computer monitor.
    “Is this a joke?” Avner couldn’t mask the excitement in his voice.
    “At the end of the press conference in Geneva, which I attended by the way, I was invited along with a few other reporters.”
    Most of the time while Ben was in the field, his boss didn’t know precisely what he was up to. Avner let him do his own thing as long as Ben continued to produce little nuggets of intelligence like the one he just did.
    “Wait, a few other reporters? Who?” Avner’s tone hit a nervous pitch. “Why you?”
    “I’m not sure but I’m not the only one who is wondering why they were extended an invitation. Some of the other reporters seemed just as puzzled. Whatever the reason, it is clearly to our advantage that I am here.”
    It took Avner a second to reply. Ben was a Mossad agent after all, if they had somehow seen through his cover, they could have set an elaborate trap for him. But why were the other reporters there? There was essentially nothing either one of the men could do about it, except wait and see. Avner responded.
    “Absolutely, you are in a position just by being there to learn things we may never have discovered. Good work Ben. But do me a favor.”
    “What is it?” Schweitzer asked.
    “Check in with my secretary every twenty four hours. I know it’s not wise to start giving you too much structure to adhere to but I suspect Nazari is up to something. This guy talks about peace too much to be Hamas. Something smells funny and it’s not my egg sandwich.”
    Ben laughed.
    “Sure thing. I’ll call home before midnight after the prom is over too.” Ben was just razzing him. He knew that there was more than enough reason to be suspicious of Nazari. Otherwise, the Mossad would not have launched an expensive investigation into his operations.
    The door handle to Ben’s room turned slightly. Ben reacted quickly. He stood up and lifted the edge of the mattress. Shoving the phone under it, he sat down just as the servant peeked