2 681 3660
Reason(s): 1) Respondent on SHaBaK watch list for monitoring.
2) Conversation references subject (“Daniel Klein”) on watch list of Dovi Shamir.
FULL TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:
SHALOM TIKVA: Hallo.
SAM MORGAN: It’s Morgan [PAUSE] Sam Morgan.
SHALOM TIKVA: I know. Why are you calling me at this time?
SAM MORGAN: We’ve got a problem. I’m at the dig site. One of the digging team found a scroll.
SHALOM TIKVA: Why did you wait till this unearthly hour to call me?
SAM MORGAN: Because he only just found it.
SHALOM TIKVA: What, now ? What time is it there?
SAM MORGAN: Nearly midnight. He was digging after hours. I think he wasn’t part of the official team. But I know him. He’s a sleazy little man called Martin Costa.
SHALOM TIKVA: And where is he now?
SAM MORGAN: I’ve dealt with him.
SHALOM TIKVA: How?
SAM MORGAN: Permanently.
SHALOM TIKVA: Then why did you call me?
SAM MORGAN: Because he took a picture of it with his mobile phone and sent it to some one else?
SHALOM TIKVA: Do we know who?
[PAUSE]
SAM MORGAN: Yes. A man called Daniel Klein.
SHALOM TIKVA: And who is this Daniel Klein?
SAM MORGAN: He’s a professor or Semitic languages at University College London.
SHALOM TIKVA: And you think he’ll be able to interpret the scroll?
SAM MORGAN: The image was too blurred. He probably won’t be able to read the writing.
SHALOM TIKVA: Then I return to my earlier question. Why did you call?
SAM MORGAN: Because if he can read even part of it, then it’ll arouse his curiosity and he might start snooping around.
SHALOM TIKVA: Well then I suggest you deal with this Mr. Klein.
Call ended by SHALOM TIKVA.
Encrypted audio recording attached.
He had no need listen to the recording. It was all clear. The reason that it had been passed up the chain of command to Dovi was because he held a watching brief for Daniel Klein. Klein was not an intelligence man but an academic who had foiled a major terrorist attack against Israel that he had stumbled into while doing research on old Egyptian manuscripts in pre-Biblical Hebrew written in so-called “proto-Sinaitic” script. Initially resentful of this clumsy private citizen, bumbling his way through matters of state security, Shamir had come to admire Klein, when his academic competitiveness and curiosity had culminated in his crossing swords with some deadly enemies of the Jewish people – and winning.
Dovi had grudgingly respected Daniel from then on, but feared that those whose nefarious aims Daniel had thwarted, might come after him for revenge. So he had put Daniel on a watch list for the Urim monitoring station, although he had not gone as far as to tap Klein’s own phone.
But this transcript was three days old.
He understood why. It had taken time to filter up through the inter-service bureaucracy. But what did it mean “deal with” Mr. Klein. This Sam Morgan had said that he had already dealt with Martin Costa “permanently.” Did that mean he was going to do the same with Daniel Klein?
Not if Dovi Shamir had anything to do with it.
He could institute all sorts of processes in motion to protect Daniel Klein, including offering him refuge in Israel. But the first thing to do was call him and warn him.
Dovi reached for the phone and called Daniel’s number. He heard the ringing tone but there was no answer.
Chapter 10
Through the haze of his semi-conscious state, Daniel could hear his mobile phone ringing. It was in his pocket. If he could only get it out, he could ask whoever was calling him to get help. But strength eluded him.
No! he thought. Now is not the time to give up! You have responsibilities! You have people who love you!
He rolled over onto his back, so that reaching into his pocket would be easier, and forced himself to reach into his pocket and take out the phone. But as he did so, he heard a series of loud, staccato cracking sounds and saw