The Celestial Gate by Avital Dicker (red white royal blue txt) 📗

fact, I’d love for them to have to look for me for a change,” Yam answered. “Lately, they’ve been getting on my nerves, and in any case, I can always take a bus back to Tel Aviv.”

Mor took a quick peek down below. “In that case, let’s scram,” he said, and the three headed for the stairs.

Anise made one last effort to ditch Yam. “But you came with your folks. It’s not OK to leave them like that,” she pointed out.

“Well, my parents aren’t OK either,” Yam chuckled darkly. “Listen, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll text them.”

Anise was just about to answer when the entire building suddenly started to shake and everything around them exploded. As the air filled with smoke, Yam instinctively grabbed Anise to protect her with his body. He felt himself being picked off his feet, and then the world around him faded away.

Inside the consulate’s main auditorium, the guests had gathered around Theo who stood on a small dais brought in for the event. Theo grasped the microphone in one hand and was about to officially declare the exhibition open when, suddenly, there was an ear-shattering blast. Bits of the ceiling started to rain down and the hall filled with dust. The shockwave thrust Theo backward, and he landed on a buffet table. To Theo’s right lay a woman whose lower body was pinned down by a huge block, apparently from the building’s second floor. Theo stood up and shook off the glass shards and bits of food sticking to him.

Some of the guests – those who were still on their feet – started to run for the exits. Theo bent over the woman near him; she was groaning loudly. “Hey, I’m here, you’re going to be fine,” he yelled near her ear, trying to be heard over the screams of pain and fear filling the air. He attempted to move the heavy block, taking care not to hurt her any further. Concentrating on the effort, he managed to lift it off her body. Her right leg was bent where it should have been straight, and her slacks were soaked in blood. Theo quickly stripped off his tie and used it as a tourniquet around her upper thigh to stop the bleeding. He couldn’t do much more than that. Aiming for a reassuring tone, he yelled, “I’ll be right back.” Before anything else, he had to find Sual and the kids. He looked around but didn’t see any of them.

Loud screaming in Arabic erupted suddenly and a group of around twenty masked terrorists dressed in black barged into the auditorium, indiscriminately spraying magazine after magazine of bullets in every direction. The only word Theo managed to make out was “al-Aqsa.” The guests who’d been scrambling for the exits were mown down one after another.

Theo suddenly remembered that he’d seen Sual making her way to the basement pantry before the explosion, and he headed for the back staircase. Just then, someone threw a hand grenade, and Theo flung himself to the floor.

Yoav, who’d been standing on the dais with Amalia not far from Theo, opened his eyes, seeking his wife. She was lying motionless on the floor just a few feet away. Yoav started to crawl toward her, moving as quickly as he could. His hands were bleeding from innumerable glass cuts, but he didn’t notice. Only when he reached her and felt her beating pulse did he heave a sigh of relief. She’d lost consciousness but, thank God, she was alive. If only they could make it out of here in one piece, he swore he’d do anything Amalia wanted. Just let her be all right, he begged.

Yoav softly tapped Amalia’s cheek. After several light slaps, she finally opened her eyes.

He cradled her head gently, pulling her toward him. His hands were now covered in Amalia’s blood as well as his own. He had to get her out of here; she needed a doctor. He lifted her in his arms and started to make his way toward the exit just as the shooting started. Yoav looked for cover. It was too late. He managed to take a few steps before the bullet hit him in the chest. He toppled backward, Amalia with him.

Theo lay on the floor. His eyes were closed and he tried to breathe as inconspicuously as possible, figuring the terrorists would search the hall for survivors before heading to the other consulate rooms. His best bet was to play dead and wait.

Every passing second felt like an eternity. He could tell that someone hopped over him, and then he heard more shooting and yelling in Arabic. He waited for several long minutes until noting that the echoes of the shots were coming from farther and farther away. He waited a little longer, just to be sure, before daring to open his eyes.

When he stood up he saw the sickening destruction, but he had no time to assess the damage. He’d just started running for the back stairs when he heard a command screamed in Arabic. Theo froze and the bullet struck him in his back.

Chapter 8

Yam had no idea how long he’d been knocked out by the explosion. He could hear gunfire coming from every direction but couldn’t see a thing through the heavy smoke clouding the air.

He pushed aside a heavy rock that had landed on his stomach. His arm was still protectively encircling Anise. Curled in an unnatural position, she lay beside him unmoving, her eyes closed.

“Anise,” he yelled over the din. She didn’t respond. He shook her until she stirred feebly and opened her eyes. Had he not been so panicked, he’d gladly have sunk into those two deep, blue pools. But everything around them was on fire. Commands shouted in Arabic punctuated screams and shots. There was no time. Yam had seen enough news footage to know they were in the middle of an ongoing attack. They had to move before the terrorists reached the