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

all. They looked at the soldiers next to the wall, protectively surrounding them with drawn weapons.

A Jeep, its lights off, waited nearby.

“Was all that real?” Yam whispered to Mor when they climbed into the vehicle.

“I’ve been asking myself the same question,” Mor answered with a smile.

“I think I know what He meant,” Yam whispered to Mor once the vehicle started moving. “He’s right. We really can help.”

The Jeep drove into the base and Ido led them to a hall. “I’ll get you something to eat and then we’ll talk,” he said.

Yam drew Mor into a corner. “Do you remember what was in that silver-colored briefcase we took with us, the one we found in the Arab terrorists’ chamber?” he asked. Mor nodded. “I think I have a solution,” Yam smiled.

Mor looked at his friend. “Nasat said the timer is set for twelve midnight. Tonight,” he stressed. Both cast an anxious glance at the clock on the wall showing eleven.

Ido brought them a tray of sandwiches. “I’m really happy you’re all OK,” he smiled. “Lots of people have been very worried about you.”

“Remember that the tunnels are booby-trapped,” Mor whispered. “If the briefcase blows up in one of the tunnels, all of Jerusalem might go up in flames.”

Yam nodded in understanding. “Maybe we can blow up two birds with one boom,” he whispered back.

Ido looked at the clock and put the coffee down on the table. “I’m sorry to do this, but time isn’t on our side,” he said.

“He doesn’t know the half of it,” Mor muttered out of the side of his mouth.

“I understand that you have a map of the underground city,” Ido continued.

“Are you talking about the ancient map?” Yam asked, all innocent. Ido nodded.

Mor drew Anise aside and whispered in her ear. The idea of going back into the tunnels made Anise quake, but she knew the boys were right. They weren’t finished yet. “You think it’ll work?” she asked tensely.

Mor shrugged. “It better,” he muttered.

“Hmm. The map…” said Yam to Ido, scratching his head. “We lost it during one of the explosions.”

Ido looked at Yam with suspicion. “May I?” he asked, pointing at Yam’s backpack.

“Sure,” Yam answered.

Ido opened the backpack and emptied it onto the table.

“Ido, is this really necessary?” Amalia was annoyed. Ido looked at her long and hard, and then turned to face the boy, tossing the empty bag back at him. Amalia’s heart gave a lurch when she saw the pain in his eyes. He doesn’t deserve it, she thought. Ido, the capable, the smart, who was always there for her. He could have been the perfect partner, but she was still in love with Yoav even though he didn’t deserve another chance. Yoav and Yam were her whole world.

Discreetly, Yam felt around in his pocket. Yes, the map was still there. He breathed his relief. Then, “We can show you the way if you want,” he offered offhandedly. “We know the tunnels by heart; we were down there for days.”

“Absolutely not!” Amalia was the first to protest. “You’re not going back.”

“We didn’t have a chance to tell you,” Anise broke in calmly, “but we captured two terrorists. They’re down there right now. I’m pretty sure they can give you all the information you need.”

“What? I… All right, where did you leave them?” Ido asked.

“They’re in one of the oldest tunnels. We can take you there,” Mor chimed in.

Ido knew he’d been bested. In all good conscience, he couldn’t send an entire unit into an underground deathtrap without knowing where they were going. “Fine,” he finally conceded.

Yam looked at the clock again. It was already eleven-thirty. They really needed to get going. “OK, let’s move,” he said.

“Nobody is going anywhere,” said a resolute Sual and marched up to stand between them. “These kids have been through enough.”

“Mom, we’ll be back,” Anise said to Sual, projecting as much confidence as she could into her voice and eyes. Sual looked back at her daughter. How much you’ve grown these last few days, she thought proudly. The last remnants of Anise’s childhood were gone. In place of a girl was a brave, determined young woman.

Theo put a hand on Sual’s shoulder. “Let them go,” he said softly.

“Only on condition they wear cameras and we sit in the control room to watch every move,” Amalia laid down the terms.

Ido nodded. “I promise to set them up with helmet cameras,” he said, taking the parents to the improvised control room.

Three soldiers sat facing eight screens, each of which showed a different battle zone. “You’ll be able to see everything on the screens in real-time,” Ido told the parents before leaving the room.

One of the soldiers invited Theo, Sual, and Amalia to sit. “They’ll be here,” he said, pointing at the central screen.

Outside, Yam, Anise, and Mor got into the Jeep and Ido held helmets out to them. The way to the gate passed in tense silence. Several hundred yards from the gate, Ido turned the engine off while Yam turned his helmet camera on. “This way,” said Anise to Ido, and walked toward the tunnel entrance.

Ido insisted on being the first down. Only after having secured the area did he motion for them to follow him.

Anise took the lead, navigating the tunnel system that branched off in different directions. “We were down here long enough,” she said, in answer to Ido’s silent look of astonishment.

A few minutes later, Anise stopped next to the tree trunk in the ancient underground plaza. Seeing the stunned soldiers behind her, she smiled. Mor found the point on the wall and pressed it. As it had done before, the rock wall slid quietly to one side.

Ido’s jaw dropped. “That’s how we felt when we first saw this place,” Mor laughed. “Shalom and salaam,” he merrily greeted the two men who were still bound together in a corner, “you have guests.”

“This man is the ISIS cell leader,” Ido said, surprised, as he looked at the Arab man, still not believing his eyes. “We’ve been