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

looking for him for a very long time. And this Jew – well, he’s familiar to us as well. He’s a suspect in at least three arson attacks.”

Sual was staring intently at the screen as the soldiers removed the two terrorists from the ancient room.

“Look at our children,” she said to Theo with pride.

Amalia, too, was looking at the video captured by Yam’s helmet camera. On the right-hand screen, where the soldiers surrounding the terrorists were visible, she was the only one to notice that Mor and Anise had used the opportunity to sneak out of the room. Mor held a silver-colored suitcase and both were running quickly. Amalia was torn but finally decided not to say anything. Several minutes passed before Ido, focused on the captives, noticed that the kids had disappeared. Despite her own nerves, Amalia had to laugh at the stream of curses coming from Ido’s mouth. “Take these two out,” he ordered, and then kicked the wall in frustration.

The three arrived at the junction breathing hard. “The Gate of Mercy is on the right,” said Mor and turned to go down the alley.

Yam looked at the suitcase and then at the tunnel walls covered in electrical wiring and bundles of explosives. “Look, it’s all booby-trapped,” he muttered.

Anise looked at her watch. Eleven fifty. “We only have ten minutes,” she whispered.

The three looked at one another.

“Are we sure?” Yam asked.

“They’re only stones,” Anise answered.

“Those stones are holy to three major religions all fighting over them,” Mor said.

“So, it’s either stones or hundreds of thousands of people dying when the tunnels blow up,” Mor added.

“Human lives or stones. What do we decide?” said Anise, and the three exchanged looks once again. Her watch now showed eleven fifty-eight. “From the moment I turn this on, we have less than a minute to get out,” said Yam.

“Let’s do this,” Anise smiled. “Let’s get it over and done with. I’m hungry.”

“Let me disconnect the wires,” said Mor. “Anise, keep watch from above.”

Yam turned the laptop on and quickly struck some keys. He looked at Mor worried. “It’s complicated. I’m not totally sure, but I think you have to cut the red one. Wait… maybe the blue?”

“You think?” Mor whispered. “Considering the fact that my life depends on it, I’d be happier if you were a little surer of yourself.” He looked at the wires stretching the length of the walls. Sweat beading on his forehead, he brought his penknife close to the red wire.

“Wait!” Yam yelled as the knife touched the red one. Mor froze.

“Not the red, the green,” said Yam softly.

“For both our sakes, I really hope you’re right,” said Mor. His hand shook, and the sweat was now getting in his eyes. He moved the blade carefully. It felt as if time had stopped. The palm of his hand was moist and the knife started to slip, stopping only half an inch from the red wire. Then, with a sharp, smooth motion, he cut the green wire and breathed in relief.

“What are they doing?” Ido screamed from the central screen at soldiers in the control room.

“They’re talking about a bomb, commander,” said one of them.

They looked at Mor’s face now filling the right-hand screen. “I know you can see us,” he said, looking straight into the camera. “It was a difficult decision,” he continued. “In another two minutes, the bomb in the suitcase is going to blow up. The tunnels are booby-trapped. If the suitcase blows up inside, the explosives in here will go off and tens if not hundreds of thousands of people will die.” He stopped to take a deep breath. “Our choice was between saving the holy sites or the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. We decided that human life is most holy. No stone is worth killing or dying for. After all, the Bible says, ‘Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness,’” he ended his speech. The screen went blank.

“Commander, I think you should all take cover,” the control room soldier mumbled to a stunned Ido.

“Are you ready?” Yam asked Mor.

Yam’s hand shook. “Now,” he yelled and hit the Enter key on the keyboard.

Yam held the suitcase and both of them ran up the staircase. Yam flew over the top step, but Mor, a little behind him, stumbled and fell. “Keep going,” Mor yelled to Yam, but Yam had already turned back to help Mor.

Holding his hand out, Yam said, “Let’s go. Anise is waiting,” and winked at his friend.

Anise watched both running out of the tunnel. Yam let the suitcase go flying; it landed on the Temple Mount plaza. The three hurried to take cover in the courtyard of one of the nearby houses.

A ferocious explosion rocked the Old City.

“God!” the soldier muttered, his face just inches from the screen. “The Temple Mount. The Western Wall. They’re gone.”

Theo looked at the flames and smoke rising on the screen. “That’s my son,” he said with pride, pulling Sual into an embrace. “Our son,” she corrected him. His lips met hers.

Yoav looked at Amalia. “My son has taught me a lesson,” he said. Amalia returned his look. “Nothing is going to come between us ever again. I promise,” he whispered, and Amalia slowly put her hand in his.

Anise looked at the Gate of Mercy. The rocks that had blocked it before had tumbled out, scattered by the force of the explosion. But the other gate remained untouched. The gate is open, she thought with relief, and then looked up. A white cloud, rapidly shifting its shape, was right above her. She thought for a second that old Ali was smiling down at her. “Look,” she said to the boys, pointing upward. All three saw the rainbow whose many colors were shining through the smoke.

“Stones,” said Mor.

“Stones,” smiled Yam.

“Stones,” whispered Anise, looking at her friends with love. She would have to choose between them, she knew, but not now. Not today. We have time, she thought.

“We chose,” she