“It is,” said Zvi. “Unless you have the software that tells you you’ve been hacked and then solves the problem.”
“How did he get that?”
“He bought it.”
“Aren’t Zeus and Pegasus made at home? In Israel. By our people. Why are they giving it to him?”
“Money,” said Gelber. “Zeus is made and sold by a private corporation. The NSO Group in Herzliya. They don’t know Al-Sabah’s a bad guy. He’s just a client happy to pay their fees.”
“So he knows he’s been hacked?”
“Operational security demands we assume so.”
“Shit.”
“It’ll take him some time to find out by whom,” said Gelber. “If he even checks.”
He’ll check, thought Ava. I would. “How long?”
“A few days,” said Gelber. “Maybe sooner.”
“And then he’ll be able to see that Zeus was attached to an invoice issued by Lutz’s office.”
“If he looks closely enough,” said Gelber.
“We’re blown.”
“Not necessarily,” said Gelber. “But, Ava, listen to me. I don’t want you to hang around to find out.”
Ava closed her eyes, her neck stiffening. She knew the feeling. Forward or back. Time to decide. “Abbasi delivered the plans,” she said. “You’re sure.”
“There’s a photograph taken in TNT’s office in his chalet. A selfie of the prince with Abbasi. There’s a blueprint tube on his desk that has initials from the Natanz Facility. We think the plans are inside it.”
Decision made. “Good to know, Zvi. No worries. I can look after myself.”
“One more thing,” said Gelber. “Did you talk to anyone else about this? Anyone but me?”
“No.”
“It’s okay if you did. I just need to know.”
“No, Zvi, I didn’t. Why? More friction?”
“I might have found who visited TNT on the tarmac at Ben Gurion,” said Gelber. “Yehudi Rosenfeld.”
“Who’s that?”
“Bad egg,” said Gelber. “Working for an even worse egg. Itmar Ben-Gold.”
Itmar Ben-Gold. Former leader of the Kach Party before it was declared illegal. Hardest of the hardliners. And by some inexplicable disaster, the current minister of defense. “Ben-Gold? What is he doing talking to Tariq al-Sabah?”
“Keep an eye out when you’re looking for the plans,” said Gelber. “We’d love to know.”
Dinner was a Swiss feast.Eierschwämmli, or spring mushrooms, sautéed in butter. A leaf salad with her favorite French dressing. Veal steak withmorilles. And, of course,rösti. All of it washed down by a series of exquisite wines. TNT took a sip of each. “To taste, not to drink,” he said. He did, however, drink the champagne. Lots of it.
“It’s ours,” said Tariq, holding his glass high. “Domaine du Roi. We purchased the estate last year. What do you think?”
Ava said she thought it was wonderful.
