Chapter Twenty Authorized Mission

Silberberg looks over at Schwartz, who nods that Silberberg should take the question. Silberberg smiles.

“We’ll be ready to set sail one week from Tuesday,” Silberberg says with confidence. “This will give us sufficient time to check out all of the equipment, once it has arrived, have some time with the captain to go over things with him, and still allow for a drop day of two weeks from Monday, which is what we want to aim for. Unfortunately we do have to go the long way around the Cape, for security reasons.”

“Getting dropped off on a Monday will give us sufficient time to arrive at our first target area by Friday, based on traveling only at night,” Schwartz adds.

“Why Friday,” Jacob asks.

Silberberg explains his theory of the Muslim equivalent of Shabbat. “We feel that we’ll have the least intrusion into our activities, setting up on site, if we time our arrival then,” Silberberg explains.

“Anything else before we complete this meeting?” asks Jacob.

“Only that Yosef and I still need to work out our transfer of goods to Hidden Talents, which we can take care of after this meeting,” replies Schwartz.

Sitting there, sweat pouring down from his armpits, his hands icy cold, Bergman speaks up for the first time. “I will call you first thing in the morning, Natan.”

“Captain, is there anything else?” Jacob asks.

“No, sir. We can handle this.”

All of the men rise and shake hands as they leave the chief of staff’s conference room. All are aware of Bergman’s cold hands. Bergman leaves thinking, Oh my God, this impossible idea of mine is really going to happen. God help us all.