other-side-of-deception-victor-ostrovsky

THE OTHER SIDE OF DECEPTION / 157Jordan) was just that: a myth. This was supposed to ring every alarmbell in the bloody Mossad, yet no one had heard of it. I took a deepbreath; I couldn't express my relief. "But you do want me to go?""Yes. That is, if you think you're up to it.""And you want me to proceed according to plan?""Yes, just like we planned it. That is, if they'll let you.""So I'll call you when I come out.""I'll wait for you. How long?""The man said one week.""Just remember that there are other people there, and if they putyou in a hotel, stay out of sight. We might not have anyone in theirsystem, but we sure have people in Palestinian circles, and they're allover the place. I still can't believe we didn't hear about this." He waslaughing. "What a bunch of bullshitters. I wonder now how many ofthe so-called agents we have are bogus."I hung up and went back to the hotel.It was eleven forty-five. I was waiting in the hotel lobby. I'd madearrangements for the hotel to hold my room, and they'd prepared abill. At twelve sharp, a limousine pulled up out front, and Zuhir'sassistant, the tall slim man, walked in and greeted me."Are you ready?""Yes, but there is the matter of the hotel.""What is it?""I have no money, and I have to hold the room until I return. Ispoke to the general about that."He went back to the limo and then returned to me with the general'scredit card. "The general said to put it all on his card.""They'll want him to sign.""I'll sign for him. You go ahead to the car."I did. Zuhir was seated in the far corner. I could barely see into thecar, but his smile was shining through. "Ahalan w' sahalan, myfriend," he said, stretching out his hand to greet me."How are you?" I said, smiling. There was just no way of not likingthis man."We'll be flying to New York first, and from there we're going toAmman. I have made all the arrangements. We'll be picked up at theairport. All will be well.""Do you know the people who will be picking us up at the airport?""They are all my friends, people you can trust. And here." Hehanded me a set of tickets: They were in a red folder with the Jorda-nian crown printed in gold and the word "Alia" in English and Arabic.This was not the sort of thing I wanted to flash around in an airport-eitherat Washington National or Kennedy."Would you mind keeping this for me?" I handed him the folder,slipping the tickets inside my coat pocket. He smiled. "You spies haveto think of everything.""Well, that is if we don't want to hang.""Don't you worry, my friend, you are with me. KO one will touchyou.I smiled back. "Would you drop me off at the entrance to theSheraton? The one by the airport?""Sure." There was a tinge of wariness on his round face. He waspuzzled, trying to figure out what I was up to."I just want to take a cab from there to Washington National.After all, we don't know who we might meet there, and I don't wantto be seen with the most senior Jordanian military man in the U.S.,boarding a plane. You'll agree with me that that would not be a goodIidea.""I should have thought of it myself, but of course you're one hundredpercent right. What about Kennedy? What will we do there?""We're traveling first class?" I took out my tickets and looked atthem."Yes, of course." Zuhir smiled."So we will meet in the Alia lounge. Where is it?""Alia doesn't really have a lounge, but we do use the Air Franceone. There is no Air France flight, so we'll be there alone-I meanonly people flying to Amman.""So I'll see you there." I looked out the window. Zuhir instructedthe driver to stop first at the Sheraton. His assistant then said somethingto Zuhir in Arabic, and Zuhir turned to me. "Do you knowwhere the Air France lounge is?""No, I'm afraid I don't.""Do you know where the El A1 counters are?""Yes." There was a slight hesitation in my voice."Well, the Air France counters are on the one side and the loungeis on the other. So when we go to the flight, we will pass by the El Alcounters." He gave his assistant a worried look, then said to me,"What do you propose to do?""Nothing. I'll meet you in the lounge, and when the time comes,L.we'll go for the flight. What else can we do?"The car came to a stop under the large concrete canopy of theSheraton, and I got out. The chauffeur took my suitcase out of the