Free The Council of Ten by Jon Land Page A

gotten close to them and had been executed as a result. She believed firmly that the Council had arranged his disgrace in the government as well. Their reach was everywhere.
    She had started her pursuit of the Council originally for David, but now she realized that she was doing it mostly for herself. Her marriage to him seven years before was a hectic affair squeezed in between assignments, seen by Ellie as a last chance at a normal life once her days in the field were over. His murder had forced her to face the realities of her chosen profession. There would be no peaceful retirement, and now at thirty-two she was almost certain to remain childless as well. The Council had stolen whatever chance she had at both away from her, and her obsessive quest for them had been as much for distraction as vengeance. The pursuit was simply all she had.
    Isser pushed his chair closer to hers. “Listen to me, Ellie. Look at you, you’re beaten and exhausted and what have you gained from it? Nothing.”
    “That’s not true!”
    “Then report to me your findings now.”
    “It’s not that simple. All I have are random occurrences. There’s never any firm proof or connections. But something’s going on.”
    “Open to interpretation, of course, and mine seems to be distinctly different from yours in this case.”
    “Don’t you see, Isser?” Elliana pleaded. “Everything the Council does is based around total secrecy. It’s the only way they can function. If all the intelligence services in the world fail to pursue them, they can flourish unhindered.”
    “Then tell me what you know about the Council. Who are its members?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Where are the members from?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “You are convinced they are after some unholy end , so tell me the means. ”
    “That’s the point!” Ellie nearly shouted at him. “They were never in possession of the means until recently, so they couldn’t surface. That’s changed.”
    “And now they have this means?”
    “The indications are there.”
    “Tell me these indications.”
    “They’re vague, understated. I’ll know better after Prague in two days.”
    Isser hesitated only slightly. “You’re not going.”
    “What?”
    “We haven’t a safe house anywhere near Prague, you know that. I can’t let you go illegal without shelter, backups or no. You’re too valuable.”
    “I’ve gone illegal plenty of times without backups or shelter!”
    “This is different. You’ve been formally recalled for reassignment,” Isser said, his patience gone, his words cold and flat. “Moshe has all the details for you downstairs.”
    Elliana stood up angrily and stormed for the door. Suddenly she stopped, shoulders squaring.
    “I can’t accept this,” she said, still facing the hallway.
    “The choice is no longer yours.”
    “They killed David.”
    “We don’t know that.”
    She turned around. “I’m requesting a leave of absence.”
    “Denied.”
    “A vacation, then. I’ve got plenty of time coming.”
    “All personnel are on Priority Counter-terrorist Alert. All vacations have been suspended.”
    Elliana tensed. “That only leaves me one choice.”
    Isser stood up and moved toward her. “You’d do this, you’d throw away everything you’ve accomplished, everything you are, just like that?”
    Ellie nodded, not sure if she meant to. It was all right, though, because now Isser would understand the gravity of this operation for her. She had proven her commitment to it and he would okay her continuing on with sanction. He had to.
    But he didn’t.
    “Your resignation will be accepted with grave disappointment,” was all he said, his expression blank. He drew a little closer to her with his arms folded. “You were the best, Ellie, but you’re not anymore. Obsession is the last thing an operative in your position can afford if you are going to survive. Obsession is a weakness and no weaknesses can be tolerated in the field. Death results or,