Desert Sunrises ✓

Chapter 1

I threw my keys on the table by my front door and dropped my bag on the floor. I had been gone for 5 weeks, this latest mission taking me to London to rendezvous with an MI6 operative to exchange information.

I dumped the intel in the lockbox in Ethan's office and got home as quickly as possible, eager to sleep in my own bed.

I flicked on the light in my living room and jumped out of my skin when I saw Ethan sitting in the rocker by the window. "Gah! What the hell Ethan?! Why are you sitting in the dark? No, better question. Why are you sitting in the dark, in my living room?"

"I have a mission." He replies shortly.

I let out a loud sigh. "And this couldn't wait until the morning in the office?"

"No. The others are already in Switzerland getting ready to learn their covers. If you agree, we leave tonight." His gaze won't quite meet mine.

"What aren't you telling me Ethan?"

"Ari is heading the mission..."

"You gotta be shitting me."

"Come now, Ilana. You're the best at what you do and none of the others have the language skills you do."

"Does he know... that you're approaching me for this? Does he know?"

"No. To my knowledge, he doesn't even know you're Mossad."

"Great..." I say, pacing my living room. "Why should I say yes?"

"Because this is the mission you've wanted since I approached you about joining all those years ago." Damn him.

"Ugh. Fine. But if he throws a fit, it's on you." I say as I grab the other bag I keep for cases like this, back-to-back missions.

...
12 hours later, Zurich, Switzerland

I travel with Ethan to NATCOR as soon as we land. I wasn't prepared for the wind or snow and was instantly awake, regardless of being awake for 48 hours. "I'm giving your file to you now so we can avoid the drama once we get inside." Ethan tells me.

"What could possibly be..." I say before I read my background. "And which fuck is Guy Thomas, my esteemed husband?"

He looks at me out of the corner of his eyes, "Ari..."

"You gotta be fucking joking."

"No, now calm down. We're here. I'm going to go in first and break the news of another member."

I sat outside the meeting room where they were assembled. "Ethan... You're late." My heart jumps to my throat when I hear his voice for the first time in 6 years.

"My apologies. I was bringing your last team member. Name?" He says the last bit loudly and I take it as my cue to enter.

"Amanda Thomas." I say as I walk through the door. I see Ari's eyes widen and hear his quick intake of breath.

I hear Sammy laugh, across the room. "Ilana. How are you love?" He asks, getting up to hug him.

I hug him back, placing a kiss on each cheek in greeting. "Oh, you know, over-worked, underpaid." I say, laughing at the look on Ethan's face.

"Address." Ari barks at me.

"1454 Holbrook Lane, Syracuse, New York." I say with no hesitation, the home address the matches his.

He seems satisfied with my answers and response time and moves on. "Rachel, name" he continues but doesn't take his eyes off me.

"Angela Bluchel." She answers in German. "Born Düsseldorf, May 5, 1952. Only child."

"Address."

"Uh..."

"Don't hesitate. You hesitate, you're dead. Address."

"Glashutte Landsterstrasse, number 9." She replies.

Ari throws the next passport at Jake Wolf. "Luca Morano. Egidio Galbani Street, Rome." He replies in Italian.

"I didn't ask for your address. Don't offer information. Parents' names." Ari says, shortly.

"Eduarda and Antonella Morano."

"Elementary school."

"Deldago school."

"Delgado school." Ari corrects him. "Sammy. Name. Where you from?"

"I'm Liam Anderson. Australia."

"First girlfriend." Ari quizzes.

"Mary."

"Tell me about her."

"Mary Rose. Took my virginity and broke my heart. We met at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. I was 19. Later died in a car accident."

"It's good. Good work Sammy. You're up." He says, tossing me my passport.

"Amanda Thomas, born May 1, 1952."

"Marital status."

I gritted my teeth. "Married my high school sweetheart Guy right after graduation." I say, trying to keep my voice neutral. We hold eye contact for a while, completely unaware of everyone else around us, until Ethan clears his throat.

"Good. Max..."

"I still think this is a stupid name for someone from Malta. Why Malta?" Max complains.

"Max, when you learn a second language, that's where you can be from. Till then you're from Malta. No one knows what people from Malta speak." Ari explains.

"What do people from Malta speak?" Rachel asks.

"Maltese." Sammy responds, unsure.

"See, no one knows, that's the point. Name."

In a horrible European accent Max replies, "Hello everybody, my name's Irving Wilmington..." we all start laughing. "I'm from Malta."

"You think this is funny?" We all stop laughing. "Just for the record, there's not one person I would've chosen for this of mission. No not even you, Ilana. You're all too reckless. I've gone against every instinct I know. Broken every risk management rule I believe in, including sending women to a Muslim country. So let's be very clear. This mission has no backup. There's no exfil plan for you. You're going in without guns, or any other weapon. If this goes wrong, you'll all be hanging from cranes in Khartoum." Ethan finishes, his face showing just as much as his words how serious he was about this. 

We're for a while and we all look at each other in turn, a silent pact being made to each of us. "When do we start?" I ask.