long for Hamilton to wipe him out if he became suspicious.
That day was the first time Hamilton actually talked to Barrow. Barrow was a low level executive with the CIA at the time, but everything had to go through him.
"What can you tell me about this boy?" asked Barrow.
"All I can say, sir, is we have a chance to take him out of the picture and turn him. I really think we should seize the opportunity. This boy showed us how ruthless he can be."
"What do you think the Israelis will say?" Barrow asked again. "The two men he took out were their agents."
"I know sir. I don’t think that was the reason he did this. Somehow I believe it goes beyond that. This is personal, sir. If you give me the go ahead, I shall find out, and I believe the Israelis will be glad they won’t have to deal with him. Look how long it took them to remove his father. My gut feeling is this boy is a hundred times worse than his father and a lot smarter, sir. He must have really planned this in minute detail."
"Do you think you can turn him Brad," asked Barrow, using his forename for the first time?
"I believe so, sir. If you allow me, I will keep a close eye on him and if I see that he is not doing what he is supposed to, I will drop him myself."
"OK then, Brad. You have the go ahead. Do find out for me why he did this. Why the kids too."
The next morning, Abbas was put through to Hamilton as soon as he called. He was not kept waiting.
"Good morning Mr. Hamilton," Abbas said when he heard Brad announce his name.
"Good morning Mr. Abbas. We need to talk. Where would you like to meet?"
"How about I just walk over to the Embassy and talk there?"
"You are willing to trust us?"
"I watched you yesterday after you opened the trunk to the car Mr. Hamilton. I figured if you were instructed to take me out, it wouldn’t take you long and I would be on the run for what remains of my life. I understand there will be no place on earth safe for me.”
This guy is really smart, thought Hamilton. He was right, it wouldn’t take long before they or someone else would catch up with him and kill him, especially if they made it known what he had done.
"I’ll meet you at the door Mr. Abbas," Hamilton said. He hung up the phone and headed for the main door three floors below. By the time he got there, Abbas was waiting.
As Hamilton was leading him to the meeting room, Abbas noticed that everyone was looking at him. They had heard. They knew what he had done.
"Did you know the two men were Israeli agents?" Hamilton asked as soon as they walked into the conference room and closed the door.
"Yes I did," answered Abbas.
"Is that why you killed them?"
"No. One of them shot my father while the Israelis were interrogating him."
"Do you know which one?"
"It doesn’t matter. They were both traitors. I couldn’t tell which one."
"You mean you were there the whole time, asked Hamilton surprised? I was told by the Israelis that they looked for you, and searched the house several times."
"I know, and they came close a couple of times. When they destroyed the house, I was buried under the rubble. I was in that house for four days. Do you know how much reflection you can have in four days Mr. Hamilton?"
"Is that why you opted out, Mr. Abbas?"
"Please call me Abbas. I’m only seventeen years old."
"All right with me, Abbas. You call me Brad. I’m not much older than you myself. I am new at this, barely graduated. This is my first assignment."
"From what I saw, you reacted better than anyone out there by the car, which brings me to the subject. What did you do with it?"
"We burned it," answered Hamilton. "Like you said, we don’t want anyone to think we had anything to do with this”.
"Very smart, Brad!"
"My boss wants to know, why the kids?"
"Very simple really; if they ever found out I did this, they would not rest until I was dead, and I don’t really feel like looking over my shoulder my whole life."
"Now, what is it you want from us?"
"Like I told you before, I want to have a normal life. This is my last year of high school and I want to go to college in the States. The problem is I don’t have the money to do so and sooner or later the Israelis are bound to get me."
"What are you willing to give us in return?"
"First, I will be out of your hair. I know that’s not much, seeing as it will only take a bullet to do that, but when I graduate, I will be willing to train and become an operative for you."
"You mean you are willing to betray your own people, Hamilton asked incredulously?"
"If you remember correctly Brad, they betrayed me first. I am tired of living in poverty trying to make ends meet. My father did that all his life and where did it get him? His wife was cheating on him and his friends killed him. I don’t want to betray my people,
I want to help them. I want to find a way to convince them that violence is not the answer to their misery. Look around you Brad. Show me an Arab country that cares about my people. None of them want us. All this bazaar talk about the struggle is to keep their own people in line and take their minds off their problems. They need a cause to keep the populace in line and what better cause than to have an enemy? A hundred million Arabs and they can’t defeat a minuscule number of people. I know they blame America for supporting the Israelis, but check the conduct of every war, one country at a time Mr. Hamilton. One country at a time goes to war and by the time the others decide to join, separately of course, the first country is already defeated. Have you ever seen the Arabs co-ordinate a fight? No Brad, you haven’t and I tell you what, you never will. They need Israel. They need an enemy because if they don’t have one, they will turn their guns against each other. The Arabs need Israel just like Islam needs America. They need a common enemy or they will lose control."
Hamilton was listening to this seventeen-year old boy talk and was impressed. How true this was. He was sure the Israelis would be glad they wouldn’t have to deal with him. This kid can really put together an argument. Brad wished some of the so-called experts would listen to what this young man had to say. He was glad Abbas had decided to make this move.
"What do you think we can offer you Abbas," he finally asked?
"A scholarship to a reputable university and a living allowance; I don’t really need much. I’ll even take the courses you recommend."
Hamilton was starting to like this kid. He was smart, he reminded him of himself not so long ago.
"Any university in mind Abbas, asked Hamilton?"
"Not really, you can make the recommendation. I would like to stay close to where you will be though. I will probably need someone to talk to once in a while."
"I doubt that Abbas. Somehow I think you will make many friends."
"You agree then," asked Abbas?
"Yes we do. How about New York University? You won’t be far from where I’ll be and once you graduate, we will enroll you at Langley."
"Langley?" asked Abbas.
"The CIA headquarters and training facility in Virginia," Hamilton explained.
A smile showed on Abbas’s face.
"That would be great. That is what I want."
"Settled then," said Hamilton. I will make the arrangements and notify you.
"Please do not get in touch with me or approach me. When I graduate school in a few months, I will contact you. I don’t want anyone