herself from the outside. Too much of a good thing, she thought, as childhood memories began to creep back in. Mikki felt it and moved closer. He put his arm around her shoulders and held her tightly. They stood silent for a while, light breeze caressing their faces.
"You're in one of those moods again," he remarked, sensing her, trying to be gentle. She nodded and stuck her head in his neck, feeling his pulse. She put both her hands around his waist and grasped him tightly.
"What is it, Karen?"
The pain was back. "It's complicated Mikki, leave it alone."
He wasn't convinced. He took her by the shoulders and put her at arm's length, looking straight into her eyes. "It's happened too many times for me to leave it alone. It seems to come between us every time we get close. It hurt us the first time we met and it still does!"
She felt anguish. He was reaching out but she couldn't respond.
"Karen, let me in, please .." he pleaded. "What is so horrible that you won't share with me? You know everything about me, why can't you let me into your world?"
"It's dark, Mikki," she shot back in a low, frightened voice. He was taken aback. She could tell he was startled by her reaction. She was too, but she kept going. "It's a sick and frightening world Mikki, full of lies and abuse. It belongs to power hungry people who cover everything with money."
She took a deep breath. "It's deceptive Mikki. It looks clean and rewarding from the outside, but it's rotten inside. It's difficult to explain to someone who lives so plain and simple but... I guess you're right, it exists between us and probably will exist until I sort it out..."
"Tell me what it is, Karen? Tell me what's scarin' you."
"Most of it happened at home Mikki, at an early age..."
She couldn't go on. Feeling drained, she realized she was on the verge of tears. She bit her lower lip but kept her head high, looking straight at him. He reached out with his hand and gently touched her face with his fingers, wiping away the tears that were drifting down.
"What about this scar?" he asked, touching the area under her left eye. Her breathing was suddenly heavy. She reached up with both hands and removed his hand from her cheek. Then she quickly stepped forward and kissed him, holding on to him, feeling the fear engulf her. Her dry mouth moistened as his tongue invaded it. She held on until her body began to loosen. Mikki pulled back, gasping for air. He looked her over, noticeably concerned, and then pulled her head to his chest. They silently stood holding on to one another, both captivated by thoughts and emotions.
Moments later they were back on the road heading south on the Golan ridge.
-------
Raul was losing his patience
They had been trailing the "love birds" for most of the day, barely able to keep up on several occasions. The lovers thoroughly covered the territory, stopping at every nook and cranny from the Gamla hot springs in the Yarmuch basin to the south, through Zavitan canyon and Banyas falls, to Mount Hermon at the tip of the northern border.
So far it had been impossible to get the break they needed to carry out the plan. The instructions were rigid, any deviations needed approval. It was beyond their control. They would have only one crack at it, and it had to be done today.
He was beginning to wonder if they could pull it off.
They were parked outside a small coffee house in the Druze village of Migdal Shams at the foothills of the Hermon Mountain. The "love birds", as Mustafa described them, had been inside for the last half hour.
It was 3:45 PM.
Raul studied his partner from the corner of his eye. Mustafa sat at the wheel, displaying no emotion. "They'll be heading back pretty soon," Raul stated.
Mustafa did not reply. He looked straight ahead, focused on the coffee shop's door.
"We're running out of time," Raul continued, a hint of desperation in his
"You're in one of those moods again," he remarked, sensing her, trying to be gentle. She nodded and stuck her head in his neck, feeling his pulse. She put both her hands around his waist and grasped him tightly.
"What is it, Karen?"
The pain was back. "It's complicated Mikki, leave it alone."
He wasn't convinced. He took her by the shoulders and put her at arm's length, looking straight into her eyes. "It's happened too many times for me to leave it alone. It seems to come between us every time we get close. It hurt us the first time we met and it still does!"
She felt anguish. He was reaching out but she couldn't respond.
"Karen, let me in, please .." he pleaded. "What is so horrible that you won't share with me? You know everything about me, why can't you let me into your world?"
"It's dark, Mikki," she shot back in a low, frightened voice. He was taken aback. She could tell he was startled by her reaction. She was too, but she kept going. "It's a sick and frightening world Mikki, full of lies and abuse. It belongs to power hungry people who cover everything with money."
She took a deep breath. "It's deceptive Mikki. It looks clean and rewarding from the outside, but it's rotten inside. It's difficult to explain to someone who lives so plain and simple but... I guess you're right, it exists between us and probably will exist until I sort it out..."
"Tell me what it is, Karen? Tell me what's scarin' you."
"Most of it happened at home Mikki, at an early age..."
She couldn't go on. Feeling drained, she realized she was on the verge of tears. She bit her lower lip but kept her head high, looking straight at him. He reached out with his hand and gently touched her face with his fingers, wiping away the tears that were drifting down.
"What about this scar?" he asked, touching the area under her left eye. Her breathing was suddenly heavy. She reached up with both hands and removed his hand from her cheek. Then she quickly stepped forward and kissed him, holding on to him, feeling the fear engulf her. Her dry mouth moistened as his tongue invaded it. She held on until her body began to loosen. Mikki pulled back, gasping for air. He looked her over, noticeably concerned, and then pulled her head to his chest. They silently stood holding on to one another, both captivated by thoughts and emotions.
Moments later they were back on the road heading south on the Golan ridge.
-------
Raul was losing his patience
They had been trailing the "love birds" for most of the day, barely able to keep up on several occasions. The lovers thoroughly covered the territory, stopping at every nook and cranny from the Gamla hot springs in the Yarmuch basin to the south, through Zavitan canyon and Banyas falls, to Mount Hermon at the tip of the northern border.
So far it had been impossible to get the break they needed to carry out the plan. The instructions were rigid, any deviations needed approval. It was beyond their control. They would have only one crack at it, and it had to be done today.
He was beginning to wonder if they could pull it off.
They were parked outside a small coffee house in the Druze village of Migdal Shams at the foothills of the Hermon Mountain. The "love birds", as Mustafa described them, had been inside for the last half hour.
It was 3:45 PM.
Raul studied his partner from the corner of his eye. Mustafa sat at the wheel, displaying no emotion. "They'll be heading back pretty soon," Raul stated.
Mustafa did not reply. He looked straight ahead, focused on the coffee shop's door.
"We're running out of time," Raul continued, a hint of desperation in his
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