of fact,” Malik said, “if I remember correctly, the body of a young Bedouin man named Ahmed Khan was autopsied recently in Jerusalem after being found in the desert by the IDF.”
Ethan and Rachel exchanged a glance.
“I was not aware of this,” Shiloh said.
“The Bedouin are a complicated people,” Malik said conversationally. “Their traditional ways have given over to a more modern lifestyle as a result of their inability to provide for themselves in the desert, and that’s exposed them to alcohol, drugs, and crime. It’s not that uncommon for us to find Bedouin corpses in the desert.”
“What was the cause of death?” Shiloh asked.
“I don’t know,” Malik admitted, “but there was evidence of drug abuse, needles and suchlike. It’s possible that he was a wounded insurgent and had received some kind of rudimentary medical attention.”
“I want a copy of that autopsy report,” Ethan insisted.
Spencer Malik ignored Ethan, looking at Rachel.
“Why did you jump out of the aircraft over Gaza?”
“To protect the footage of the incident that Mr. Warner had filmed. If we had landed at Herzliya, we feared that the footage would be confiscated by MACE. We were hoping to find Lucy while in Gaza, as Mr. Warner has contacts there.”
“And did you find them?”
“No,” Rachel said sadly.
Shiloh looked at Ethan curiously. “Why did you not contact us directly?”
“We couldn’t make contact with anyone from Gaza,” Ethan explained. “The best I could do was contact an associate at the Defense Intelligence Agency. It was he who contacted Israel. Without Israel’s protection I feared that MACE would get hold of the footage, which unfortunately is exactly what happened.”
Shiloh sat back in his chair. “What was this footage of?”
“MACE soldiers beating Ayeem,” Ethan said, “and of cached improvised explosive devices used by terrorist groups. I also shot footage of the remains that Lucy Morgan was excavating before she disappeared. They were being prepared for shipment under the protection of MACE.”
Malik clenched his fists on the table.
“That’s ridiculous, a complete fantasy of the type I told you to be aware of from this man. Warner will concoct anything he can to make a story.”
Ethan fumed silently in his seat but managed to remain silent.
“What happened to this footage?” Shiloh asked Rachel.
“We were attacked by a MACE drone,” Ethan replied for her. “During the attack the footage was stolen, along with the explosive devices I found in the MACE encampment.”
Malik blurted out a laugh. “How convenient, and the meddling of your friend in America cost MACE a two-million-dollar drone, one of only two in existence.”
Shiloh remained silent for a moment before turning to the soldier.
“How do you explain your attack?”
Malik spread his palms upward.
“It was an unfortunate misunderstanding. Our encampment was infiltrated by Mr. Warner, who seems hell-bent on exposing something that just isn’t there. My men tell me that they found the Bedouin sneaking around the camp and arrested him; that much is true. But there was no beating and certainly no shooting.”
Ethan slammed his fist on the table.
“That’s a lie. It was all on film.”
“Then where is it?” Malik inquired calmly. “My men thought that they were under attack and that equipment from the camp was being stolen by insurgents. They pursued, and you fled. They understandably believed that you needed to be stopped. Everything that has happened is a product of the moment that you ignored our advice to stay out of the Negev.”
“You used an air strike against civilians in Gaza,” Ethan stammered.
Shiloh looked at Malik severely but the soldier appeared unfazed.
“We tracked Mr. Warner’s movements via our aerial drone after he escaped into Gaza. Of course we didn’t know who it was, only that we were tracking someone we thought was a terrorist. In the early hours of this morning the image of an individual matching the features of the man at the camp site was spotted, and the air strike was requested on those coordinates.”
Ethan leaned forward on the table.
“And what was MACE doing with improvised explosive devices in the first place?”
Malik stared blankly at him, and Ethan sensed in his dazed expression the realization that he had been cornered.
The explosives are irrelevant,” Malik muttered dismissively. “This is about your intrusion into a restricted area.”
Shiloh was watching Malik suspiciously. “I think that the presence of such weapons is anything but irrelevant.”
Ethan nodded in agreement. “I recommend that you investigate the MACE encampment immediately. Whatever the hell they’re up to, it’s got nothing to do with protecting Israel.”
Shiloh was about to speak, but the voice that replied came