Howitt - The End of Terror

Vienna, July 2015

Anyone observing the many guests transiting in and out of the lobby of the Hotel Palais Hansen Kempinski would hardly have taken note of the very trim and neat-looking visitor. He was just over six feet tall, probably 180 pounds, with a muscular frame. With his short, dark, curly hair, piercing ice-blue eyes, and bronzed skin, he appeared to be just another upwardly mobile businessman used to international travel. In fact, he was one of the most senior field operatives of a highly secretive Israeli intelligence agency. Ari Lazarus was a special retribution operator, which is a euphemism for assassin.

In the course of his career with this agency, he had travelled to Vienna on business several times. For Ari, stepping out of the lobby of the Palais Hansen Kempinski onto Schottenring was a litmus test of his attitude and feelings for the old and venerable city of music.

His previous visits to Vienna had all been about his work. With all its beautiful architecture and music, Vienna was a veritable sewer for men in Aris profession. This day, he was here on vacation with his wife, Leah, and daughter, Esther. They had been begging him to take them, and this was his first real family vacation. He was actually considering retirement.

When Ari, Leah, and Esther boarded Austrian Airlines Flight 858 at Ben Gurion Airport for the four-hour trip to Vienna, he was mentally trying to deal with the fact that he was going back to Vienna. The whole flight he was deep in thought, recollecting why he so intensely disliked it there.

Once they landed in Vienna, they took a taxi to the hotel, and Ari made a great effort to engage with his wife and daughter, both of whom had noticed how distant and removed he had been since they left their apartment in Tel Aviv. Even while they waited to board their flight, he had been in another world sitting and staring out of the terminal building windows, uncommunicative. Of course, for both Leah and Esther, this being their first trip together as a family was a most exciting time.

Leah had grown up in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and never been to the grand cities of Europe. Ari was not excited about her choice of Vienna, but he had acceded to her request and decided to make the best of it. He agreed partly because he wanted to exorcise the demons of his past experiences in Vienna, and because Esther, who had just entered her teens, was so excited that they were finally able to vacation together.

After they checked into the Palais Hansen, Ari finally began to relax. He had chosen the Palais because it was one of the best hotels in Europe, with an outstanding reputation for elegance and comfort. Designed by the famous Austrian architect Theophil Hansen in the nineteenth century, the hotel was a magnificent example of opulent living from that era. Now it had been modernized, and the two luxury connecting rooms Ari had booked were beyond Leah and Esthers wildest dreams. He had decided that their first real vacation together would be first class all the way. The rooms were opulently but tastefully furnished, and the hotel services were impeccable. Esther and Leah squealed with delight when they inspected all the toiletries in the finely constructed baskets on the shelves above the commodes in their respective rooms. There was every imaginable lotion, shampoo, conditioner, two brands of body cream, and several other assorted goodies.

Ari woke at his usual 6:30 a.m., showered and dressed, then went for a walk around the hotel neighbourhood, leaving Leah and Esther to get themselves ready for the day. As he left their room, he told Leah who was still half asleep that he would meet her and Esther in the lobby at 0830hrs

Ari, even though he was on vacation and considering a career change, could not rid himself of his training and instincts. He walked along the main Schottenring and crossed the street twice, checking for any surveillance. He was still not one hundred percent sure that he hadnt been spotted as a person of interest by the Austrian security at the airport, or whether the Russian SVR or Iranian VEVAK had made him when he checked into the hotel. After an hour of conducting a detailed surveillance check he returned to the Palais Hansen pretty much convinced that he was in the clear.

As a senior operative of one of the worlds most secretive organizations, Ari had been on the front lines of many secret and deadly retribution operations inside Europe, North America, and the Middle East. He was well aware that several intelligence agencies, although they did not have an accurate identity on him, might consider him a person of interest. Those that concerned him most were active in Europe in general and in Austria and Germany in particular. Both the Russian SVR and the Iranian VEVAK had several hundred agents located in Europe, with many of them in Vienna and Berlin. Whenever Ari travelled to European capitals, he was acutely aware that these other intelligence agencies were on the lookout for Israeli operatives. So far, he and his colleagues had avoided any exposure to the opposition. He intended to keep it that way.

His plan that day was to find a caf and spend an hour or so with Leah and Esther watching the world go by, enjoying the wonderful Viennese coffee and pastries for breakfast. While he walked back to the hotel, he glanced up and down Schottenring and identified an old-style Viennese caf with heavy damask tablecloths and immaculately attired waiters, all too eager to serve the many tourists thronging the famous street. This would be their breakfast destination.

Before Ari strolled back into the lobby, he performed one more check of his surroundings and was still satisfied that he was clear and clean. He found a comfortable wingback chair and sat observing the ebb and flow of guests and visitors moving through the elegant structure. He was quite surprised at the international flavour of the clientele. Many were from Europe and easy to identify by their language, dress, or behaviour; there were Germans, French, Italians, Swiss, and a great many North Americans, which he easily distinguished between Americans and Canadians. The Americans mostly were brash and confident, and in many cases, overweight; whereas the Canadians were more conservative and reserved and looked a great deal healthier. He was intrigued by the number of Asians, both Japanese and Chinese, who, unusual for them, were not in large tour groups, but travelling as individuals or couples. Added to the mix were many obscenely wealthy British tourists and businessmen, immaculately dressed and comporting themselves with the assured arrogance of their long-dissolved empire.

In sharp contrast to the British were the Russians all fabulously wealthy and not shy about flashing it around, along with their rudeness and crudity. For Ari, assessing these fascinating surroundings and the polyglot of people was all part of his job, one which he could never seem to drop.

Soon, Leah and Esther exited the elevator bank and, beaming with anticipation, converged on him with great anticipation for their first day of sightseeing. Leah affectionately planted a good morning kiss on his cheek. Ari, my dearest, Im starving. Lets go to the restaurant for breakfast. I had a quick cup of coffee from the machine in the room, but I am so hungry!

Sweetheart, Ive checked out the hotel coffee shop and it is nothing special. I was out walking earlier and saw this authentic Viennese restaurant just down the street from here. They appear to have a wonderful pastry offering, plus all kinds of other great-looking items, so we can walk there. Its about five minutes.

Esther gave her father a warm embrace. Good morning, Abba. That sounds fantastic. I could not sleep last night thinking about all the places to visit while we are here. Ima and I talked about them this morning. St. Stephens Cathedral is one of our musts, and the Vienna State Opera. We have to visit the Belvedere Palace and Museum, as well as the Hofburg Imperial Palace. I read that it was the home of the Austro-Hungarian Emperors and also once the home of the Imperial Arch-Duke Ferdinand and Sophie, Duchess of Hapsburg.