They had dessert and after it was served with coffee or tea discussion focused on the real issue — what information Nagib and Alia had and what they wanted in return. Nagib admitted that he had worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory as a research scientist and had been privy to classified information. He said that he could supply a sample of the blueprints he had illicitly obtained in order to prove their value and once the Pakistanis were convinced they were authentic they could discuss the price. He added that they were not interested in money — only enough to accomplish their plan — but that they expected cooperation and logistical support. Upon hearing this statement, Rahman's interest grew because he was now convinced that the information could be of real value. He asked to be excused for a moment and motioned for Junaid to accompany him for a cigarette on the veranda outside the restaurant. When they left the table Alia told Nagib what she had thought earlier that the two Pakistani agents were actually acting against the policy of their government, but Nagib countered by saying that it was just what they needed as no sane government would dare to act directly against the United States and defy it, and reminded her what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile Rahman asked Junaid what she had thought about the couple and their proposition. Junaid said that in her opinion they were performing an act of treason against their adopted country and would be considered as renegades by the US authorities. Rahman who was quite a cynic after years as an intelligence agent noted that they too would be judged by some people as traitors against their own government, so they should not worry too much about moral issues and focus on practical matters. He said that he was worried that they would be apprehended by US authorities or local police and their blueprints would be lost forever and he suggested that they hide the couple in one of the apartments that served the Pakistani delegation for hosting visiting VIPs and doubled as a kind of "safe house". There was one comfortable two-bedroom apartment quite close to the Embassy on Dreve des Tumuli that was not frequently used as the more important visitors considered it to be too modest and not respectful enough.
Junaid and Rahman returned to the table and Rahman told the couple that they would like to see a sample of the information they had for sale. Nagib interjected emphasizing that it was not a sale that they wanted but cooperation. Rahman corrected himself, and asked where they were staying. Nagib just said that they were at a hotel near the central railway station without naming it, but hastened to add that the information was in a safe place — neither on them nor in their hotel. This was not true but Nagib started worrying that the Pakistanis could arrange for an ambush, rob them of the data and dispose of their bodies. Rahman understood Nagib's concern and sought to assure him that as long as they had common interests — causing damage to the US and Israel and strengthening the only Islamic state that had a demonstrated nuclear capability — there was nothing to fear. The implied threat did not escape Alia or Nagib, so he repeated that the information was in safe hands and not with them while subconsciously touching the pen with the embedded USB storage device that was in his shirt pocket. Rahman saw the gesture but did not grasp its meaning. He then offered Nagib and Alia the free use of the residence reserved for visiting Pakistani VIPs and the couple said that they would need to sleep on it. Rahman said that they should keep away from the Pakistani embassy as too many questions may be raised by the consular staff who were ever suspicious of the actions of the intelligence officers. He suggested that they meet the next morning for breakfast at a café a few blocks away from the embassy. At that time he expected to be given the promised sample and hear more about what Nagib and Alia wanted in return. He added that the offer the apartment was still valid and that he would expect their answer, but once again strongly recommended that they leave their hotel as soon as possible. Rahman called for the check and they all noticed that they were the last customers left in the restaurant. When they exited the restaurant Junaid quietly asked Rahman if they should covertly follow the couple to their hotel but he said that the risk of scaring them away was too big and that he believed they would meet at the café as arranged.
About a dozen Mossad operators were waiting for David in the Brussels apartment. The local chief resident, Kobi Shukrun, reluctantly introduced the agents by their cover names, the real names were sometimes forgotten even by their owners, and gave a brief introduction and description of their fields of expertise. There were a couple of computer hackers and communication experts, another was an intelligence analyst, three were field agents with experience in surveillance and tracking as well as neutralizing security systems, and the others were in administrative positions with little field experience. Kobi himself had been in one of the most sensitive positions in the Mossad's most secret section that dealt with termination of people who posed a clear and present danger to the state of Israel. He therefore was offended that he was directed to follow the orders of a young upstart like David who had little field experience. David introduced himself, although that was quite unnecessary as he was a kind of legend in the Mossad after his pursuit of the Dreadful Alchemist, a fact that further irritated Kobi. David briefed the gathering about Nagib and Alia and the stolen information and said that they were probably in Brussels but there was a possibility that they had already moved on. He added that Mossad was cooperating with the CIA but the cooperation had its limits, and that the Americans could be trusted only up to a point. Kobi was not on good terms with the American agents in Brussels as a result of his participation a few years back in "taking down" a Palestinian Al Qaeda terrorist who happened to be a US citizen. After that he was kind of blacklisted by the American intelligence community who wanted to interrogate the terrorist in order to find out how he was enlisted by Al Qaeda and were not too happy that dead men did not talk.
David told the Mossad agents that the latest communication by the couple was the phone call to Ammer earlier that day and that it was traced to somewhere near the center of Brussels' probably in the vicinity of the Central Station. He then asked the local agents if they had any idea where the couple could be. One of the streetwise agents, Michelle, who was very familiar with the Muslim community of Brussels, said that there were many cheap hotels in that area. David noticed that Michelle was a dark skinned attractive brunette who spoke Hebrew with a slightly French accent and learnt that her family was originally from Algiers. Michelle added that many of those cheap hotels were owned or operated by Muslims, mainly men who came from French speaking North African countries as they did not have a language barrier when looking for a job in Belgium, at least in the dominant French part. David wondered aloud if a couple with American passports would not stand out in that area but Michelle said that the cheap hotels accommodated people from all over the world, and the fact that the couple were of Middle Eastern origins would help them blend in. Then David mentioned that they had a car and asked where they could possibly find a place to park it for an extended period and Michelle said that most parking lots in that area were expensive, but there was one large municipal lot that served the railway station and was reasonably priced. David asked Michelle to take one of the other agents and search that parking lot for the car that Ammer had lent the couple, and report back to Kobi, the Mossad local chief. Meanwhile, the other agents should start checking the hotels in that area.