“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nir said quietly.

“Suddenly, you’re not so smug. Tell me, Mr. Nir Tavor, agent of the Mossad, who is the fool now?”

Kamal swung, connecting with Nir’s cheek and making his head snap sideways. A second punch opened a cut under his eye. After a third punch, Kamal cried out and grabbed his hand.

Spitting blood onto the man’s white robe, Nir said, “Aw, did my face hurt your little hand, you soft tub of pig fat?”

Ilyas stepped behind Nir. A rope whipped around his neck and cinched tight, and Nir gasped for air. Tighter and tighter it was pulled until he felt like his windpipe would snap.

This isn’t the way it’s supposed to go, Nir thought through panic. If I die here, it’s all lost. Please, God, make it stop. Not for my sake, but for all those who need this plan to work.

The rope went slack, and when Nir felt a glancing blow of the baton across his skull, sharp pain radiated down his spine.

Ilyas whispered in his ear, “Please keep resisting.”

The rope went taut again. Nir arched his body upward, trying desperately to find air. His lungs burned. His mind began to give way to the helplessness even as his body thrashed.

“Stop!” The rope loosened, and Nir gulped in air. He didn’t recognize the voice that had just saved his life. But then through his watery eyes he saw the younger man in the thawb and ghutra walk toward him. He began examining the crease under Nir’s right pectoral muscle.

Oh no, here it goes, Nir thought, preparing himself. This was the whole reason for his antagonizing his captors. He needed them angry, so that they would really work him over. All for these next few moments.

The man pinched the skin, then pinched deeper.

“Bring a knife,” he said.

Ilyas stepped toward him and unfolded a blade.

“Cut there,” the man said. “That little bump alongside the scar.”

Ilyas did, and Nir cried out. The Saudi reached around the incision, then cut deeper. Nir could feel him rooting around with the tip of the knife under his skin.

“Got it,” Ilyas said. “It’s a tracker. I told you we needed the ability to check him for devices.”

“We need to go immediately,” said the younger Saudi in white, concern on his face. “His people know where he is.”