The Last Israelis - an Apocalyptic, Military Thriller about an Israeli Submarine and a Nuclear Iran Read Online Free PDF Page B

dropped my starfish in the water,” she cried, pointing an accusing finger at Tikva. “And then she grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go.”
    “I’m sure she didn’t mean to drop the starfish in the water,” Daniel said, with a sympathetic tone. “Right?” he said, turning toward Tikva and Ambesah.
    “Well? What happened, Tikva?” her father asked.
    “She let me hold it, and then I was running after the dog and it…It slipped out of my hand and then…And then it rolled over the edge, into the water…I didn’t mean for it to happen…” She choked up into tears again but worked through the rest of her explanation…“And then Esty tried to get it…And she was getting really close to the water…So I stopped her…”
    By now, even Yisrael and his wife had come by to see what the commotion was all about. They listened in and watched from a respectful distance.
    “Well, you did a very good thing, Tikva. You used excellent judgment for a girl your age,” Daniel said. “Thank you for not letting Esty get any closer to the water.”
    Ambesah wiped away his daughter’s tears, and said, “You did great, Tikva. I’m proud of you.”
    Esty had calmed down but was still whimpering. “My starfish is gone…and now, and now I don’t have it to protect me…And I liked it so much for drawing stars…”
    “That’s OK, baby,” said Sivan, holding Esty while stroking her hair. “I’m sure Daddy can find you another starfish when he comes back from his next mission.”
    “But what will protect me when he goes away now?”
    “You know what?” Daniel drew closer to his little girl. “I’m going to give you something that will protect you even more than that starfish did.”
    “Really? Like what?” Esty puzzled over what it could be, as she wiped away her tears. “Is it the daddy of the starfish?”
    “Even better.”
    “What is it?”
    Everyone who happened to be listening – including Yisrael and Ambesah – waited intently for the answer. Daniel moved a little closer to his daughter and then removed from his naval uniform one of the shoulder boards with two gold clusters displaying his military rank. He put it in his daughter’s hand saying, “This is Daddy’s rank. This proves that he’s the captain. And now it’s yours. To remind you that Daddy’s always there, watching over you.”
    Esty’s face calmed down a bit, albeit in hesitant disbelief – she wasn’t sure it was safe yet to accept the gift.
    “But Daddy, if you give me that then…Then how will everyone know that you’re the captain of the submarine?”
    “Don’t worry about that, sweetie. They know I’m the captain. And I want you to have it.”
    Esty seemed a bit intimidated by the responsibility of carrying such a significant token. Sivan clasped her hand on top of the insignia in her daughter’s hand and said, “Say thank you, Daddy.”
    “Thank you, Daddy,” Esty said, releasing a big smile as Daniel kissed her on the cheek.
    “You’re welcome, sweetie.”
    “Daddy, does this mean I get to be the captain now?”
    “Well, it’s not so easy to become a captain. That’s really just to protect you when Daddy is away.”
    “But if I’m the captain then Mommy has to listen to me when I want more ice cream, right?”
    “That’s not what it means to be captain, Esty.”
    “But what if the captain wants more ice cream?”
    “How about this? When I get back from this mission, I’ll bring you back a small boat that we can put in the bathtub, and then I’ll show you how to be captain of that boat.”
    “Really?”
    “Really.”
    “And then…And then, because I’m the captain of the small boat, does Mommy have to give me more ice cream when I want it?”
    Daniel laughed and raised Esty onto his shoulders. “Come on, baby. Let’s go look for some ice cream right now.”
    “How about a proper lunch first?” Sivan said, trying her hardest to sound parental and not burst into laughs at her daughter’s adorable