Sept. 18, 2024

Pager Protocol Ep1: The Seed Of Deception

Show Notes
Transcript

In the shadowy world of international espionage, sometimes the oldest tricks are the most dangerous. As tensions simmer in a volatile region, Nexus agent Eli Cohen is summoned for a mission that defies imagination. Under the watchful eye of the enigmatic Director Amos Ben-David, a plan is set in motion that could change the face of modern intelligence gathering. But as Cohen prepares to embark on his perilous assignment, unseen forces are already moving to counter this audacious gambit. With the clock ticking and the stakes higher than ever, the stage is set for a game of cat and mouse that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats.

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Calarogu Shark Media. Welcome to Page your Protocol, Episode one.

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The Seed of Deception.

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In the heart of Zion City, nestled within an unremarkable

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office building lay the nerve center of one of the

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world's most formidable intelligence agencies. On the fourteenth floor, behind

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a door marked accounting, Nexus agent Eli Cohen sat motionless,

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his eyes fixed on a series of monitors displaying real

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time data from across the globe. A soft chime broke

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the silence. Eli's hand moved swiftly, tapping a sequence on

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his keyboard. The monitors went dark, replaced by a single message. Director.

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Now within moments, Eli was stepping into the office of

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General Amos Ben David, Nexus's director. The room was spartanly furnished,

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its only notable feature a large, featureless black mirror on

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the far wall. Ben David stood with his back to

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the door, gazing out over the Zion City skyline, his

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posture rigid with the weight of his responsibilities. At sixty two,

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Amos Ben David was a living legend within the intelligence community.

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His weathered face and steel gray hair bore testament to

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decades of service, from his early days as a field

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operative to his current role at the pinnacle of Zion's

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intelligence apparatus. The scars on his hands, usually hidden by

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crisp suit sleeves, whispered of close calls in Damascus and

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a dozen other hot spots across the region. But it

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was Ben David's eyes that truly told his story. Deep

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set and penetrating, they carried the sharp intelligence of a

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master strategist and the haunted look of a man who

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had made impossible decisions in the name of national security. Cohen,

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ben David nodded, not turning from the window, What do

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you know about pages Eli's brow furrowed. Obsolete technology, Sir,

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largely phased out in the early two thousands, largely, Ben

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David echoed, but not entirely. He pressed a button on

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his desk, and the black mirror sprang to life, revealing

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a map of the neighboring country, crisscrossed with pulsing red lines.

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This is Crescent Shield's communication network, Ben David explained, his

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voice carrying the gravitas of one who had spent a

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lifetime out maneuvering Zion's enemies, or rather a shadow network

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they believed to be impenetrable. Old tech off the grid,

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invisible to modern surveillance. Eli leaned in his mind, racing

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they're using pages for high level communications, precisely, Ben David confirmed,

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finally turning to face his agent, and we're going to

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use that against them. The door opened and doctor Rachel

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Levi entered, carrying a briefcase. Without a word, she placed

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it on the desk and opened it, revealing a row

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of ordinary looking pages. These, doctor Levi said, her voice

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tight with barely contained excitement, are anything but ordinary. She

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lifted one, pressing a hidden switch. The page's screen lit up,

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displaying a complex interface. Each unit is equipped with a

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state of the art tracking system, undetectable by any known

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scanning technology. But that's not all. Doctor Levi pressed another sequence,

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and a holographic display appeared above the pager, showing its

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internal components. At its core was a tiny, pulsing red

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light a bomb. Eli breathed, an advanced nano explosive, Doctor

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Levi corrected, powerful enough to kill anyone within a three

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meter radius, yet small enough to be indistinguishable from normal circuitry.

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Ben David's eyes flashed with a mixture of approval and

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grim determination. He had greenlit the development of this technology

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years ago for seeing a time when such a weapon

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might be necessary. It was a decision that had cost

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him sleep, but not resolve operation pager protocol, he announced,

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his voice carrying the weight of command honed through years

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of critical missions. We're going to replace Crescent Shield's entire

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pager network with these devices in one stroke. We'll have

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eyes and ears on their every move, and, if necessary,

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the ability to eliminate key operatives with the push of

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a button. Eli's mind raised, considering the implications the manufacturer,

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He said slowly, we'd need to infiltrate their supply chain.

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Bend nodded approvingly. Already in progress, we have an asset

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in place, Jade Chen. She's embedded with Lee Way of

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Silver Tech Communications, the Hong Kong based manufacturer supplying Crescent Shield.

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Your job is to rendezvous with her and oversee the switch.

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There's more, doctor Levi interjected. She tapped the holographic display,

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zooming in on the nano explosive. We've engineered these to

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emit a specific radiation signature, undetectable by normal means, but

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but we could track them. Eli finished, the full scope

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of the plan dawning on him even if they find

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and disable the tracking systems, the explosives themselves will lead

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us right to them precisely, Ben David confirmed, a hint

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of pride in his voice. This level of strategic depth

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was his hallmark, a product of lessons learned through triumphs

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and tragedies over a long career. He walked to a

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seemingly blank wall and pressed his palm against it. A

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hidden safe swung open, revealing a bottle of rare Scotch

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and two glasses. It was a ritual Ben David reserved

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for moments of grave importance, a tradition dating back to

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his early days in the field. As he poured, Ben

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David spoke, his voice low and intense. Cohen, what I'm

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about to tell you doesn't leave this room. Operation Pager

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Protocol isn't just about Crescent Shield. It's about rewriting the

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rules of engagement in the entire region. Eli accepted the glass,

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recognizing the gravity of the moment, Ben David continued, for decades,

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we've been playing a game of cat and mouse, always

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one step behind our enemies. This operation gives us the

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chance to be ten steps ahead, to have our finger

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on the pulse and the trigger of every major player

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in the region. The weight of Ben David's words hung

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in the air. Eli knew the director's history, how he

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had climbed the ranks of Nexus through a combination of

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brilliant strategy and unflinching dedication to Zion's security. There were

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whispers of operations in Iran, Syria, and even deep in

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European capitals, missions that had shaped the course of regional

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politics without ever making the headlines. Sir Eli ventured the

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ethical implications. Ben David's eyes flashed ethics, He said, his

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voice sharp, I've watched good men and women die because

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we hesitated, because we played by rules our enemies ignore.

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This isn't about ethics, Cohen, It's about survival. He set

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down his glass and pulled up a series of images

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on the black mirror. Photos of terrorist attacks, of grieving families,

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of bombed out buses in Zion City. Every one of

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these could have been prevented if we had the intelligence

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we needed. Page of Protocol gives us that intelligence. Eli nodded,

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understanding the burden his director carried. Ben David had lost

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friends and colleagues to the very enemies they now sought

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to out. Maneuver. Each decision he made was colored by

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those losses, driven by a fierce determination to prevent future tragedies.

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The window of opportunity is narrow, Ben David continued, his

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tactical mind never far from the operational details. Silvertech's next

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shipment to Crescent Shield leaves in seventy two hours. You

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have until then to make the switch and get out clean.

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Eli nodded, his mind already formulating plans and contingencies. What

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about other agencies? CIA, MSS assume all eyes are on this,

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Ben David warned, years of experience evident in his cautious approach.

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We've leaked whispers of a major Crescent Shield operation. Every

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intelligence agency worth its salt will be sniffing around. Use

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that chaos as cover, but trust no one except Jade.

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As if on Q Eli's secure phone buzzed a text

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message appeared package ready for pickup. Usual dead drop, Ja

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Jade sent your travel package. Ben David noted, you leave

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in an hour. A gulf Stream G six hundred and

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fifty will be waiting at a private airstrip. You'll be

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traveling Alexey Vronsky, a Russian tech entrepreneur, Eli stood committing

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every detail to memory. As he turned to leave, Ben

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David called out Cohen, the fate of Zion may rest

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on this operation. Whatever it takes succeed. The words echoed

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in Eli's mind as he made his way to the airstrip.

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He knew Ben David's reputation, knew the stories of impossible

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missions and hard choices. The director had spent a lifetime

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cultivating assets, eliminating threats, and navigating the treacherous waters of

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international espionage. Now he was betting it all on Operation

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Pager Protocol. An hour later, Alexey Vronsky was settling into

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the luxurious interior of the Gulf Stream, a glass of

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expensive vodka in hand, all part of his cover. As

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the jets soared over the Mediterranean. Eli's mind was already

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in Hong Kong, plotting his approach to Leeway. Little did

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he know that halfway around the world, in a nondescript

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office in Langley, Virginia, CIA analyst Sarah Miller was staring

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at a computer screen, a puzzled frown on her face.

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Before her was a series of shipping manifests, all pointing

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to an unusually large Pager shipment bound for a volatile region.

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Who the hell still uses pages? She muttered, reaching for

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her phone. Director Thompson needs to see this. As night

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fell over three continents, the pieces of a deadly chess

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game were sliding into place. In Zion City, doctor Levi

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worked feverishly fine tuning her deadly creations. In Hong Kong,

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Jade Chen prepared for Eli's arrival, Her cover as Leeway's

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trusted assistant intact for now, and in the hidden bunkers

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of enemy territory, Crescent Shield commanders eagerly awaited a shipment

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that promised unparalleled secrecy for their communications. Back in his office,

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Amos Ben David stood once more at the window, his

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reflection ghostly in the glass. He thought of all the

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operations he had overseen, all the agents he had sent

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into Harm's way. Pager protocol was different. It wasn't just

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an operation. It was his legacy, the culmination of a

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lifetime spent in the shadows. As the lights of Zion

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City twinkled below, Ben David allowed himself a moment of doubt.

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Had he gone too far? Was the price of security

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too high? But as quickly as the doubts came, he

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pushed them aside in this world, hesitation meant death, and

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Amos Ben David had not survived this long by hesitating.

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None of them realized that with each passing moment, the

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fuse of Operation Pager Protocol burned shorter, racing towards a

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detonation that would shake the very foundations of the region.

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The game was afoot and the first move belonged to

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Eli Cohen, but the master behind the board was Amos

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Ben David, and he played for keeps.

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Pager Protocol is a production of Calaroga Shark Media executive

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producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast

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may have been produced with the assistance of AI. This

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show is also available commercial free. Check the show notes

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for all the links. Calaroga Shark Media

Pager Protocol Ep1: The Seed Of Deception

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