“But sir, do we not have to wait for Payam to call back to tell us where he is?”
Just then Zamani’s phone rang, Fard handed it back to him.
“Yes … I figured he would be there, what about the other? And the one who remained in the car? You are sure? Very well, return to Park51 and resume your watch.”
Zamani placed his phone in his suit pocket, then answered Fard’s question.
“I know where he is. He is at the Ground Zero site paying respects to his deceased wife. What I do not know is why he was parked in a limousine outside of Park51 with an activist fireman and an advisor to the former mayor.”
Fard’s curiosity turned to concern.
“Sir, is it wise to meet him in this way, just showing up unannounced and in of all places, at Ground Zero? Did you not want to keep your … interest … in Park51 unknown to everyone?”
Zamani ignored Fard’s questions, instead he shared his thoughts.
“If a man like Cris De Niro joins the opposition to the Mosque, he could bankroll them himself. They have not had any real financial backing to this point. With this man’s wealth, he could broaden and deepen the investigation into the financing of Park51.”
Fard knew better than to repeat the questions to which he had not received answers, but he was still curious about one thing.
“Sir, with respect, why would we care if this man bankroll’s those infidels? There is no question, we have the legal right to build there and that money can be raised from other Muslims to build it.”
Zamani marveled at how his aide could be both so intelligent and so short-sided.
“Fard, with enough money and a financial master like this man De Niro investigating, it’s possible that he could discover our financing of our other operations in the west.”
Zamani looked out the window as they approached the site where the World Trade Center once was. He felt great pride in seeing the sky where the towers once stood.
“I will admit that Park51 would be another triumph for us. Some in our cause believe that it is a great decoy, away from our more … important activities in the United States. Others, like me believe it is an unnecessary distraction away from our more militant actions.”
“Then why did you agree to back it financially?”
Zamani’s face turned red with anger.
“Fard, just as our President does, I heed the bidding of the clerics in Tehran … not to do so would be … unwise.”
Straightening his tie, he got his anger under control.
“Nevertheless, we cannot allow the spotlight that this American may focus on it to grow in intensity, to the point where it illuminates operations we need to keep cloaked in darkness. Besides, I have always wanted to meet him. He is something of a legend in the global financial circles.”
Fard nodded his understanding then peered out his window.
“Sir, is that not him standing by that wall?”
Zamani ordered his bodyguard/driver to pull to the curb. He stepped out of the car then ordered both of his bodyguards to wait outside by the car while he approached De Niro.
Zamani knocked on the limo’s window, motioning for Fard to lower it.
“You will wait in the car, while I go speak to him. Do not be concerned, Fard. I will keep my identity from him. I think it is an acceptable risk for me to see if I can determine what this man De Niro’s interest is in Park51. I’m sure those back in Tehran would want to know.”
Chapter 7
The Viewing Wall at Ground Zero
Church Street, New York, New York
3:00p.m., Monday, May 16, 2011
De Niro and Tompkins stood silently for several minutes looking out over the site where almost 10 years before, both men met, on that fateful September morning.
After they had been standing there for some time their limo pulled up at the curb behind them.
Tompkins walked over and told the driver to wait there. Then he approached De Niro, who seemed to be lost in thought. He put his hand on De Niro’s shoulder. De Niro started speaking to him without turning.
“You know Keith, that’s exactly what you did when you first met me in the stairwell – you put your hand on my shoulder. I can still remember it like it was yesterday.”
“So can I, brother, so can I …”
De Niro turned to face his friend.
“If it weren’t for you, Richard and Louis would have lost both of their parents that day. I’m not sure I can ever thank you enough for what you did.”
“Cris, you did more than thank me, you enabled me to take care of my wife and kids for the rest of their lives. I should be thanking you, broth.”
De Niro smiled at his friend but then let the smile fade from his face.
“Take the limo back to the hotel. I want to stay here awhile. I’ll catch a cab later and meet you for dinner.”
“You sure you’re alright?”
De Niro shook Tompkins hand, “I’m sure. I’ll see you later.”
De Niro turned back to look out at what was now a construction site. To me, this will always be a burial ground. It’s where the lives of my wife and unborn son ended and all those others. Part of me died with them and resides here. This is a place I never want to visit …but can never leave!
De Niro didn’t even notice the limo with Tompkins in it drive away, nor did he notice the other limo pull up with three men stepping out of it. He paid no mind to the person who took a position next to him.
“It will be a remarkable complex when it is built, will it not?”
De Niro turned to see who was talking to him. It was a man about his age, taller than him, dressed impeccably in an English-tailored suit. The man was dark-skinned, obviously Middle Eastern but with crystal blue eyes. His face was adorned with a meticulously trimmed moustache.
“I apologize if I’m intruding on your privacy.”
De Niro’s squinted eyes showed a bit of annoyance but then he resumed looking back out over the site.
“That’s okay.”
“You are Mr. Cris De Niro, are you not?”
De Niro turned back to the stranger, this time showing more than a bit of annoyance in his eyes.
“Mr. De Niro, I meant no offense. I attended a conference some years ago where you spoke.”
That calmed De Niro down some but left him curious. I’d definitely remember if I met this guy, just from those eyes of his.
“… And who might you be?”
The man bowed his head slightly. “My name is Prince Farouk al-Hassan. I am visiting from Kuwait. As a matter of fact, I was about to fly home when I decided to see the famous Ground Zero for myself.”
De Niro nodded.
The two men stood silently for a few minutes; then Zamani spoke again.
“Mr. De Niro, would you mind if I asked you a question of a personal nature?”
De Niro looked straight into Zamani’s eyes.
“Shoot.”
Zamani hesitated for a moment.
“Ah, you Americans and your colloquialisms, shoot, yes, well ... I wanted to ask you what your feelings are on the … what do you Americans call it … the Ground Zero mosque? May I ask, are you for or against it being built?”
De Niro looked at the man before him; he’s asking me questions about the Ground Zero mosque less than an hour after I was parked in front of it. This guy obviously is unaware of the innate cynicism of an Italian born in Brooklyn. I’ll play along though.
“Are you sure you’re not a reporter Prince Hassan?”
“A reporter …?”
“You know, a journalist looking for a quote for some article you’re writing.”
Zamani played up his part.
“Mr. De Niro, I assure you, I am not a reporter. I merely thought I could get a real American’s viewpoint instead of just listening to what they tell us on Fox News. I will admit, I do not think that most Muslims really understand why there are such negative feelings to a mosque being built so far from where we are standi
ng. If I have been indiscrete, I apologize.”
“No need to apologize … Your Royal Highness. If you really want to know, I think building a mosque that close to this place is indiscrete.”
“… But you realize they have the legal right to—“
“Prince Hassan, the disagreement is not over the legal right to build there; it’s a question of the wisdom of building there. The United States is a country unlike any other on earth. We’re a true melting pot of nationalities, religious and ethnic backgrounds. On top of that, we have a democratic form of government that, although it is ruled by the majority of opinion, is sensitive to the rights and opinions of our various minorities. Our very nature is to be tolerant and understanding and our laws reflect that nature. That’s why the owners of that property have the legal right to build a mosque there. However, there is a spirit of responsibility and moral or ethical judgment that each citizen of this great county should have, with respect not only to one’s own rights, beliefs and feelings but to the rights, beliefs and feelings of their fellow Americans.”
Nodding his head in the direction of the construction, De Niro continued.
“This place is known as Ground Zero because the two towers fell here, but the rubble, including the dust, to which so many of the victims were reduced, was scattered for many blocks, including to the block where they are proposing to build the mosque. In effect, I believe all of the surrounding blocks that were covered with, what very well could be those human remains should be considered Ground Zero too. So to me, they are proposing to build a place for Muslim worship on Ground Zero. As a friend of mine once said, it is tantamount to ‘… building a shrine to Emperor Hirohito at Pearl Harbor.’ No, your royal highness, the question is not one of legality, but one of wisdom.”
Zamani stood quietly for a moment. Although an infidel and an enemy, this man is obviously intelligent and shrewd …and quite possibly dangerous to our cause. It makes it even riskier for me to try and find out his intentions. I must be careful.
Zamani asked in a light tone, with just a hint of sarcasm.
“So, do you intend on joining the others who will hold up picket signs in front of that property?”
“You understand that they too have the legal right to do that, your royal highness – but that’s not exactly my style.” De Niro paused before adding, “Nor is flying a plane into a building filled with innocent people. We each have our ways of expressing dissension.”
Zamani raised his eyebrows but knew he could not press the question further.
“I see. I can understand your feelings, Mr. De Niro. They are quite understandable for someone who has lost loved ones here.”
De Niro didn’t reply, but he also didn’t miss the fact that this man knew a whole lot about him.
“Well then, I will leave you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, Mr. De Niro.”
De Niro watched as the man got back into his limousine, followed by the two burly men that looked like his bodyguards getting into the front seats. He whistled for a cab as the limo pulled away. What was that all about? One thing’s for sure, my dad taught me to know when someone is pissing down my leg and telling me it’s raining.
As soon as Zamani got into the limo he pulled his iPhone out and hit an autodial button.
(In Farsi) “Payam, I want you to find out what you can about the man in the blue suit. His name is Cris De Niro. He may try to look into the funding for Park51 and he has many connections. Alert all of our friends here; if they receive any inquiries from him or his associates, I want to know about it immediately. Oh and Payam, find out where he lives, if he has any relatives, what businesses he owns. I will be out of the country for a week, but you can reach me on my cell.”
Fard waited for his boss to put his phone into his pocket.
“Is there a problem, sir?”
Zamani stared out the window as their limo drove north on West Street, heading for his Gulfstream G650 (G6) which was fully fueled and waiting for them at Teterboro airport.
“Americans, Fard … they are arrogant and decadent but they can also be tenacious and resourceful. Like a dog, sometimes they can be very difficult to shake off once they are onto your scent.”
Zamani rested his head back and closed his eyes, then added, “Sometimes the only choice with which one is left … is to shoot the dog.”
Chapter 8
The Watchman Agency
Executive Conference Room - Alpha
Arlington, Virginia
10:00a.m., Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The entire executive staff of the newly named, “The Watchman Agency” were sitting at the long, sleek, mahogany conference table. To the right of the head of the table were, in order: Mugsy Ricci, Karla Matthews and Les Pastak; and to the left: John Francis, Charlie Santappia, and Michelle Wang. Debbie Lynch was sitting at the opposite end of the table and De Niro was standing at a small podium just beyond the head of the table. De Niro called the meeting to order.
“Good morning ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Cris De Niro. As you all know, I have recently acquired Liberty Defense Contractors and as you may have seen by the new signs being hung all about, it has been renamed, The Watchman Agency.
"Before I explain the reason for the name change, let me first introduce each of you to one another, along with your new titles and job responsibilities. In some cases you may have been promoted into your new position and in other cases, your title might have changed along with your new role within the agency. Each person in this room has been chosen because our new president and I both feel you are the best at what you do. You will also notice that I have brought in two new people, both of whom I have known for a long time and for which I have the utmost respect.”
“Let me begin by introducing the new president of The Watchman Agency, Captain Louis “Mugsy” Ricci United States Navy, retired. Mugsy Ricci was one of the most decorated members of the elite Navy Seals. He was last stationed as Commanding Officer of the Naval Special Warfare Center. Captain Ricci will speak with all of you later, but for now, let me say that I am confident that you will all find him to be a fair but firm leader.”
“Sitting across from Captain Ricci, some of you may have recognized, is Mr. John Francis. John will work in the capacity of the newly created position of Chief Information Officer for The Watchman. “Johnny-F,” as he is known to his friends and my friendship go all the way back to our childhood in the Ridgewood section of New York. Some of you may know of his fantastic accomplishments and success but that doesn’t tell even half of his story. Most of what John has worked on for the last several years is considered top secret. In his role here at The Watchman, John will be tasked with super-charging our information-gathering and data crunching. I will also do my best to see to it that he has a blank check when it comes to any technology he wants to acquire for this agency …my knees just buckled when I said that.”
The room erupted in laughter, except for Pastak who forced a fake smile concealing his anger. His position at the table revealed his spot in the pecking order, which was basically just over the Executive Assistant. What he didn’t realize was that both the Chairman and the CEO considered Debbie Lynch to be more valuable to the agency.
“To Captain Ricci’s right is Karla Matthews. Karla has been promoted from Director to Vice President of Government Relations. Her responsibilities will encompass all of our agency’s relations not only with the United States government but also with any other governments and sovereignties with which we may interact. Karla is a Rhodes Scholar, among other things and has a number of years of experience and success working within various areas of the State Department.
“Across from Karla is Major Charles Santappia, United States Marine Corps, retired. As my own dad was a Marine, I know firsthand that, ‘once a Marine, always a Marine.’ Charlie was a highly decorated member of the second Marine division. He has vast experience commanding and taking part in all types of military operatio
ns, from peace-keeping to special operations of which, if he told us about them, he’d have to kill us all.”
The room filled with laughter again.
“Charlie has been promoted from Director to Vice President of Operations. His duties include tactical command of all operations of The Watchman conducted inside and outside of these walls.”
“To Charlie’s left - is Michelle Wang, The Watchman’s former Director of, and now new Vice President of Intelligence Services. Michelle came to the former agency from a successful career at Langley, where her human Intel expertise, in particular, went underutilized. Here, we will fully utilize that experience.”
“Rounding out our executive staff, you all know Les Pastak whose title and responsibilities have been refined. Les is now Vice President of HR and General Counsel for our agency. And last but certainly not least, Debbie Lynch who formerly served as Executive Assistant to the former president and who continues in that role for our new CEO and president. Debbie is the linchpin of this agency.”
“Now let me give you a little insight to why I acquired this firm, what I hope to accomplish with this A-Team of talented individuals and the reason why I renamed the agency, The Watchman.”
“After my wife Lisa died in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11, my life underwent a number of changes. One of which, the most important of which was my rededication to my Judeo-Christian faith. To help me deal with the loss her loss, I turned to the Bible. I was drawn to one Old Testament prophecy concerning modern day Ephraim, aka the U.S.A. It captivated me. In the book of Hosea, the prophet spoke of the Watchman of Ephraim. In biblical times, watchmen, mostly soldiers but not always, were stationed in various places in a city and were responsible for keeping watch and reporting what they saw, to the kings and elders. Their duty was not to fight; it was to inform, particularly of some impending danger.”
“I felt that, of all the failures on 9/11, the biggest failure was that no warning was given. In my view, America had no watchman. While democrats and republicans argued along ideological lines – for and against the use of human intel – for and against the use of torture for interrogation – for and against Guantanamo Bay – for and against whether terrorists should be given rights and privileges outlined by the Geneva conventions, whether they were enemy combatants or just misguided zealots, etcetera. I knew that while the federal government acted like the “silly doves” spoken of in the Bible, America’s enemies continued relentlessly to plan the next attacks against innocent American civilians on our soil.”
The Watchman of Ephraim (Book Club Edition) Page 6
