by Suzi Weinert
My dearest Ummi,
Remember I told you to look for things not necessarily what they appear to be?
Remember I said every time you see a butterfly, let it remind you I am well and happy?
Remember those things now, dear mother, and remember how much I love you, always.
Your grateful daughter,
Khadija”
P.S. These five very valuable diamonds are my wedding dowry for you from Ahmed. Spend them well.
Zayneb tilted the envelope. Five large, shimmering diamonds tumbled onto the bedspread. She brushed away tears as she remembered more her beloved Khadija had said this afternoon—that she loved Ahmed and they wanted to marry. She mentioned new identities for people entering a witness protection program and the importance of leaving a cold trail so that enemies couldn’t follow. Did this mean her daughter lived after all? Since Mahmud couldn’t have been in that car, why include his name? Perhaps to tell her the fiery death of her daughter wasn’t real?
Or was it something else? Ahmed and her husband worked closely together. If Ahmed made dangerous enemies, perhaps Mahmud had also. Maybe those enemies wouldn’t come after her if they thought him dead?
But either way, her grief meant wrenching loss. Perhaps her daughter had died, but even if she lived, Zayneb would never see her or speak to her again, exactly as if she were truly dead.
DAY EIGHT
Friday
112
Friday, 7:03 AM
“At least we didn’t start at midnight when the first stores opened for Black Friday.” Becca sipped breakfast coffee, fully dressed and ready for mall action. “Tina and Hannah should arrive any minute and the gals who stayed over last night should come down to go with us.”
Jennifer buttered toast. “Are you really going to brave those huge crowds for a bargain?”
“Mom, you do this all the time at garage sales. It’s even harder to resist Black Friday bargains. Sure you don’t want to come along?”
“No, thanks. After yesterday’s dinner party excitement, I’m in recovery-mode today.”
When the doorbell rang, the girls joined up in the foyer then left in a wave of chatter and giggles. “Bye, Mom,” was the last Jennifer heard from them.
Jason strolled in carrying the newspaper and put it on the table. “Brrrr, it’s chilly outside this morning. I’ll wear a coat to get the paper tomorrow. Jen, did you notice the police car’s gone?”
“No. Why, do you suppose?”
“Don’t know, but if this means we’re back to looking scared over our shoulders and keeping a loaded gun handy, then I don’t like it.”
Jennifer clicked on the TV’s morning news. After traffic, weather and a commercial, the newscaster said, “Highway Patrol reported an auto accident yesterday evening on the George Washington Parkway near Turkey Run Overlook. Three passengers perishing when fire engulfed the vehicle are identified as Khadija Hussein, Mahmud Hussein and Ahmed Jalaal.”
“Wasn’t Hussein the last name of the woman who came here to trade dolls?” Jason asked.
The phone rang and Jason answered. “Who? That’s what I thought you said…. Why? Well, I guess so. How about four o’clock?... Thanks.”
Jennifer raised her eyebrows expectantly. “Weird call.” Jason looked confused. “Says he’s from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and wants to talk to the two of us. I figured the gang would be gone by late afternoon.”
“The Homeland Security that tracks terrorism?”
In a thunder of footfalls, the ten visiting Grands rushed upstairs from the basement. “We’re ready for breakfast now,” Rachel announced. “Since I’m the oldest, they wanted me to let you know.”
“You announced the situation well, Rachel. Shouldn’t the oldest also have the first piece of bacon?” Jennifer winked at Rachel as the girl beamed with importance. “After all, you’ll be a new teenager next week on your birthday,”
Rachel munched her bacon slice. “Thirteen at last...”
“I’m foah,” Milo announced, holding up the correct fingers. The remaining Grands reported their ages as well.
“Okay, everybody. Have a seat to hear about breakfast choices.” They ordered. She delivered.
“What’s our learning surprise today?” asked Christopher.
“It’s a combination learning surprise and contest. Put on coats to see who can find the prettiest fall leaves on the ground in the back yard. The wind blows lots of them there from the woods, so you’ll have plenty of choices. Afterward we’ll identify the leaves and have prizes.”
After they scurried away, she turned to Jason. “With the police gone, should you watch them from the sun porch to make sure they’re safe?”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll throw a coat over my pajamas and go leaf-hunting with them.”
“Hope it works out better than deer-hunting.”
He gave a cynical laugh. “Yeah, I hope so, too.”
113
Friday, 9:58 AM
The haunting lilac fragrance had wafted around Veronika several times during the past twenty-four hours. Her anxiety rose with the first troubling vision: an industrial space full of deadly weapons for delivering death to thousands. But her second vision showed those weapons swept away and with them went the dread they’d instilled in her. When the intoxicating lilac scent crossed her nostrils later that day, she envisioned a shopping mall where she knew deadly killers lurked in the crowd, but in a later vision the mall felt placid and safe.
Then she saw a scene in which her sister lay in a street with blood seeping from a terminal chest wound. She looked past her sister to another bloody body. A cloth covered the second person’s face. As she pulled the cloth away she screamed, staring at her own face.
Had she foreseen her death? Previous visions always related to others, never herself. She understood, at her age, death would come one day, but why the blood and how did this relate to Anna? Had she and Anna harmed each other?
With this confusion filling her mind, she lunged forward in her chair when her sister appeared in the doorway. “Hello, Anna.” She hid her surprise.
“I’m back but not for long. I…I’m in trouble. Of all people, I hate to come to you for help, but I’ve nowhere else to go.” She sighed. “I thought Russians stuck together no matter what, but now I see in business it’s only until they need someone to blame for a problem.”
”And what is the problem, Anna?”
Her sister sank into another chair in the estate’s living room and slipped off her stiletto heels. “Why don’t I just tell you the whole story? Maybe you can even offer advice.”
“Maybe…”
“I’ve been working for a Russian arms dealer. He’s magnificent—imaginative, fearless, brilliant and irresistibly handsome. He took a shine to me….” She smiled, twirling a curl of her hair around her finger. “…And the attraction was mutual. He is rich, powerful and charismatic. He adored me. When I identified a lucrative contact for him with a group of hungry terrorists, he made millions from the deal and promised me a large cash bonus.”
“This sounds like a positive story.”
“No, because suddenly the situation went to hell. An anti-terrorist task force took out the entire cell. During interrogation, the authorities must have forced them to tell who supplied the weapons for their strike against America. They confiscated the armaments and now my Russian friend is running for his life. The Americans’ clever surveillance makes his escape doubtful. Although this isn’t my fault, he blames me anyway. I tried to reason with my love, but he said business is different from pleasure. He must punish me as an example for others who bring him trouble.”
“You didn’t think this possible?”
“No, and it isn’t fair, Veronika. He’s gone mad. He won’t listen to reason.” She gave a wry laugh. “Due to our relationship, he promised my death would be quick and painless.”
“You sound resigned.”
“Oh, no, I am going to run. But this
changes my life forever. I will never see you again or this beautiful place, which I dreamed one day might be mine—this place I coveted for the memories of my mother and the legacy of my father…our father.”
“Where will you go?”
“You must not know. If they thought you did, they’d torture you for that information. They’re ruthless, but I thought I was the exception.” She sighed and stood. “I’ll pack now and if you’ll give me some money, I’ll be on my way. I’m sorry we haven’t been better friends. It’s my fault. I tried not to hate you, but father clearly loved you more and had for all those years before I was even born. My jealousy grew as I did, ruining any chance for our relationship. I apologize for that. Try not to remember me too harshly, my sister.”
As she stepped across the room to leave, high heels dangling from her fingers, they heard a noise out in the hall. A large man materialized in the doorway in front of her. She gasped in disbelief and held up a protective hand. “Not you, Boris. I thought you were my friend.” She watched him lift a gun.
“Sorry,” he said, firing a bullet into her heart. The impact spun her around and as she crumpled to the floor, the shoes flew from her fingers through the air, landing at her assailant’s feet. He stared at them a moment before lifting the gun again, aimed at Veronika.
A second explosion echoed in the room. Caught by surprise, Boris gazed in disbelief at the hole ripped in his own chest. Before lurching forward to sprawl dead on the floor, he lifted his gaze long enough to see a very old woman with a small, ornately-tooled silver pistol in her hand and a smile on her face.
114
Friday, 1:30 PM
“Quick, turn on your TV for breaking news.”
This tweeted message hit Mike’s cell phone first. He alerted everyone in the house to turn on TVs. Every station covered the same story.
“To summarize the news crossing our desk for the past half hour, in an unprecedented move, terrorist attacks took place in every one of our fifty United States except Virginia. They happened simultaneously at 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Those on the west coast at 10:00 AM and in Hawaii at 5:00 AM. None of these attacks approximated the scale of 9/11. Most are not in big cities but large suburbs or towns. One attack happened in each state except Virginia. This required sophisticated planning to accomplish them at the same time, drawing attention not only from each individual state attacked but from the nation as a whole, since this affected our entire country.”
“Nothing in Virginia?” Jason marveled. “Right next to the nation’s capital? They missed us?”
“In the District of Columbia, three gunmen opened fire on the main floor concourse of Union Station. A fourth man, wearing a vest of explosives, detonated himself in the station’s multi-tiered parking garage. Authorities speculate his destination was Union Station but his equipment malfunctioned, resulting in a premature explosion before he reached the shopping area. Inside the station, the building’s security team shot the three gunmen in the knees and arrested them. Despite no fatalities among the shoppers, travelers and diners in the station, the gunmen injured eight people, one seriously, before authorities subdued them. Now, state by state, here’s what took place.”
“Gran, could you please back your car out of the garage so we can get the bikes and scooters?” Ethan asked.
“Sure, Honey.” Jennifer tore herself away from the newscast long enough to find her keys and back her car halfway out of the garage. She took a quick look to make sure no one unsavory lurked around the driveway or the front and back yards before hurrying back inside.
“What did I miss?” she whispered as she sat down again in front of the TV.
“Not much, just what happened in each state.”
The newscaster droned on. “The majority of attacks occurred in stores or malls where crowds of shoppers gathered on Black Friday. Homeland Security had issued Code Red alerts last night to every state, providing them time to increase protection in such areas on Black Friday.”
Someone switched to another channel. “Some ask why no attack occurred in the state of Virginia. Homeland Security states they broke up a well-armed terrorist cell targeting a mall in northern Virginia. We now have a bulletin from NTAG, the National Terrorism Advisory Group. ‘We urge citizen alertness wherever you are, today and every day. We ask you to report suspicious activity or behavior to the toll-free number now on your screen. Our agency values responsible citizen input in our common effort to increase public safety through awareness and cooperation.’”
Mike shook his head. “Hard to believe all these attacks happening nationwide at the same moment. None of them very big, but so many at once makes you very uneasy.”
Jason put an arm around his son. “Which is exactly what the terrorists had in mind.”
115
Friday, 2:47 PM
Though a few still watched news coverage, repetitive by now, most visited together in the kitchen. They all heard the whine of the descending garage door, punctuated mid-cycle by a crash. Jennifer and Jason exchanged quick looks before heading out to see what happened, but doubled their pace when Christine and Alicia rushed in shouting “broken glass.”
Several other adults followed on their heels. “Bwoken glass,” Milo said, shrinking back in fear as he hovered below the button controlling the automatic garage doors. They all gaped at the trauma to Jen’s Cadillac, parked half-way out of the garage. The bottom edge of the garage door Milo lowered had smashed the windshield and planted itself firmly on the car.
“Oh, no!” Jennifer cried.
Jason’s face reddened. “Geez, if only I’d fixed that broken door earlier.”
A small, familiar voice next to them whimpered, “I didn’t mean to do it, Gwan. You said we should keep our doahs closed so bad people can’t get in and this doah was open and I wanted us safe so I pushed the button and…” He buried his face against her skirt.
Still staring at her car, she smoothed her little grandson’s hair as he clutched her tight. “Thank you, Milo, for wanting to help our family be safe. I parked my car in a silly place, forgetting this garage door doesn’t bounce up the way it’s supposed to. It’s okay.”
“Sowwy, Gwan,” he looked up at her, tears on his cheeks.
“You meant to do a good deed, Milo. It’s ok. I still love you, ya little monkey.” She kissed his cheek. “Now run back inside and get a surprise from the kitchen treat jar as a reward for trying to protect your family.”
Relieved, the child sped inside.
Jennifer hugged Jason. “Isn’t it kinda touching, Jay? He wanted to keep the family safe.”
“You’re becoming a pretty good grandmother. Glad to be on your team.” His lips touched hers. “But now,” he added brusquely, “my engineer psyche says to assess the damage.”
Jennifer marveled, “The little guy actually remembered I taught them to find an adult to resolve a problem with broken glass. Maybe my learning surprises are useful after all.”
Jason gestured toward Jen’s SUV. “This particular broken glass would be hard to hide for long.”
Their sons lifted the door off the windshield, pulled the car into the garage and lowered the door safely again. Their meaningful glances told Jason they knew he’d repair that door very soon.
With the others back inside, she said, “At least it is broken glass this time and not diamonds.”
“Maybe we should take a closer look.” Jason suggested.
The shattered windshield’s tempered glass bowed in the middle but clung to its surround. Still, a sprinkle of chunky glass fragments lay scattered across the front seat.
Jennifer gathered up a few in one hand. “They do resemble those diamonds in the basement.”
He reached down to pick up a chunk, but when he turned his hand over Jennifer’s eyes widened and her mouth formed an O.
“Jay…”
“Why, what’s this?” he exclaimed with mock surprise.
She reached for the shimmering item in his palm with a quizzica
l look.
“It’s your memento of this diamond escapade. When I moved heavy furniture downstairs, I found this lone diamond hidden back under a bookcase. I know you like rings and had a jeweler choose a setting showing the stone well. But he’ll gladly change it if you prefer something different.”
“So this is buried treasure, Jay?”
“Buried under the bookcase, yes.”
“You pirate, you.”
An impish look crossed his face. “And why are pirates pirates?”
She shrugged, eyebrows raised.
“Because they ARRRRRRRRRRRRR.”
She giggled with delight at this boyish side of his personality, one too often kept in check.
After all, he was an engineer.
116
Friday, 3:49 PM
Amid warm farewells and hugs at the door, the children and Grands left as Jennifer and Jason waved goodbye. Ten minutes later, the doorbell chimed promptly at four. They answered it together.
“Mr. and Mrs. Shannon? I’m Steve Wolf from Homeland Security.” He showed them his ID.
“Come in,” Jennifer said. “Let’s sit in the living room. A drink anyone?” They shook their heads.
Steve wasted no time. “Here’s the background for my visit today. The U.S. government tasks Homeland Security to prevent terrorist attacks in this country, to reduce our terrorism vulnerability and, for attacks that do occur, to minimize damage and to speed recovery. I ask you to treat the information I bring you today on a need-to-know-basis. I imagine you’ll want to tell your immediate family, but explain that the story doesn’t go beyond them. Okay?”
Jennifer nodded and Jason said, “Okay.”
“Good. I guess you’ve heard today’s news about terrorist attacks across the country excluding Virginia?” They nodded. “That’s because last night we cracked our local case wide open, subverting the attack they planned here and alerting authorities in every state about simultaneous shopping-venue attacks scheduled across the nation at 1:00 EST today on Black Friday. This alert enabled them to beef up security, minimizing what could have taken place.”
