Abdul Assidi had placed enough pressure on the State Department to allow his own body guards be licensed to carry firearms. The F.B.I. had been doing nothing more than keeping tabs on his movements.
Sean had arrived within minutes of the getaway vehicle's departure. He immediately took charge at the scene and assigned the U.N. Security force to secure the area. He checked the victims and found that Assidi and his bodyguards were all dead. He had given brief thought to trying to chase down the getaway vehicle but reconsidered after being given two different directions and three different types of vehicles by witnesses. The fact that they obviously had automatic weapons was another deterrent.
He found that one of the assailants had been killed in the exchange as well. He had time to check out the body while waiting for the back-up team to arrive. To his relief, he found that the assailant did not appear to be an American. He had no identification and all the labels had been removed from his clothes. It was standard procedure for that line of work. His dental work, or lack of it, was clearly not American. He did not appear to be Israeli but sometimes it was difficult to tell.
He found hundreds of shell casings that had been ejected from the Uzi's that had been used. The dead assassin's gun was lying nearby, where he had fallen. Sean speculated that they had used the Uzi's to make it look like it had been carried out by the Israelis. He found that at least twenty bullets had hit Assidi. He had almost been cut in half, and most of what once had been his head, was now splattered all over the steps. He was amazed that only four bystanders had been hurt in the triangulation gun fire. One was rather serious, the rest were superficial wounds.
When the back-up team arrived, Sean made sure they secured the video tapes from two people who had managed to capture some of the assassination on film. He assigned one of the agents to get the names and address of all the witnesses, even though he knew it would be of little use in finding out what really went down.
He walked over and set down on the steps near Assidi’s body and wrote out a brief outline of how he thought the events had taken place and noted as many details as he could. He was just finishing up when the N.Y. Agency Director arrived on the scene.
Director Rodgers was going to be on the hot seat over this one and he wanted to give the man as much information as he could. The Director talked to several agents before he walked over to where Sean was setting.
"Admiring the view?" the Director said.
"Just jotting down what transpired, as near as I can tell. It's a hell of a mess. I can hear the outcry now. Why wasn't the F.B.I. watching him better? They'll start a witch hunt on this one."
"Now Sean, would our beloved press do such a thing?"
"You bet your butt, Sir."
"You’re absolutely right. It will make no difference that he was the one that got the State Department to put pressure on us to relax security, and to let his own people take over the protection roll. The asshole did nothing but complain when we had a team on him. We were restricting his movements. Well, he isn't going to move much now."
"No but he sure left us with a hell of a mess to clean up."
"Indeed he did. So, what have you got for me Sean, my boy?"
Sean handed him the outline he had been working on.
"Sorry boss. It looks like this one is going to get ugly. I was the one that actually okayed the security down grading."
"Horseshit. I put my stamp of approval on it too. We both know the State Department demanded we give him space."
"You think they will step forward and take the heat?"
"When pigs fly Sean. When pigs fly."
"They have set up camera crews for the news. They want a statement from you since you're the big cheese."
"Not because I'm the big cheese. It’s just that I look soooo good on television. As they say, I look marvelous."
"I don't think you’re going to feel so marvelous when this is all over. Besides you're the only one I've heard say that so far."
"Don't be cheeky my boy. Show some respect. Besides you will probably get to head back to Washington now that this asshole has bit the big one, leaving me to take care of all the dirty work."
"I'm in no hurry to get back to Washington. I'd be happy to stay and help out if it can be arranged," Sean told him.
"I appreciate that Sean. I'll see what can be done. I would love to have your help. Well, I guess I had better go face the music. Get this dung heap moved out of here and let’s wrap up this area," the Director said as he started off for the waiting television cameras.
"SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN" was on the television screen.
"We interrupt this program to bring you a special
news bulletin. Good day, I'm Allen Chambers. Just
minutes ago Abdul Assidi, the prominent PLO leader,
was gunned down as he was leaving the U.N. Building.
Assidi and three of his attendants were killed when
gunmen opened fire as he emerged from addressing a
session about the latest confrontation between
Israel and the PLO. The shaky peace agreement
hammered out years ago had been showing signs of
coming apart. Assidi had spent the last year trying
to shore up the deteriorating peace agreement. We
are going live to the U.N. where Brad Upshaw is
standing by. Brad, what's the latest development?"
"Allen, the local police, U.N. Security force and the F.B.I. are all on the scene. Director Rogers of the local F.B.I. office is officially in charge of
The investigation at this time. Director Rogers is
Just getting ready to make a statement."
The camera moved in on the Director as he stepped to the microphones.
"I'll give you what we know at present. I will warn you now that we don't have much at this time. At the end of my statement I will answer your questions. Please wait until I have finished before asking your questions," he said.
He looked over his notes once more and began.
"At approximately 2:45 P.M., local time, Mr. Assidi and three of his personal bodyguards emerged from the front door of the U.N. Building. He had just addressed a special session on the latest conflict involving the PLO. As he started down the steps, three gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons. Mr. Assidi was struck repeatedly as were his body guards. One of Mr. Assidi’s bodyguards did manage to return gun fire and killed one of the assailants and we believe he wounded another in the leg as well. The perpetrators were seen getting into a van before fleeing the area. We believe the gunmen are of Islamic origin, but this has not been confirmed as yet. No identification or clothing labels were found on the body. We have helicopters in the air trying to locate the getaway van.”
As he was speaking an agent leaned in and whispered in his ear. You could see the surprise register on his face as the agent talked.
When the man was finished the Director turned back to the microphones and said, "I just received word that one of our helicopters spotted the van. The pilot attempted to force the van to stop but when chopper approached the vehicle, it blew up. The explosion was so large that it caused the chopper to crash as well. I am told that there are no survivors in either vehicle. A team has been inserted and are now in the process of securing the area. Is soon as I get more details I will pass them along."
He looked at his notes again and picked up where he left off before the interruption.
"As I was saying, the bodies of Mr. Assidi and his bodyguards are being removed and will be held in accordance Muslim protocol. We have obtained two video tapes that are now being analyzed to see if they contain any useful information. I would like to point out that Mr. Assidi was being protected by his own security force at his request and the State Department. The U.N. Security and the F.B.I. were not currently assigned to shadow his movements. His men were fully certified and licensed to carry firearms in the State of New York. I think that's about it. I will answer your questions as best I can, but
I will warn you, I will not divulge sensitive information that could jeopardize bringing this investigation to a successful conclusion."
"Is this assassination connected with the other assassinations taking place around the country this past year?" Lucy Cain shouted our as soon as he stopped speaking.
Director Rogers glared at her for a couple of seconds before answering, "Ms. Cain, why is it that you never wait to ask your questions like the rest of your colleagues? I'm not sure why you would ask such a question in the first place. All of the other, so called assassinations, have been done from extremely long range, with a single shot from a high powered rifle. Mr. Assidi was killed at point blank range, with several assailants, using automatic weapons. Other than the fact that someone was left dead, I don't see your logic," he answered testily and turned and pointed to one of the reporters.
"Yes James?"
"I heard your opening remarks but I am unclear as to whether the F.B.I. actually had Assidi under protection."
"Not really. We were still monitoring his comings and goings but we did not have the usual protection teams in place. I would like to stress that we were asked to allow Mr. Assidi more freedom. His people were allowed to provide his own protection. They felt they could give better protection than the F.B.I. or the U.N. Security Force."
Another reported asked, "Will we be allowed to view the video tapes you confiscated soon?"
"Just as soon as we have had a chance to analyze them, we will make them available."
"What about the getaway van? Any further word?"
"Well, you got as much as I did, Brad. All I know is what I passed along to you."
"Has anyone claimed responsibility for this yet?" one of the reporters wanted to know.
"Not to my knowledge. Since the getaway van was destroyed the end results may not be known. I suspect if anyone is going to claim responsibility it will come after
Everything is confirmed."
"Larry Rule, The Post. Mr. Director does this mean that the President intends to retaliate against whoever carried out this assassination?"
"Mr. Rule, I am with the F.B.I., not the States Department. Seldom does the President call me and ask me what I think he should do next. I don't suspect he is going to call me this time either, so I guess your questions would be better directed elsewhere. Yes Ms. Watts?"
"Will the F.B.I. be heading up the investigation and if so, who will be in charge?"
"I'm not trying to dodge your question but just let me say this, I'm almost certain we will be asked to handle this. At some point, that may change as we get deeper into the situation and new developments are uncovered. I have not assigned anyone to head up this case yet and I won't do so without talking to my staff and looking at the other factors that could influence the decision."
"Such as?"
"Work load, political implications, other ongoing investigations, agency overlaps, and on and on," the Director answered.
"When will we know?"
"My present plan is to hold a news conference tomorrow at 4:00 P.M. I will bring you up to speed on new developments and if possible, make the videos available."
A lot of moaning and groaning took place at this announcement. For the newspaper reporters it meant that the TV programs would again have the scoop. By the time their stories hit the streets it would be old news.
"Any chance you could move it up a tad, to say, 2:00 P.M.?"
"Sorry. 4:00 P.M. tomorrow. Now if you will excuse me I had better find out what is developing," with that the director turned and walked off with two of his aids.
The television commentator' image returned to the screen.
Allen, as you can see, things are very sketchy at this time. The news of the deaths of the alleged assailants obviously caught the Director off guard. That about wraps it up from here for now. This is Brad Upshaw for the Channel 15 News."
"Thanks Brad. And this is Allen Chambers returning you to regularly scheduled program."
CHAPTER EIGHT
Attenzione, Attenzione. Volo cento due arrivare a portone venti cinque. Attention, Attention. Flight 102 is arriving at gateway twenty five.
The big DC 10 came to a stop and the fan jets wound down. The snow was falling heavily as the passengers walked across the tarmac to the Milan International Flight Customs Area. Milan International did not offer the creature comfort that most Americans have come to expect.
Two men, who knew each other well, were, for all practical appearances, unaware of each other’s presence. They cleared customs with a minimum of inconvenience and made their way to separate hotels without incident. Both men had messages waiting for them at check-in. The first message said *)) and the other had printed *@). Both men unpacked and settled in and waited until the indicated time on the messages they had received.
Promptly at 8:00 P.M. a black Fiat Viaggio pulled up and the first man climbed in.
"Hi ya Tim," the driver said the man settled into the back seat.
"Hey Linden. How have you been? Is everything ready?"
"You bet, easy as cake."
"Pie," Tim corrected.
"What?"
"Easy as pie. Piece of cake."
"Pie, cake, whatever. All I know is that it's going like clockwork. I do feel a little jet lag. My internal clock hasn't reset yet."
"Same here," the passenger said settling back in the seat.
Linden drove to the second hotel and arrived exactly at 8:20 P.M. The second man from the flight entered the car.
"Hi guys. Nice to see you. Hell, it's been almost a year since I saw you guys last. How they hangin'?"
"Not too bad," Tim answered, "how have you been getting along Mike?"
"Couldn't be much better," Mike answered.
"Except for the stuff going on back in the US," Linden added.
"Yeah, that goes without saying. Nice to see you Linden."
"Nice to see you again, Mike. No problems on the way over I take it."
"Smooth as silk."
The continued with the small talk as they drove through the city and out into the hills that surround the city. Linden continued to watch for following vehicles but found nothing suspicious. Forty five minutes later they came to a villa set off by a high wall. Linden got out and pushed the speaker button.
"Yes?"
"Linden."
"Come," the voice said, and the gate started to slide back on its tracks.
Linden got back in the car and drove down the long narrow road. Almost three quarters of a mile later they arrived at the villa. The three men got out and went into the house where they were greeted by a tall distinguished looking man.
"Welcome men. It's good to see you all again. Did anyone have any problems?"
They all returned his greetings and assured him that it had been uneventful. They continued to have small talk while their host led them to a setting room with large qualities of food and booze.
They made themselves at home. They were famished and eagerly made short work of the food. After the refreshments they got down to the real agenda. Their host started the meeting.
"Gentlemen, it is truly a pleasure to see you all again. A lot has happened since our last meeting. As you well know, this project was brought to me over a year ago and I have been doing the background work ever since. It is time for me to update you on what has transpired since our last meeting. We have reached a crossroads and when this meeting is finished, you will all have to make the final commitment, or else let the project die. We are at a point now that you can each walk away and still be home free. No one will ever know of your limited involvement outside of this room. Let me start by restating what you each already know," the host said taking a drink and settling back into a large overstuffed chair.
"Before the last election, Tim and several associated became alarmed at what was happening in the administration at that time. The new challenger was making great progress and was gathering a full head of steam. The incumbent administration seemed in disarray and c
ould not find the key to offsetting the oncoming tidal wave. Tim's group found a viable alternative to run against both candidates. They poured millions into the alternative candidate. He was a decent, clear thinking man, with high moral values and a firm belief in this country, and the direction it needed to take. Unfortunately, the press had already decided who should be president and so the rest is history. Now where are we? The last time this country was so messed up was when the Good Ol' Boys and their hick counterparts were running the country. I will give them some credit; at least their moral values were in place. Our current administration is ten times worse. They have made a sham of touting family values while all the while leading the country to moral degradation and financial collapse. This country of ours is being lead down the path of liberalism that cannot be tolerated any longer. Last year, Tim acquired some information that not only stunned him but caused him to take this latest action. He contacted each of you. Eventually you came to me for a solution.
As you know, I have not been back to the US since 1968 except for quick trips to take care of business from time to time. Therefore, I have not been aware of the decline in the country like you have. At first I said no. You convinced me to at least look into what was going on. I began to follow the current administration's action and what I saw appalled me.
Each month became more bizarre. What in the world was the American public thinking? How could they just stand by and let the country be lead down the path to destruction. I risked going back to the US on several occasions and I became convinced that you were right. Something had to be done. I went to work on a plan that will undo the folly that has swept the country.
My people have found the means to carry this off and that brings us to this meeting. You need to realize that from this point on, if you're in, you’re in all the way. Once I give you the details of the plan, you are committed. Think about that gentleman. You are all wealthy and can live out the rest of your lives in relative security, no matter what happens with the administration in the White House. Once you start down this path, you could be risking it all. We all know that this not about money on your part, nor mine for that matter. I could easily spend the rest of my life living quite well out of the country.
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