Special Talents

by J. B. Tilton

  "I've been thinking about the suicide bomber, too. I don't think Moser is going to use Chang as the bomber. I think he'll find someone else to do the actual delivery and detonation."

  "What makes you think that?"

  "Well, he obviously assumes he's going to succeed. At the very least he'll wipe out most of Congress, the President and Vice President, the Supreme Court, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Not to mention all of the families, friends and visitors at the address. Theoretically, it could cause the collapse of the United States completely. Whoever does it is going to be hailed as one of Islam's greatest heroes, next to Moser himself."

  "Okay," said Scarborough. "It's not going to make much difference to them. They'll be dead."

  "Moser won't be. He'll be there to hold up the bomber as a great hero of Islam. Someone who made the ultimate sacrifice for the greater glory of Allah."

  "Okay, so? What difference does it make who he uses?"

  "It will make a difference to him. And to the rest of the Islamic world. People need to identify with their heroes. That's why the rescuers who died on 9-11 are regarded as such great people. Not just because of what they did, and rightfully so. But because they were just like everyone else. Everyday working people who did extraordinary things. That's what people identify with."

  "Okay that makes sense. There are a lot of movies where the underdog comes out on top in the end. People love those kinds of movies. So what you're saying is Moser is going to use a Muslim to drive the truck."

  "I think so," said Jeremy. "A young male Muslim. Moser is a traditionalist. Men are all important and women are there to serve their needs. In some Islamic countries women are still treated as second class citizens. Or property. He'll want someone who he can show off even to those countries as a shining example of a great Muslim. So it will have to be a male."

  "So what is he doing with Chang? She's not a man. She's not even Muslim. In fact, I can't find where she has any religious or political aspirations at all. The only thing she seems to be interested in is money. I can understand why she's working with him. He's probably controlling her. But why? What does he need her for?"

  "That's a good question," said Jeremy thoughtfully. "Everything Moser says is a claim to be for the benefit of Allah. But some of his actions are contrary to the beliefs and dictates of the Muslim faith. Traditional Muslim men look pretty much like Osama bin Laden. The flowing robes, the turban, the long beards. The picture you showed me of Moser could be of any American male. There's nothing that identifies him as Muslim other than what he says."

  "Well, I'm not really an expert in the Muslim religion. I was raised Methodist. But from what I understand it's a sin for a Muslim to kill another human being. So I don't know how the terrorists and extremists justify all the suicide bombings in Allah's name."

  "I know what you mean. I'm Catholic. Non-practicing but a Catholic all the same. And I have to confess to knowing very little about the Muslim faith other than what some of my patients have told me over the years. I really need to read up on it and learn more about it."

  "Jeremy, the man Moser would most likely choose. What can you tell me about him?"

  "Well I'm not a profiler so I'm not sure how accurate it would be. But as I said, he'll be a young man. Probably middle to late 20s. Someone eager to prove themselves. Probably unmarried. Married men tend to be more concerned with their immediate families than single men. As I also said, he'll be Muslim. More than likely a traditionalist Muslim. I think he'll be some kind of blue collar worker, not a professional. Professionals tend to make more money than blue collar workers and money can be a big incentive.

  "It will probably be someone who lives and works in the D.C. area. Someone familiar with the area. Maybe someone who works on a daily basis in the immediate area so he'll be familiar with the streets, any current construction, that sort of thing. Of course he'll be someone who is a capable of driving a vehicle large enough to carry the bomb."

  "We might be able to narrow down the suspect pool," said Scarborough. "Would it be someone who's not on our radar, so to speak? Maybe someone who we wouldn't suspect of being a suicide bomber?"

  "That's hard to say. Someone who's outspoken and therefore would likely be on your list of suspects would be more visible and easier to hold up as an Islamic hero. On the other hand some unassuming young man who's never had any significant political aspirations before would be easier to get the bomb close enough to the Capital building to do the most damage."

  "It doesn't need to be that close. Even the smallest bomb Moser can construct with the plutonium he has would have an initial blast radius of about 3 miles. He can still destroy the Capital Building even if he's several blocks away."

  "No, he'll want to get it as close to the Capital Building as possible. So that there's no doubt that it was the intended target. So that he can show the Islamic world what a great hero he is. It would be less effective if the Capital Building were just collateral damage. He'll have to make sure there's no doubt it was the intended target."

  "Well, I'll call my people and give them the information you've given me. With a little luck maybe we can identify who he intends to drive the truck."

  "Do you have any idea how many men in the D.C. area could fit the description I've given you? Not to mention it could be someone you would never suspect. Someone not on your list of suspects. I could even be wrong about my analysis of the person."

  "It's more than we had to go on before. It might be an exercise in futility but we have to at least try. We can't afford to overlook any possibilities."

  "I guess you're right. It can't hurt to try. Who knows? We might get lucky."

  When the date for the State of the Union Address was announced, Jeremy and Scarborough knew their time was running out. Once the date arrived they knew there would be next to no chance of stopping Moser and his plan. Scarborough spent most of his time checking out leads to a possible driver for the vehicle for the bomb but ran into mostly dead ends.

  It was about a week after Jeremy and Scarborough had met at the bar when Jeremy got a call from Scarborough. The State of the Union Address was only a week away and Jeremy felt they wouldn't find anything in time. When Scarborough called him he told him to meet him at one of the police precincts. He also said to bring Conrad with him.

  When they got to the police station at 7:00 that night, Scarborough met them at the front door. Lt. Peters was with him. They immediately went to a private office where Peters closed the door.

  "I think we might have a possible suspect," said Scarborough. "I've been running over lists of people who fit the description you gave me. We got a hit this morning and I went to check it out. I think he could be a viable candidate as Moser's suicide bomber."

  "His name is Hasaan Munif," said Peters, laying an open file on the desk. "He's 28 years old, immigrated to the United States from Saudi Arabia about a dozen years ago. He's unmarried but apparently a very devout Muslim. He drives a tool truck for a local construction company. You know the kind that carries big tools that might be needed on a job somewhere?"

  "Yeah, I've seen their trucks around," said Jeremy. "What makes you think he's a candidate for a suicide run?"

  "The truck he drives if big enough to carry a bomb," said Scarborough. "Empty the tools out and the bomb would fit very nicely in there. Plus, the construction company he works for is doing some work about a block from the Capital Building. So if the truck is in the area it wouldn't look suspicious."

  "There's also this," said Peters.

  He sat a satchel on the desk. Jeremy opened the satchel and looked inside. What he found were a lot of packs of one hundred dollar bills. He couldn't be sure but it looked to be several thousand dollars inside the satchel.

  "That's a lot of money," said Jeremy. "Where did you get it?"

  "He had it hidden inside his truck," said Peters. "When we asked him about it he claimed it was from an inheritance and he just hadn't had a chance to get to the bank to put it in yet." />
  "An inheritance?" questioned Jeremy. "Given in cash?"

  "Yeah, that's what we thought," said Scarborough. "Anyway, we decided to wait until you got here to question him thoroughly. I asked you to bring Conrad because I figured between the two of you, you might be able to get the truth out of him. You can tell if he's lying and maybe Conrad can pick up on what the truth actually is."

  "Rick hasn't told me much about you," said Peters. "He keeps citing national security. Now, I can understand that. But he did say you were somewhat specialized for this kind of work. That you could probably get answers we wouldn't be able to."

  "Well, I suppose we could try," said Jeremy looking at Conrad. Conrad just nodded. "I do have one question. Has he asked for an attorney yet?"

  "No," said Peters. "I told him as soon as we get this cleared up he'd probably be free to go. There was just a little question where the money came from. I told him we'd check his story and if it checks out he could leave. He's waiting for me to get back to him. Until then he probably won't ask for an attorney."

  "Okay," said Jeremy. "But I want it clearly understood that if he asks for an attorney, we'll stop. You both know better than I do if he asks for an attorney we can't question anymore until an attorney gets here."

  "We're well aware of our Miranda obligations," said Peters. "And I can assure you, Dr. Sloan, if he asks for an attorney we'll follow the letter of the law. But until then we're free to question him as much as we want."

  "Okay, I guess we can give it a try," said Jeremy. "Of course, there's no guarantee this will work. But I guess it can't hurt to try."

  "I'll go have him moved to one of the interrogation rooms," said Peters.

  "Okay, Conrad, just remember what we've been practicing," said Jeremy after Peters had left the room. "During the questioning I'll indicate when this Munif is lying. You concentrate on the questions he's lying about. See if you can get any information related only to those questions. That way you won't be inundated with a bunch of useless information that might just clutter the matter."

  "I'll do my best, Jeremy," said Conrad. "But outside the rest of the team this is the first time I've tried it for real. I'm not sure how well it's going to work."

  "Just do your best," said Jeremy. "That's all anyone can ask."

  "He can do that?" Scarborough asked. "Just pick and choose what information he wants to get?"

  "We've been working on it," said Jeremy. "And having a pretty good rate of success. Of course, everyone he's tried it on so far has been a willing participant. He's never tried it on an unwilling target. Or someone who wasn't aware of what we were doing. I can't guarantee this is going to work. At least, not yet."

  "Well, at least you're willing to try," said Scarborough. "And we might learn something. We have only a week until the State of the Union Address so time is running out."

  "I've been thinking about that," said Jeremy. "I think that no matter what we find the entire team should be at the State of the Union Address. I know security is going to be extremely tight but I also think us being there could make a difference. We have no idea how many people he's planning on using or what special talents they might have. I think we need to be there to help if things get out of hand."

  "Oh, I don't know, Jeremy," said Scarborough. "Personally I think it's a great idea. But I'm not sure I could get clearance for everyone to attend. These things are usually set up quite a while in advance. I know the Secret Service isn't going to want to add a group of uncleared people at this stage."

  "Oh, I didn't mean inside the Capital Building," said Jeremy. "I meant outside, sort of as advanced security, so to speak. I think we'd have a better chance of stopping them that way than if they actually got into the building."

  "I think I can arrange that," said Scarborough. "I'll talk to the people in charge of security first thing in the morning. And I'm sure Secretary Napolitano will like the idea. If necessary, I'll see if she'll use the weight of her office. I should have an answer for you some time tomorrow."

  Just then Peters came back into the room.

  "Munif is on one of the interrogation rooms," he said. "Anything you can get out of him could be helpful. He's still insisting it's all a misunderstanding and that he's done nothing wrong."

  "Big surprise there," said Scarborough.

  "Unless he's telling the truth," said Jeremy.

  "I guess we'll find out in a few minutes," said Scarborough. "Come on Jeremy and Conrad. Let's go interrogate your first terrorist suspect."

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Jeremy, Scarborough, and Conrad entered the interrogation room where Munif was seated. Scarborough took a seat across the table from Munif. Jeremy took a seat at the head of the table. Conrad stood just inside the door, partially leaning against the wall.

  Munif looked like any other man on the streets of D.C. He was dressed in some type of maintenance uniform and was wearing a Muslim prayer cap that was common among Muslims, especially the very devout ones. He also wore a beard, also very common among Muslims, but his was cut short and neatly trimmed.

  "Mr. Munif, I'm Assistant Director Scarborough of Homeland Security. This is Supervising Agent Dr. Jeremy Sloan and that's Conrad Miles."

  "Homeland Security?" Munif questioned. "Am I being suspected of being a terrorist?"

  Jeremy noticed that Munif's English was nearly perfect. There was just a trace of an accent. Munif had lived in the United States since he was 16 and had obviously learned English very well. But Jeremy also knew that a person's speech patterns were more or less set by the time they were 6 years old. After that it would be nearly impossible to get rid of any accent, no matter how slight.

  "No, no," said Scarborough being very friendly. "It's just that when there's money over a certain amount we have to come in and ask some routine questions, that's all."

  "Routine?" questioned Munif.

  "Yes, just routine. Nothing to be worried about at all. I'm sure once we get this all cleared up you'll be free to go. Now, your name is Hasaan Munif, originally from Saudi Arabia, and you moved here when you were 16. Is that correct?"

  "Yes," said Munif. Scarborough glanced at Jeremy who indicated he was telling the truth.

  "You work for National Construction Company and you drive the, what is that, tooth truck? Oh, no, tool truck. I'm sorry. The detective's handwriting could be better. Is that also correct?"

  "Yes, that's correct."

  "Now, according to the arresting officer, you were pulled over for having a broken tail light lens. The officer saw a bag containing a rather large amount of cash and brought you in."

  "He targeted me because I'm Muslim," Munif protested. "If I had been white, he wouldn't have said a word."

  "You know," said Scarborough, leaning in closer to Munif, "you may just be right. Some of the cops in the D.C. area can be a bit jumpy. According to the report there was $50,000.00 dollars in the bag."

  Jeremy was impressed with Scarborough. He knew Scarborough could be a hard-nosed, tough SOB when he wanted to be. But right now he was being cordial, friendly, endearing, and even smiling the entire time. A tactic, no doubt, meant to put Munif at ease. Where he might slip up and make a mistake.

  "Yes," replied Munif. "As I told the officer, it is an inheritance. An uncle passed away recently and it was my inheritance from him. I simply have not had the time to put it in the bank. I was carrying in my truck so that nothing would happen to it."

  "I see," said Scarborough. He glanced at Jeremy who simply shook his head, almost imperceptibly, that Munif was lying. "And your uncle's name was?"

  "Aabon Murabbi," replied Munif.

  "Well, this should be easy to clear up," said Scarborough smiling at him. "Just tell me which hospital he passed away in and when they confirm it you'll be free to go."

  "Oh, uh, he died at home. He was very old. He did not want to die in a hospital."

  "I can't say I blame him. Never cared for hospitals much myself. So, I'll just contact the coroner's office. They s
hould have him on file for the autopsy."

  "There was no autopsy."

  "Oh, that's right. Muslims don't believe in autopsies, do they? Muslims, Jews, some Christian denominations, and a few others. Something about not desecrating the body or something."

  "That's right. The desecration of a body is forbidden under Muslim law."

  "Yes, of course. Well, the death certificate should be sufficient. Just tell me the doctor's name who signed the death certificate."

  "I don't know his name. He was a friend of my uncle but I only met him a couple of times. I don't recall his name."

  "Hasaan, you seem like a really nice guy. You've been very cooperative. But I need something to corroborate your story. If it were just me, I'd kick you right now. But my boss. She's a real ball buster, if you know what I mean. If I go back without anything she's going to have my head on a platter. Just something that I can tell her checked out so she won't be such a witch."