The phone brought him back to the present.
“I have the stones,” Hakim said, hardly able to keep the excitement out of his voice.
“Good. Did you make contact?” Abboud asked abruptly.
Hakim was disappointed. At least he could have offered him a few encouraging words after all he’d done. He didn’t even ask how he got them back. “Yes, he said he would have everything ready in two days.”
“Excellent. I just had word the Iraqi will be there tomorrow. It’s not a good idea to have his transporter come to you and know your location. I gave new instructions. The driver will call you when he arrives and you arrange the pickup. Select a safe place to meet him.”
Hakim had waited patiently until this moment, when everything was finally falling into place for him. He almost told Abboud his news several times before, but each time he held back as their plan could still fall apart. Not anymore. He had the money, the diamonds, the lab and soon, the scientist to produce the sarin.
“Uncle, I have more good news,” he said his voice brimming with excitement.
Abboud waited.
“We have a target for the attack and it’s perfect,” Hakim announced.
“Yes, tell me,” Abboud said.
Hakim went on to tell him about Bobby Metzer and Terminal Eighteen at Port Everglades.
“Are you sure you can count on this pedophile?” Abboud asked in a doubtful tone.
“I’m sure. He is terrified of being arrested and going to prison. He will do anything I ask him to do.”
“Do you have a target date?” Abboud asked.
“I checked the cruise schedules. There is a new big cruise ship, The Wonder of the Seas, scheduled for its maiden voyage out of Port Everglades on Saturday, September third. There will be five thousand four hundred passengers going through Terminal Eighteen that morning. Peak time will be somewhere around eleven o’clock in the morning. We’ll plan for the attack to take place at that time. It’s the perfect place to release the sarin. Do you agree, Uncle?”
Abboud remained silent for a moment. “What about the cruise ship? Wouldn’t it make a better target?” he asked tersely.
“Yes, Uncle, it would be a great target. But to gain access to the ship is nearly impossible. Security is much too tight. I believe this is our best choice for the success of our attack.”
“It is agreed then, Nasir. Everything is in your hands now, Nephew. You must see this through to the end. For ISIS, for the Caliphate. Inshallah!”
“Inshallah!” Hakim repeated.
After their conversation ended, it was clear to him, no matter what, their attack had to be carried out. They could not fail.
****
On the way to Annabelle’s, Lilly dozed off. Jessie hoped it was a good sign, maybe indicating she was getting over their frightful encounter. When they got to the house, she stayed for a while, sitting in the kitchen with Annabelle, talking in a hushed tone, not to draw the children’s attention. The foster mom’s eyes grew big as saucers when Jessie recounted the events at the park. Concerned, she peered in the living room. Lilly had already settled in on the family room couch with the other little girls, watching a movie and giggling at the antics of a pig named Babe.
Annabelle turned back to Jessie. “Are you going to be safe?”
“Yes, don’t worry. He got what he wanted, so there’s no reason for him to come after us anymore.”
Annabelle offered her some lemonade. Jessie declined, eager to get back home. Before she left, she hugged Lilly once more and promised to pick her up again soon.
Although she had been the picture of calm in Lilly’s presence, it was a different story now as the scene at the park replayed in her mind. Not until she realized how tightly she was gripping the steering wheel did she understand how much it had affected her. She took a deep breath and eased her hold. She was not going to let Hakim instill fear in her heart.
On the way home, she thought of calling Liam, then remembered she had no phone. She made a U-turn and went to Best Buy. There were plenty of phones to pick from. She winced at the prices. However, after the young clerk keyed her information into his computer, he gave her a cheerful grin. “Good news. You have theft coverage, so your bill will only be for the hundred dollars deductible.”
“So I get a replacement phone and give you a hundred bucks?”
“Unless you pick a more expensive model, then you pay the difference.”
“No, no. Just give me the same phone.”
Fifteen minutes later she left the store with her new phone. With her emotions settled down, she realized her stomach was growling. She made a stop at Publix and selected a bourbon roasted chicken, some salad ingredients, a baguette and a bottle of merlot. Walking through the parking lot to her car, Liam’s phone number popped back into her mind. She dialed it while driving home. He answered on the first ring.
“Did you eat already?” she asked.
“No, I was waiting to hear from you.”
“Haven’t had a chance to call till now. Listen, I just left the market, do you want to come over and have dinner?”
He hesitated.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re actually cooking?”
“What’s so amazing about that?”
“Nothing, I’m just surprised. You said you didn’t like to cook.”
“I don’t. But occasionally, I make an exception.”
His tone changed to one of anticipation. “I’ll be right over.”
“Hold on. Give me a little time here,” she protested.
She pulled into her driveway, relieved to see Liam wasn’t there yet.
In the kitchen, she cut up the chicken, put it on a platter, and then mixed the lettuce, cucumber, and tomato in a bowl with a bottled vinaigrette. She sliced the bread and was uncorking the wine when the doorbell rang.
He kissed her lightly on the lips and followed her into the kitchen. “Wow, you’re a quick cook,” he ventured, examining the food on the table.
“Anything over ten minutes is a waste of my time,” she said.
“I see that.”
She frowned. “What did you expect? I told you I was on my way home.”
He held up his hands in protest and smiled. “No, baby, it’s great. I don’t really like a lot of competition in the kitchen, so believe me, I’m thrilled.”
She snuggled up to him. “Good. You can be sure I will never, ever try to beat you on that score.”
He pulled her into his arms. “Mm… this feels better than anything I can imagine.”
“Really? Nothing?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
He smiled enticingly. “Well, maybe something…”
“Now or later?” she asked.
“Will the chicken complain if it has to wait?”
She shook her head. “It wouldn’t dare.”
“Good,” he whispered in her ear, then picked her up and whisked her into the bedroom.
It was after eight when they sat down to eat dinner, and it wasn’t until they were almost done that Jessie told him about Nasir Hakim and the diamonds. Liam nearly chocked on his food, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“You waited until now to tell me this?”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t ready to talk about it earlier. I really couldn’t. I needed this, this time, just us, in the bedroom.” She smiled. “Brought me back into a healthier frame of mind.”
He nodded soberly, reached for her hands, his green eyes locked into hers.
“It scares the hell out of me to think of the danger you were in. I just found you, I don’t want to lose you, Jessie. Not now, not ever.”
She smiled. “I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere soon.”
“Good, keep it that way, will you?”
They finished their wine.
“Okay, how about dessert? I bought double fudge and almonds ice cream,” she said.
“I know we had an incredibly luscious appetizer earlier, but I had a differ
ent vision for after dinner,” he said with a mischievous grin.
She laughed. “Okay, Mister, let’s go, I want to make sure you’re not all talk.”
As she slowly walked to the bedroom, she left a trail of clothes until he caught up with her, then turned, and they exchanged a passionate kiss. They made love, slowly, tenderly, as if time was forever theirs before they went to sleep in each other’s arms.
The next moment, Nasir Hakim was standing over her, stone faced, his eyes black as sin. His gun was pointed at her and this time, there was no hesitation. Slowly and deliberately, he brought down the cold muzzle of the weapon to her forehead and gave her an evil grin just before he pulled the trigger. The deafening sound of the gunshot echoed through the night. Her screams were lost in silence. Her eyes flew open to the pounding of her heart. She was drenched in sweat. Her eyes probed the darkness, the dial of the clock on the nightstand glowing at half past two. She made out the shadow of Liam’s body next to her, sleeping soundly, his breathing soft and steady. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes. He was here with her and she was safe. She snuggled close to him, his warmth melting the cold fear, and drifted back to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“What are you doing today?” Jessie asked.
Liam gently rubbed her back. “Going down to Hollywood, to get in touch with a guy I know. Those diamonds are bound to surface any day now. If the old jeweler was right, it could be with one of those Russians fences. Maybe I can get ahead of the curve…Want to come?”
“I have to stop at the office this morning, share the latest with Art. Can you wait for me?”
“No problem, gives me a chance to get caught up with some paperwork. Call me when you’re done and we’ll meet up.”
Reluctantly they got up and shared a breakfast of cereal and fruit before Liam headed out. Jessie showered then left for the office. Lonnie was loitering near her desk and he peered at her inquisitively as she approached.
“What?” she asked defensively.
“Huh-huh. What did you do last night?” he asked arching an eyebrow.
“None of your business.”
He laughed. “Oh yes, I knew it. It’s written all over you. Is it what’s his name…Liam?”
She shrugged. “You don’t know half of it.”
“Well, let’s hear it then,” he huffed.
Jessie told him about the diamonds and Hakim. His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
“Oh my God! Thank goodness you’re okay. He had a gun pointed at you?” he sputtered.
“Yeah. And now they have the stones to do God knows what with them,” she sighed.
“Did you tell Art?”
“No, of course not. I just got in.”
“And what about Liam?” Lonnie asked.
“He knows. He came over last night.”
Lonnie managed a wicked smile. “I knew it. Hence the glow today.”
The elevator doors opened and discharged Art, along with several reporters. As he walked through the glass doors, he frowned and glared at them. “What’s going on?”
Jessie glanced at the other journalists who were heading for their desks nearby. She wasn’t about to let them in on her story. “Let’s go into your office and I’ll tell you.”
Art nodded, then led the way. Jessie sat in the chair facing him. Lonnie stood in the doorway. Art gave him a look of dismissal.
“He already knows, so he might as well stay,” Jessie said with a shrug.
Lonnie smirked and took the other chair across from Art’s desk.
“Okay, so let’s have it,” Art said.
Once again, Jessie related the events, noticing how Art’s face changed gradually from one of boredom to being fully attentive.
“He held a gun on you?” he gasped.
“Yeah, and he walked away with the diamonds.”
Art shook his head. “Holy shit. What did the cops say?”
Jessie sighed. “The FBI is running the show now, and they’re not talking. By putting two and two together, this is what I got so far: the stolen diamonds were intended for terrorists here in the U.S. I have no clue what they plan on doing with them. But it can’t be good. Dariel and Mandy got in their way and they’re dead. We know the Feds are looking for Nasir Hakim. We don’t know how many others are involved. The odds are, he’s not doing this alone.”
She paused.
“And?” Art asked impatiently.
“The two detectives I talked to, Perrone and Boyd, are pissed off. They wanted to continue their own investigation of the Thomas’ murders. But since it involves the same individuals that the FBI has on their list, they’ve been taken off the case.”
“So, where does that leave us?” the old man asked.
Jessie stifled a smile. She liked the fact he said us. There was no way he would deny her this story now. She leaned in. “Art, we have to keep our investigation going as well. I hooked up—” she glanced at Lonnie, who made a funny face. She turned back to the editor and continued, “I’m working with this private investigator who was hired by the insurance company to find the diamonds. So we have a couple of different sources now. We’ll have a hell of a story here. That’s if we keep digging, of course.”
The old man sighed. “If the FBI doesn’t let us publish, what good will it do?”
“They won’t be able to keep us from publishing once they get their guys. At that point, we’ll be ready. We’ll have the full story from A to Z, way ahead of any other news organizations. And we already have the details, from yours truly of course, about where the gems were hidden and how Nasir Hakim held me up at gun point,” Jessie pointed out.
He moaned. “Fine. Go ahead. Just make sure you keep me posted. And young lady, do not put yourself in harm’s way again. I don’t want to lose one of my best reporters.”
Jessie grinned. “Why, thank you, Art. That’s a compliment.”
The old man looked over at Lonnie then back to her. “No, no, it’s not what I meant. Just stay the hell out of trouble.”
Jessie wasn’t having it. “You heard him, Lonnie. He said ‘one of my best reporters, right?”
Lonnie nodded solemnly. “He did.”
“Whatever. Get out of here, both of you. I have work to do,” the old man growled.
Back at her desk, Jessie called Annabelle, who assured her Lilly was at school and she seemed fine. Jessie recalled her own nightmare of the previous night.
“Do you think she just buried the whole dreadful episode? She’s already had the trauma of the car chase and her parents disappearing from her life.”
“I know. First thing this morning, I called the social worker. I told her about the hold-up in the park and she agreed Lilly needed some counseling. So she’s arranging some sessions with a child psychologist for her. She’s going to call me back with the information,” Annabelle said.
“Good. Let’s hope sharing her emotions with a professional will help her.”
“It’s a good thing indeed. In all my years as a foster mom, I’ve discovered just how resilient some children can be. They’ll go through some hellish situations and manage to come out of it unscathed. I’m hoping this will be the case for Lilly,” the woman stated.
Hopefully Annabelle was right, Jessie thought as she gathered her notes and started typing on her laptop. She had a lot of catching up to do while waiting to hear from Liam.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Two days had gone by since he got back the diamonds, and still nothing. Hakim hated waiting. He was getting more and more impatient. The Russian hadn’t called back about the supplies, and he hadn’t heard anything about the scientist’s arrival. However, he decided it was time to inform his crew of their plan. Remodeling was completed, meaning they had too much idle time on their hands. Their patience was wearing thin. A couple of scuffles had to be broken up between Jamal and Abdul. He also had put a restriction on their trips outside the building, for security purposes, he had explained, but that didn’t seem to appease the
m. When conversations ended suddenly when he entered a room, it was a sure sign the situation was getting precarious.
On this morning, he had asked the two women to join them for the meeting. Both Maggie Randall, their newest member, and Jenna Morales remained on the fringe of the group and therefore continued to live in their respective homes. Jenna’s job at the sheriff’s department was too important to jeopardize. Having her keep her distance simply made sense. On the other hand, Maggie would be a distraction to the crew. Not something he wanted to deal with at this time.
The men were already in the meeting room when Maggie walked in. After taking a seat next to Jamal, she turned to look at him. They locked eyes, she smiled, and he forced himself to smile back. Ever since they met, he couldn’t think of a jihadist with more deceiving looks than Maggie. A few months earlier, Jamal attended a frat house party where the main attractions consisted of sex, drugs and booze. Hakim hadn’t wanted him to go. Jamal argued it might be a good place to find recruits for the jihad, and he reluctantly agreed.
Students sat around, drinking beer and smoking pot, except for one small group who was gathered around a young woman. She was railing loudly about the American presence in the Middle East and how she was ready to take up the fight with ISIS. Jamal listened to her rants, thinking she was drunk. Later he offered her a ride home and she accepted. She lived in a grubby studio apartment above a gym. She told him she worked there occasionally as a personal trainer.
That night they slept together, and after seeing each other for a while, he realized her anger with life wasn’t fueled by alcohol. She fully intended to join ISIS. He told Hakim about her and they set up a meeting. To be on the safe side, they arranged for it to take place at the ball park on Sunset Strip. Having arrived a half hour early, Hakim sat on the bleachers and surveyed the area. It was deserted. He looked on as Jamal parked the car and his passenger got out.
He couldn’t have been more surprised. Petite with a slight build, long blond hair and deep blue eyes, Maggie was a life-sized Barbie doll. Immediately upon laying eyes on her, he realized she could be an asset, the least likely person to be stopped at a checkpoint, a definite advantage. According to their plan, Jamal would remain in the vehicle until Hakim gave him a signal. Without hesitating, the young woman walked toward him. She stopped just short of the bleacher and stood in a defensive posture, her arms folded across her chest.
Diamond Lilly Page 19
