Diamond Lilly

by Henriette Daulton

  All afternoon, she kept an eye on the clock. Four o’clock came and went and her phone didn’t ring. Unable to sit at her desk any longer, she signaled to Art she was leaving. She went home, changed into a tank top and shorts, and took off for the beach.

  Usually the sight of the ocean was a calming force. Not today. Her mind wouldn’t let her relax. Thoughts of a sarin attack taking place anywhere, anytime, were terrifying. After walking for a couple of miles, she stopped, sat down, took some deep breaths, and stared ahead. Small sand pipers ran along the edge of the water, chasing the waves and the tiny insects left in their wake.

  For them life was only a matter of getting the next bite of food, surviving one moment at a time. For humanity, it was somewhat more complicated. Knowing something evil was about to happen tied her stomach in knots.

  Her phone rang and she answered anxiously.

  “The meeting is at the FBI building in Plantation,” Liam whispered.

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m there now. I don’t want anyone to hear me.”

  “How did you find out where it was?”

  “A friend on the Plantation Police force told me. It’s not like they could hide it. There are so many cops here right now, it looks they are having a convention.”

  “So what are you doing?”

  “I’m hanging around in the lobby. Trying to glean some information from some of the uniforms I know. Not too successful at this point. They’re not exactly in the loop either.”

  “Is the meeting still going on?” she asked anxiously.

  “I believe so. Let’s put it this way, no one has left so far.”

  Jessie glanced at her watch. It was six o’clock. “This is really dragging on.”

  “Three hours is a long time. My instincts tell me it should be over soon—”

  He stopped talking abruptly.

  “Liam?”

  “Here they come. I’ll call you right back,” he said softly before hanging up.

  She went back to eyeing the ocean and the birds, wondering if Liam would be able to find out anything. It seemed like an eternity before he called back.

  “How did you do?” she asked.

  “I caught Sam on the way out. We talked about five minutes.”

  “And?”

  “How about we catch some dinner and I’ll tell you?”

  “You’re making me wait till then?”

  “Only a short while, I promise,” he assured her.

  Jessie glanced over at the sandpipers and sighed. “We might as well eat. I’ve been watching the birds feasting on their meager food source for the past hour now. It seems like a whole lot of work for so little reward. They must be exhausted at the end of the day.”

  He laughed. “Where are you?”

  “At the beach. Thought I could find some peace here. It’s not happening, so I’m heading home.”

  An hour later Liam picked her up and they were on their way to Olé Olé Mexican Grill on West Broward Boulevard. He stubbornly insisted on waiting to talk about the meeting until they were seated in a booth. The waiter hovered, and they placed orders for margaritas and a platter of super nachos. As soon as he left, Jessie glared at him.

  “Okay, enough waiting. Tell me what you know, right now.”

  He shook his head. “It’s not very encouraging. With no more to go on than what they have presently, they are flying blind on this one. Sam said they tossed around a number of possible targets. They agreed one site clearly stood out.”

  “Which is?”

  He glanced around the room carefully. There was no one within earshot. “The Hard Rock Stadium.”

  Jessie frowned. “Why the Stadium?”

  “There is a big concert scheduled for Saturday night. It’s sold out and the Stadium holds over 65,000 people. It would be a devastating attack.”

  Leaning back in her seat, Jessie considered the possibility. The stadium, located in Miami Gardens, south of Ft Lauderdale and west of I-95, had undergone a five hundred million dollar renovation just the year before. Now boasting a new canopy, all new seating, and four giant, high-definition scoreboards at the top of each corner of the stadium, it was a beautiful arena.

  The waiter brought their food and drinks and Jessie stared silently at her glass, still trying to absorb this information. “What is their plan?”

  Liam shrugged. “Sam didn’t say. He just wanted to remind us we are both bound to secrecy on this for now.”

  Jessie creased her brow. “So they’re going to pool all their resources to make the stadium safe. Still, how can they be sure that’s the target?”

  “They’re not. They just don’t have many other options.”

  Jessie shook her head in doubt. “I don’t know. With a venue that big, security would be tight anyway. Getting past them would seem impossible.”

  “You think they may have a different target in mind?”

  “According to Sam, Hakim got fake passports from the Russian. In my opinion, it means he’s planning to get away. Even under normal circumstances, the stadium has a big police presence. An attack there would be nothing short of a suicide mission.”

  “So, where else?”

  “The concert is Saturday night’s big event. Of course, it could be any other place or any other day for that matter,” she said. With little appetite left, Jessie paid scant attention to their food, unable to keep her mind off a possible sarin attack. “What can we do?” she asked.

  “Not much, Jessie, other than hope they catch Hakim before any of this comes to pass.”

  They left the restaurant soon after and she asked him to drop her off at the cottage.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, frowning in concern.

  “Not really.”

  “Do you want me to stay?” he asked, pulling up in front of her home.

  She shook her head. “I have to give this some more thought. It’s best if I’m alone for a while.”

  He reached over, pulled her forward and kissed her forehead. “I understand. Try not to fret too much. With every cop in a hundred-mile radius looking for Hakim, maybe they’ll get lucky and catch him before anything happens.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “Bobby, this is Nasir Hakim. Do you remember our encounter at the computer shop?”

  “I remember,” the man stammered.

  “Good. And you also remember our conversation about those containers? Or barrels as you called them.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I’m glad you have a good memory. After all, we wouldn’t want those naughty pictures to get out. Years in prison can really take their toll on a man, especially a pedophile. Don’t you agree?”

  Bobby didn’t answer but Hakim heard his labored breathing. He smiled. “Of course you do. So, this is what you will do. After you get to work tomorrow night, place two of those barrels in each recess you marked on the map of Terminal Eighteen, and an additional two on the other wall. Six barrels all together. Got it?”

  The man’s panting got frantic.

  “Bobby? Calm down. Do not get excited. Do you hear me?” Hakim snapped

  “Yes. Tomorrow night, Friday. Six barrels. I’ll do it,” he whimpered. “Will you get rid of the pictures then?”

  “Sure, Bobby. There is one more thing. When you get off work tomorrow morning, go to the car rental at the corner of 441 and Broward Blvd. I arranged for you to pick up a passenger van. It’s all paid for, and it’s being held under your name. Drive it home and leave it there. Call me after you place the barrels and I’ll give you the rest of the instructions.”

  “And then you’ll give me back my laptop?” Bobby asked plaintively.

  “Call me after you place the barrels in Terminal Eighteen,” Hakim said tersely.”

  ****

  Bobby made an effort to pull himself out of his chair but his legs shook. After a couple of tries, he finally stood up. His head was spinning, and he thought he was going to faint. Holding on to the wall, he slowly
made his way to the kitchen. He opened the door of the cabinet under the sink. The bottle of vodka stood in the back behind a box of dishwashing powder and a can of bug spray. He pushed them aside and reached for the bottle with a trembling hand. Gripping it close to his chest, he made it back into the living room and collapsed into his chair. Unscrewed the cap and took a swig. Then another. He did this until the bottle was nearly empty. But all the vodka in the world couldn’t erase the conversation he had with Hakim. Put the barrels in Terminal Eighteen on Friday night. He knew only too well what Saturday was. The maiden cruise for the Wonder of the Seas. Departure terminal, Number Eighteen. Number of passengers, five thousand four hundred.

  Suddenly Bobby was terrified. He threw the vodka bottle across the room and it shattered against the wall, glass flying in every direction. A small shard lodged in his forehead and a trickle of blood ran down his face. He didn’t even notice. His chin dropped on his chest and he sobbed.

  ****

  “Did you get it done?” Hakim asked.

  “I just left the terminal. The barrels are in there. I put them the way you wanted,” Bobby answered in a feeble voice.

  It was two a.m., but Hakim picked up the phone as soon as he called and he wondered if the Arab had been waiting for it to ring. Bobby climbed back into the maintenance cart.

  “And you picked up the van, right?”

  “It’s at my house,” Bobby said.

  “At eleven fifteen tomorrow morning, you drive it over to 14th Street, inside the port, and you wait for us.”

  “Us? What do you mean us?” Bobby stammered.

  “There will be six of us.”

  “You didn’t say that before,” the man whined.

  “It makes no difference to you, understand? If you want to stay out of jail, you’ll do as you’re told,” Hakim growled.

  “Okay, okay. Don’t get mad,” Bobby whimpered.

  “Tomorrow, Bobby. Be there.”

  Bobby didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. The man knew he would do as asked. He was weak and despicable, and Hakim knew that as well.

  As he tucked his phone in his pocket, a fiery bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Thunder rumbled all around him. Bobby cringed. It started raining and he shrugged. What did it matter? Maybe it would be best if he got struck tonight and died. That way he would never have to find out what horrible thing he was a part of. He started the engine and drove away from the terminal.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The rain pounding on the roof brought her out of a restless slumber. The bright dial of the clock on the night stand read four a.m. Troubling thoughts were quick to spring up in her mind. There would be no more sleep on this night. Wide awake now, she probed the shadows in the room, looking for nonexistent answers.

  If the FBI was right, this could be the day they would face a horrific disaster. Unable to stay in bed any longer, Jessie got up and went to the kitchen. She made a cup of coffee and peered out the window. It was a gloomy sight. Puddles stood on the patio cement and the wet outdoor furniture glistened in the dark. Although the rain had stopped for the moment, an ominous sky, swollen with rain clouds, stared back at her, threatening more of the same.

  Back at the kitchen table, she turned on her laptop and sipped the hot brew, hoping the sameness of a Saturday morning routine would somehow allay the fear of the unknown. Scanning the local news online, she saw no mention of the possibility of an attack. So far, the police had managed to keep the information under wrap. Checking the weather report next, she found out there was a fifty percent chance of rain and wondered if it could be bad enough to cancel the concert. In that case, it might give the FBI and the police more time to find Hakim before he could carry out his deadly mission.

  Five o’clock rolled around and she considered calling Liam, then decided against it. There was no sense in waking him so early. Instead she caught up her notes on the Dariel Thomas story. Lilly crept into her mind and she sighed. Her time with the child was limited now as her aunt’s arrival was scheduled for the following week. Her sole consolation was knowing Lilly would live on a farm with a loving family and lots of pets to share her affection.

  Having trouble concentrating, Jessie stopped typing, and went to the patio door. A look at the sky revealed tinges of daylight filtering through the clouds. While she stood there, the rain returned with a new-found fury. Violent gusts pelted the windows in angry waves. She went back to the kitchen and had another cup of coffee.

  Finally, a little after six thirty, as if a gloomy curtain had been lifted, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. It turned into a brilliant blue as the sun emerged on the horizon, bringing brightness and hope with it once again.

  Jessie threw on shorts and a tank top, grabbed her sandals on the way out, and headed to the beach. A formation of pelicans glided past, high above the beachline, and she followed their flight until they disappeared. After a few miles, Jessie took a seat under a slender palm, enjoying the briny morning air. She gazed south and noticed an oil tanker on its way to the port. A short distance behind it, the gleaming white silhouette of a cruise ship came into view. As it got nearer, she was amazed at its sheer size, then realized it was the Wonder of the Seas the newest, biggest cruise ship ever built. Unease crept into her every nerve cell. The ship was scheduled to leave Ft. Lauderdale today for its maiden voyage to the Western Caribbean.

  All at once, a devastating image ran through her mind. What better target than a ship at sea with five thousand four hundred passengers aboard and no way for them to escape? What better place to release sarin gas? By the time the police could reach it, it would be too late. She sighed. Was paranoia finally getting the best of her? Her feeling of dread increased as the ship glided elegantly into the port.

  She glanced at her watch. It was seven thirty. She reached for her phone and realized she left it on the kitchen counter. She got up and headed back. As soon as she got home, she would call Liam, share her concern with him. As she walked, different scenarios played out in her mind. It was overwhelming.

  No matter what, she had to talk to someone, even if it meant appearing crazy. Without realizing it, she had broken into a run, her body’s alarm taking control. She made it back to the cottage in a half hour. Still out of breath, she dialed Liam’s phone and got his answering machine. Maybe he was in the shower. She left a brief message for him to call before remembering he had mentioned a meeting in Coconut Creek this morning. Unable to sit still, she dialed Sam Perrone. He picked up after a couple of rings.

  “Hey, Jessie, what’s up?” he asked sounding apprehensive.

  “Sam…” she said, hesitating, anxiety mounting in her chest.

  A note of concern crept into his voice. “What’s wrong?”

  “You may think this sounds far-fetched, but I just went for a walk on the beach and the new cruise ship was coming into the port. Today is its maiden voyage and by this afternoon there will be more than five thousand passengers aboard, plus all the employees, another two thousand people or so. What if that’s their target?”

  He was silent for a moment and her heart sank. Nonetheless, she persisted. “Sam, just think about it. They could release the gas in the whole interior of the ship before the passengers would even know what was happening. It’s possible, isn’t it?”

  “It’s possible, but not really feasible. First they would have to get the gas aboard the ship. Their security is really tight prior to boarding. I can’t imagine they would get past it.”

  “But it could happen,” she insisted.

  “Frankly, I don’t see it,” he said bluntly.

  She saw there was no point in pushing any further. “Is the FBI getting things under control for the concert tonight?”

  He sighed. “It’s total chaos right now. By this afternoon, though, we should be better organized. We’ve mobilized all the surrounding areas police forces, Palm Beach, Dade, and Broward. Everybody entering the arena tonight is going to be scrutinized, and then scrutinized some more. Also, we’ll
have a no fly zone for five miles around. And the parking lot will be under heavy surveillance as well. If this is their intended target, they’re going to have a nasty surprise.”

  She gasped. “You’re already there?”

  He chortled. “Everybody is already here.”

  “I hope you nab them and this will be the end of it.”

  “Jessie, I don’t know if the end of terror attacks will ever come about. We put out one fire just to see another one start.”

  “I wish you luck.”

  “Thanks. We need it,” he said.

  Jessie sat staring at her phone. Sam was right. Getting the nerve gas aboard the ship would be next to impossible, yet she couldn’t quite let the idea go, wondering how good the security actually would be at the port. What if she checked it out herself? She had no plans for the day, and Liam hadn’t called back yet.

  She mused over the idea while eating a bowl of cereal. After a quick shower, she slipped on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, pulled her hair up into a pony tail, grabbed her hand bag, and was ready to head out the door when Liam called back.

  “Sorry, love, I was next door helping my neighbor. He’s a nice old man, a widower. Unfortunately, he’s nearly blind as a bat, and has two left hands to boot. While he went for a stroll early this morning, his dishwasher went on the fritz and flooded his kitchen. We pulled it out, cleaned up the mess and turned off the water until the plumber gets there. Just got back in and listened to your message. Is everything okay?”

  Jessie filled him in on her suspicions. “Do you think it’s a foolish idea?” she asked.

  “Actually, I don’t. It could be a target as much as the arena, or a mall or a supermarket. There are multiple possibilities.”

  “I was just leaving. I’m going there to get a look at the security myself.”

  “Do you want me to come along?” he asked.

  “What about your appointment?”