A Shocking Revelation
639 Words
13
A Shocking Revelation
“No,” Stone said to Jana. “Absolutely not. I don’t want you within ten feet of that thug.”
“Why?” Jana said. “Look, Stone, you know I can’t stand the guy. But it might be my only way to find out what his username and password are. If I go out with him, I might be able to get a look at his files.”
“It’s out of the question.”
Jana looked across the wide-open expanse of the J. C. Penney men’s section. “What’s wrong?”
Stone looked down, then leveled serious eyes at her and shook his head.
“Come on, Stone. Spit it out. There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“Background check on Jeffrey Dima.”
“What about it?”
“I didn’t want to say anything earlier. I thought that even with what we found in his past, you were safe because you were just working in the same office as him. But going out with him? Even with my team close by, it’s not safe.”
“What about his background check?”
“He’s been accused on three separate occasions of using Rohypnol on young women. Never convicted, but the pattern is there. It’s not safe for you to be with him, Jana. You are my responsibility.”
Jana knew what Rohypnol was, a prescription drug often used to perpetrate s****l assaults on women. But the fact remained, no one knew what the terrorists were truly up to and she was the only person that was in a position to find out. Someone has to stop this attack, whatever it might be. Someone has to stand in the gap—the gap between us and them. “Aren’t you getting a little bit too fatherly?”
“Too . . . oh give me a break. I’m looking out for the safety of my number one witness. I’ve been a federal agent for longer than you’ve been alive. I know what I’m talking about.”
“I’m a big girl and can take care of myself. But thanks, Dad.”
Stone smirked at the reference to his age. “Look, Jana, if these guys are involved with terrorists, you have no idea what they’re capable of. Ever heard of rendition? You know, a form of kidnapping where the person gets snatched off the street so fast you can’t even react? By the time we caught up to you, it would be too late.”
“Tell me why you said the case had escalated in priority. And, Stone, don’t leave anything out. I know you’ve been hiding other things from me. I’m in this up to my ears and I want to know the truth.”
Stone’s shoulders slumped. “We’ve identified each of the map coordinates sent in the original transmission. As you know, they point to oil-production facilities all over the Middle East. But not every oil facility in those regions is included in the list. These are all either American-owned oil facilities, or those owned by one of our allies. Jana, we don’t know what that means. But the fact that NSA is detecting such a huge increase in chatter between bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda terror cells tells us an attack is imminent. Whatever is being planned is getting close.”
“I can see it in your eyes, Stone. You’re still holding back. I said spit it out.”
“Remember the guy I told you about at NSA? The one I said that FBI Director Steven Latent knew personally? Well, “Uncle Bill” intercepted a particularly disturbing communiqué this morning.” He looked down then said, “Your name, Jana. Your name was mentioned in a communiqué that was sent from Abu Adim Al-Jawary. He knows who you are.”
Jana pulled away. “Why the hell would a terrorist in the Middle East know who I am?”
“It would be part of their mode of operation. Once whatever they have planned gets rolling, they’ll want to erase their tracks.”
“Erase their tracks?” But as the thought played forward in Jana’s mind, she understood what he meant. The terrorists would kill her.
- Writer
