But it was not glory that Zareef was seeking --- it was revenge for the deaths of his family and friends. The Americans would pay dearly.
When I finally walked in the door, I heard Maggie breathe a big sigh of relief.
“You made it back! Thank goodness!”
Then she started feeling my chest and my back. “No bombs strapped to your torso I hope.”
“No, nothing like that. In fact, it was quite a harmless and yet enlightening evening.”
“Do tell.”
So I told her about Arnie’s presentation and my visit with Pastor Bob.
She was still skeptical. The word ‘terrorist’ had certainly become a word that struck fear in the hearts of people.
Somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that she was invited to the next meeting of ‘Terrorists Anonymous’.
The rest of our evening followed our usual pattern. We were in bed in time to watch the ten o’clock news and I barely made it through Leno’s monologue before falling asleep.
At midnight, I awoke to the gentle urging of my bladder.
If you are a Dr. Pepper aficionado, you know that the company recommends that you imbibe their elixir precisely at ten, two and four.
I now find myself enslaved to Dr. Pecker who arouses me from my slumber at exactly twelve midnight, three A.M. and six A.M. to drain the vein.
It’s so regular you could set the clock by it.
At those precise times, Dr. Pecker is magically transformed into Woody Wood Pecker and sleep is next to impossible until Mr. Woody is relieved.
I was able to go back to sleep after the midnight draining, but the three o’clock one was a different story.
I was wide awake and I found myself tossing and turning, trying to figure out how to ask Maggie to go with me without freaking her out.
On the third ‘flop’, I heard a tiny voice from her side of the bed. “Walt, what’s on your mind?”
“Am I keeping you awake?”
“Duh! It’s like trying to sleep on a trampoline. Spill it!”
“How would you like to have dinner with Edgar and Katherine Pearson?”
I figured that would be my best lead-in.
We had met Dr. Pearson and his wife the previous summer. Dr. Pearson, a holistic physician, was in possession of a clinical study, the results of which would have cost Putnam Pharmaceuticals billions of dollars.
The drug giant had sent a hired killer to make sure that the study was never published and Ox and I had thwarted the assassin’s plans several times.
During the course of the investigation, Maggie and I had become friends with the doctor and his wife.
“Dinner with Edgar and Katherine? Certainly! Wait a minute --- why are you asking me at three-thirty in the morning? You knew about this last evening. What’s going on?”
It’s very difficult to get anything past Maggie.
I finally had to come clean with the fact that the suspected terrorists were sponsoring the dinner.
“So let me get this straight. Homeland security has launched an investigation into a terrorist group that may be threatening our country and has persuaded you to go undercover to spy on said group and now you’re wanting to drag your new wife into the lion’s den?”
It did sound pretty ridiculous when she said it like that.
“Uhhh --- yes, that’s about it.”
“Walt, are you crazy?”
“Just think about it like this --- you know Pastor Bob and you know Edgar and Katherine. Do you really believe that any of them would be involved if there were any danger?”
A long pause.
“That is pretty strange, isn’t it? Now you’ve aroused my curiosity. Okay, I’ll go, but if they blow me up I’ll never forgive you!”
That’s the Maggie I was hoping for.
“By any chance, is there anything else about you that might be aroused?”
“Don’t push your luck, Buster!”
The next morning, Ox and I requested a meeting with the Captain and Mark Davenport.
I gave them a thorough rundown of my experience at the Plaza fountain and at the church.
Ox had parked in the church lot and had run the license plates on the thirty or so cars belonging to the attendees.
He didn’t find so much as an unpaid parking ticket on any of them.
“Look, is there any chance you guys could be wrong? I know the Pastor of the church, and Captain, you certainly know Dr. Pearson.”
“It is difficult to believe that the doctor would be involved with anything illegal,” he replied.
Mark just shook his head. “See, you’re all buying into it!”
“Into what?” I asked.
“These extremist groups don’t hang a sign on the door saying, ‘I’m here to blow you up’.
“Part of their strategy is to hide behind a legitimate front while they’re planning their strike. We’ve arrested men with apartments full of explosives and their neighbors didn’t have a clue --- swore they were really nice guys.”
“But ---!”
“Our intel is rarely wrong. The ‘chatter’ we’ve picked up definitely tells us that something’s going on. Keep looking!”
I had been feeling pretty good about taking Maggie to the meeting, but after that conversation, I wasn’t quite as sure.
We arrived at the church a few minutes before six.
Pastor Bob met us at the door.
“Good evening, Walt, Maggie. I’m so happy you both could attend. I think you’ll find the topic this evening to be very informative.
“I’ve saved you a seat beside Katherine Pearson. The Doctor will be joining you later. He’s actually in charge of the program tonight.”
We entered the auditorium and Maggie whispered, “I know that guy. That’s Reverend Simms --- and there’s Father Patrick.”
Pastor Bob overheard her remarks. “Actually, all the attendees this evening are men of the cloth --- except you of course.
“They’re all members of the Ecumenical Council of Churches.”
“Well, if we’re all blown to bits,” Maggie whispered, “at least there will be somebody here to give us the last rites.”
You gotta love her sense of humor.
When everyone was seated, Arnie and Nick took the podium.
Maggie whispered again, “Are those the terrorists? They look like Simon and Garfunkle.”
“Told you!” I replied.
Arnie addressed the group. “I’m so happy to see you all here this evening. I know you must be hungry so I’ll not drag this on.
“I want to introduce our guest speaker for the evening, Dr. Edgar Pearson.”
There was polite applause as the doctor came to the podium.
“Distinguished guests and men of faith, my purpose here this evening is to feed you and to test that faith.
“Like Daniel, I will ask you to go into the lion’s den and find the strength in your convictions to come out unharmed.”
Suddenly there were uneasy glances between the clergymen.
The doctor continued, “We have had our caterers prepare a wonderful buffet for you,” he said, pointing to a large steam table.
“You will find the food delicious and, of course, at a buffet you may pick and choose which dishes you wish to eat.
“Herein lies the test. One of the items that has been prepared for you has been laced with a toxic byproduct of industrial waste. You will not be able to taste this deadly toxin, but I assure you it is there.
“It is up to you to choose the selections you feel are safe to consume.”
I could sense the growing agitation in the room.
“I want to allay any fears you might have. In the event that you make the wrong selection, just remember that I am a medical doctor and we have an ambulance and an EMT standing by,” he said, pointing to a guy in the corner that I hadn’t noticed before.
No one spoke. I think we were all in shock.
“Very well then. I’ll ask Pastor Bob to
offer a word of blessing, although I hope none of you will need it.”
Pastor Bob came forward and offered a simple prayer ending with, “We beseech your divine guidance and direction. Amen.”
When he was finished, he said, “You may go to the buffet. Enjoy your meal.”
Not a soul stirred from their seats.
“Brethren, where is your faith? Trust me when I say that I’m as much in the dark as you, but I’m hungry. Who will join me?”
He headed to the buffet line and one by one, the ministers left their seats and followed him.
Maggie leaned over to Katherine Pearson. “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“Not a clue, dear. I’ve learned with Edgar to just go with the punches. Shall we eat?”
We fell in line behind the ministers and when I looked over the fare, it wasn’t difficult for me to decide which dish was toxic.
I selected a plump chicken breast, covered my mashed potatoes with gravy, spooned on a big glob of yams covered with marshmallows and picked up a roll and butter.
The big steaming pan of broccoli was, to me, as toxic as it gets.
We returned to our seats and I watched as everyone took tiny bites of their selections and waited to see if there were adverse reactions.
One of the ministers noticed that Dr. Pearson hadn’t joined us in the buffet line. “Doctor, aren’t you eating with us?”
He just smiled a knowing smile, “Oh, no thank you. I ate before I came.”
That certainly didn’t bolster anyone’s confidence.
The meal concluded and I was thankful that no one, including me, had keeled over dead.
Dr. Pearson took the podium again.
“I’m sure you’re all wondering which of the items you consumed were dangerous. Let’s find out.
“How about the chicken? How many had the chicken?”
Nearly everyone raised their hands.
“Too bad. I hate to tell you this, but the chicken that was prepared for you tonight was filled with growth hormones to make their breasts bigger, antibiotics to ward off diseases and, of course, sodium nitrite. That’s the stuff they put in meat to preserve it so that they can keep it in their meat case longer before it spoils. FYI, when the stuff mixes with the digestive juices in your stomach, it makes a chemical called nitrosamine which causes cancer.”
Several of the men grabbed their stomachs.
“Who had the yummy yams?”
Again, many hands went up.
“The marshmallows really top it off well don’t they? Unfortunately, they contain a sweetener, aspartame that breaks down in your body as formaldehyde. This, unfortunately, leads to blindness, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.
“How about those sweet rolls and butter? The rolls are made with a sweetener called ‘Splenda’ which breaks down as chlorine gas in your system. You know, chlorine, the stuff you clean your pool with. And the butter, well, it wasn’t actually real butter. It was margarine made with hydrogenated corn oil. It’s been linked directly to brain disorders and heart disease.
“How are we doing so far?”
From the looks on the cleric’s faces, not too well.
“Actually, most of you eat this toxic stuff every day of your lives and if you ever want to know how to avoid these poisons, stop by my office for an appointment.
“But all of those nasty things are not the real reason we’ve invited you here tonight.
“This is the reason!” he said, holding up a glass of sparkling water.
“This glass contains a liquid that is laced with fluoride, a neurotoxin that is derived from industrial waste.
“Around 1945, it was thought that fluoride helped prevent tooth decay by hardening the enamel, the tough outside coating of the teeth.
“Fluoridation has been going on for decades and yet there have been no studies that indicate that it prevents tooth decay.
“Proponents say that the recommended amount that is put in our water system, one part per million, is safe, but if that increases to two parts per million it will actually damage your teeth and anything over that amount can lead to bone disorders and cancer.
“How confident are you that the guy spiking our water with poison everyday is getting in just the right amount?”
I knew that I certainly wasn’t confident.
“If you don’t believe that its poison, read the warning label now required on every tube of fluoride toothpaste, ‘If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or call a poison control center immediately.’
“Children have actually died from ingesting fluoridated toothpaste!”
I saw the Catholic priest cross his chest.
“The USDA tells us that airborne fluorides have caused more worldwide damage to domestic animals than any other air pollutant.
“All drinking water in Kansas City, actually in all of Jackson County is fluoridated.
“In all, sixty-six percent of all U.S. water supplies are fluoridated.
“Here’s something to think about. During World War II, Hitler put fluoride in the drinking water of his prison camps because it made the prisoners docile and easier to manage.
“Gee, I really wonder why our government still insists that it be put in our water when the potential benefits have proven groundless and the dangers are real.
“What do you think the reason might be?”
He held up the glass again. “The human body is sixty-percent water and we’re told to drink eight, eight ounces glasses of it every day. I want you to think about what’s hidden in this sparkling liquid every time you take a drink.
“I thank you for your attention. I’m going to turn the meeting back to Arnold.”
The audience applauded as Dr. Pearson left the stage.
Arnie picked up the microphone. “You may be wondering why we invited you here tonight and made you worry through this little exercise.
“The answer is because you are leaders in our community. We need to get this government-mandated poison out of our drinking water and that’s only going to happen if our citizens speak out.
“This has to be a grass roots movement that puts so much pressure on the politicians that they will have no choice but to make the necessary changes.
“We need your help to spread the word in your congregations.
“It starts right here, tonight.
“Nick and I and Dr. Pearson are available to come to your houses of worship to spread the word if you need us.
“I’m certainly not a biblical scholar, but I believe that it is written somewhere that our bodies are temples of the Lord. If you believe that, are you ready to help us get rid of this toxin that is destroying our temples?”
The clergymen stood as one and applauded.
Maggie leaned over to Katherine, “That was fantastic!”
I tapped Maggie on the arm, “So what do you think of our terrorists now?”
“Obviously something’s wrong. If these guys are terrorists, they’ve certainly got me fooled.”
I made a decision then and there.
After the hall had emptied, I asked Dr. Pearson and Pastor Bob to take me to Arnie and Nick.
“Hey, Walt,” Arnie said. “Did you enjoy our little session?”
“Indeed I did and I’m in total agreement with what you’re trying to do, which brings me to why I’m wanting to talk to you in the presence of my two friends here.”
“Sure, go on,” he said.
“I haven’t been totally upfront with you. What I’m about to say will probably get me fired and if I’m wrong, you may kill me.”
That got his attention right away.
“I’m actually an officer with the Kansas City Police Department and we’re cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security.
“I’m here undercover because they think you guys are terrorists plotting violent attacks on our country.”
I waited for a response wondering if Arnie was about to pull a gun.
&
nbsp; Instead his eyes lit up and he jumped out of his chair and hugged Nick.
“We did it!” he shouted. “We did it, good buddy!”
Okay, now I was confused. “What exactly have you done?”
“ECHELON,” he said proudly. “We’ve confirmed it!”
“So what’s ECHELON?”
“ECHELON is the name used to describe a collection and analysis network operated on behalf of five countries, The United States, Great Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
“Sources tell us that ECHELON is capable of intercepting and inspecting telephone calls, fax transmissions, email and other data traffic globally through the interception of communication bearers such as satellites and microwave links.
“Rumors have abounded for several years of a massive system designed to intercept virtually all email and fax traffic in the world and subject it to automated analysis, despite laws in many nations, including this one, barring such activity.
“The laws were circumvented by a mutual pact among the five nations.
“It's illegal for the United States to spy on its citizens. Likewise, the same for Great Britain. But under the terms of the UKUSA agreement, Britain spies on Americans and America spies on British citizens and the two groups trade data. Technically, it may be legal, but the intent to evade the spirit of the laws protecting the citizens of those two nations is clear.”
“So how do you guys fit into this picture?”
“Actually, it’s Nick, old Nick the Nerd. He set up a redundant system that continually sent and resent faxes and emails to dummy accounts filled with words that such a spy system would focus on, but which were contained in innocuous dialogue.”
“Sorry, you’ve lost me.”
“Do you know what a bomb pop is?”
“Sure, it’s one of those popsicle things.”
“Right on. But the word ‘bomb’ taken out of context could be very dangerous. So Nick made up silly sentences like, ‘I bought a bomb pop today,’ or ‘I dropped my bomb pop and got it dirty.’ See ‘dirty’ and ‘bomb’ in the same sentence translate to ‘dirty bomb’ when sifted through ECHELON’s software.
“Then there’s ‘carnage’. That’s actually a character in the Spiderman series. Use that in several emails or faxes and you might get someone’s attention.”
[Lady Justice 08] - Lady Justice and the Watchers Page 7