by Steve Gannon
Next, turning to Mike, “I’m also delighted that you’ve found as fine a man as Mike. Mike’s father and I went through the police academy together, and it was a great loss when Frank Cortese was killed in the line of duty. I first met Mike at his dad’s funeral. Mike was only twelve then, so he probably doesn’t remember. I also met Mike’s mother, Doris, at the same time, but unfortunately I never saw her again before her death. Nevertheless, I can tell you that Mike comes from a fine, upstanding family, and I’m sure both of his parents would be pleased beyond words if they could see the way their son has turned out. Bottom line, Mike is the kind of man every father wants his daughter to marry. Mike, welcome to the family.”
I paused to wait out a round of applause. As I did, I let my gaze travel the deck, deciding it was time to address the elephant. “As you all may know, the Kane family recently suffered a heartbreaking loss with the death of my wife, Catheryn. Our children lost their mother, Grandma Dorothy lost her daughter, and I lost the love of my life. As I look around tonight, I see a lot of familiar faces, faces I just saw a few months ago at Catheryn’s memorial, and I want to thank you all for again joining Ali and Mike and our two families to celebrate this wonderful occasion. Like you, I know that if Catheryn were here, she would have loved this . . . all of it.”
By now everyone had fallen silent. I took a deep breath and pushed ahead, realizing I had gone too far to back up. “As I look out now upon so many familiar faces, I see more than a few of you who, like those of us in the Kane family, have lost a parent, a husband, a wife, a close friend, or possibly even a child. Life can be beautiful and filled with love, but it can also be unimaginably cruel as well. It’s a sad fact that all of us are going to experience tragedy and loss before we exit this world. All of us. We are all going to be hurt, and get sick, and feel pain, and lose people we love. But that terrible truth is exactly what makes cherishing moments like this all the more important, because it is moments like this that make our lives truly worth living.”
Raising a Coke I’d carried from my table, I concluded. “So with that in mind, I ask you all to lift your drinks now and join me in wishing Allison and Mike—who, by the way is a brave man to be joining the Kane clan—health, joy, long life, and children who make them as proud as they have made their own parents, especially me.”
Raising my drink even higher, I said in a voice that I knew would carry to every ear in the assembly, “To Allison and Mike.”
The remainder of the evening passed in a blur, hours flying by like minutes, with never enough time to talk with everyone I knew. Following dessert came a final round of toasts from Travis, McKenzie, and a media friend of Mike’s. I had hoped that Nate might say a few words as well, but by then he was nowhere to be found. Afterward Allison and I took to the parquet floor, embarking on the traditional father/daughter dance. As we moved to Sinatra’s silky-smooth rendition of The Way You Look Tonight, I again attempted to question Ali about her decision to postpone her honeymoon. She silenced me with a look that said we could talk about it later, but that her mind was made up.
At the conclusion of our dance, the DJ began playing a selection of more current music, and the dance floor quickly filled with couples who took that as a signal for general dancing to begin. Minutes later the DJ cranked up the volume, and the reception morphed into a boisterous disco celebration, with even the younger kids joining in. Between rounds of dancing came the obligatory cake-cutting, a bouquet and garter toss, and finally Ali and Mike’s departure beneath a double row of sparklers held aloft by cheering friends.
By then the sun had long since set over the ocean. With the coming of dark, the lanterns and lights strung over the deck had lent the celebration a magical ambience, bathing the party in soft, multicolored hues. Nevertheless, despite the party atmosphere, following Ali and Mike’s departure I again found myself revisited by the sense of isolation that had plagued me throughout the day.
“Great party, Dan.”
I turned, recognizing the gravelly voice of Lieutenant Long.
“Evening, Lieutenant,” I said, attempting a smile. “And yes, it is. I think Ali and Mike really enjoyed it.”
“I know they did.”
As Long had told me he had something to discuss, I figured that time had come. And from Long’s manner, I again suspected it was going to be something I didn’t want to hear. I tried to think of something to say to postpone the moment, but nothing came.
“Dan, I hate to bring this up tonight, but—”
“Whatever it is, can’t it wait till tomorrow?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Long sighed. “I got a call today from Captain Lincoln,” he explained, referring to the West L.A. Division’s commanding officer. “It seems Lincoln was contacted by Assistant Chief Owen Strickland. Strickland wants you at headquarters, first thing tomorrow.”
I had met Assistant Chief Strickland on several occasions, and I knew him to be a hardheaded, by-the-book, no-nonsense administrator. I also knew from my few encounters with him that for a more complete description, one simply needed to grab a dictionary and look up “asshole.” What I didn’t know was why he wanted to see me.
“I’m taking some time off, Lieutenant,” I said. “What’s so important that Strickland can’t—”
“It’s not Strickland who wants to see you,” Long interrupted. “It’s Chief Ingram. And it’s not a request.”
That news caught me completely off guard. I had originally thought that Strickland planned to rake me over the coals for not returning sooner to active duty. But that didn’t make sense. Raking me over the coals was Long’s job, and so far he hadn’t said a word. And now the chief wanted to see me? “What’s going on, Lieutenant?” I asked.
Long hesitated. “You didn’t hear this from me, okay?”
“Whatever. Just tell me what’s going on.”
Long hesitated a moment more. Then, seeming to come to a decision, “Okay, here’s how it stands. You heard about the murders in Bel Air last night, right?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t been following the news, and Deluca didn’t want to talk about the case at the party.”
Long glanced away. “I’m not surprised,” he said, passing a hand across his face. “I haven’t run across anything like that since the Callahan murder . . .” He paused, his thoughts seeming a thousand miles away. “Anyway, the investigation is rapidly shaping up to be a political football,” he continued. “Elements of the murders indicate there’s a terrorist connection. Because of that, the FBI has stepped in.”
“And Ingram doesn’t want to turn over control to the Bureau?”
“That’s part of it, especially as an LAPD task force was already being organized. With the Bureau taking over, our guys will wind up doing most of the legwork and getting none of the credit.”
“While the FBI bathes in the spotlight.”
Long nodded. “Something like that. There’s more. Mayor Fitzpatrick is getting in the act. He called a press conference for tomorrow morning.”
“So what does this have to do with me?” I thought a moment, then continued before Long could reply. “This task force you mentioned. Who’s heading it?”
Long smiled. “Anyone ever tell you that you have a mind like a steel trap?”
“It’s Snead, right?”
“None other. And he wants you on his team again.”
I had worked with Lieutenant William Snead on two previous task-force investigations, and I’d sworn there would never be a third. “I should have known Snead was at the bottom of this. Well, I’ll go back to working for Snead right after a flock of singing parakeets flies out of my butt.”
Long smiled briefly. “A flock of parakeets? Thanks for that disturbing image, Dan.” Then, more seriously, “Look, I know you’re still recovering from Catheryn’s loss, and my heart goes out to you and your family. If things were different, I’d advise you to take all the time you need before returning to work. Or not to come back at all, if that’s what you decide. I wou
ld hate to see that to happen, as you’re one of the best investigators I’ve ever worked with. But some things are out of my control, and this situation with the chief is one of them. Bottom line, this is important.”
“Not to me, it isn’t.”
“Just hear me out, okay?”
When I didn’t respond, Long pushed ahead. “I know you’re still working things out, and I knew you wouldn’t want to go in. So did Captain Lincoln, and that’s what he told Strickland.”
“Then there’s nothing more to talk about.”
“Yeah, there is. I’m sorry, Dan, but here’s how Strickland laid things out, without actually saying so. If you want to maintain any possibility of continuing your LAPD career, you need to be in Chief Ingram’s office tomorrow morning at ten a.m.”
“Well, pass along a message to Strickland from me. Tell him I said to go pound sand.”
“Please, Dan. Just go in and hear what Ingram has to say.”
Chapter 4
Twenty-seven miles to the west, Jacob Lee Wallace was also engaged in a troubling conversation. It also involved an issue that needed to be addressed, and Jacob knew there was nothing to be gained by postponing the discussion. “No, Rudy, let Brother Caleb speak,” he said, raising a hand to signal his muscular sergeant-at-arms back to his seat.
Rudy glared at Caleb, then resumed his place on the couch beside Parker Dillon and Ethan Hess, the other two members of Jacob’s inner circle.
Caleb glanced nervously at Rudy, then returned his eyes to Jacob. “I didn’t intend any disrespect,” he said. “I just think what we did . . . I mean, well, doesn’t that make us as bad as they are?”
Jacob sat back and let his gaze travel the interior of his cabin, carefully considering his response. His sermon that afternoon regarding Muslim pedophilia and the Islamic practice of FGM, or female genital mutilation, had gone well. Caleb and his longtime girlfriend, Zoe, had been two of the first in his congregation to recognize the dangers of an expanding Muslim population, and during the service they had been liberal with their “amen” support from the front row. Nevertheless, Caleb was young and impressionable. Several times over the past week Jacob had invited Zoe to spend the night in his cabin, and he knew from their late-night discussions that Caleb was experiencing recurring doubts.
“Let me ask you something, Brother Caleb,” Jacob finally replied. “You know that for an act to be sinful, intent is required.”
“Yes, but—”
“For example,” Jacob interrupted, “if you commit a harmless act but consider it to be evil and do it anyway, it is a sin in the eyes of our Lord. Intent is a necessary component of sin. Agreed?”
Caleb nodded.
“On the other hand,” Jacob continued, “if you do something that would normally be sinful but believe you are doing good, there is no sin. It goes both ways. Motive is a pivotal aspect, Caleb. In and of itself, what we did last night was a sinful act, but it was done for the good of every man, woman, and child living in our country. Our motive was pure, with no sinful intent. Therefore there was no sin.”
“Amen,” said Rudy.
Jacob glanced at Rudy, troubled that he seemed to have enjoyed the previous evening a bit too much. Jacob suspected that were it not for his presence, Rudy might have done more to their victims than simply kill them, especially the woman. If that trend were to continue, it could present a problem.
Deciding to discuss the issue with Rudy later, Jacob returned his attention to Caleb. “The expanding Muslim population within our borders must be addressed before it becomes unmanageable, and God has given us that task. Radical Muslims are our enemy, and I’m asking you to rededicate yourself to the holy cause of driving them from our borders.” Turning to the others, “I’m asking you all. Will you?”
“Absolutely,” said Parker. “As long as I don’t have to, uh, you know . . . as long as I just operate the camera.”
Jacob nodded. “If that is your wish, Brother Parker. You may continue to operate the camera, edit and post our videos, and handle the technical aspects of our operation. If that is all you want to do, that will suffice.”
“Count me in for anything you need,” said Rudy, shooting Parker a barely veiled look of contempt.
“Me, too,” Ethan chimed in. “Especially if you can get me inside the house for the next one. I want to do more than just drive the damn backup car.”
“A backup vehicle is an important safety precaution, Ethan,” Jacob pointed out. “I thought you realized that.”
Ethan nodded, his greasy ponytail bobbing on his shoulders. “I do. But I want to do more. A lot more.”
“Thank you, Ethan. Your time will come,” Jacob promised. Then, turning to his brother, “Caleb? Can I count on you as well?”
“Of course,” Caleb answered, lowering his gaze. “I know we’re doing God’s will and it isn’t a sin if our motive is pure, like you said. But about our motive, and I know it’s not my place to ask, but can you explain one more time why we’re . . .”
“. . . killing innocents?” Jacob finished.
“It just doesn’t seem right.”
“It isn’t, Caleb. Killing isn’t right, not in and of itself. But in our case, the end does justify the means. We’re fighting a greater evil with a lesser one, following a course that God Himself has set for us. Our actions last night and those in days to come will demonstrate what a growing Muslim presence in our cities will bring, just as it has in Brussels, Madrid, London, Paris, and others. We are demonstrating the horror that militant Islam will bring, sounding the alarm before it’s too late. We are giving notice that we must close our borders to Islamists, expel all radical mullahs who preach hate in their mosques, and capture or kill every jihadist planning our destruction.”
“So we’re going to do it again?” asked Ethan.
“Oh, yes, Brother Ethan. We will do it again. And again. And we will continue to do so until our nation is ablaze with righteous anger. Many Muslims will consider this the beginning of their caliphate revolution, and they will join in the killing. We, too, will expand our operations, with each of you commanding a cell of your own in other cities. And in the end, we will ignite a firestorm of protest that will drive every militant Muslim, every radical mullah, and every Islamic jihadist from our homeland.”
“But a lot of Muslims in our country are peace-loving citizens who don’t believe in jihad,” Caleb objected. “Won’t they be caught in the crossfire?”
“What you say is true,” Jacob admitted. “But make no mistake, we are at war with radical Islam. Regrettably, in any war there are unintended casualties.”
“Besides, I don’t see any of your so-called peace-loving Muslims speaking out against their radical brothers,” interjected Rudy.
“That also is true,” said Jacob. “Our peace-loving Muslims, as Caleb has termed them, have a responsibility to renounce the extremists in their fold. This they have not done. Muslims should cooperate with authorities to purge the jihadists who have hijacked their faith. This, also, they have not done. Last, Muslims must reject all interpretations of the Quran that promote violence. So far, none of these things have been done. And for that they must pay.”
“I agree,” said Rudy, a little too enthusiastically.
Jacob shot a sharp look at his thick-necked assistant. By necessity, the executions of the previous evening had been brutal, as they would have been had they actually been committed by Islamic terrorists. Although Jacob had taken no pleasure in the act, he again sensed that with Rudy, that had not been the case.
“So when’s the next one?” asked Ethan.
“Soon,” Jacob answered. Then, again addressing Caleb, “Speaking of which, in the future all operations must proceed exactly as planned, with no deviations, including the removal of cellphones or any other property from the houses.”
Caleb lowered his eyes. “Yes, Jacob. I apologize. I just thought—”
“Exactly as planned,” Jacob interrupted. “Is that understood?”
>
“Yes, Jacob.”
Jacob nodded. “Good. Now, as I said earlier, the time will soon come to expand our operations. At present we are the only ones privy to our holy mission, and for the moment it must remain that way. Eventually, however, in order to complete the task God has given us, we will need to add new members to our inner circle. Brothers Caleb, Ethan, Parker, and Rudy, begin considering whom from our congregation you would like to recruit. But consider carefully. Anyone who is asked to join us must accept. There can be no exceptions. Do you all understand?”
“Yes, Jacob,” said Parker.
“Absolutely,” replied Rudy.
“I understand,” added Ethan.
Caleb hesitated, then nodded.
“Good,” said Jacob. “One final thing. God Himself has set us upon this course, and He will protect us. That is not to say there won’t be difficulties. There will be. The authorities will bring every resource to bear against us, and we will need to vary our tactics to achieve our goal. I cannot predict every turn our mission will take, but we will dedicate our lives to it. And, God willing, we will succeed.”
Chapter 5
Ali and Mike’s reception continued long into the evening, with the final guests straggling out well past midnight. By then even Callie had retired to her dog bed in the kitchen, and most of the party cleanup had been completed. Grandma Dorothy and I were the last ones up, doing a final pickup on the beach and tidying up on the deck before calling it a night.
“Magnificent party, Dan,” said Dorothy, drawing the strings on a final bag of trash. “And a gorgeous wedding. Ali and Mike couldn’t have been happier.”
“And I couldn’t be happier for them,” I agreed, attempting to turn my thoughts from the troubling conversation I’d had earlier with Lieutenant Long. “Mike’s a good man.”