The Kafir Project

by Lee Burvine

  "But would it?" Rees countered. "Whatever's wise and true in any of these religions-that has nothing to do with history. That part won't change. What changes now, at least for the fundamentalists, is how we know what's wise or true."

  "You're talking about the epistemic authority of the texts."

  "Yes, exactly that. Their authority as arbiters of truth." Something Fischer said came back to Rees just then.

  It's all coming together. The end of their authority.

  "The moral authority of these texts will take the big hit now," Rees said. "Right alongside their fictitious histories. And by extension-well, at least you'd hope-the political authority of the fanatics out there. Because that authority is essentially derived from those texts. I think that's what Fischer was aiming for all along."

  Osborn's focus seemed to turn inward for a moment. Then he looked out at Rees again with renewed intensity. "And is that what we're aiming for, Dr. Rees? Fischer's gone. This is all our responsibility now."

  Rees had considered that fact at great length already. "When I think of the beheadings, and the mass executions. Young girls shot in the face for ... just for promoting female literacy. Homophobia, and lunatics who justify poisoning the environment behind a single line in the book of Genesis. The possibility that we might undermine the authority of those people? Well, I think it's worth a shot. Don't you?"

  At that moment it occurred to Rees that Kazemi had been in the restroom quite a while. And then, as if on cue, the history professor stepped into view around the service counter.

  Rees knew something was wrong before he had any idea why he knew it.

  Another man stepped into view following close behind Kazemi. A black man in a dark business suit. They both stopped.

  Rees reached for the gun in the gym bag near his feet.

  "Don't do that." The man displayed the gun he'd been pointing at Kazemi's back. "You want to keep your hands up where I can see them. Now both of you stand up slowly. Move away from the table."

  Rees had learned enough of firearms in the last two days to recognize this one had a silencer on it. He did as he was directed and so did Osborn.

  "Go stand with them," The man waved Kazemi over with the barrel of the gun.

  Kazemi came and lined up beside Rees and Osborn.

  Rees glanced furtively at the front windows of the café. The blinds were down so he couldn't gage the thickness of the panes. But if he could get a few steps in before the gunman noticed, he might make a dive through the glass. There was nothing he could do for Kazemi and Osborn here. Out there he could at least shout for help.

  The gunman's eyes lasered in on Rees. "Dr. Rees, because you look like you're getting some kind of foolish idea, we're going to keep you busy. Those two bags down there. I want you to kick those over to me."

  Bang, bang, bang.

  Rees jumped at the sound. Pounding. It was coming from the back of the café. They probably had a rear service entrance to this place.

  "Hey. I hafta use the bathroom." A voice shouting through the door. Male voice. Slurred.

  The gunman kept his weapon pointed at them. He narrowed his eyes and held his forefinger to his lips.

  Bang, bang, bang. The same voice again. "Hey! Hey, I know there are people in there."

  The gunman turned his head, eyes still on Rees and the others, and shouted back at the door. "We're closed. Find a public restroom."

  "They are all locked."

  Bang, bang, bang.

  Some quality of that voice sounded familiar to Rees. But he couldn't place it.

  "This is an emergency!" the voice outside insisted more loudly. The pounding started up again and didn't stop this time.

  Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...

  As the pounding continued, the gunman sidled over to the service door, keeping a wary eye on his three captives. He unlocked the door, then aimed his gun at it. He closed his other hand around the doorknob.

  Rees was trying to decide if he should shout some kind of warning, when the door swung violently out and open, jerking the gunman along with it.

  Rain blew in through the dark entryway. There was a loud and rapid clicking sound next.

  The gunman stayed on his feet, but he dropped his weapon. His whole body stiffened, and he made a strange, vibratory groan. After a couple of seconds he fell backwards to the floor, jerking and twitching.

  The clicking sound continued for a few more seconds, then stopped abruptly.

  A man in a tan trench coat stepped in through the open door, dripping wet. He was holding a Taser gun. He stooped down and retrieved the handgun from the floor.

  The other man hadn't been knocked out by the Taser. He was clearly stunned, though. He struggled to sit up.

  The man in the trench coat aimed and fired twice. There was that loud pop, pop sound of a suppressed firearm that Rees actually recognized.

  The man on the floor fell back flat. He stopped moving.

  His killer closed the door behind him, then turned and looked straight at Rees. Water dripped off the end of his dark, misshaped nose.

  His eyes burned with the same rage Rees had seen back in the motel room. Even in the café's dim light the green in them sparkled.

  Faraj. The man who had abducted Rees.

  He was back from Hell.

  CHAPTER 60

  LOUIS EYED WHAT had to be the barrel of a gun.

  It was pointed at them from inside the pocket of the blond man's pea coat. Nothing for the ferry passengers going by to see here. Probably just looked like four people having a conversation by one of the benches.

  In a relaxed voice the blond man told them all just to chill out. His people were only after the time-recordings and the artifacts, he said. They weren't going to hurt anyone.

  Louis had to keep fighting against the impulse to hope it was true. He kept telling himself this was like being on a hijacked airliner post 9/11. Screw whatever they say to get your cooperation. You're not gonna land somewhere and negotiate.

  You're going into the side of a building. Period.

  Any plan of attack he could think of would improve their chances. Up from none at all.

  The emergency rescue vehicle that Louis had called for would be showing up any time now. And when the blond man saw the paramedics arriving, and port security running over too-his best option would be to just kill the three of them and split.

  The blond man was easing around now to the front of the bench that they'd sat Morgan down on. He raked his eyes across them. "Stay quiet, and take off your coats. All of you. Slowly."

  He's checking to see if we're armed, Louis thought.

  And Morgan was armed. But she was blind now. In a few seconds the blond man would have her gun. Then any chance they had of getting out of this situation alive would vanish.

  Morgan stood up and started to take off her coat. At first it confused Louis-she didn't have to stand up to do that. She hadn't been sitting on the coat, it wasn't that long.

  And then he understood.

  Jesus, she's gonna go for her gun. She can't even see him. He'll kill her!

  The blond man skipped back a step and pointed the gun in his pocket at Morgan. "Sit back down Special Agent Morgan. Or you're killing everybody. You understand?"

  Morgan stopped. She had her jacket partway off. She shrugged it back on and sat down on the bench. Then she started to remove it again.

  Louis glanced over at Danni. She didn't look scared at all. She looked ... angry. Really angry. She was taking her coat off now too.

  Louis slid his own coat off one arm, then the other. He started to wad it up, thinking he could maybe throw it at the guy then dive into him. He would knock the man down, then shout at Danni to grab Morgan's gun.

  A siren wailed in the distance. The first responders were almost here.

  Louis had to do something really soon.

  He glanced down at Morgan on the bench. She had one side of her jacket
completely off and was beginning to remove the other side. The side where she kept her weapon holstered.

  When he sees the gun, he'll be totally focused on that, Louis thought. Then I can-

  Morgan's coat came off then revealing ... her empty holster.

  Louis remembered Morgan trying to give the gun to Rees earlier. But Rees didn't take it. Or did he? Was he remembering this right?

  Morgan folded up her coat, and just before she dropped it at Danni's feet she flashed something at them.

  Her gun. It was in there.

  Now Louis got the plan. She's trying to get the gun to Danni.

  Morgan had used the extra motion of standing up and sitting back down for misdirection. She knew that she couldn't use the gun, so she stashed it in her coat and let them see it.

  Louis watched the blond man's eyes go straight to Morgan's empty shoulder holster.

  "He took her gun away," Danni volunteered. She'd been watching his eyes too. "Your guy back at Livermore. He took it. He shot the other DCIS agent with it."

  "Shut up." The blond man scrutinized Morgan's face. "What's wrong with you, Kerry? Your eyes look funny."

  "Concussion." Morgan's voice sounded weak. "From the explosion last night. I may have a brain bleed. It's screwing up my vision."

  The emergency vehicle's siren had grown much louder. The blond man had to be hearing it too by now. In a few more seconds, he'd realize it was coming here.

  For the moment he was still focused on Morgan. He made a sympathetic face. "Well, I hate to tell ya this, Special Agent Morgan, but you look pretty sketchy. You just might not make it."

  In the corner of his eye, Louis saw flashing lights out through the Ferry Building's glass doors. The emergency vehicle was pulling up outside.

  The blond man turned toward the doors. His face tightened. He saw the lights too. He knew.

  Now. Throw the coat now. Louis cocked back his arm to throw.

  Without warning Morgan's head slumped to her chest. She rolled forward and started to fall off the bench.

  Danni reflexively dove to catch her.

  "No!" The blond man barked the order at Danni.

  She couldn't have followed it even if she wanted to. She was already in mid-flight.

  She stretched out her arms, and Morgan fell right into them.

  They tumbled together to the floor. Landing right on top of Morgan's coat. On top of the gun.

  The blond man turned back to the windows of the Ferry Building again. Flashes of red and blue light played off his face.

  He wasn't looking at Louis.

  Now's my chance.

  Louis raced at their assailant with desperate speed, legs churning.

  The blond man wheeled and fired a shot through his coat pocket.

  It was like a gorilla just punched him in the chest. Louis felt his cheeks puff out. He stumbled and hit the floor, sliding to a stop at the man's feet.

  As he lay there, another shot rang out. Then five or six more. Then it all stopped.

  Louis looked up.

  Danni was up on her knees now with Morgan's gun in her hand. She was still pulling the trigger. The empty gun click-clicking, again and again.

  The blond man stood right over Louis with his hand in his pocket. There was a scorched hole there in his coat now.

  Through the ringing in his ears, Louis could make out the wail of the emergency vehicle's siren winding down.

  The blond man swayed for a moment, then took a wider stance to steady himself. He looked down at Danni with an odd expression on his face. Confusion.

  He pulled his gun from his pocket and looked at it strangely. Like he didn't recognize it. Then he pointed it forward.

  Danni threw her body across Morgan.

  The blond man just stood there with his gun pointed at Danni and Morgan. But he didn't fire. Seconds ticked by.

  Louis heard shouting in the distance. Heavy footfalls echoed across the terminal. He turned his head to see paramedics jogging through the Ferry Building's glass doors.

  When Louis looked back, the blond man was still gazing down at Danni and Morgan.

  He lowered his gun.

  Then he smiled. "I'm your God. I'm letting you live." He continued to stare at them. Bright red blood at the corners of his mouth now. He blinked several times and turned his face up toward the lights.

  Slowly, his expression changed to consternation. And then something like ... disappointment.

  He looked out straight ahead again, eyes unfocused. "Yeah," he said to no one in particular. "That's what I thought." Then he fell forward, body twisting, and landed on his side with a thud.

  Louis tried to climb to his feet and to his great surprise pulled it off. The pain was coming, though, he could feel it. Burning its way through the shock. He couldn't tell exactly where he'd been shot, but it felt wet and sticky inside his shirt.

  And he could hear a kind of sucking sound when he inhaled.

  As Louis watched her, Danni rolled off of Morgan and rose up on her knees. She looked down into Morgan's face. "Kerry? C'mon, Kerry. Stay with me. You have to stay with me."

  "The paramedics are here, Danni," Louis said. "It's gonna be all right. It's gonna be all right."

  Danni pressed an ear to Morgan's mouth, then looked up at Louis with terror in her eyes. "She's not breathing."

  CHAPTER 61

  THIS ALL WASN'T happening. It couldn't be.

  Rees's former captor wasn't really here inside this little café by the Golden Gate Bridge. He was just hallucinating all this. A drug flashback. That's what part of Rees's mind kept trying to tell him.

  And he had no time for that shit.

  He dropped to his knees there on the café floor, and reached inside the gym bag. His fingers quickly found the gun. As he pulled it out, a foot swung in and kicked it from his hand. It skittered off into the darkness somewhere.

  The foot drew back again, then smashed into Rees's face.

  He flew backwards. His head smacked something hard, and for a second he saw stars.

  Rees tried twice to sit up, and managed it on the third effort.

  Faraj stood there looming over him, holding the gun that he took from the man who now lay dead at his feet. He pointed it directly at Rees's forehead.

  "You have caused me no small amount of trouble, Dr. Rees." Faraj flicked the gun toward where Kazemi and Osborn were still standing side by side in shock. "Get over there with them. Now."

  Rees got up and did as instructed. Right then and again a moment later when they were all ordered down on their knees, hands behind their heads.

  "We had an agreement, Dr. Rees." Faraj spoke with the restrained impatience of a schoolteacher explaining something to a slow student. "I consider such pacts sacrosanct. A matter of honor."

  "Bullshit." Rees had an intuition that playing to the man's strange morality might win him some leverage. "You lied to me. You said the condition was permanent with a large dose."

  "I never lie. And you assume far too much. For one thing, that I am naïve to the drug. I am not. I have taken it innumerable times."

  Rees understood instantly. He's developed a tolerance. "My god, you do that to yourself?"

  Faraj showed Rees a sad smile. "And still you do not see? Without tracing its heights and its depths, one cannot know life's full measure. I have lived my life more fully, with more amplitude, than perhaps any man alive."

  Kazemi and Osborn had wisely opted to remain silent through this freak show. They couldn't have any idea what the hell was going on here anyway.

  Faraj gestured to the gym bag on the floor between them. "I recognize my property. Is my cell phone in there? Foolish of you to keep that, you know."

  That's how he found us, Rees realized. He tracked his own cellphone. Stupid. Stupid.

  Faraj pointed the gun at Osborn's bag next. "The plastic bag there. What does it contain?"

  "Historical artifacts," Osborn blurted out. "T
here are more. They're priceless. You'll never get the rest of them if you shoot us."

  "I require only enough to prove out the technology. And by my understanding even a tiny fragment will do. Isn't that correct?" He turned to look directly at Rees. "I am still assuming the science was your purview. And though you have told me once this technology was lost, I am now less inclined to believe you."

  "Yes, I lied to you before," Rees confessed. He needed to play a new angle. "I do have the technology. Fischer explained it to me in detail. It'll be a hundred years before anyone catches up to Fischer's vision. I can show your people the science that died with him. And in return," he nodded toward Osborn and Kazemi, "you let them go."

  It was a bald-faced lie. With Fischer's detailed notes and math as a guide, any number of competent physicists could grasp the science. And those things all lay right there in the gym bag in front of them. Rees watched his enemy and waited.

  Would he buy it?

  Faraj's face softened. It took on a look of kind concern. "You do understand how this will end for you, Dr. Rees? You broke our agreement. My promise to spare you the full effects of the drug is rescinded. Once you have transmitted the technology to my employers, and we confirm that it works ... you will still have to settle up with me."

  He bought it.

  This play could save Osborn's and Kazemi's lives. But at what price? To suffer in delirious, hellish torment for decades.

  Rees looked at the gun. When Osborn and Kazemi were safe, he could always rush his captor. The equivalent of suicide by cop. It still beat the alternative. Lousy as it was, it actually represented the best option here.

  "All right," Rees said. "I accept your terms. Now let them go."

  Faraj reached a hand into his coat pocket. It came out holding a syringe filled with the familiar red fluid. He flipped the safety cap off, then nodded at Kazemi and Osborn. "I will need to render both of them temporarily ineffectual, for practical reasons."

  Rees understood. If Faraj didn't kill Osborn and Kazemi, then at the very least he needed to incapacitate them for a while. There were police stationed not a minute away from here no doubt, over at the bridge's toll plaza. Faraj had to keep them quiet until he had Rees safely out of the area. And he could accomplish that quite well with a small, transient dose of the drug.