“But,” Zack said…
“It's not such a simple issue, is it?”
“What do you think, Dad? I know what Mom would say.”
“You’re sure you want the answer now…before you read about it and consider all the ramifications?” He paused. “You want me to decide for you?”
“No, but…”
“It's not a simple issue, Zack, but terrorism always exacerbates the situation and creates a cycle of suffering and violence. My opinion, after considering everything, is that terrorism is never justifiable.”
Zack took a deep breath and relaxed.
“Still, son, you work it out for yourself. Look into the ‘just war’ philosophy, the pragmatic effects of terrorism, the ‘ends justifying the means’ philosophy, and the emotional consequences of revenge.” Gabe paused. “And don’t forget the philosophies of Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Think about all this, and we’ll talk again.”
Zack hugged Gabe. “Mom was right about you, Dad. Your higher education wasn’t all a waste.”
That weekend after class, Adam was next to Zack as they sat before his computer. “What have you been up to, Zack.”
“I just finished learning Python.”
“Python?”
“It’s my fourth language after BASIC, C, C++.”
“Why Python? You’re great with all the others.”
“Python is a high-level programming language that’s easy to read and uses fewer lines of code. It’s become popular among hackers.”
Adam smiled. “Now you’re talking.”
“Somehow, I knew that would catch your interest,” Zack said.
“Have you hacked?”
“Of course. It’s easy.”
“Can you show me?” Adam asked.
“Yes, but I’m doing it to learn. I’m not going to screw with anyone’s information, especially data that affects people.”
“Can you get into the Cal Berkeley website?”
“Not a problem, Zack said. “I should do them a favor and let them know how easy it is to break in.”
Zack entered several lines of instruction, and in moments the screen filled with the schools home page. Zack typed in a password and received the welcome screen and the FBI admonitions regarding unauthorized usage.
“How did you get the password?”
“I water boarded the principal,” Zack laughed. “He didn’t last too long.”
“Right. Zack Berg water boarding someone…that’ll be the day.”
“I downloaded a password generator from the web. I was into the site in ten minutes.”
“That’s a little scary,” Adam said. “I’m putting my money back under my mattress.” He paused. “Look me up.”
Zack moved through the site and opened the page labeled Adam Conner.
Adam began reading. “God, I can’t believe how much shit they have on me. Let’s see my grades.”
Zack moved to the page with last year’s grades.”
“Not bad,” Adam said, as he scanned through. Suddenly, he focused on the screen. “That ‘C’ in English is bullshit. She gave me a ‘C’ because I wouldn’t take her crap. Let’s change it.”
Zack hit a few strokes and he was back to his home page. “Not in your life, Adam. Why am I not surprised?”
“God, Zack,” Adam said. “I don’t know how you get through life.”
“At least my conscience is clear.”
“What a waste of talent,” Adam said, as he stood and left.
Chapter Forty-One
Denise and Gabe had just finished dinner when the phone rang. Gabe picked up the phone. “It's cousin Lenny.”
Denise looked around. “Where’s Zack?”
“He’s out with Ella.”
Denise picked up the phone, and said, “Lenny, I’m putting you on speaker.”
“I’ve got more for you on Jorge Moneo—I don’t think you’re going to like it.”
Denise paled. “What is it?”
“I talked with FBI Inspector James Olsen. He’s been on Moneo’s case since he entered the country in the 90s.”
“And?” Gabe asked.
“Olsen’s a hard ass and he has this thing about Moneo.”
“We’re only trying to protect Zack,” Denise said. “If Moneo’s bad people, we want to know about it.”
Lenny took a deep breath. “If Olsen had anything specific and conclusive, I guarantee that Moneo would be in jail or on his way back to Spain.”
“This is all ETA related?” Gabe asked.
“Mostly, but there’s something else…”
“It's speculative,” Lenny said, “and, again, agent Olsen isn’t the most objective observer.”
“Okay,” Denise said, “you’ve equivocated enough, now get to it.”
“The Spanish Security forces suspected Moneo in an attempt to kill Francisco Salazar, the leader of the death squad that murdered his wife, mother, and his five year old son,
Abbaran.”
“My God,” Denise exclaimed.
“If it's true,” Gabe said, “maybe he deserves a medal.”
“Cut the hyperbole, Gabe,” Lenny said. “I don’t think that you two believe in vigilante justice.”
“Absent religious admonitions,” Gabe said, “there’s purity in revenge.” He paused. “I’m guessing that they couldn’t make their case or Jorge wouldn’t be here.”
“According to Olsen.” Lenny said, “that case isn’t closed, and I’m guessing that it will never be.”
“What else?” Denise asked.
“According to Olsen, Jorge has availed himself of the protections in our justice system. Olsen suspects that Jorge receives support from Basque nationalists…read that as ETA, and that he provides support for their activities in return.”
“I thought the ETA had disavowed further violence?” Gabe asked.
“So they have, but the ETA has a long memory, and Spain’s hands are not clean.”
“Where does this leave us?” Denise asked.
“I don’t know what to say,” Lenny said. “Olsen may be obsessed with Moneo, but he’s usually right.”
“But,” Gabe said, “Moneo hasn’t done anything illegal, has he?”
“Not yet, but I’d be uncomfortable if my kid had any contact with the likes of Jorge Moneo.”
“Thanks, Lenny,” Denise said. “You’ll let us know if you have more?”
“Of course.” He paused. “I’m getting the feeling that you find a downside to separating Zack from Moneo?”
“It's not Moneo, per se,” said Gabe, “it's the Denisovan school, and all the friends Zack has there.”
“Thanks again, Lenny.”
“Zorte on!” He replied.
“We may need more than luck,” Denise said.
After Denise hung up the phone, she turned to Gabe. “My God! What should we do?”
“We hit Zack with Jorge’s history, and the vagueness of the allegations, he’s likely to take Jorge’s side. If Zack has one failing, he trusts too much.”
“Maybe,” Denise said, “but we know Zack. Above all, he can’t abide evil—he doesn’t have the constitution for it.”
“Zack’s far too perceptive. He’s going to catch on to us sooner or later. We’d best confront him with what we know, and/or suspect.”
Chapter Forty-Two
A week later, Denise and Gabe were still trying to find an appropriate time to talk with Zack.
“This is ridiculous,” Gabe said. “He’s our son after all, and we simply want to protect him.”
“We’re procrastinating because we know that confronting Zack over the Denisovan School is going to be a problem.”
Gabe looked up at his wife. “You know what happens, when we suppress deeply held feelings about doing something?”
“Yes. We live to regret it.”
Dinner was quiet for a change.
Zack noticed, and said, “What’s up? Who died?”
“We want to talk with you after din
ner,” Gabe said.
“What did I screw up now?”
“Nothing. Let’s finish dinner, and we’ll talk.”
They finished eating in silence.
“I hate this tension,” Zack said. “It's so unlike us.”
They moved into the den. Zack sat in the La-Z-Boy chair while Denise and Gabe sat on the sofa.”
“Enough already,” Zack said. “What gives?”
Gabe looked at Zack. “We have obtained information about Jorge Moneo that causes us concern.”
“What kind of information? You haven’t been investigating him, have you?”
“This is where we’re counting on a certain level of maturity, Zack,” Gabe said.
“We’ve always wanted what’s best for you, sweetheart,” Denise said. “That’s why we want to discuss this.”
“This what?” Zack asked.
“When we asked Summit for information about Jorge Moneo, they had practically nothing except as it related to his Denisovan School in Basque Country. We thought we needed more.”
Zack shook his head, “Concern is one thing, and paranoia is another.”
“Talk to me about that, Zack, when you’re a father.”
Gabe and Denise talked about their findings and the remaining questions for about thirty minutes while Zack stared at them in disbelief.
“I don’t get it. You got Cousin Lenny…and the FBI involved?”
“You’re not listening, Zack. The FBI had been involved since Jorge first set foot on American soil.”
“This is crap,” Zack said. “It's the ravings of an FBI inspector with his own agenda. How can you give it credence?”
“Put yourself in our position, Zack,” Gabe said. “Our initial query was modest, not at all intrusive, and fit with our need to protect you.”
“You’re not protecting me, you’re killing me. For the very first time, I have people who can really understand me. The school has students with whom I have an inexplicable affinity; and now you want to ruin it all.”
“We don’t want to ruin anything, Zack,” Denise said. “We want to protect you.”
“I don’t think so.” Zack placed his hands on his hips. “If you screw this up for me, it will change our relationship forever. Are you sure that you really want to do that?”
“We intended nothing but discussion,” Gabe said. “We’re not telling you what to do, although your reaction troubles me.”
Denise reached over to Zack’s shoulder. “Why is this simple discussion so threatening to you?”
Zack pushed Denise’s hand away. “Don’t shrink me, Mother. I’m not your patient.”
“Unfair, Zack,” Gabe said. “While you might not like the query or the way your mother put it, the question itself is appropriate.”
Zack studied his feet and remained silent for a long moment. He stared at Denise and said, “You, of all people, should understand. You’ve elevated me onto an unsustainable plane that leaves me in isolation. We’ve had a good time with my abilities, but until I met the kids at the Denisovan School, I didn’t realize how lonely I’ve been.”
Denise’s eyes filled. “You never said a word.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Why?” Denise asked.
Zack looked from Gabe to Denise. “I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
“You could never do that,” Gabe said.
“Now you understand what the school means to me and how important my relationships there have become. Adam’s more like a brother than a friend. Don’t ask me to lose all that.”
“Again,” Gabe said, “we’re not asking or telling you what to do. The decision is yours.”
“Knowing what we know,” Denise said, “we had no choice but to share our concerns.”
Zack smiled. “Perhaps, as I get older, it wouldn’t hurt if you were a little less forthcoming.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Jorge was sitting at the front of the classroom talking with Professor Alonso.
“Today,” Alonso said, “Dr. Moneo is here. He will review the history of the Spanish-Basque conflict and update us on the current situation. By now, all of you should be familiar with the subject.” He stared at Zack. “Right?”
Zack nodded.
Jorge moved to stand in front of the desk. “As all of you have a Basque background to one extent or another, this material should be germane. I will cover, however, some highly controversial material. If any one of you is uncomfortable with this subject matter or how I present it, tell me I’m wrong and argue with me. If you can’t deal with the discussion, feel free to leave at any time.”
Jorge gazed across the room. All eyes remained attentive. “Some may conclude that since I’m Basque, my remarks will reflect prejudice. I’ll try my best to deliver unassailable fact, but who can be completely free of bias. Those of you familiar with my own history will understand.”
Jorge lectured for ninety minutes. He showed maps, movie clips, speeches, and news clippings. When he’d finished, he said, “Let’s take a ten minute break and we’ll begin our discussion.”
Zack was standing with Adam in the hallway. “Amazing stuff,” he said, “but what about Jorge’s personal history?”
“His entire family were victims of the Spanish Security Forces.”
“Victims?” Zack asked.
“They were murdered.”
Zack paled. “Murdered?”
“Decapitated!”
Zack’s head swam and he nearly fainted. Adam caught him at the last second. Zack sat on a chair with his head down. After a minute, he looked up at Adam. “How can he maintain any degree of objectivity under those circumstances?”
Adam sat next to Zack. “You listened, you read the source material; you decide. Ask him any question you want.”
After the students settled back into their places, Jorge asked, “Questions?”
One student raised his hand. “It doesn’t seem extraordinary for a culturally defined group like the Basque people to seek independence and autonomy. Why has Spain been so resistant?”
“Good question,” Jorge said. “The movement for Basque independence began at the end of the nineteenth century and was successful in that the Spanish Republican government had granted the Basque people autonomy. That lasted until the Spanish civil war. When Franco won, he took revenge on the Basque people for their support of the Republicans. Look at Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, his representation of Franco’s murder of 1000 Basques. Furthermore, Franco strictly prohibited the Basque language and its culture. Basque intellectuals and professionals were imprisoned and tortured.”
“My God!” the student said.
“God had nothing to do with it,” Jorge said.
Zack raised his hand. “It seems as if the Spanish civil war and Franco’s actions created the tipping point for Basque resistance.”
“You’re right, of course, Zack, and the sentiments for Basque autonomy had been almost universal. The only differences among the Basques were the means of resistance, violent versus non-violent. Franco’s attempts at genocide were the root cause of the ETA’s fierce resistance that began in 1959.”
Zack shook his head. “It's all so senseless.”
“Standing here in Emeryville, it's more than senseless, it's stupid and ineffective,” Jorge said. “From that point, it was tit for tat as the ETA and the Death squads competed for who could be more cruel, violent, and destructive.”
“But then,” Zack said, “they’re no longer fighting over political issues as each side is simply seeking revenge.”
“Some day, when we have time, we’ll discuss revenge, its roots, and its effectiveness, but for most Basques, the desire for independence persists.”
Zack raised his hand again. “Would you comment on the 1987 car bombing in Barcelona?”
Jorge paled. “When the ETA detonated a bomb in a supermarket, killing twenty-one shoppers, they lost whatever moral authority they’d ever had. The world was shocked and appalled.”
“But,” Zack said, “that was just an example of the bombings and the assassinations that would come.”
“I’m not going to excuse or justify those actions,” Jorge said. “The Basques, like any group, has individuals with very different moral compasses. All that violence did was to hurt the Basque cause.”
“The ETA’s violence is a thing of the past?” asked a student.
“Yes, but Spain still strives for closure on the ETA and its supporters.”
“Why don’t they let it go?” Zack asked.
“Sadly, it's politics,” Jorge said. “The Basques are not unique in their desire for independence. The European power structure fears that if Basques succeed in obtaining independence through violence, others may employ similar methods.”
Adam raised his hand. “So, as an example, they want to keep the Basque people in their place.”
Jorge smiled. “Exactly.”
Chapter Forty-Four
When Zack arrived home from school, Denise was cleaning his room. “I held off as long as I could, but next time, I swear, you’ll have to live in all this crap. Maybe you’ll reach the point when you can’t stand it either.”
“You’re right, Mother. It's just that I’m so busy that cleaning my room always winds up at the bottom of my priority list.”
“It's more than that,” Denise said, “it's taking advantage of me and my good nature. I don’t mind helping, but I do resent being put upon…I hate feeling that way, especially about you.”
“It won’t happen again,” Zack said. “I’ll be putting up a ‘CLEAN ME! banner on my wall.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.” Denise paused a moment, then said, “I’m not spying, but your desk has a pile of books on the Basque struggle for independence. I thought that your debate prep on the justification for terrorism was in the abstract; unrelated to the ETA.”
“I know you’re not spying. Anyway, if I had anything to hide, you’d never find it.”
“Zack!”
“You’re too easy…always have been.”
“The books…” she asked.
“Several weeks ago, Professor Alonso had announced that we’d be having lectures about the Basque struggle for independence. All the other students were familiar with the history and the main issues. Alonso gave me the reading assignments so I could catch up.”
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