The Third Cell

by Anthony D'Egidio

  The Air Israel 747

  In Asmara, the two terrorists holding the hostages learned of the destruction of the nuclear reactors from the Eritrean television crew still on location.

  The terrorists, believing the United States had attacked the nuclear reactor sites and all was lost, shouted, “Death to the oppressors.” They then detonated the explosives onboard the jet which ripped apart strewing metal up to a quarter mile away, killing the one hundred sixty Jewish hostages and themselves. The flying pieces hit the television crew that had been filming the hostage crisis with one man requiring hospitalization. Many of the rescued hostages from Beekman Estates who had been moved to Atlanta, Georgia witnessed the carnage.

  Ilona Shapiro collapsed; knowing her husband Aaron was dead. If I had only listened to my brother Benjamin, maybe they would all be alive and safe.

  CHAPTER 35

  THE FALLOUT, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL

  The Aftermath

  Fortunately for the Conklin Administration, by day two the winds that brought the deadly radiation to Central and South Florida had subsided and the remaining dust cloud fell over the Gulf of Mexico. It was still an environmental disaster, but the ocean would disperse the radioactive isotopes to levels deemed safe by health officials. Most of the public wasn’t buying the official position, nor were they buying Gulf shrimp.

  Hundreds of oil rigs that had been shutdown and abandoned were being washed down by fireboats to remove the radioactive dust. With a limited amount of these fireboats available, it was going to take months before they were able to complete the task. The price of gasoline was now at a record high.

  Calmness and patience, little-known qualities in Americans, were being pushed to the limit. Within minutes of the FEMA 800 number posting, the phones were ringing endlessly. The scripted message from the people manning the phones was very simple.

  1) We’re evaluating the crisis and it will take time.

  2) Local FEMA offices will help you fill out claim paperwork.

  3) No one will be allowed back to the area until deemed safe by the government.

  General Knight, using the John Warner Defense Authorization Act as his mandate, ordered the military to cordon off the entire state of Florida approximately twenty miles south of Kissimmee. Before sending in the military, four vehicles containing Adaptable Radiation Area Monitors traveled various routes designated for the blockade, testing for radiation. These mobile units could take accurate readings at speeds up to seventy miles per hour. Developed by the United States Government’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, it reduced the task of manually covering a forty-two hundred square miles of area from months to a few days.

  Once satisfied designated areas were radiation free, the military blockade began east at the city of Melbourne and stretched west to Tampa. All north and south highways including the numerous county and city roads were blocked.

  Grocery stores and food distribution centers without power were housing rotting food overrun by cockroaches. Having survived three hundred million years, the roaches were not deterred by a little radiation.

  Garbage left on the streets was covered with flies. Initially a feast for rats, abandoned dogs, feral cats and raccoons, the animals covered with lethal dust would lick their fur, causing the radioactive destruction of their esophagus, stomachs and intestines. They were dropping dead and maggots were streaming out of every orifice in a wriggling sea of white.

  People left behind were not fairing much better. The homeless initially had the luxury of breaking into the plush hotels of South Miami Beach. Radioactive dust filled their lungs, and their capillaries were hemorrhaging. Within a week they were coughing up blood and would soon succumb to drowning in their own body fluids.

  The brazen gang members who had looted the mansions and fine homes in Coral Gables and elsewhere were suffering the same fate as the soldiers at ground zero. With no medical care and in excruciating pain they finally depleted the heroin that they had stockpiled to sell. Eventually too weak to even shoot up the narcotics, they ended up dying in agonizing pain as they lay in their own feces brought on by the massive diarrhea attacks. Without being able to retrieve water many suffocated on their own swollen tongues.

  The stench of dying humans, animals, and rotting food and garbage attracted the Black and Turkey Vultures in flocks of thousands. The birds, hideous to look at, feasted on the carcasses controlling pestilence and the spread of disease.

  Washington, D.C.

  An environment task force Operation Restore was formed to address the contamination. By the third meeting the committee had to face reality. Most disturbing was the impact of cesium-137 on the ecosystem. Forests and farmland in Russia in more than two decades after Chernobyl still showed signs of cesium-137 above acceptable levels.

  There was no feasible remediation program that could address thirteen million acres of radioactive contamination in Florida. The federal government had limited funding for such a large undertaking. Only nature could restore the area and it was estimated to be thirty or more years before the land could be habitable again.

  The committee’s first published assessment on January 7 was one of catastrophic impact upon the economy of the United States. Labeled top secret, it was only distributed to the president, vice president, Cabinet members, the Joint Chiefs, the NSA, NSC and CIA heads. The United States’ stock and commodity markets would be re-opened on January 11.

  The Majestic

  Nasih was non-commutative and in the past week both Abdul-Aziz and Rashad tried numerous times to engage in conversation with him, but each time he rejected their offers. They were concerned that Nasih was slipping into a state of depression and might commit suicide.

  Nasih’s silence was not driven by depression, but by rage. He was consumed. Thirty-nine years I have dedicated myself to avenge my parents’ murders and to achieve dignity for the Palestinian people, only to have it destroyed by others of my own faith. If I had been more diligent I might have uncovered the plot hatched by al-Qaeda. I will never forgive al-Qaeda for their deception and I want my revenge.

  Nasih finally spoke to Abdul-Aziz and Rashad. “Our original plan was to split up in Oran and meet in one year in Ramallah to celebrate our victory with the Palestinian people. But now that our mission has been destroyed, there’s no reason for us to meet. I think it’s best for us to depart and not be seen together again.”

  Abdul-Aziz acknowledged Nasih. “We along with the Amir are the most sought-after terrorists in the world.”

  “Then we are all in agreement.”

  Nodding, Abdul-Aziz and Rashad agreed with Nasih.

  Rashad spoke, “I am tired of the role I had to play over the past twenty-five years. With our objective ruined and with more money than I could spend, I wish to be back in Syria leading a quiet life, even if the country is politically unstable.”

  Rashad still agonized over his wife Traci. He had no interest in other women and was concerned about her welfare. Abdul-Aziz didn’t have any such feelings. He considered it was his duty to Islam to marry Michelle and now that he had fulfilled his obligations, he was free.

  Nasih, after obtaining their agreement, could pursue his goal. First he had to get to Syria and meet with his uncle to discuss a plan. The ship was four hundred miles west of the Azores, having another five days before arriving in Oran, Algeria. The rest of the day was spent watching satellite television newscasts of the impending worldwide economic disaster.

  World Reaction

  The Chinese didn’t wait for the president’s speech. They called up the army reserves, bringing the total armed forces to over seven million. Fearing the worst, all aspects of the military were on alert and the half million rapid deployment personnel were moving into the heavily industrialized cities and economic centers of Beijing, Hong Kong, Shenyang, Shanghai, Xiangtan and Xinyu City.

  The Chinese officials’ first concern was the immediate loss of goods shipped to the United States. With so many of the American peop
le in need of employment and relocation, they feared heavy tariffs or an outright ban on imports. They knew if the United States had to stimulate internal growth to prevent a major depression it would be at China’s expense.

  World markets that had taken their lead from the United States kept Stock and Commodity exchanges closed. On January 11, the Sydney, Nikkei and Hong Kong exchanges would be the first to reopen. Trading was halted and started several times as nervous investors bailed out. The exchanges closed after only three hours of trading. The London exchange didn’t fare much better, racking up losses of thirty-eight percent before closing early.

  The London newspapers headlines screamed, “London Stock Market in Meltdown.”

  When the NYSE and Nasdaq opened for trading, the investment world was in shambles and both exchanges tumbled before trading was stopped. Worldwide, fruits and vegetables soared to record highs on the commodity exchanges.

  The United States’ economy, driven by the world’s largest consuming population, was facing a total collapse that would cripple the rest of the world.

  Florida’s economy had collapsed. Forty percent of all U.S. exports to Latin and South America had passed through Florida. The only major port open was Jacksonville. The ports of Miami and Fort Lauderdale were silent along with the airports in the contaminated area. The Florida Governor was pleading to Washington for help. Unable to meet state bond obligations, the insurers would have to make up the difference, forcing many into bankruptcy. Major financial institutions were experiencing large losses in stock value, in a crisis unequalled since the toxic derivative scandal of 2008. Present laws preventing a taxpayer bailouts of the banks, was causing major hardship for the institutions and new legislation was being rushed through the U.S. Congress to allow the government to intervene and avert a total collapse of the economy.

  The Investigation

  The United States military along with federal law enforcement agencies were hunting down the three cell members. The CIA, FBI, NSA and the U.S. military were holding ongoing meetings at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

  Jack Shelby of the CIA addressed the group. “By carefully reviewing the tapes of the terrorists boarding the Air Israel flight, the FBI and CIA have determined that the three leaders were not aboard the plane. We know they weren’t part of the nuclear reactor site suicide faction. A duplicate WAVW television broadcast vehicle was found in east Boca Raton. There were false panels in the vehicle that could have hidden the three cell members to facilitate their escape. Their whereabouts is unknown.”

  FBI Special Agent Neil Packston spoke, “Searching Florida’s automobile and vessel registration we were able to connect the name of Jonah Meyerson, the terrorist known as Nasih Mahmoud Rahman, as owner of a yacht called The Phoenix Rising. Our agents have done an exhaustive search of the area and haven’t turned up the yacht. We have sent an alert to every nation in the Caribbean, along with Central and South America, to be on the lookout for The Phoenix Rising. We have received no information to the location of this vessel.”

  Neil paused for a moment as another chart was brought up on the LCD screen. “We estimated that there were one hundred twenty terrorists, plus the three leaders, eighty at Beekman Estates and twenty at each FEU plant. We surmise that the only way this large a number of terrorists got into the country was to come across the Mexican border.”

  Once the FBI report was made public, Congress demanded that the border be permanently sealed. The president ordered the National Guard, along with the U.S. Army and Marines, to mount armed patrols along the nineteen-hundred-fifty-mile length spanning four states. Guest worker programs from any country were suspended indefinitely.

  The newspapers were having a field day, holding responsible not only the present administration, but going all the way back to the Reagan years when the cell members were first admitted to the United States. Republicans and Democrats were being equally blamed for the fiasco.

  Law enforcement had no true idea how the terrorists had been slipped into the country. The Phoenix Rising in its watery grave would not be divulging any secrets.

  The U.S. military took over security for all electrical generating power plants, hydroelectric, nuclear and fossil fueled.

  Michelle Lieberman

  Michelle was released from CIA detention first temporarily to attend her father’s funeral. Eventually they released her permanently due to lack of evidence. MetroMax had been taken over by the federal government and military police were assigned to the guard duty. Michelle spent her time between taking care of her mother and visiting Traci at Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute. Her visits with Traci were no more than an hour with her doing all the talking and Traci staring off into the distance.

  During those times when Michelle was alone, she cursed Howard for making her life so miserable. He fooled me into thinking he was the quintessential Jew. He gained the trust of everyone, including the FBI. I hate him. He ruined my life, caused my father’s premature death and destroyed this country.

  Maria Angela Meyerson

  Fifteen hundred miles to the south in Bogotá, Maria Angela Bonilla Ceballo, who had never officially entered marriage papers into the Colombian legal system, was having the Colombian attorneys change her children’s legal last name to Ceballo, dropping the Meyerson once and for all. She feared her children to be targets by those bent on revenge for what her husband had done and his name would no longer be spoken within the household. She had destroyed all of his pictures except one that she had inside a gold locket, one of the first gifts he had ever given her. He was the only man ever to come into her heart and he had destroyed her love. She vowed to go to her grave never to know another man intimately.

  The Majestic

  The tanker had been in port for only six hours when a rather scruffy man came aboard with a camera and tripod seeking out the three cell members. He took their pictures and left the ship. It was only a short two hours later that a large manila envelope arrived at the cabin via one of the crewmembers.

  Opening the package, Nasih handed each man a smaller envelope with his name on it. “Here are your Syrian passports and driver’s licenses. We now have new identities to assume.”

  Rashad looked through his papers. “Here are the instructions on travel.” He looked up. “Alone?”

  “Of course, it’s far too dangerous to be seen together.” Looking at his passport, Nasih made a face. “My new name is Issa Abdullah Gara.”

  Abdul-Aziz said, “I’m Hussin Yousser Shuli.”

  “Qusai Ismail Zahran,” Rashad said as he handed each man a pen. “We’d better write our new names and memorize them until its second nature.”

  The time had come for the three men to finally part. They each unrolled their prayer rugs and faced east to Mekka. In unison, as they did in their youth at Al-Madeenah, Saudi Arabia, at the Tomb of Muhammad, they prayed all 96 verses from the Qur’an, Chapter 56 Al-Waqia (The Event, The Inevitable), feeling the same bond that overcame them during the Hajj so many long years ago. Only this time, Nasih knew, as Issa Abdullah Gara, he would depart this union never to see his two comrades again.

  Leaving the other two cell members, Nasih worked his way through the maze of docks and cargo ships until he found the copper ore vessel An-Najm (The Star). He boarded, producing a ticket for passage to Syria along with his bogus passport. His cabin was small, but it didn’t matter and he looked forward to finally seeing his uncle. It would be another seven days before he arrived in the port city of Latakia, Syria.

  The Death Zone

  Blackhawk helicopters were sitting on the deck of USS Carl Vinson fifteen miles east of Miami, Florida. The Blackhawks were equipped with high-definition cameras and Adaptable Radiation Area Monitors with remote sensors. Awaiting an easterly wind, the helicopters would fly over designated areas filming and taking readings from the ARAM sensors to evaluate the extent of the radiation. It was surreal to see businesses and homes, especially those along the beach and Intracoastal waterways,
looking like a vacation advertisement instead of a disaster zone. Every once in a while they would come upon a body lying in the street and this would bring everyone back to reality. Especially the close-ups taken of the face of a victim whose eyeballs had been pecked out, leaving only the hollow cavities surrounded by leathered skin. The high-definition cameras caught everything.

  Families in the rural farming areas who had chosen to stay were, along with their animals, showing signs of radiation poisoning. Within a few days after radiation exposure, bleeding from the nose and mouth would occur. Within three weeks, they would die. They had sacrificed their lives for their land and cattle.

  Tens of thousands of dead cattle carcasses were spread across the land. The vultures were feasting on more food than they could consume, jumping from carcass to carcass eating only the finest parts, the stomach contents, heart, liver and kidneys. A team aboard a Blackhawk flying low over a farm reported back that the stench could be detected at five hundred feet. Passing over the carcasses, black clouds of flies in a choreographed dance of death rose up from the rotting meat. The public perceived that the area was uninhabitable.

  Economically, the nation was in psychological shock. With so much destroyed and the government powerless to correct the problem, the people were mentally fatigued. Unemployment reached a disastrous sixteen percent, strapping the states’ ability to support the overwhelming amount of people collecting benefits. The nation was headed for a depression.

  The Federal Government, to prevent wholesale collapse of the economy, adapted a program called the National Service Corps. The N.S.C. was an idea that had been suggested in the Kennedy administration to fight poverty. Now focused on rebuilding the nation, the program sped through Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support. Concerns about the costs of rebuilding the nation had to take a back seat to reality. The United States was on the verge of economic collapse.

  Heightened security was evident everywhere and a curfew from midnight to five o’clock in the morning was imposed. Armed soldiers were stationed throughout cities and in roving patrols of armed vehicles. The only benefit from the disaster was the decreased crime rate due to the ever-present armed forces.