by Roger Hayden
She slowly opened the door to find Chassity at the mirror getting ready and Lisa cuddling a pillow on the bed. The television had been turned back on but cartoons were playing, much to her relief.
“We’re leaving now, girls.”
“Did you figure it out?” Chassity said.
“Yes,” she said, giving them the same answer as before. “You’re going someplace safe.”
***
From a new location, Salah Asgar watched the news reports with intense pleasure. He had estimated that out of the five planned attacks, only one would likely be successful. But he was ecstatic to learn that two targets had been hit.
He slapped his hands together in joy as Bosra stood nearby, armed and ready. A bald, mustached man with a dark complexion entered the living room, carrying a tray with toasted bread and tea.
“Here you are, my leader,” he said, setting the tray down on the coffee table of the clean, spacious room.
“Thank you, Farid. You have a lovely home here.”
The man bowed. “Thank you. It is my pleasure to have you here.” He turned to leave, when Asgar called him back. “Sit,” he said, patting the space on the couch next to him. “Join me in the celebration.”
Farid nervously signaled to the kitchen outside the room. “My wife. She’s going to be home soon with our boys. I just need keep watch.”
Asgar smiled and took a bite of fresh bread. “Farid. You mean to tell me you haven’t told your wife of our strong relationship? You are one our few operatives who is have employed by the U.S. government. You should be proud that you’ve made it this far. She should be proud.”
Farid flashed a smile and nodded. “I regret to inform you that I have not told her any of that.”
Asgar swallowed and took a sip of hot tea. “Do you trust her?”
“Of course…”
Asgar shrugged. “Then I don’t see what the problem is. Tell her that you are a spy for ISIS. That your job as a county health inspector is just one part of our plan to embed recruits in all levels of government.” He took another bite of bread, chewing with his mouth open. “You tell her this and see what she says.”
Farid nodded again, perhaps too eagerly. “Yes… you are correct as always.”
Asgar again patted the seat next to him. “Now sit! And do not worry about your wife. I will not blow your cover. You’re entertaining friends.”
Farid tried to smile and then turned to Bosra, whose loaded rifle didn’t exactly confirm that impression. Asgar turned as well and waved him off. “Ah, don’t worry about Bosra. He can be good when he has to. Even polite sometimes.”
Farid had no choice but to take a seat. Asgar’s hasty arrival had been unexpected, and their host had no idea when they were planning on leaving. Asgar’s eyes gazed at the television with pride. He tore off a piece of bread and handed it to Farid, who took it. The news showed a giant smoking crater within the San Antonio fairgrounds. Charred grass seemed to engulf the entire field.
“You see, my friend,” Asgar began. “Five trucks cannot strike five targets in this country. Back home, we could do it anywhere we wanted.” He then raised his long index finger. “But one out of five trucks can hit their target. The key is to bombard these Americans into submission. They are not invincible, though they often think they are. Showing them that they are within reach of ISIS is the greatest satisfaction I’ve ever known.”
Farid cleared his throat, seemingly taking issue with Asgar’s confidence. “But, my leader. Qaseem was captured. He knows our names. The Americans will torture him to get all the information they can.”
“Qaseem will not talk. Had they all been captured, I’m confident that they wouldn’t tell the Americans a thing.” Asgar paused, predicting Farid’s follow-up question. “How do I know this? Because. I shaped them into fighters. Talking to the Americans would be a fate worse than death. Understand?”
“Yes, my leader,” Farid said, leaving it at that.
“As we move forward, we have to trust each other. You and I. I won’t be here long, but I need a place to coordinate our next attack. It will be the final strike against this state. Then, when the dust has settled, and the Americans wage war on our fighters in the homeland, we move to another state and organize a militant force unlike anything seen before. I don’t care if it takes one hundred years. The great Satan will be brought to its knees.” Asgar leaned forward and grabbed another piece of toast, finished with talking. He listened to the ongoing reports with a beaming face, satisfied.
Closing Time
The Frontier Café was abuzz with customers amid the late afternoon rush. Angela sat in a booth with her daughters and Burke, waiting for Martinez to show up. They had traveled far, leaving the hotel behind, with no guarantee that Martinez would actually arrive. It was a risky endeavor, but their options were few. Texas was in an unprecedented state of emergency.
The president had vowed that ISIS would be brought to justice, but no formal declarations of war had been made from either Congress or his administration. Authorities from all over the country had descended on the state to join the hunt for the terrorists. So far, they hadn’t made any arrests. In the time since the attacks, things had quickly spiraled out of control.
Civil unrest had reached a tipping point. Families were fleeing cities in droves, heading out of state. Curfews had been issued. The National Guard had been deployed to some of the most populated cities—Dallas, Austin, San Antonio—to maintain law and order. And it wasn’t long before the governor had declared martial law. Ideally, Angela would want to stay as far away from Texas as possible. It was something she felt they had to do. Asgar was still out there, and he had to be stopped.
The anxious air of the café was evident. The uneasiness among the patrons was inescapable. Any place was a potential target. Anyone was a potential terrorist.
It had been a long drive, and everyone was hungry. Angela ordered spaghetti and meatballs for Lisa and a chicken sandwich for Chassity. Burke ordered a T-bone steak. Angela wasn’t sure what she wanted. Her stomach had been in knots for days. She tried to put on as normal a face as possible as the waitress took the order and left. Lisa mentioned missing her father. Chassity too. No one could yet believe that he was really gone.
“You think this guy is going to show up anytime soon?” Burke asked, looking at his cell phone.
“I trust him. He’ll be here,” Angela said. She was sitting between her daughters, Burke across from them, sipping his iced tea.
“Mom, who are we waiting for?” Chassity asked.
“A friend. My partner, Captain Martinez.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because we’ve got some work to do. And you guys will be staying with his wife, Gloria. They have two boys about your age too. You guys should get along just fine.”
“I know. You told us that,” Chassity said. “But we don’t want to stay with them. We want to go home.”
A waitress soon came with their food as Angela tried to mask her growing worry. Martinez was supposed to meet them at 5:00 p.m., and it was already 5:15. There had been no call or text, and Burke was getting antsy.
“I sure hope we didn’t come all the way for nothing,” he said.
Chassity carefully studied him from the other side the table. “Mr. Burke, what do you do?”
He looked up, unprepared for the question. “I work for the government. Like your mom.”
“What do you do for the government?” she asked next.
“I work for the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA.”
“What do you do for the CIA?”
Burke looked down and flashed a smile.
“Chassity, that’s enough,” Angela said.
Burke shrugged. “It’s all right. She is curious, has questions. I completely understand.”
“How are you doing, honey?” Angela said, looking to Lisa and brushing back her blond hair.
“Fine,” she said softly. No matter how hard Angela tried to get her to tal
k, she wasn’t saying much. Angela had hoped that Lisa would begin to act like her normal cheery and talkative self, but there seemed little chance of that happening soon. Chassity, on the other hand, had no problem talking.
“How do you know my mom?” she asked.
Burke smiled again. “One question at a time, miss. To answer your previous inquiry, I am a joint terrorism specialist. Meaning that I try to stop terror threats at home and abroad.”
“Why can’t you stop the terrorists now?” she asked.
“That’s what we’re trying to do. I met your mom at her work. They brought me in to investigate an incident she was involved in.”
“And why can’t we go home?” she asked.
Burke raised his head as the waitress came back with refilled glasses. She tried to appear happy and upbeat, but a hint of wariness and worry showed in her face.
“Thank you,” Angela said.
“My pleasure.” The waitress smiled and then folded her hands together as though something was on her mind. “I don’t want to rush you folks, but the manager informed me that we will be closing at 6:00 today. I’m sorry that it’s so sudden… but these attacks.”
“No, no,” Angela said, waving her off. “We completely understand. Thank you.”
The waitress nodded and walked away as Angela glanced at Burke, her eyes wide and worried. If Martinez was a no-show, they’d need to think of something fast. And just when she thought all hope was lost, she could see a man outside the window, limping toward the entrance with a woman at his side. It was Martinez and Gloria. Angela had never felt so relieved.
She signaled to Burke. “He’s here.”
Burke whipped his head around, toward the door. Martinez slowly entered through as though every step was causing him pain. Angela stood up, waving them over. She was glad to see Gloria with him. Chassity and Lisa watched the couple curiously as they approached the table.
“Sorry we’re late,” Martinez said with a faint smile. “Can’t move like I used to right now.”
His face was bruised and cut. He was out of uniform and wearing a green polo shirt and blue jeans. He had knee braces on both legs, and his right arm was in a sling.
“That’s okay,” Angela said, moving out of the booth. “I’m so glad you came.” She gave him a hug and then went to Gloria.
“Thank you, Gloria,” she said with another hug. Gloria smiled. Her short auburn hair was neatly pressed, and her tan, elegant face looked stricken with worry, despite her pleasant smile.
“How are you, Angela?” she asked.
“We’re all hanging in there,” Angela said. “How are your boys?”
“Homesick,” Gloria replied.
Burke stood as Angela turned to introduce him. “This is Special Agent Burke with the CIA.”
Burke leaned forward and shook Martinez’s hand with a firm grip. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Martinez said with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Angela hoped that they would get along.
“And these are my daughters, Lisa and Chassity,” Angela said. The two girls stared at the adults with blank expressions, holding back.
Gloria’s face lit up. “Such beautiful girls.”
Burke moved out of the booth and extended an arm, making room for the couple to sit. Gloria, however, had other ideas.
“Thank you, but I’m not staying. I have to get back to the house. Manny was light on the details, but it’s my understanding that your daughters will be staying with us for a while. They can come back with me now while you talk.”
Chassity and Lisa said nothing. But their faces showed they weren’t keen on the idea.
“That’s correct,” Angela said. “And I can’t thank you enough.”
“Mom, I don’t want to go with them,” Chassity said.
Angela turned to Chassity, ready to deploy her stern mother voice. “Chassity. No. Not now. Please do as I ask. It will only be for a little bit.” She suddenly felt Lisa’s hands grip her sides.
“No, mom. You can’t leave us!”
Her trembling voice was enough to break Angela’s heart, but it was the only way. She hugged Lisa and led her out of the booth. “I won’t be gone long, honey. Now please. You have to go.”
Before parting, Gloria touched Angela’s arm and asked if she could have a quick word. Just the two of them. Angela agreed. “Be right back,” she said, as they walked to the restroom together.
Once in the double-stall bathroom, Gloria turned to her and spoke plainly, dropping the polite niceties of a few minutes before. In a voice that was adamantly serious, she told Angela, “I will watch your daughters for you. I already told Manny that. Our lives have been uprooted, changed forever over all of this. Manny will never be the same after what those bastards did to us.” She grimaced but didn’t look away. “Now we’re under constant surveillance. We have to tell the FBI where we’re going and why. We barely managed to get here. My sons are scared and we can’t leave them alone like this. That is why I must leave.”
Angela nodded and then opened her mouth, prepared to thank her. But she was cut off as Gloria continued.
“Now you must promise me something.”
“Anything,” Angela said.
“Whatever help you need from Manny, you make sure nothing happens to him. He has done enough. I’m sick to death of this terrorism. And I don’t want him involved in anything dangerous.”
“Of course,” Angela said.
“That’s not all. We had to lie to the FBI to come here. And we will have to lie when I come back without Manny, but with two young girls. I’m only doing this because he told me that you have a plan to stop another attack. But I do not want him to do any field work. I don’t want him in any danger. And I want him home soon.” Her fierce, greenish-eyes were full of conviction. It was obvious Martinez meant the world to her, and Angela knew that she was extremely fortunate to have them even show up.
“I promise,” she said. “I will not allow any harm to come to him.”
“Good,” Gloria said. “Because if you do, I will hold you personally responsible. He shouldn’t even be out of bed… He should be resting…” She lowered her head and sighed. “But you know Manny. Once he puts his mind to something, there’s no turning him back.”
“I’ve seen it first hand,” Angela said. “We’re going to be okay, Gloria. I just need him for twenty-four hours. Tops.”
“I want him home by noon tomorrow. That is final.”
Tomorrow noon? Angela took the offer without protesting. She wanted to remain on Gloria’s good side as long possible. There wasn’t time to go into her own story and the crushing loss of her husband, and even when Gloria mentioned Doug, Angela said that he was fine. It felt comforting to think that he was. It didn’t feel like a lie at all. Having come to an agreement, they quickly left the restroom and returned to the group waiting in near the corner booth. Captain Martinez was sitting across from Burke as Lisa and Chassity stood fidgeting with a nearby gumball machine.
Angela approached them, knowing the time to part had come. At that moment, she could have taken Burke’s advice and fled to some place far from all the madness, where they would be safe. Instead she took both girls by the hand and told them that it was time to go.
Gloria hugged Martinez, not wanting to let him go, as tears streamed from her eyes. “Don’t stay out long,” she told him. “I want you back home with your family tomorrow.”
“Yes, my love,” Martinez said.
Angela led her apprehensive daughters out of the restaurant with Gloria. She assured them that she wouldn’t be long and told them they needed to behave for Mrs. Martinez.
They walked outside, following Gloria to the silver Toyota Corolla. She leaned down and hugged both girls, squeezing them tightly. “I love you both very much. Be good, and I’ll see you soon.”
Lisa began to cry, but Angela couldn’t stall any longer. She went against her motherly instinct and corralled them into the car. She then turned to Gloria
, who was waiting nearby.
“Your girls will be fine,” Gloria said. “I’ll watch over them like they were my own.”
“Thank you again. From the bottom of my heart,” Angela said, giving her a hug.
A faint smile crossed Gloria’s face. It quickly faded as she reverted back to her serious manner. “Just remember what I said. Remember the promise you made to me.”
“I will,” Angela said. “I won’t let him out of my sight.”
Gloria got in the car and started it as Angela waved to her two unhappy daughters sitting in the back. Their safety was all she ever wanted. She smiled as the car backed out, and she called to them one more time, telling the girls that she loved them. As they pulled away, Chassity’s scowl and Lisa’s crying had only intensified.
Angela had friends who would say that separating herself from her daughters in such a swift, unexpected fashion would add to their trauma. They might be right, but the world had changed for the worse in a matter of days. Tears were to be expected. So was loss. Angela wasn’t going to submit to it or accept it as a new normal. She was going to do everything she could to fight it.
She went back inside the diner. They had little time to convene. The café was closing soon, and strategy needed to be discussed. Martinez was aware of very little. The safe house didn’t have television or Internet. Martinez explained that it was supposed to be in the interest of his family’s safety.
He didn’t know about the car bombings in Texas or the mosque shooting the day before. Angela had to quickly get him up to speed despite the initial shock it caused him. From the start, he was skeptical that they could do anything to stop further attacks. As Burke had argued before, Martinez believed self-preservation to be their best plan of action. But Angela was confident that he could be convinced otherwise, just as Burke had been.