Diamond Lilly

by Henriette Daulton

  “I could reschedule,” Liam said.

  “No, don’t. Like you said, it’s just one of many possible sites. I’m only going there to see from myself, satisfy my curiosity. You go ahead and we’ll meet somewhere later.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive,” she announced.

  “Okay, keep me posted. I’m going to get cleaned up now. I’m pretty scuzzy at this point.”

  After talking to him, she wondered once more if her idea was just a waste of time. Nonetheless, she got in her car and left.

  Traffic was dense this Saturday morning, and Jessie suspected the arrival of the ship had something to do with it. After all, more than five thousand people would soon be pouring into the port to start their cruise on the new ship. It was ten forty-five before she reached the port entrance and turned onto Eller Drive to join a long snaking line moving at a crawl pace. Each car had to stop at the security gate to present tickets and boarding passes to the guard on duty.

  When it was her turn, Jessie showed him her press pass and told him she was writing a story on the new cruise ship. He glanced at it for a moment then handed it back with a grin. “Did you see it yet? It’s pretty awesome. Me and the Mrs., we’re planning on a cruise. Not this time though, it’s too expensive yet for our budget.”

  “Yeah, it’s quite impressive,” Jessie said before thanking him and slowly driving away.

  The signs ahead indicated the ship was docked at Terminal Eighteen located on the left, while the parking garage entrance was on the right. All cars were directed to the garage, and she would have to switch from the left lane to the right shortly.

  Glancing at the rear-view mirror to watch for an opportunity to move over, she nearly froze when she caught sight of the driver of the car coming up on her right. It was Nasir Hakim, and he wasn’t alone. Seated next to him was a young woman. Jessie slowed down, to give him the opportunity to pass her. When he was nearly even with her car, she tilted her head slightly sideways to shield her face. She needn’t have worried. His attention was focused straight ahead. As he drove past, Jessie got a better look at his passenger, and the sight struck her like a lightning bolt. It was the IT tech from the Broward Sheriff’s office. She couldn’t remember her name, but there was no mistaking the face. Suddenly her heart was racing, her head spinning. This had to be the place. Why else would Hakim be here on this particular day? And now one thing was clear to her. During the whole investigation, the woman at his side fed him information from the police, keeping him one step ahead at all times. Jessie recalled the day Perrone caught her going through a desk. There was no more doubt in her mind—the terrorist plot involved the cruise ship, not the stadium. She had to get hold of the police quickly. But first, she had to remain calm. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she reached for her phone. As she did, the driver in the car behind her honked his horn impatiently and she hoped the sound hadn’t alerted Hakim. She picked up her speed slightly while still avoiding moving up next to him.

  They neared the parking garage and he took the lane on the right leading to the ramp. Jessie didn’t want to go to the garage. Hakim could see her there and keep her from alerting the authorities. Instead, she veered to the left toward the terminal. She drove a short distance, pulled over and dialed Perrone. The phone rang and rang before going to voice mail. Frustrated, she called Liam, with the same result. He had mentioned taking a shower. Realizing she still hadn’t entered the FBI’s numbers into her new phone, she started dialing 911.

  “Hey, miss, you got to move, this ain’t no parking area.”

  Jessie nearly jumped out of her seat. She hadn’t seen the security guard pull up next to her on his golf cart. Arms crossed tightly over his chest, he wore a stern frown on his long narrow face.

  “I’m sorry, this is a real emergency. I have to make a phone call right away,” Jessie exclaimed.

  “Yeah, well, it’s gonna have to wait. You can’t stay here. You just turn around and go back to the parking garage. You drove right by it, you know. I don’t see how you could have missed it,” he scoffed.

  “Look, I need to call the police,” Jessie insisted.

  His eyebrows shot up. “The police? Really? What the hell for?”

  “It’s a matter of national security. I have to reach the FBI.”

  He sat back and shook his head in obvious disgust. “I can’t believe what some people will do and say when they want to get their way. This is your last chance, Missy. If you don’t get out of here, I’m going to have you arrested.”

  “Good,” Jessie shouted angrily. “Call the police, right now. Tell them to patch you through to the FBI. Ask for Agent Williams, tell them it’s Jessie Milner and tell them Nasir Hakim is at Port Everglades. Hurry up, or there’s going to be a terrorist attack on the Wonder of the Seas, and you’ll be responsible.”

  Suddenly the man seemed taken aback by her tone of urgency. “This better be true…” he grumbled wearily as he dialed a number. “I have a woman here who says there’s going to be a terrorist attack right here at Port Everglades. Yeah, yeah, she says it’s gonna be on the Wonder of the Seas. She wants us to contact an FBI agent, Williams…”

  He paused. “What?”

  Nodding, he listened to the other party on the line, then looked at Jessie. “What’s his first name?”

  “Bruce. Special Agent Bruce Williams. Tell them to hurry.”

  He relayed the information, listened for a moment and turned back to her. “And your name again?”

  “Jessie Milner.”

  He repeated her name, then waited for a response before he continued. “Yeah, boarding is at Terminal Eighteen.”

  With a frightened look in his eyes now, he listened some more and waited. A moment went by and it seemed like an eternity. Jessie sighed, irritated.

  “What’s going on? We’re wasting time here, are they getting the FBI?”

  The old man opened his mouth to answer, then glanced back at Jessie, nodding. “Yeah, she’s here. Hold on.”

  He handed her the phone. “They want to talk to you.”

  Jessie nearly ripped it out of his hand. “This is Jessie Milner. I’m a reporter for the Broward News. Who am I speaking to?”

  “My name is Special Agent George Palmer. I know who you are. Are you certain the man you saw was Nasir Hakim?”

  She could hardly contain her exasperation. “Listen to me, there is no doubt it was him. I am absolutely positive. You must hurry and get here before it’s too late. We’re talking sarin. There will be more than five thousand people on that ship and if he gets on board, lots of them are going to die. Did you get hold of Agent Williams?”

  “Calm down, we’re trying to reach him as we speak. Pretty much everybody is at the stadium. But agents will be there shortly. In the meantime, you stay put. Don’t attempt to do anything, do you hear me?”

  Jessie handed the phone back to the security guard.

  “What did he say?” the man asked.

  Jessie looked at Terminal Eighteen, a short distance away. “They’re on their way. I’m supposed to meet them at the Terminal.”

  The guard frowned suspiciously. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. And you can’t just leave your car here.”

  Jessie grabbed her handbag and jumped out. “Then you move it. I already told you this is an emergency, damn it!” she shouted over her shoulder and briskly took off toward the terminal.

  On her way, she dialed Sam Perrone again, but got no answer. This time, she left a message. “Sam, it’s Jessie. Nasir Hakim is at Port Everglades with the IT Tech who works at the Sheriff’s department. I don’t remember her name, but it was her. I saw them, Sam. They drove into the parking garage near Terminal Eighteen. I’m going there now to see if I can find them. The target is not the stadium, it’s the cruise ship. Call me back.”

  As she got closer, she saw people pouring out of the parking garage and heading toward the terminal to join the long line already waiting to get inside. A buzz of excitement ros
e from the crowd when they got a better look at the huge ship docked alongside the pier, the source of their enjoyment for the next seven days. Chatter and laughter echoed through the air, and Jessie shuddered. If she was right, this could all turn into a horrifying scene at any moment.

  Stationed at the entrance to the terminal, two cruise line employees, both of them senior citizens, scanned tickets before sending passengers into two separate lines. Since most of them were directed left, Jessie guessed the passengers guided to the right were repeat customers with special passes for an accelerated boarding. Jessie stepped closer to glance inside the building and was met by angry stares from the crowd, a clear warning about jumping the line. Slowly she made her way toward the exit from the parking garage, scrutinizing everybody as she walked past them. She didn’t see Hakim or the woman among them. Guessing they already were in the building, Jessie rushed back to the entrance and approached the attendant closest to her. “Excuse me.”

  Busy examining the ticket he was holding, the old man peered at her with watery eyes and frowned in annoyance. “Yes?” He glowered.

  “I have to get inside, it’s an emergency,” she said urgently.

  Glancing at the waiting passengers, he shook his head and pointed at the line. “Miss, all these people were here first. You’ll have to wait for your turn.”

  “No, I can’t. I have to get in right now,” she said, brushing past him. There was no more time for explanations or guilt.

  “Call the police,” she shouted over her shoulder. “There is a terrorist inside the terminal. Call now!”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  “Over there,” Jenna said, pointing at a parking space.

  Hakim nodded, drove around the corner to the fourth floor, and pulled into the available spot. The garage was filling up fast, with a long line of cars still lined up on the ramp behind him. They got out, retrieved their backpacks from the trunk, walked past the elevators, and took the stairs to the ground floor.

  A few minutes later they were in line at the entrance of the terminal. When their turn came, the old man glanced at their tickets and waved them to the left. So far, so good, everything was going as planned. The cavernous room was already crowded, passengers moving slowly inside the cordoned off area toward the security check point. He guessed close to a thousand people were waiting for their turn at the security check, with more coming in all the time.

  Turning his attention to the west wall, he spotted two large yellow barrels in a recessed area and grinned. Bobby had done his job. Weaving their way through the crowds they reached the restrooms where they had a good view of the entrance. Hakim glanced at his watch. It was eleven twenty and no sign of the others.

  “Where are they?” Jenna’s question reflected his own concerns.

  “I don’t know. They should be here anytime. Keep an eye on the entrance. We can’t miss them.”

  “And if they don’t make it?” she asked.

  He looked at her for a moment, hesitating. Her face was set in a dark scowl.

  “If they don’t, we should go ahead anyway,” she said abruptly.

  “Our cylinders won’t be enough to—”

  “I don’t care. We should take out as many as we can,” she said abruptly.

  Surprised by her sudden determination, he was about to respond when he tensed up.

  Jenna stared at him. “What’s wrong?”

  He didn’t answer, instead, he grabbed her arm and pulled her in the direction of the barrels. Luckily Bobby had left enough room between them and the wall so they could slide behind them. Ignoring Jenna’s frowning face, he took off his backpack, propped it against the wall and motioned for her to do the same. Despite the ice-cold air in the terminal, heavy beads of sweat clustered on his forehead. He crouched down further. Puzzled by his behavior, Jenna just stood there.

  “Get down,” he growled.

  She lowered herself beside him. “What is it? What did you see?”

  “It’s that damn reporter.”

  “Jessie Milner?”

  He nodded.

  Jenna peered around the side of the container. “Are you sure? I don’t see her.”

  Hakim ignored her. His mind was reeling. What was the woman doing here? Could it be a coincidence? There was no way she could have known about his plan. He leaned to the side and watched as Jessie moved through the crowd. All at once, she turned in their direction and he quickly pulled back. He waited a few anxious seconds, then looked again. She was walking toward the restrooms. She entered the men’s room, came back out shortly before disappearing into the women’s restroom. There was no doubt in his mind now; she was looking for someone. He checked his watch again, eleven twenty-five. The team should have been here by now. Hakim wiped his brow. A rush of apprehension tightened his throat. He forced himself to take a deep breath and turned his attention to the line in the cordoned off area. It was getting shorter and for some reason no one else was entering the terminal. More passengers were waiting out there, so what was going on?

  Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the reporter step out of the women’s restroom. The door closed behind her and she hesitated, turned to look in their direction… and stood staring at the barrels. He pulled Jenna closer but the damned woman set out in their direction anyway. Suddenly, the unmistakable screech of sirens blasted through the air, and his heart pounded with rage. That bitch! It was all her doing. He had a chance to kill her at the gazebo and instead, he let his feelings interfere with his decision. How could he have been so damn weak? He glanced at the cylinders, quickly running through his remaining options. With fewer passengers still waiting in the terminal, releasing the gas right now would guarantee few casualties while assuring his death. Not at all what he had in mind. No, that was pointless. For a brief moment he considered making a run for it. Then he got a glimpse of the SWAT team moving to block both the entrance and the exit, and knew how that scenario would play out. And last, staying put would leave them trapped against the wall with no recourse but to give up or be shot to death. So, with none of these options acceptable, he had to find another way and fast. Jessie was nearly upon them. He reached for the gun tucked in his jeans.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Frustrated, Jessie stood thinking. After spending all that time scrutinizing the long lines of people waiting in the terminal, there had been no sign of Hakim or the woman. Could she have been wrong after all? Had she mobilized the police and the FBI for nothing? Pulled them away from the stadium where they truly might be needed?

  No, it was no mistake. She saw Hakim. She was sure it was him. Could he have figured out a way to board the ship? She glanced around once more, her eyes lingering on the baggage checks area, the imaging portals, the metal detectors and all those security guards manning the access ramps. How on earth would he get past all that while transporting nerve gas? She shook her head. It was seemingly impossible. So what then?

  Suddenly, she had another thought. What if Hakim only came to scope the area on this busy day? There was no better time to do so than during an actual boarding. And so far, nothing had indicated his attack would take place today. She stood still for a moment while doubt crept further into her mind. She glanced around the terminal once more and realized she had yet to check the restrooms. Walking quickly, she pushed open the door to the men’s room. An older man was standing at one of the urinals. He turned to look at her and his face took on a shocked expression. Jessie glanced around. He was alone.

  “Sorry,” she said sheepishly as she exited.

  The women’s restroom was twenty feet away. Two women stood at the sinks, one busy washing her hands, the other one carefully applying make-up. Neither one looked up when she entered. There was a flush from one of the stalls and a teenager stepped out, flinging her long hair behind her. She looked at Jessie and smiled. It wasn’t Hakim’s companion. The other stalls were unoccupied.

  She sighed and walked out. There was no sign of a police presence inside the terminal and sh
e wondered if her requests to the FBI and the police had been ignored. At least she wouldn’t have to go through a lengthy list of excuses and apologies about her theory. At that moment she heard sirens blaring, their shrieks echoing loudly throughout the terminal. Jessie groaned. Within seconds, members of a SWAT team, wearing body armor, protective helmets and gas masks, appeared in both doorways, pointing assault rifles and high caliber guns at the crowd. Passengers huddled in the terminal, staring at them in fear and confusion. One of the men held a bull horn.

  “Please do not be alarmed. For everybody’s safety, we will be evacuating the building at this time. We ask you to slowly come forward, in a single file, with your hands raised above your head. Once we clear you, you will be escorted to a waiting area until boarding resumes.”

  As passengers regrouped to form a line facing the exit, Jessie waited near the restrooms. There was no rush to get out there and try to explain. She was still looking around when her eyes landed on two yellow barrels sitting along the wall nearby. Intrigued, she headed in their direction. Half way there, she caught a slight movement from behind one of the barrels. Frowning, she stepped closer and found herself face to face with Nasir Hakim. Before she could emit a sound, he grabbed her, spun her around and put her neck in a choke hold. In the next moment, the cold metal of a gun pressed against her temple and fear rushed through her like a train out of control.

  “Don’t move,” he growled. She barely heard him over the sound of her own blood pulsing in her ears.

  “Drop the bag.”

  She let her purse slip to the floor and stood still. At first no one noticed. The passengers were still inching toward the doors, nervously waiting to exit the building. Then suddenly a deafening sound went off by Jessie’s head. Pain surged in her ears. She cried out and the crowd stared at her with terrified eyes. Hakim held up his gun.

  “No one moves, no one else leaves the building. This shot went to the ceiling. The next one will be for anyone disobeying my orders.”

  He tightened his grip on Jessie’s throat. “And that includes you,” he whispered in her ear.