Brotherhood Beyond the Yard (The Simon Trilogy)

by Sally Fernandez

  Citing another example, Hank spoke about a series of convenience stores vandalized in a neighborhood by one of the local gangs. He again dispatched members of his organization to solicit support from the local community for a joint effort to clean up the damage inflicted on the stores. The Chestnut Foundation donated funds, and the storeowners were able to restock their shelves. Through the foundation’s efforts, the individual communities were empowered, and with the support of the foundation, were able to keep their streets safe and the criminal elements at bay.

  “More important, you had yet another source of volunteers.” Hussein smirked.

  “Yes. Then other times, the foundation would use the volunteers for different purposes. Case in point, they would picket banks and other lending organizations in an attempt to force them to provide low-cost mortgages.”

  Hank cited a few more instances, each time pointing out how the volunteers played a key role. He counseled Hussein that building a base of support, one neighborhood at a time, provided the power to effect the social change he desired. The volunteers also became an invaluable resource during election campaigns to encourage voters to go to the polls and cast their ballots for Chestnut’s preferred political candidates.

  “At times, our methods might have been in question, but the ends always justified the means,” he added proudly.

  As Hank was finishing his sentence, a peculiar expression appeared on Hussein face, and he quickly responded. “If you have organized a vast, mass-based peoples’ organization, you can flaunt it visibly before the target to show your power openly.”

  Astonishingly, he was quoting Saul Alinsky verbatim.

  Again, amazed by Hussein’s quick grasp, Hank stopped citing examples.

  The time was right to pose the question.

  In response, Hank saw a different expression on Hussein’s face. The ear-to-ear smile returned as he expressed his desire to see the United States for himself. Then he said, “It would be my privilege to work for you, my friend. I have harbored plans to leave my current situation, which has its limitations, to go on to something bigger and better.” He confessed that he felt he had accomplished a great deal in the organization of the street vendors, and believed he had sufficiently trained the group leaders to take over and appoint someone in his place.

  “Florence initially provided me with the means to expand my horizons, though, after spending time with you, I realized there is so much more that I can attain. Perhaps it is time to move on. I understand now there’s nothing more for me here.” Hussein also confessed that, after reading a plethora of information about America, “It would be a great opportunity for me to see firsthand how a person can speak out and say anything without fear for his life or the lives of his family. Tell me what I must do to join your organization.”

  “Leave all of the strategy and tactics to me. I will elaborate on the plan without delay.” Hank knew Hussein would be ideal, not only to accomplish the goals of La Fratellanza but also to help him accomplish his own personal goals as well.

  It was a productive dinner, although a disappointing chess match for Hank.

  With some sadness at leaving, Hank bade his new friend farewell with a traditional two-sided Italian hug, and promised to be in touch very soon.

  Exhilaration set in over his burgeoning partnership, and he knew he had just aced his first assignment. That night, back in his hotel room, Hank assembled his notes, and then went to look for an Internet café to fire off an e-mail to La Fratellanza.

  11

  THE ACTION PLAN

  Hank arrived home the following day, jubilant and eager to share his experience. Fortunately, preparations were already in place for La Fratellanza to assemble two days after his arrival, and he was feeling antsy. Over the weekend, Hank did his best to busy himself, planning what he thought should be the next steps before Hussein’s arrival. He recognized that he needed the other members’ approval; however, he had determined in his own mind that Hussein was their Chosen One.

  —

  Monday morning finally arrived, and the members of the group anxiously gathered in their new office on the South Side of Chicago.

  Before leaving for Florence, Hank had made the necessary preparations to lease the office space, along with ordering the furnishings. During his absence, Simon took care of setting up a “quasi” computer lab. As the others scoped out their new, innovative base of operation, they noticed various computers, along with several pieces of exotic equipment, some of which they had difficulty identifying.

  After welcoming Hank, they settled into their chairs around the round conference table. Minutes later, Hank opened his briefcase and removed from a plastic bag, a glass with Hussein’s fingerprints on it, along with the additional data he had collected.

  In that instant, this illustrious group confronted the realization that it was no longer a game.

  The defining moment had arrived.

  As Hank handed the glass to Simon, the others immediately noticed his reaction. Never excessively emotional except for the occasional rant, he became euphoric, blurting out, “Fantastic!” Then, in his usual mode of multiprocessing, Simon listened to Hank fill in the details of his trip while he began to process the fingerprints from the glass with the precision of a crime scene investigator.

  All ears were on Hank, but all eyes were on Simon. The never-ending, hidden talents of their fellow brother continually astonished the other members of La Fratellanza.

  First, he dusted the fingerprint with a fine black carbon powder and carefully placed a piece of tape over the print. They later discovered that he used something called Diff Lift tape, a soft substance with a surface density extremely low that goes into the bumps and valleys of the surface it covers. He was able to lift off a perfect thumbprint from Hussein Tarishi. He then placed the tape over a microscope slide preserving the print. Then using a digital microscope, he was able to transfer the thumbprint to his laptop.

  Simon, who was not short on talent and certainly had no lack of cojones, ran the print through Interpol, the world’s largest international police organization, which, of course, he hacked. While waiting for a response, he tapped his fingers rapidly on the keyboard on the second laptop, periodically pressing the enter key and mumbling, “Nothing.”

  Suddenly the tapping stopped, and for the first time since they convened, there was complete silence. Even Hank stopped in mid-sentence.

  Simon turned around with an enormous smile and announced, “We have found our Chosen One.”

  Out of Libya and onto the streets of Florence, Italy, Hussein Tarishi had no history. In fact, he didn’t even exist. “I discovered something I had overlooked before, as I was listening to Hank speak about the death of Hussein’s family in 1986,” Simon admitted. “I had missed the newspaper reports that all members of the Tarishi family had died, including their sixteen-year-old son Hussein. Obviously, it was misreported, but no one believes he is alive. I also checked the immigration records, both in Libya and Italy, and there is no record of Hussein leaving or entering either country.”

  “Evidently, Hussein is as capable of producing false IDs as you are, Simon,” Hank snickered.

  Aside from Hank’s attempt at humor, the members of La Fratellanza realized that they had plucked this activist off the streets of a city almost five thousand miles away, and they alone would land him on the world stage.

  As four of the members where taking in the enormity of what they were about to launch, Simon asserted, “Let’s get to work, this time for real.”

  They agreed on a timetable—they had one month to get the plan in place.

  “Before Hussein arrives in the U.S., we need to craft a new identity, and when he arrives we need to rid him of his charming accent,” Hank remarked.

  “The foremost priority, however, will be to create his new identity,” Simon countered.

  First, they had to agree on the name.

  Initially, Seymour came up with Abdul, as his first name. “Abdul is th
e Islamic name that means ‘Servant of the Creator.’ I feel it is more than appropriate, given the circumstances.” He boasted that he had taken a few Islamic courses during his undergraduate studies, to piss off his father and his neighborhood rabbi.

  “Don’t you think getting an African elected president will be difficult enough?” Paolo chided. “An African with a Muslim-sounding name would be impossible.”

  The others agreed.

  Seymour, anticipating their rebuke, lined up his second choice. “How about Abner? He was the first cousin to Saul, in the book of Samuel, and the commander-in-chief of Saul’s army?” Seymour loved the symbolism.

  So Hussein became Abner.

  Unbeknownst to the others, Simon had crafted the new identity years before, only waiting to plug in the name—an identity, totally dissimilar from the one the group had crafted and concealed in the pages of their theses, at Harvard.

  Confidently, Simon took to the stage, and offered to read his shrewdly prepared bio.

  Taking a deep breath, he started to read the story of Abner, filling in the blanks as he went along.

  “Abner Baari’s father,” he began.

  “Baari!” Seymour blurted out as he winced.

  Simon slightly perturbed, continued, “As I was saying, Abner Baari’s father, Yosif Tarishi, was born in Libya and his mother, Katherine Baari, of Irish descent, was reared in Independence, Kansas. His mother met his father in 1970 while working in Libya for the Peace Corps. After returning to the U.S., she discovered she was pregnant, and sadly she died in her hometown, while giving birth to Abner.”

  Paolo interrupted and questioned, “Isn’t Independence, Kansas, where Lordy was from?”

  Simon looked up from his script and flashed his sinister smile, as if that were a sufficient answer to Paolo’s question.

  As he was about to continue with the bio he was interrupted once again.

  “Won’t the fact that his mother was a Caucasian present a problem?” Hank asked.

  Annoyed at the interruptions, he raised his tone noticeably and stated, “The facial characteristics of the Libyan people are different from other African countries. Their eyes are sharper, their lips are thicker, and their hair tends to be less curly,” Simon pointed out. “More important, the females tend to be lighter and have more graceful features. By making Abner half Caucasian, it makes his new identity an easier sell.”

  “Politically, it neutralizes him with the electorate, with both sides claiming he’s theirs,” Paolo added sarcastically. “It will certainly make the campaign interesting.”

  Thus far, the other members liked the way Abner’s fictional biography was shaping up.

  “Let me sketch in more details for our hero.” Simon continued with Katherine Baari’s parents. “John and Sarah Baari, not knowing how or where to locate Abner’s father, reared him in Independence.”

  Seymour approved. “I like it! Midwestern values will make for great vignettes when I develop the sound bites.”

  Simon smiled as he proceeded. “In 1994, a month before Northwestern University accepted Abner for his undergraduate studies, heartbreak befell him again. Tragically, his grandparents died in an automobile accident.”

  “This puts Abner truly alone in the world.” Hank emphasized.

  “Precisely!” Simon retorted.

  “Abner graduated from Northwestern University in 1998, where he obtained a BS in political science. The following year he was hired by the Chestnut Foundation and currently works as an organizer, conducting drives.”

  “I trust we can’t say Uncle Rob paid for his education, so what’s the story line there?” Chase asked.

  “Abner paid for his education at Northwestern with the money left to him in a trust fund, after the death of his grandparents. He supplemented his income with odd jobs he acquired on campus, which takes me to another point,” Simon noted. “Due to his work schedule at Northwestern, he was unable to join many extracurricular campus activities, which would explain why many people do not remember him.” Simon smiled. “You know I pride myself on discerning human nature, and I believed if anyone were to interview any member of the administration at the university, that person would claim to remember the senator or president, honored that he is an alumnus.”

  Simon proudly looked up from his paper and noted that the members of La Fratellanza appeared to be in agreement with Abner Baari’s life history. “Remember this is a fictional biography, but everything from this point on in Abner’s life will be real,” Simon stressed.

  After hours of discussion, they had finally concocted a new persona for Hussein Tarishi. Abner Baari was alone in the world, with a clean slate waiting for any additional information they deemed necessary. La Fratellanza knew it would be guiding the rest of his life going forward, at least into the White House.

  “What I didn’t mention before is that Abner Baari will need to apply and be accepted to the University of Chicago Law School, in an accelerated two-year JD program.”

  All of them agreed it was necessary for Abner to earn a law degree to be able to compete successfully against other candidates, both in the senate and presidential races.

  Simon confirmed that he had checked the various law schools in the Chicago area, and the University of Chicago was the only campus with an accelerated program. Given their time frame, he felt it was essential to expedite his education. “I have a list of the core curriculum from Northwestern that I’ll pass out to each of you. It may be helpful when you design the specific tutorials for Abner.”

  “When he graduates in August of 2002, I think the Chestnut Foundation should hire him as its legal counsel,” Hank suggested. “I trust that’s not a problem with anyone. It will allow me to manage him more closely.”

  “I assume you can also adjust the records to reflect his employment since 1998, when he graduated from Northwestern?” Simon inquired.

  “With an organization my size, fabricating an employment record for one person will be easy,” Hank asserted. “In fact, I can include in his record that the Chestnut Foundation awarded Abner a full scholarship to law school, based on his outstanding work for the foundation.”

  “Nice addition,” Chase complimented.

  “Great, we now have one year to get him ready to apply to law school,” Simon added.

  With Hussein’s new identity complete, Simon would manufacture all the documents, replete with diplomas and photos that Hank had taken of him while in Florence, and place Abner Baari’s identity in all the appropriate databases. Creating fake passports was easy for Simon, having started out with phony driver’s licenses at the mere age of twelve.

  “At the time, it was highly profitable and made me extremely popular, as you can imagine,” Simon bragged. “Hacking Northwestern University’s computer database will also be a walk in the park when I add Abner’s records, giving him a bachelor’s degree in political science—with honors, of course.”

  Chase continually raised the question of the legality of what they were doing. “I bought your argument as to how the world of politics manages its affairs, but clearly, Simon, some of your acts are crossing the line and you are committing criminal offenses.”

  “I will never ask any of you to commit a crime!” Simon snapped. “As for hacking and creating false identities, I will ensure my involvement is never linked back to any of you,” Simon insisted, with more apparent sincerity than any of them had witnessed for some time.

  Satisfied, they agreed to move the discussion forward.

  Hank was responsible for locating a rental apartment for Abner, with sufficient living space equipped for his homeschooling needs. The apartment was to be located out of the neighborhoods where the Chestnut Foundation operated and where Abner would eventually become well known. In addition, as Hank suggested, the accent had to go, along with learning proper etiquette and fine-tuning his public speaking ability. Hank’s task was to manage it overall.

  For the time being, each of the other members of La Fratellanza
was responsible for putting together tutorial assignments that Hank would administer, which they had begun while Hank was in Florence.

  “I have pulled together several documentaries of past presidents,” Seymour announced, “along with biographies by the well-known presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. I believe it would give Abner a firsthand view of the interworkings of Washington.”

  “Remember, Abner is not to be told at first about his being groomed for the presidency, so that information may seem a little obvious, or may raise suspicion,” Simon argued.

  They all agreed.

  Hank added, “Books like Chicago Politics Ward by Ward by David Fremon and Don’t Make No Waves…Don’t Back No Losers: An Insiders’ Analysis of the Daley Machine by Milton L. Rakove might be a better place to start.”

  Seymour concurred and said he would hold off and prepare assignments around books pertaining to the Illinois government and senatorial politics.

  Paolo presented a copy of Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices by Judith S. Trent and Robert V. Friedenberg, published a few years prior, along with Gary C. Jacobson’s book The Politics of Congressional Elections. “I’ve also designed lesson plans to test Abner’s understanding of the concepts, and when it comes time, I will include information on foreign policy.”

  “Paolo, it would be extremely helpful if you would also design some course material for pre-law. We’ll need to get him ready to apply for graduate school,” Hank suggested.

  “Not a problem.”

  “As of yet I haven’t designed his course material,” Chase admitted, “but I will focus on the financial system and the economy, both domestically and globally.”

  “Needless to say, I have social policy covered,” Hank boasted, “and will teach him about Internet activism and the use of the Internet.”

  Simon confirmed that he would begin to make the necessary arrangements to bring Hussein to Chicago. “It will be necessary to create two U.S. passports. One passport will be under a different name, which will only be necessary for his entry to the United States and for purchasing an airline ticket to Chicago. We don’t want any record of Abner Baari arriving in the States,” he added.