along with Homeland Security have
kidnapped me and are holding me in this room against my will.”
One of the guards
mumbled, “We’re just doing our jobs. I’ll have our boss speak with you.”
I jumped in again
and said, “Special Agent Matthews is one of the men who abducted me, and I
expect that he is also holding Mr. Haddad somewhere against his will.”
A moment later the
guard had reached his boss and was clearly taking instructions. Then he handed
the cell phone to one of the police officers.
A brief argument
ensued and finally the cop handed the cell phone back to the guard and
announced, “Special Agent Matthews is on his way here now. We are all to wait
inside the hotel room until he arrives. I have to call my commander right away
and get his instructions.”
They all entered
my room and found seats in various spots. The cameraman began taking copious
pictures.
Mandy sat on the
sofa next to me.
“Thank you so much
for delivering the letter, Mandy. You’ve done the right thing.”
The reporter and
his editor approached me and began asking questions.
After confirming
the contents of my letter, Douglas Grant whispered, “I started banging out the
story while we were in the van. If this Special Agent Matthews is really from
Homeland Security, he may seize the letter along with my computer and Billy’s
camera once he gets here. If he does that then we’ll have nothing concrete on
which to base the piece. What should we do, Phil?”
“Can you complete
the initial story and transmit it before Matthews gets here? If you’re quick,
we can just squeeze it in under the deadline for tomorrow morning’s edition. I
can sign off on it electronically from here.”
“I’ll do my best,
Phil.”
Grant went to a
table in the far corner of the room and began tapping away feverishly on his laptop.
Ten minutes later
he motioned for Peden and Billy to join him.
Grant had Billy
transfer the photos he had taken to the laptop while Peden read the first draft
of the news story.
Peden suggested a
few changes in wording and then Grant selected which pictures to include with
the article.
When both Grant
and his editor were satisfied, they both signed off on the story and sent it to
the main office to be included in the edition just about to be sent to the
printer.
“To be on the safe
side,” Peden instructed, “delete that last transmission from your computer as
well as the confirmation that the article with photos was received from the
main computer. Just in case Homeland Security gets aggressive, they won’t
realize that the story is already in the process of being published until it’s
too late for them to do anything about it.”
Grant complied.
The room had
fallen into complete silence. The two cops had received instructions from high
up to wait for Special Agent Matthews before continuing their investigation,
and they had ordered Thomas Kennedy to stand beside them and not converse with
anyone. Fortunately the police officers had received no orders relating to the
reporters so the cops ignored whatever was going on with the press in the far
corner of the room.
The first person
to show up was the captain of the police precinct who was let inside the room
by the two government guards who had remained outside.
The captain spoke
softly with his officers and paused twice to receive calls on his cell phone.
After an
additional ten minutes the door opened yet again and Special Agent Matthews
stormed in accompanied by the two guards who had been waiting outside the room.
CHAPTER
19 (The Failed Burial)
Matthews took
immediate charge of the hotel room.
He waved a
document in the air, identified himself and barked, “This is an order fresh
from the Federal Court prohibiting anyone in this room from disseminating any
information relating to Thomas Kennedy or Bander Haddad. I require every person
present to state your name and explain why you are here today.
The two cops went
first, followed by the
kidnapped me and are holding me in this room against my will.”
One of the guards
mumbled, “We’re just doing our jobs. I’ll have our boss speak with you.”
I jumped in again
and said, “Special Agent Matthews is one of the men who abducted me, and I
expect that he is also holding Mr. Haddad somewhere against his will.”
A moment later the
guard had reached his boss and was clearly taking instructions. Then he handed
the cell phone to one of the police officers.
A brief argument
ensued and finally the cop handed the cell phone back to the guard and
announced, “Special Agent Matthews is on his way here now. We are all to wait
inside the hotel room until he arrives. I have to call my commander right away
and get his instructions.”
They all entered
my room and found seats in various spots. The cameraman began taking copious
pictures.
Mandy sat on the
sofa next to me.
“Thank you so much
for delivering the letter, Mandy. You’ve done the right thing.”
The reporter and
his editor approached me and began asking questions.
After confirming
the contents of my letter, Douglas Grant whispered, “I started banging out the
story while we were in the van. If this Special Agent Matthews is really from
Homeland Security, he may seize the letter along with my computer and Billy’s
camera once he gets here. If he does that then we’ll have nothing concrete on
which to base the piece. What should we do, Phil?”
“Can you complete
the initial story and transmit it before Matthews gets here? If you’re quick,
we can just squeeze it in under the deadline for tomorrow morning’s edition. I
can sign off on it electronically from here.”
“I’ll do my best,
Phil.”
Grant went to a
table in the far corner of the room and began tapping away feverishly on his laptop.
Ten minutes later
he motioned for Peden and Billy to join him.
Grant had Billy
transfer the photos he had taken to the laptop while Peden read the first draft
of the news story.
Peden suggested a
few changes in wording and then Grant selected which pictures to include with
the article.
When both Grant
and his editor were satisfied, they both signed off on the story and sent it to
the main office to be included in the edition just about to be sent to the
printer.
“To be on the safe
side,” Peden instructed, “delete that last transmission from your computer as
well as the confirmation that the article with photos was received from the
main computer. Just in case Homeland Security gets aggressive, they won’t
realize that the story is already in the process of being published until it’s
too late for them to do anything about it.”
Grant complied.
The room had
fallen into complete silence. The two cops had received instructions from high
up to wait for Special Agent Matthews before continuing their investigation,
and they had ordered Thomas Kennedy to stand beside them and not converse with
anyone. Fortunately the police officers had received no orders relating to the
reporters so the cops ignored whatever was going on with the press in the far
corner of the room.
The first person
to show up was the captain of the police precinct who was let inside the room
by the two government guards who had remained outside.
The captain spoke
softly with his officers and paused twice to receive calls on his cell phone.
After an
additional ten minutes the door opened yet again and Special Agent Matthews
stormed in accompanied by the two guards who had been waiting outside the room.
CHAPTER
19 (The Failed Burial)
Matthews took
immediate charge of the hotel room.
He waved a
document in the air, identified himself and barked, “This is an order fresh
from the Federal Court prohibiting anyone in this room from disseminating any
information relating to Thomas Kennedy or Bander Haddad. I require every person
present to state your name and explain why you are here today.
The two cops went
first, followed by the
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