Special Talents (35 page)

"Our analysts have all ready done that," said Porter. "They tell us there's nothing in it that is of any use in that area."

"Were any of your analyst psychiatrists?" Jeremy asked.

"Well, no, not really," replied Porter.

"I am. More importantly, Moser is also a psychiatrist. He understands the importance of communication. That's why I was so taken with what he said. I don't think his speech was something he wrote hastily. I think it took time and was very carefully worded. If I can analyze it I might be able to pick up on something your normal analyst may have missed."

"I'll have a transcript prepared for you immediately," said Napolitano. "And please, let me know the minute you learn anything. Anything would be helpful in stopping Moser and his plans."

"I will, Madam Secretary," said Jeremy.

"Assistant Secretary," said Napolitano, turning to Scarborough, "effective immediately your only priority is to track down every possible lead that could lead to Moser. All other priorities are secondary."

"Understood, Madam Secretary," said Scarborough. "I'll need to have everything we have on Moser and on this Shannon Chang. If she's working with him she might be a way to track him down."

"I'll have all the information prepared for you, Assistant Director," said Napolitano. "Gentlemen, if there's nothing else, I believe our meeting is concluded. "I wish you both luck. I think we're going to need it."

Jeremy and Scarborough left the office and headed for the parking garage.

"Well, that was certainly informative," said Jeremy as they left the building. "I never suspected we'd be involved in anything like this."

"Neither did I," said Scarborough. "We've known for a long time that terrorists have been trying to get their hands on a nuclear device. But I never imagined they were so close. I don't think we have any time to waste."

"Neither do I. Richard, can you get me the autopsy reports on the husbands of Shannon Chang?"

"I guess so. It might take a few days but I think I can get my hands on them. Why?"

"I'd just like to see them. It appears she has a special talent but we don't know for sure. Maybe by studying the autopsy reports I can figure something out."

"Okay, I'll see about getting them for you. Like I said, it might take a few days. But I'll get them as quickly as I can."

"Thanks, Richard. Now, I think we need to get the team together and fill them in on what's going on."

"Oh, that's going to be fun," said Richard.

Jeremy just smiled as the two headed for his car.

"So, all we have to do is track down a nutcase with a nuke and stop him?" questioned Simon. "Who's working with some psycho-chick who can apparently immobilize people or even kill them simply by touching them? I thought the first mission was going to be hard." There was more than a note of sarcasm in his voice.

"Okay, I know it seems impossible," said Scarborough. "But the Secretary – in fact, the entire country – is counting on us. Even if most of the people don't know it. I know most of you weren't counting on something like this the first time out. But you're probably the only ones that can do it."

"Anyone else with him we should know about?" Frank asked. "Anyone with a special talent?"

"Not that we're aware of right now," said Scarborough. "We're going under the assumption he's working strictly with Chang. The fewer people involved the less likely of something going wrong. Jeremy figures he's the mastermind behind the attack and that Chang is the suicide bomber."

"That's one hell of a suicide bomber," said Janet. "She'll do more damage than a hundred regular bombers even if she doesn't kill the president."

"I thought only men were suicide bombers," said Mariah. "Something about women being second-class citizens in Islamic society. They can't vote or drive. Most can't hold jobs. And they have to be covered from head to foot when they're in public. And I've heard they can't even talk to a man who isn't a family member."

"That's all true," said Scarborough. "At least in some Islamic countries. But we have seen female suicide bombers before. They're rare but we have seen some."

"He may be using Chang to try and throw off suspicion," said Jeremy. "As you said, most suicide bombers are men. He might think that if he uses a woman people will be less likely to suspect her. And as a Chinese-American, she won't be the first choice as a suspect."

"Well, I have to admit it could work," said Wil. "When I think of terrorists a Chinese woman isn't the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, I can't think of a single terrorist incident that involved the Chinese."

"Most terrorist acts are directed against the west," said Scarborough. "And their allies. And of course Israel."

"My question," said Conrad, "is where do we start? We have no idea where he plans to assemble the bomb. And knowing the target is the White House helps narrow things down a bit but there are a hundred different ways to get a bomb there. How do we even know where to being?"

"I've got people running down leads right now," said Scarborough. "Most of them probably won't go anywhere. The ones that do seem to pan out will be forwarded to me. That's when you will get to do what you do."

"Moser seems to have the ability to control people and get them to do what they want," said Jeremy. "One thing to look for is someone who suddenly starts acting strange. Or espousing things they don't normally espouse. People's beliefs can and quite often do change over time. But a drastic or dramatic change is an indication of something different.

"And it doesn't even have to be a different change. Like someone who has no interest in religion or politics suddenly becoming a devout believer. It can be a change in degree. A person who is normally religious, for instance, and regularly goes to church every Sunday suddenly going more often. A change like that can often signal some drastic change in their lives."

"Or being controlled by another person," interjected Janet.

"Precisely," replied Jeremy.

"And what if he starts controlling us?" Kamalene questioned. "Just because we have special talents is no guarantee we'll be immune to whatever it is that he can do."

"I know," said Jeremy. "I've been thinking about that myself. Frankly, I don't have an answer to that question. We'll just have to hope he can't affect us like he can regular people."

"Great," said Simon. "So all we have to worry about is that one of us may become the suicide bomber instead of Chang. That's a comforting thought."

"I don't think that's going to happen," said Scarborough. "Every instance where Moser has apparently controlled people it was people who all ready had something against the United States. He's never controlled anyone who didn't have something against the United States."

"Which only means he picks people who all ready have a problem," said Wil. "That doesn't guarantee he can't do it with one of us."

"No, Richard has a point," said Jeremy. "If he could control anyone and get them to do whatever he wanted, why waste time on people in other countries? Why not just control people here and get them to do the dirty work without endangering Islamic lives? Get us to kill ourselves."

"What about Timothy McVeigh?" asked Kamalene. "His actions were extreme."

"And as far as I know Moser never met with McVeigh," said Scarborough.

"Which still doesn't guarantee he can't control us," said Wil.

"No, I can't guarantee that," said Scarborough. "In this line of work there are very few guarantees."

"But as Richard said, we're the only ones that can do this," said Jeremy. "If we don't at least try, Moser may well succeed. And then a lot of people are going to die."

"It's not like you to play the guilt card, Jeremy," said Janet.

"You, of all people, know me better than that," said Jeremy. "I'm just stating the facts. This is what we signed on for, people. You can back out now if you want. I don't think anyone is going to try and force you to go through with it. But as someone once said, if not us, who? If not now, when?"

"I'm reminded of a poem my grandmother once read to me," said Mariah. "I don't know why I thought of it just now. But it just popped into my head."

"What poem?" Kamalene asked.

"When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist.

"When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.

"When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist.

"When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn't a Jew.

"When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out."

"Martin Niemoller," said Jeremy. "Niemoller was a protestant minister and social activist. He was first quoted saying that in 1946 to representatives of the Confessing Church in Frankfurt. It's been reprinted many times since then."

"My point is, is that Jeremy and Richard are right," said Mariah. "People didn't try to stop the Nazi's before World War II because the Nazi's weren't coming after them. It wasn't any of their business. And we all know what happened there."

"So you're saying if we don't do this, no matter how dangerous it might be," said Kamalene, "there might not be anyone left to stop Moser."

"Yes," said Mariah. "I don't know about the rest of you but I don't think I could look Susan and Bobby in the face knowing I had a chance to do something and didn't. And that people might die because of it."

"Oh, now who's playing the guilt card?" questioned Simon. "Bring the kid into it. You really don't play fair, lady."

"Neither do the terrorists," said Scarborough. "They have their own rules and they'll change them if it suits their purpose."

"So, people," said Jeremy, "what is it going to be? Do we take on this job? Or do we pass it on to someone else and hope they can stop Moser?"

"I thought we didn't have a choice?" questioned Simon. "I thought we had to take whatever job they gave us?"

"Not at all," said Scarborough. "Contract employees are hired, usually, on a case by case basis. Sometimes they have to turn down a job for various reasons. You're no different. If you want to pass on it you can."

"I've all ready made my decision," said Mariah.

One by one the others finally gave their consent. They all knew what was at stake. And they all also knew that someone else might not be up to the task. Even considering the danger involved, they all knew there really was no choice. They might well be the only ones capable of stopping Moser and Chang and preventing a disaster as great as the attack on the World Trade Center.

For the next month the team investigated numerous accounts of suspected terrorists. Most turned out to be nothing more than someone's imagination running wild or something as equally innocuous. One report indicated a man who apparently could be in two places at the same time. When they investigated, they found this was not the case. It turned out to be a pair of twins, only one of which was "officially" on record as having been born. They had spent their lives fooling those people around them by pretending to be one person. What had started out as a simple high school prank had nearly landed the men in federal prison.

Conrad was learning to use his ability quite well. Soon he was able to keep himself from being inundated by a barrage of information when he tried to "pick" someone's mind. At Jeremy's suggestion, instead of just tapping into a person's mind and trying to get information out of it, Conrad would attempt to see if there was any specific information in the mind. Very soon he was able to pick and choose what information he could draw out.

The autopsy reports on Chang's husband proved of little help. In each case the men's deaths had been ruled natural causes. One had died of a cerebral hemorrhage, one had died of a stroke, and one had died of an arterial embolism. In each case no cause for the ailments could be found but there were also no signs of foul play. While the cases all seemed suspicious, there was absolutely no evidence to suspect they were anything more than what they appeared to be: deaths by natural causes.

By the beginning of December the team was no closer to finding Moser, Chang, or the nuclear device than when they had begun. Although fears of terrorist attacks during the Thanksgiving holiday were high, the holiday came and went without incident. Terrorist attacks still continued around the world in sporadic locations but the threat of retaliation for bin Laden's death never seemed to materialize.

Early in December, Jeremy, Janet, Conrad, and Simon were having dinner at a quiet little restaurant in D.C. Jeremy had told them the restaurant served the best crab cakes he had ever tasted and the rest had to agree he was right. Halfway through dinner Jeremy got a call from Scarborough.

"Jeremy, you need to get over here," said Scarborough. Jeremy could tell that Richard was outside. In the background someone was speaking over a bullhorn but Jeremy couldn't tell what was being said. "We have a standoff situation in Silver Spring and I think you're needed. Can you get hold of any of the team this time of night?"