The Screaming Eagles (31 page)

The anger suddenly evaporated. A cloud lifted, sanity returned in place of the insanity that had begun hours ago. Perry knew instinctively that he’d wronged this man greatly and done so with a foolish bravado. Not only had he wronged him, he’d insulted him, and Perry felt humbled and ashamed for his jealousy of a man ready to die for a cause; whereas Perry’s life on the line as an FBI agent, came with a paycheck every month. Over a period of thirty odd years, the cause for justice some times had dimmed into just another job crossing over and blurring lines of duty and what he truly believed in. Leaning slightly forward he put both hands to his forehead, elbows resting on his knees and covered his eyes, the tips of his fingers kneading each eye as if to remove an itch. In this position he rocked ever so slightly back and forth the movements barely perceptible, but nevertheless, his body telegraphed its pain and humiliation. It was minutes before he looked up dropping his hands onto his knees he extended his hand toward Jalal as if wanting to shake it even though Jalal was at the other end of the room. Hesitantly he began to speak his voice hoarse and thick showing emotional agitation and a slight edge of underdeveloped hysteria. “Sorry Jalal, I apologize. Michael is right, I acted badly. I’m ashamed that I insulted you, I don’t understand what was deep in my heart, nor do I understand why my anger was directed at you, when all you asked for was help. Please accept my apology.”

Unsure, Jalal followed Perry’s gestures warily watching him. The man’s pallor was ashen as he spoke and he was having difficulty returning Jalal’s gaze. Jalal embarrassed how the conversation had moved to an unexpected apology, instead of a killing, he had known that he was mere seconds from shooting Perry. Slowly he sat down still unsure how in seconds the atmosphere had changed so suddenly.

Trying to diffuse the tension Michael said roughly, the irritation plainly on his face, “Let’s hear what your plan is.” Perry looked carefully at Jalal, his eyes scarcely leaving his face, the apology still floating thick in the air of the kitchen, the unspoken thoughts a silence between them.

Perry laughed nervously feeling the flush on his face, embarrassed by the turn of the conversation. “Jalal, two minutes ago we were at each others throats, now we must talk as men who respect each other. I extend to you once again my deepest apologies for the many times I insulted you in front of your friends. I don’t know why I was so angry at you. Maybe I felt ashamed because I get paid to do what I’m doing, and you opened places in my heart that for a long time have been closed and blocked off. You already have said goodbye to your wife and family and are ready to sacrifice your life so your family and people in your village can live. I was jealous of your motives and somehow you touched a raw nerve, and I acted spitefully. I was stupid and totally out of line. Your focus and readiness to sacrifice your life unnerved me for I suddenly was forced to remember how I too, many, many years ago headed for far horizons which continued to recede and seemed always to be out of my reach. Maybe I was disgusted with what I’ve become and I hated your motives because they showed how shallow mine were. I searched my motives for some sort of rational explanation, but could find none. I ask you once again to forgive me. Can you?”

Expecting guile, Jalal searched for betrayal or a trap in Perry’s eyes, but found none, for he heard the agitation in the man’s voice. Jalal had known all along, Perry could help him more than Michael and Hanan. After a slight hesitation, taking a deep breath he made a dismissive gesture as he extended his hand to shake Perry’s. Clearing his throat and nodding he said, “Perry, I accept your apology. It takes the courage of a strong man of honor to speak humble words and you spoke words that came from a deep place in your heart. You spoke them with pain and the words did you honor. We will work well together, I know we will.”

Perry returned the gaze, the severe lines transformed on his face. “Thank you. By forgiving me, you honor me with your trust, which I will never betray.” They shook hands and both were smiling. It was the first time that anyone in the room had seen Jalal smile. His teeth were white and as his angry frustration fell away, he seemed younger and small wrinkles at the corner of his eyes became pronounced as he continued smiling. Seizing the moment, unsure how long it would last, Michael said, “Jalal, interrupt if you disagree. I think you and I should work alone,” said Michael. “Hanan is a diplomat and Perry has to go through channels and cannot trust his superiors. We should make our plans without involving them.”

Caught by surprise both Perry and Hanan protested.

Michael shook his head at both men saying, ” Hanan if you’re caught it’s not just your head, it becomes an international incident. Perry if you’re caught, the minute they detain you in a cell, you’ll be killed. You can be a great help to us if we’re able to have contact with both of you so you can pull strings without anyone being suspicious and supply us with the things we need. We, Jalal and I, are going to interrogate, torture and eventually kill this terrorist Sadegh. This is not something you can help us with. All of us have a job of work to do. If Jalal and I fail for we do not know if he has surrounded himself with bodyguards, you two are the only backup we have. We need you to immediately start working on a backup plan and for it to be ready and in place by tonight. If we don’t contact you periodically, you will only have a few hours before Sadegh finds you.”

Jalal agreed with Michael so did Hanan. Perry, mad at being outnumbered, debated whether to argue and decided to wait and see what they came up with before he made his next move.

Jalal then spoke. “I am positive that we will not find a way to break into Sadegh’s house. His alarm system is bound to be the best money can buy. None of you can go to the reception tonight, for if he suspects any of you, he will kill all of you. Without a doubt,

Sadegh knows Michael lives in Chicago and I’m sure he’s kept a dossier on you and your associates or friends. I will go to see him. I have his photograph, I will know what he looks like. I will confront him, then walk away so he can follow me. I do not want him to follow me back to this apartment, for if he does, and finds Michael lives here, he will surely kill every one of you tonight. Perry, you know this city better than any of us, help us find a motel where Sadegh when he follows, will find me.”

Perry nodded thoughtfully. ” Jalal, I like it. However, it will be impossible to interrogate him at a motel. The walls aren’t soundproof and too many nosey people could be watching your room.”

“Don’t worry about where we will interrogate Sadegh. I have a place in mind that is out of Chicago. Leave that part to me,” said Michael.

“Where is this place?” asked Hanan.

“Better you don’t know because if you are questioned, you cannot describe a place you know nothing about. Perry, you drive your car and we’ll follow in mine so you can show us exactly where to go, then leave us. I have your beeper number as well as Hanan’s. Why don’t you two exchange numbers as well as cell phone numbers? I have some thoughts that I’d like to run by all of you so let’s spend some time and talk this through.”

When they left, Perry and Hanan superstitiously in tandem didn’t say goodbye. They just turned and left, shutting the door softly behind them. Perry and Hanan were to listen to the tapes again and independently make their own notes as they listened. When they completed all the tapes, they’d compare notes and make a master list of questions prioritizing the answers Michael should get when it was his turn to question Leffeld. The list and any last-minute notations of potential evidence that had been overlooked would be faxed to Michael’s apartment when it was completed.

They would then turn their attention to putting together media packages with precise information explaining the contents of the tapes, faxes, photographs and miscellaneous evidence. In the event that Michael and Jalal were killed or didn’t contact them at prearranged intervals, Perry would arrange to deliver them personally to his connections in the media.

*

Michael blew over the edge of his cup, the coffee was still hot. Three hours had elapsed and still no fax. He had a yellow legal notepad that he’d been writing on. He asked Jalal if there was anything else that he could think of. Wearily, Jalal shook his head.

“Okay then, let me read back to you what we’ve planned. Stop me if anything is not clear or if you want any changes. We’ll also go over the checklist of items that I need to buy.” It took Michael another hour to review how they’d decided to proceed and each stage of their plans. The only interruption had been the fax arriving.

*

Much later, they left Michael’s apartment. Each carried a large duffel bag. Jalal wore one of Michael’s formal dark suits. In one of the pockets was a typed note. The fax was folded neatly and packed at the bottom of Michael’s duffel bag. The list of questions he would ask Leffeld was eighteen pages long. Perry organized with a pharmacy to send Michael antibiotics with which to prolong Leffeld’s life by fighting any infections as they developed. Michael, intended keeping him alive long enough to give answers to all the questions.

Michael was dressed in the clothes that he used when he went hiking. He wore his hiking boots that came up to just below his knees and were thick enough so that if he inadvertently disturbed a snake, the fangs would not pierce the leather.

Similarly, a sharp-toothed rat would be unable to bite his ankle as it was being trapped and caught.

Michael owned a large black V-8. Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows. In the garage he quickly unscrewed the license plates and replaced them with Indiana plates that Perry had brought over. When he got into the driver’s seat, he was sweating slightly. He whistled to himself as he started the Jeep and drove out of the garage. His first stop was at Pets Outlet Emporium. There he opened the back doors of the Cherokee, folded the seats down and walked into the store.

*

Jalal looked at his watch again. Michael had been in the store for nearly half an hour. He wondered if he should get out the car and stretch his legs. Then he saw Michael walking out the side door pushing a trolley with a four-by-four wire cage in it, the kind used to cage a German Shepard or Great Dane. Behind him came a young shop assistant pushing a trolley with about half a dozen smaller cages. When they got to the Jeep, Michael climbed in. The assistant passed the small cages to him. He stacked them on the side then they maneuvered the large cage through the doors. It was a snug fit, with a few inches of space on either side. He gave Michael a coil of rope, wire and a folded fishing net. Michael tipped the young man, who smiled when he saw the five-dollar bill.

At Camper’s Corner Michael soon found what he was looking for and returned to the Jeep in a few minutes. He dumped oversized paper bags behind Jalal’s seat. They landed on the floor with a thump, the noise of the iron and metal stakes clanged loudly against the large hammer in the second of the two bags. He placed tightly folded sheets of plastic on top of the bags.

“We’ve got everything. Lets go.” He punched in Perry’s numbers on his car phone. “Meet you at the corner of Halstead and Roosevelt in about ten minutes.” Michael put down the phone and started the engine. At Roosevelt they parked the Cherokee in a parking garage and waited for Perry to pick them up.

*

The sun had set and it was nearly seven o’clock. They’d been driving in Perry’s car between the railway repair shops and light industrial zones located in South Chicago Heights. This area had dozens of transient motels catering for railway personnel who arrived daily, spent a few days completing the repairs to rail cars, then returned to the towns they came from.

Perry explained why he’d brought them here. “Store keepers, motels even taxis are used to seeing strange new faces every few days on these streets. No one will give us a second glance, not like if we were in a suburban neighborhood. First we find a run down dump where no questions are asked. The lighting is important. If their parking areas in front of the rooms are well lit, it’s no good for us. The fewer cars the better?means the place is probably empty. Most rent out their rooms by the hour; prostitutes in the area try to find rooms not too far from where they work. We’ve got to find the motel that doesn’t rent by the hour, but by the night.” At Eighteenth just south of Maxwell Street they found the Maxwell Motel. Half the neon sign was not working but intertwined M’s flashed above the office. The VACANCY sign shone from the office window and they saw the head of a man sitting behind an elevated counter. No cars were parked in the lot and the building was long and narrow as it disappeared into the darkness. None of the rooms were lit, and the streetlight at the entrance was out. Other than a light in the office, the Maxwell Motel was in darkness. No houses were nearby, only factories. Perry edged the car forward stopping in front of a large gate with barbed wire on top. The two sections of the gate were held together by a heavy chain sagging in the middle and connected by a padlock. Perry opened the duffel bag lying between both front seats and took out four large bath towels. Unbuttoning his shirt he took it off and put on a dirty old sweater two sizes too big for him. He wrapped two towels around his waist, bunched them a bit, securing the towels under his chest with a belt. The sweater was no longer too big for him, the towels giving him the fat belly he wanted. He unbuttoned his pants, pulled them down over his knees and wound a towel around each thigh. He secured each towel using a belt, then pulled up his pants.

“The false moustache and longer sideburns I’m putting on are made of my own hair, which our tech guys cut from our heads and mold into whatever disguise we request. If someone becomes paranoid while we’re working undercover and pulls the moustache, it won’t come off. We have a special solution similar to acetone which releases the skin, otherwise it’s like crazy glue.” Taking out a Chicago Bears hat, he put it on back to front, rolled up two wads of cotton balls, put them into each side of his mouth. Finally, he put on a pair of dark glasses, and climbed out of the car. Arms extended, thighs apart waddling slightly as he walked, Perry entered the office.