Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)(15)
Like I said, I just need some time to sort things out, but we have to finish this. That little girl, all those people…We have to see this through.
FILE NO. 033
NEWS ARTICLE—CATHERINE MCCORMACK, REPORTER, THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
TERROR IN FLAGSTAFF—8 DEAD IN BOMBING ACCIDENT
More than half a city block was destroyed last night in Flagstaff, in what authorities are calling a terrorist plot gone wrong.
Suspected domestic terrorist Owen Lehman died last night around 1:00 A.M., along with his 15-year-old son and 6 other people, in what appears to be a tragic bomb-making accident.
Lehman, who had been denied disability benefits back in 2012, had been sending increasingly hostile letters to the Federal government. “The language used in some of his recent correspondence was considered threatening. We took it seriously,” said FBI Agent Robert Armstrong from the Phoenix field office. “Trace elements, as well as fragments recovered on-site, lead us to believe Mr. Lehman was attempting to build a large explosive device, which must have accidently detonated.” The FBI had been monitoring Mr. Lehman for several months but lacked sufficient evidence for an arrest. “Obviously, we wish we knew then what we know now,” said Armstrong, “but we believe the intended target was the Social Security office on Woodlands Village Blvd.”
When asked about the absence of any fire damage, Armstrong added: “The explosion ruptured waterworks directly below Mr. Lehman’s residence. That created some sort of landslide, which swallowed most of the debris and put out the fire. We got lucky. It could have been a lot worse.”
Nearby resident Clarissa Parlow said Lehman was well liked by his neighbors. “He had a quiet way about him. He seemed shy, more than anything. I guess you just never know about people.”
Further investigation is under way. Governor Udell plans to address the media later today when he visits the site.
FILE NO. 034
INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT WOODHULL, ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
Location: White House, Washington, DC
—I don’t know who you think you are, or whom you think you answer to, but this is the Office of the President, not some subcommittee you can just lie to for funding. How the hell did the NSA let that happen?
—It was out of their hands.
—Well, then, if it was out of their hands…Do I even want to know how you got them to agree to this?
—They did not agree or disagree to anything. It was just…out of their hands. I felt there was nothing to gain through their continued involvement. I do not know how or why they got involved in the first place. They are cryptology experts. They analyze phone calls. Giant artifacts left behind by alien civilizations seem a tad out of their league. If we need to talk about this project over the phone, then I will ask the NSA.
—It’s nice to see you have such great respect for our national agencies. One question. Who are you to tell the NSA what they can and can’t do? Forget that. Just who the hell are you?
—I have the utmost respect for the National Security Agency. I also hold my dentist and my accountant in very high esteem. I have not, however, asked either of them to lead our research team.
—You didn’t answer my question.
—What were you told when you took this job?
—Nothing! I was told to cooperate with you as much as I could in the interest of national security. Well, I think this, right now, may be as much as I can.
—You might want to “sleep on it,” as they say, in the interest of national security.
—You killed eight people, you son of a bitch! Eight US citizens—a child, for God’s sake! A six-year-old girl, with curly red hair and bright blue eyes.
—Would you feel any better if her eyes had been a different color?
—Her face is on every television in every living room in the country.
—It was an unfortunate incident. I wish I could say it was not foreseeable, but that would not be entirely true. The probability of finding a piece in a densely populated area was deemed acceptably low. We had a contingency plan and it was executed without flaw. We did our best to control a bad situation.
—And a great job you did! A bunch of soldiers shoving a crying mother into a truck. That played so well on CNN.
—We have a cover story.
—I know. I’ve read it! A homemade bomb accidentally went off in the home of a suspected domestic terrorist. Gotta love that. You’ll put the entire country on alert just so you can hide your precious little statue. What about that family you’re blaming this on? I’m sure their relatives will be thrilled to know Uncle Owen was a terrorist. This isn’t a game, you know.
—You and I both know I did not do anything that this country has not done a dozen times before. And while you might be too proud to admit it, your approval ratings will jump twenty points because of this. Oh, do not give me that look. You have many talents but acting is not one of them. The election is less than a year away. How many presidents have lost an election during a crisis? Will you really stand there and tell me you did not think about that? Not even for a moment?
You can admit it. You were not a causal factor in this tragedy and you bear little to no responsibility for the death of that little girl. I see no reason for you to feel shame because you stand to benefit from it.