"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant."
The historic words were uttered by Admiral Yamamoto following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. His words were to prove prophetic as the surprise attack mounted on the morning of the 7th of December, 1941 led to the United States being catapulted into the Second World War.
Hakim was hoping that the sleeping giant would remain comatose for his dirty bomb attack on Pearl. Like the Japanese he hoped to catch the Americans napping, and poignantly perhaps he had also chosen the 7th of December for his attack. His teeth bared in a feral grin.
He was about to attack one of America's most sacred places. It would be a blow to the entire nation and a warning not to interfere in world affairs that were none of their business. A lot of poignancy surrounded the wreck: the fact that the American flag still hung there and that the wreck still, to this day, leaked oil. Black tears, folks said. Hakim hoped to create a few black tears of his own.
Fathi had come through for them in a big way.
Hakim still didn't know that Fathi was dead. The media had withheld that information following a request Mano had made to Governor Watts' office. Governors could carry a lot of sway, and Watts called in a marker or two to ensure that they played ball with his office. Often they simply reminded media channels and reporters that they'd have the inside scoop when the time came to fully report on the facts. It was often enough to keep them on board and happy.
Hakim had forced April Lee to play ball with the assembly of the bomb.
It was as well he couldn't see the turmoil inside of her. One way or another she was going to stop him.
Or die trying.
* * *
As a sixteen-year old radical he had volunteered for the 'planes operation' but had been deemed too young and untested.
Nevertheless, despite the disappointment, he knew within himself that his day would come. He had watched the destruction of the towers, in particular, with glee. They could never have imagined such success.
It had of course awakened the Americans and had drawn them out of their shells. The hunt for their leaders had intensified with Bin Laden at the top of the list. Afghanistan, one of their places of refuge, had been invaded and their movements and operations had been curtailed.
Hakim dreamed of the day when he would bring his own brand of destruction to the west.
It was all he lived for.
YOU ARE READING
MANO
ActionThere's a new cop in Hawaii, and he doesn't take prisoners. The tale is a post 911 piece and concerns the hunt for an ISIS terrorist cell intent on carrying out a dirty bomb attack on the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbour. The group is led by...
