Sunday, February 1
Rose Bowl Stadium
Pasadena, California
4:15 p.m. PST
“Li, tell the folks at Edwards that we’re taking two of their Black Hawks!” Hicks yelled into his comm system as he ran with Khadi, Scott, Skeeter, and Riley through the tunnel under the stands. “I want one with rotors spinning in three minutes on the north fairways! You and the rest of the team will take the other one! Logan, let the control tower know we’re heading out and have them plot us a course so we don’t run into some idiot news chopper! Hummel and Kruse, let Director LeBlanc know what’s going on! Tell him we need SWAT at Disneyland ASAP and have him contact security at the park to let them know what’s going down! The rest of you, get out of those scoreboards and to the helipad-I want you off the ground no more than four minutes after us!”
Skeeter led the group as they came out into the sunlight. His shoulder was like the prow of an icebreaker as it cut through the solid mass of people. Scott was on the phone behind him, asking Tara Walsh to send full schematics of Disneyland to his Toughbook. Hicks and Khadi were immediately behind Scott, and Riley brought up the rear. The run had brought back Riley’s cough, and he seemed to be having a hard time keeping up.
Hicks could hear the assault helicopter winding up as they approached. As they broke through the row of trees lining the fairway at the golf course, he spotted the Black Hawk with its rotors up to speed. Twenty yards east, another helicopter was just starting its spin. Hicks and the others finished their run in a crouch and jumped into the cargo area.
Hicks gave the pilots a thumbs-up, and immediately the wheels left the ground. All five passengers slipped on helmets, adjusted their intercom mics, and gathered around Scott’s Toughbook screen.
Scott shouted over the sound of the helicopter, “Tara just sent me this architectural map. You can see the way the park kind of spokes out from the central hub of Cinderella’s castle.”
“Sleeping Beauty’s castle,” Riley corrected, causing the three men to give him a questioning look. “What? It’s written on the map!”
“Yeah, whatever, Pach,” Scott said with a grin.
“Just shut up and show us again where Sal had his Xs.”
“Each one was near the end of one of the spokes. You got Critter Country, Adventureland, Mickey’s Toontown, and Tomorrowland.”
“What about the big X?” Khadi asked.
“That one was halfway between the center hub and the end of the lower line. That would put it right about here,” Scott said, pointing right to the middle of Main Street, USA.
“Okay, so why all the Xs? What’s he got planned?” Hicks asked.
“Scott, pull up a Google Earth view of Disneyland,” Riley said. When the image was up, Riley leaned close to the screen. “Okay, I’m thinking back to when I was there as a kid. There were shops-tons of shops lining Main Street,” Riley remembered.
“Isn’t it the first thing you come to after you enter?” Scott asked.
“Yeah. I remember thinking it was pretty boring as a kid; I wanted to get to the real rides.”
Khadi pushed her way in front of the computer screen. “So, why all the Xs? The most logical use for the markings are that they are bomb sites. But why bomb the extremities? There’s no real impact out there.”
“I hear you, Khadi,” Riley said. “The only other reason I can think of for Xs is to indicate meet points. But it really seemed to me that Sal was planning on going this alone.”
“Quit telling me everything the Xs aren’t and start telling me what they are!” Hicks commanded.
“They’re whip cracks,” came a deep voice. Everyone turned to see Skeeter leaning over Khadi’s shoulder, looking at the screen. “You got yourself a mule don’t wanna move, you crack him a whip ’crost his back. He’ll start movin’. That’s what hajji’s doing with those other four Xs. He’s cracking his whip.”
“Of course,” Riley said. “You set off those blasts, people start running away. The only route clear of destruction is the one to the main entrance. But to get to the main entrance, they’ve got to squeeze through the Main Street funnel. Sal waits for the big rush down Main Street, and then he detonates the big one.”
“It fits,” Hicks said. “And it’s better than any other guess we’ve got.” He moved to the cockpit and asked the pilots to patch him through to Director LeBlanc.
While he waited, Hicks closed his eyes and visualized the satellite image. He saw the way all the paths converged on that one street, and the mental picture made him shudder. He prayed they weren’t too late.
Sunday, February 1
Disneyland
Anaheim, California
4:20 p.m. PST
Hakeem sat on a bench in the plaza at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. He wore earbuds connected to a radio that was tuned to the football game taking place less than an hour away. It was a fast game-a fact Hakeem appreciated. Timing was crucial, and the sooner he could get this over with, the better.
Stage one was complete. As soon as Hakeem had arrived, he had hidden the four small bombs in strategic spots around the park. The devices were concealed in shrink-wrapped cases of Disney DVD collector sets and had been given to him in a souvenir bag back at the house. If all went as planned, the small bombs would explode right as the second quarter came to an end. The big blast would come during halftime.
He turned the volume down a few notches so he could think. I wonder if Riley’s enjoying the PFL Cup, he mused. I wonder how he’s going to feel when he realizes he was within forty miles of stopping me. Sorry, buddy, but those forty miles might as well be around the world.
A light breeze came from the direction of a popcorn vendor. Hakeem breathed in deeply. I wonder what heaven smells like, he thought. The smell of the buttery popcorn became so distracting that he got up and moved to another bench out of the scent’s flight path.
The park was packed. Just like the day of the Daytona 500 brought thousands of people to Disney World, Hakeem knew that the PFL Cup was contributing to the crowd today. Everywhere he looked, there were smiling and laughing families. This truly was a dream come true for many of them. He had to admit that deep down he felt bad for these people, especially the children. But in any war, innocents must die. These children were not being murdered by him. Their fate had been determined a long time ago by the actions of their own government. Blame your president; don’t blame me.
Hakeem would have liked to have been around to watch the aftermath of this attack. But he knew that Allah had chosen and prepared him for this particular mission. The American people would be devastated by the knowledge that this icon of the nation’s family values had been attacked. Their horror would only be compounded at the realization that it was one of their “heroes” who had carried out the strike.
When it came down to it, Hakeem knew he was just a pawn in this game. The Cause had existed before him, and his death would result in it becoming even stronger. This was not the Cause’s swan song; it was the beginning of its symphony.
“Six minutes to go in the half with the score Liberty 14, Dragons 10,” came the announcer’s voice as the broadcast cut to commercial.
Six minutes left. Hakeem stood and headed down Main Street. He didn’t want to be caught having to rush at the last minute.
Just six minutes. Hakeem was ready. In six minutes, while millions of eyes were glued to the television hoping to witness another wardrobe malfunction, a newsbreak would cut in-rocking their world-telling them of the carnage and devastation at what had once been the “happiest place on earth.”
4:30 p.m. PST
Hicks pointed to the computer screen. “See this central plaza area between Disneyland and California Adventure? The chopper’s going to come in low and drop us right in the middle of it. We need to try to get into the park without Hakeem realizing it, or he’ll set himself off wherever he is.”
“I don’t think he will, Jim,” Riley said. “He’s probably been planning this thing for a long time. He’s got something he wants to say with it. I’m betting he’s going to do whatever he can to carry out his plan.”
“Maybe you’re right; maybe you’re wrong. I’m not going to take a chance. So after we drop in and get into the park, we’re going to pair off and go looking for him-all except for you, Skeeter.”
Skeeter started to protest, but Hicks cut him off. “Skeet, with your height, I need you in this Town Square place, right inside the entrance. I want you looking at every face that comes in or out. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.” Skeeter clearly wasn’t thrilled at the idea of allowing Riley out of his sight, but he was a soldier, and Hicks knew he would follow orders.
“Riley and Khadi, you take the left side of Main Street. Scott and I’ll take the right. And people, we shoot to kill. Everyone got that? Riley?”
“Don’t worry about me,” Riley answered. “I’ll be right with you.”
“Fine. Any questions? Good. We’re five minutes out. Lock and load.”
4:32 p.m. PST
Hakeem used the time between the two-minute warning and the end of the half to pray. All doubts were gone now. His time had almost come.
“And that’ll do it for the first half, with the New York Liberty leading the New York Dragons by four,” Hakeem heard through his earbuds. “Stay tuned for our halftime show, coming your way in-”
Hakeem clicked off the radio. Then he stood, dropped it in a garbage can, and walked toward the spot where his life would end.
He stopped halfway down Main Street and faced back into the park. Reaching into the pocket of his coat, he pulled out a small remote control device. On it were two buttons-one to arm and one to trigger.
The four small bombs he had planted wouldn’t do much damage, but they would make a lot of noise and send up huge plumes of smoke, creating a panic that would drive the frightened people right toward him.
The first button depressed with a click and remained down.
This is for you, Father and Mother. This is for you, Uncle Ali. This is for you, sweet Alessandra.
Hakeem took his last breath of calm sanity-catching a faint smell of peppermint from the candy shop next to him-and pushed the second button.
4:35 p.m. PST
They were two miles out. The Black Hawk was coming in very low, just barely clearing the buildings below. Suddenly four black clouds rose up from the park ahead.
“We’re late!” Hicks shouted. “Plan B! Everybody rig up! We’re going to have to drop onto Town Square at the entrance to Main Street to avoid the stampede! As soon as you’re down, push as hard as you can to move up that street! Hakeem will wait until the street fills up. That means we’ve got five minutes max before he detonates. This is it, people. Last chance.”
4:35 p.m. PST
A stunned hush fell on the park as the mushrooms of smoke rose into the air. Everywhere around Hakeem, people froze in their tracks, eyes toward the sky.
Then came a single scream, immediately opening the floodgates of panic as people shouted for their children and yelled for directions to the exits. Complete mayhem erupted as the guests tried to remember the way out of the park.
Satisfied, Hakeem entered the Candy Palace; he needed a place where he could wait for the few remaining minutes. All the customers inside had rushed out to see what had happened, leaving him alone with the sole remaining employee. He walked through the store and around the counter. When the girl in the old-fashioned dress began to protest, Hakeem pressed his.40 cal to her chest and pulled the trigger. The teen crumpled to the ground.
Hakeem looked back toward the entrance and noted with satisfaction that the noise and the panic outside had completely drowned out the sound of the shot. Adrenaline surged through his body as he took one last look at the girl to make sure she wasn’t moving. He moved to the front display window and stood watching the passing crowd begin to grow.
So far, everything is working just as I planned.
4:39 p.m. PST
The Black Hawk dropped to within thirty feet of the ground over Town Square, causing the already frantic people to slip into sheer panic. Five dark shadows appeared on the sides of the helicopter, then rapidly rappelled to the ground. When the team was down, they disconnected their lines, and the helicopter lifted back up.
All around, people screamed and pointed at these five figures carrying automatic weapons. No one knew for sure whether this strange sight was the continuation of the attack or somebody coming to the rescue. No one wanted to risk finding out.
People clambered over each other, trying to escape these possible terrorists. The only ones who weren’t frightened were some of the preadolescent boys who thought this show was way cooler than that cheesy one at Universal Studios. After the team separated, they were soon forgotten as the crowd continued its mad rush to the exit.
4:41 p.m. PST
Even from inside the Candy Palace, the noise of the stampede was deafening. Parents had abandoned their strollers and were carrying their children, sometimes two and three at once. Older people were getting shoved aside as the younger ones raced past.
That right there is the root cause of what is wrong in this society!
Any ounce of pity Hakeem had ever felt for these people was gone. He slid the detonator from his sleeve and placed it in his hand. After a final quick prayer to Allah, he stepped out the door.