Richard Johnson - Deadly Cargo - A Chilling Naval Terrorism Thriller

“Before you get yourself killed,” Husam al Din warned through clenched jaws, “I suggest you sit back down and listen. You have a decision to make. If you decide to cooperate, you will eventually be set free and will be given a very large sum of money. You will be out of the army, and can go anywhere in the world you choose. If vengeance is in your heart, you can take care of Rachel and Randall Stroppe yourself or pay to have it done. Cooperate with me and maybe I can even work something out in that regard. We have people everywhere, even in Palm Harbor, Florida.”

Josh shot an angry look at Husam al Din, glanced over his shoulder at the two men then rubbed his jaw and sat down. “What exactly is going on here?”

“It is very simple,” Husam al Din said. “You have been kidnapped as easily as offering candy to a child to lure her into a stranger’s car.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Josh exclaimed.

“Don’t look so surprised. It has happened many times before. Do you remember the reporter who was kidnapped and then was released six weeks later? What do you think he was doing for those six weeks? What happens to you after you are released depends upon you. If you are smart, you will take your money and keep your mouth shut. Just say you were not mistreated and let it go at that. You will be interrogated by your own government, but I am sure your Special Forces training will prepare you to handle that.”

“How much money?” Josh asked.

“Seven hundred and fifty thousand American dollars,” Husam al Din said without blinking.

“Whew,” Josh whistled. “That’s a pretty bright nickel. People would notice if I had that kind of money. How do I explain my sudden wealth?”

“Do not be a fool. The money will be placed in a secret account, so it cannot be traced. After we release you, we will give you the code to gain access to the account. Let some time pass before you start using the money. Let it trickle into your life. Develop a legitimate reason for having the income and no one will notice.”

“How can you be sure I won’t just go to the authorities and tell them everything?”

“There are two reasons you will not do that. First, if you try to double-cross us, we will set up the cash transfer and leak information that will make it look like you sold security secrets to your nation’s enemy. You will get nothing, and you will be branded a traitor. The second reason is that it won’t matter anyway because my plan will already be carried out by then.”

Josh inhaled deeply, sat back in the chair and interlocked his fingers behind his head. “It looks like you’ve covered all your bases.”

“I am an expert. We run a very sophisticated operation that you Americans have badly underestimated. You think that just because we live in a more primitive condition that we are not capable of planning such things as this. Trust me when I tell you that we are very well organized. We have satellite phones and computers. We have people in every country and in almost every city. Our motives are more important than life itself. If you doubt that, ask yourself why there are martyrs that you call suicide bombers.”

“Well what do you want from me?” Josh asked.

Husam al Din relaxed his hand from the dagger, and sat back down. “I want some very specific information. Before you joined the army, you worked in the security division at the shipping harbor in Miami, Florida. You know the routine there for loading and unloading shipping containers, and you are familiar with all the security procedures. I brought you here to tell me everything you know about those things.”

“Why do you want to know about that?”

“I have my reasons,” al Din said flatly.

“That’s it? All you want is for me to tell you about port security?”

Husam al Din nodded.

“If you know everything else about me, how is it you can’t find out about those things?”

“Information comes to me one bit at a time, gathered from one person at a time. It is the same with this. I will gather this information one bit at a time from one person. Right now, you are that person.”

Josh sat back and quietly studied the cold, emotionless eyes of Husam al Din.

“The fact is, you already know too much to back out and avoid the consequences,” Husam al Din said. “You know about Sorgei Groschenko and you know about me. It is already too late to disappoint me and still remain alive, but I will leave the decision to you. I can always find another. The rewards for you will be great, but if you fail me… well, I have already told you what will happen. I do not have much time for you to try to negotiate. I need an answer now. What is your decision?”

Josh was quiet. His face displayed the uncertainty of a man caught in a trap with no easy way out. He stared at Husam al Din, then lowered his eyes to the table and pondered the situation in silence.

Husam al Din’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Sergeant Adams,” – he spoke slowly – “do not mess with me.” He pried the tip of the dagger out of the table, held the point toward Josh and spun it in his hand so the blade glinted in the light. The two men stared at each other, neither one flinching.

After a prolonged, uncomfortable silence, Sorgei Groschenko cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, are we going to work as a team or not?”

Without shifting his eyes, Husam al Din said, “That depends upon Sergeant Adams. Right now, I am not sure he can be trusted.”

Josh shot back. “My question is, how do I know that you can be trusted?”

“Because I am a true Muslim,” Husam al Din replied. “Unlike your society, where a man may give his word and then not honor it, the Holy Koran teaches that Muslims must honor our word. We must act in fairness in all our business dealings. We must speak the truth.”

“If you are so honorable, why are you attacking America?”

“Honor is a matter of fulfilling our duty, it has nothing to do with our choice of an enemy. We will be the most honorable enemy America has ever had, but an enemy we must be. American society was not always as it is today. Today it is an affront to Muslim values. Yours is a godless country, and your country spreads indecency across the world like a vile stench through your vulgar movies and magazines, immodest clothing, greed – these are the things that threaten and offend the Muslim world. Your government has a nasty habit of interfering in the affairs of nations that prefer to be left alone. We cannot allow your country to contaminate our people. So we will stop you.”

“So that’s the great plan?” Josh asked. “You’re going to clean up the world by getting rid of America?”

Husam al Din nodded his agreement. “A difficult task, but one that must be done.”

“Well good luck, buddy.” Josh laughed. “Even if you wiped out America, have you taken a look at the stuff that’s going on in the rest of the world? What about the fashion industry in France or Italy, or the loose lifestyle of the Danish. Or the Rossebuurt district of Amsterdam, with their public solicitation of prostitutes behind picture windows on their main streets. And maybe I should clue you into what’s going on throughout Asia with children for sale. Listen, I’ll admit we have our share of problems, but if you think America has the corner on filth and corruption, you need to wake up and take a look around.”

“Yes,” Husam al Din agreed. “The whole world is evil. Let me assure you that we will deal with that one step at a time. Right now, America is the enemy I am focusing on, for reasons other than moral decadence and failure to honor Allah. There is the Palestinian issue.”

“Hey, that issue has nothing to do with the families in Northwoods, Iowa who go to church every Sunday and contribute to charities to help starving children they’ve never even met in some Third World country. Yeah, we’ve got our share of rascals, but American’s are, for the most part, good and charitable God-fearing people. And there’s nothing honorable about attacking innocent women and children who are non-combatants. In fact, that Holy Koran of yours even forbids it.”