Deadline (11 page)

He had been a very sick man not long
ago and there were many reports he had died. But most noticeable to
Trevanian was the terrorist’s eyes. They appeared coal black and
cold. He looked like a man without emotion or feeling.

Bin Laden said something briefly in
Arabic. Al-Ghazi translated.

“
The Imam is pleased to
meet you. He is not one for social pleasantries and would prefer to
get down to business right away.”

“
So be it,” said Trevanian
who pointed to a chair at the table. His recorder was placed on top
of the table.

Once they were settled, Trevanian
began the interview. Al-Ghazi served as translator.

TREVANIAN: Sir, you remain the most
wanted man in the world. There is a huge bounty on your head by the
United States and Afghan authorities. How does that make you feel
and how have you avoided capture for so long?

BIN LADEN: It is of no concern to me.
It is a futile gesture by the Americans and their traitorous Afghan
puppets. Fortunately our holy cause has many friends and allies in
both Afghanistan and Pakistan. They continue to shelter me and
offer protection. But no matter if I was to be captured or killed.
Our jihad would continue. The cause is greater than any single
individual. I am merely an instrument of Allah!

TREVANIAN: You say the jihad would
continue. Why? There are many in Islam who don’t support your
campaign or your actions. Some would argue that what you advocate
is a corruption of the Koran and of Islam.

BIN LADEN: Our supporters are legion
and represent the army of Allah fighting against the infidels of
the West. Those who oppose us are traitorous dogs and
collaborators, not worthy of Islam. They will be condemned to the
fires of hell.

We are fighting for our freedom and
our religion. We are steadfast and unflinching. We are unlike the
infidels who are corrupted by their comforts, money and their
power. We will overcome in the end. We, as true believers, are
destined for paradise.

TREVANIAN: Why must you wage a terror
war on innocent civilians, women and children?

BIN LADEN: It is regrettable, but
necessary. Did not the Allies do the same in the Second World War?
At Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Did not the Americans
exterminate their native people, including women and children, at
Wounded Knee? The Americans are not prepared for what we will bring
them. They will fold like a pack of cards.

Their complacency will fade once they
face death and destruction on their home ground. They will come to
face the horrors of the real world from which they have been
sheltered so long.

TREVANIAN: Would you not be prepared
to negotiate a peaceful settlement? Is there no other solution than
violence?

BIN LADEN: There can be no
negotiation. The Americans and their Allies want to control oil in
Asia and the Middle East to fuel their industrial-military complex
and their insatiable penchant for automobiles and vast consumer
goods. Only by bringing the faith of Islam across the world can we
bring people to the true paradise of Allah.

Trevanian’s interview with bin Laden
continued for over an hour. He posed tough questions and the Imam
answered them unflinchingly.

Trevanian was struck by the stark
contrast of this man. He was obviously cultured, highly educated
and erudite in his comments. The other side of him was a terrorist
leader advocating death and destruction on an extreme level. He
displayed no signs of emotion or remorse for the havoc
created.

While much of what bin Laden said was
anathema to Trevanian and sometimes appeared to be the ravings of a
lunatic, there was no doubting his dedication and commitment to his
beliefs and his cause.

The digital recorder continued to run
and capture translated comments from the al-Qaida leader. It was
great stuff. It was a powerful interview. It was one of the best
that Trevanian had ever been given in his career.

Trevanian knew the interview would
generate coverage by media around the world. This was the first sit
down, in-depth interview with bin Laden since the events of
September 11, 2001.

Suddenly bin Laden stopped talking. He
raised his right hand as if telling Trevanian to stop. He turned to
his translator and spoke a few words.

“
The interview is now
terminated, Mr. Trevanian,” said Al-Ghazi. “The Imam has nothing
more to add. He is tired and needs rest. He says you should rest
and then you must leave to get this story out to the world. He
expects you to report his comments fairly and
accurately.”

“
Thank the Imam for giving
me the privilege of this interview. I am sure his views will
generate interest and debate all over the world. But I cannot take
time to rest. I need to get to a place where I can file this
interview as soon as possible,” said Trevanian.

“
That will be arranged,”
replied Al-Ghazi.

As the two men spoke, bin Laden arose
from his seat and left the room followed silently by his
bodyguards.

Chapter 30

Daily Express Newsroom
12:55 PM

KATIE CANNON headed back to her desk
and was surprised to see three police officers waiting
there.

Detective Sergeant Peter Moon stood
beside her desk along with another detective and a uniformed
cop.

“
Well, gentlemen, to what
do I owe this honor? I hope you haven’t come to arrest me. I do
plan to pay those parking tickets eventually.” Cannon smiled to
cover the uncertainty she felt about their presence. “What’s up
Peter?”

“
Hi, Katie. Don’t worry we
didn’t come for you. Although I wish you would let us give you some
protection. We’ve traced that latest e-mail from the Wolfman and
the previous ones that were sent.”

“
Where did they come
from?”

Moon’s reply stunned Cannon. She
couldn’t believe it.

“
All the e-mails were sent
from your own newspaper – the Daily Express!”

Chapter 31

Antonio’s Restaurant 1
PM

LUIGI, the maître d’, effusively
greeted Andrew Chase at the entrance to the harbor front Italian
restaurant.

“
Mr. Chase, it is so nice
to see you again. It has been quite some time since we have had the
pleasure of your company.”

“
Thank you, Luigi. Yes,
I’m afraid it has been too long. But I’ve been very busy. Little to
time to eat out lately, I’m afraid.”

“
Ah, Mr. Chase. Life is
too short. Good food is the very essence of our being. One must
make time for the finer things in life.”

“
Right you are, Luigi. I
am meeting someone here for lunch today.”

“
Yes, Miss Carpenter is
waiting for you. She is at your favorite table with the lake view.
So very romantic, yes?”

“
Thank you, Luigi. But
this is a business appointment.”

“
If you say so,” said
Luigi, eyes sparkling and giving off vibes that he didn’t believe
it for a minute.

He escorted Chase to the table. It was
next to a large panoramic window that gave a stunning view of the
harbour and the lake beyond. It was a bright, sunny day. Hundreds
of private yachts and sailboats dotted the shimmering, bright blue
waters of Lake Ontario.

But that wasn’t the only stunning
view.

Ashley Carpenter sat at the table
nursing a martini. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Long golden
tresses rested on her shoulders with bangs covering her forehead.
She had a face of sculpted Grecian beauty with alabaster skin and a
thin, petite nose.

She wore a black dress that looked
like it was a Christian Dior or Versace. Ashley only dressed in
high fashion. She would only be seen in the very best. A small
diamond necklace and matching earrings completed the
portrait.

It had been several months since Chase
last saw Ashley. She was still as beautiful as ever. If there were
a goddess on earth, Ashley Carpenter would fit the bill. Chase
began to wonder how he could he have let her get away.

“
Hello, Ashley,” he said.
“It’s been a while. You are looking as gorgeous as
ever.”

“
Why thank you, Andrew.
You are not looking too shabby yourself despite that awful
newspaper business you inhabit.” Carpenter stared directly into
Chase’s blue eyes.

Andrew sat opposite Ashley and ordered
a Heineken. Ashley sipped on her martini while simply gazing at
Andrew with her limpid emerald green eyes. He found her gaze a bit
unnerving after all this time.

“
So, to what do I owe this
pleasure?” said Chase, deciding to break the ice and make the first
move.

“
Well, Andrew I’ve been
giving a great deal of thought lately to our previous relationship.
I believe I may have been too hasty in abandoning ship so
abruptly.”

“
Why? Didn’t things work
out too well with Mr. Art Dealer?” Chase couldn’t help but display
a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“
No, we stopped seeing
each other a couple of months ago. He was so self-absorbed and
nowhere near the man that you are Andrew. Frankly, I found the art
scene somewhat boring.”

Chase found her comments somewhat
ironic given Ashley’s own penchant for selfishness.

Luigi reappeared to take their lunch
orders. Ashley asked for an asparagus soup and salad combo, while
Andrew ordered a seafood tortellini dish.

Ashley leaned forward over the table,
taking Andrew’s hands into her own. “I was thinking, darling that
perhaps we should get together and give it another try. What do you
think?”

“
Well, Ashley, the problem
is that I’m involved with someone else now. What we had was very
special at the time, but it’s all in the past. I doubt that we
could revive those feelings again even if we wanted to
try.”

“
Who is it, Andrew? Anyone
I would know?”

“
No, Ashley. She doesn’t
travel in your social circles and isn’t anywhere close to your
income bracket.”

“
Sounds like she’s some
cheap floozy you’re fucking. Andrew, I thought you had more class
than that. A man of your social stature needs a woman of substance
and social breeding in his life. Behind every successful man, lies
a good woman after all.”

“
She may not be wealthy or
a socialite, Ashley, but she’s no floozy as you so tactlessly put
it. She means a lot to me and I hope she feels the same
way.”

“
Oh, Andrew get serious
and grow up. You sound like a love-struck schoolboy. The sex with
me was great wasn’t it? You can have that and much more.” She
reached under table and began massaging his inner thigh.

“
What do you
mean?

“
I want to re-establish
our relationship. In fact, Andrew, I want you to marry
me.”

Chapter 32

Daily Express Newsroom 1:10
PM

KATIE CANNON couldn’t believe what she
had been told.

The police said they traced the
Wolfman’s e-mails from the Daily Express. Even worse, they
originated from one source – the computer of Thomas Philpott, the
paper’s librarian and researcher.

Certainly Philpott was a strange
character and somewhat of a loner. But Cannon found it hard to
believe he could be the Wolfman and commit these horrendous
deeds.

“
We need to talk to
Philpott right away,” said Detective Sergeant Peter Moon. “It’s the
strongest lead we have so far. Do you know much about him,
Katie?”

“
Not really, Peter. He’s
pretty odd and keeps to himself mainly at the paper. He doesn’t
socialize much with others. But he’s an excellent researcher and
librarian who can ferret out the most obscure background facts when
we need them for stories.”

“
Yeah, but from your
description he sounds like a poster boy for your typical serial
killer – a loner, anti-social and odd or eccentric
behavior.”

“
That may be true Peter,
but I doubt he would have the physical strength to commit these
killings. I also suspect he’s gay, so that would rather rule out
raping and killing these women.”

“
Perhaps. But you don’t
know that for sure. We need to talk to him and check out his
computer.”

“
Fine, I’ll take you down
to his office on the next floor.”

When Katie and the three police
officers entered the library, they found a large room stacked
almost to the ceiling with books, journals and newspapers. There
were several monitors on tables in the room.

Philpott was busy at his desk in his
small office. He came out into the larger room.

“
Yes, May I help you? Miss
Cannon, what is going on here? Why are the police here?” Philpott
appeared startled and somewhat frightened by this entourage that
had entered his inner sanctum.

Katie spoke in a soothing voice. “Now,
Thomas, take it easy. These gentlemen need to talk to you as part
of their investigation.”

“
Investigation of what?
I’ve done nothing wrong.” Philpott nervously looked from Katie to
the police officers. He appeared to be trembling from
fright.