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Back The Occurrence Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. PART ONE: Up From Buried Light
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. PART TWO: Re-Entry
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. PART THREE: Convergence
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART FOUR: Surrender
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. PART FIVE: The Tablets
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. PART SIX: The Trial
  76. 66
  77. 67
  78. 68
  79. PART SEVEN: The Cave of Memory
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. PART EIGHT: Guardians
  96. 84
  97. 85
  98. 86
  99. 87
  100. 88
  101. 89
  102. 90
  103. 91
  104. 92
  105. 93
  106. 94
  107. PART NINE: Into Buried Light
  108. 95
  109. 96
  110. 97
  111. 98
  112. 99
  113. 100
  114. 101
  115. 102
  116. 103
  117. Acknowledgments

Hashim looked down at the chains on his wrists.

“I discovered things about myself under bin Laden. I learned I was violent, brutal, and determined. I’d beheaded enemies, and ordered them to be killed. But I was misguided.”

“How have you come to this now?”

He wanted to tell Kurt it was the experience in the desert that led him here. How the visions of who he’d been in the swirl of dust and light erased the darkness that had saturated him with hate. Somehow, he knew Kurt would understand. But those who were privy to this conversation, from wherever they watched and listened, he wouldn’t trust with this truth. But he needed to let Kurt know somehow, and words from the Qur’an ran through his mind, and he spoke them.

“‘I tell you of a truth that the spirits which now have affinity shall be kindred together although they all meet in new persons and names.’”

And Kurt said, “‘Every soul will be brought face to face with the good that it has done and with the evil it has done.’”

“You know the Qur’an.”

“Yes. Very well.”

The psychiatrist’s eyes were locked in on the prisoner.

A breath rushed out of Hashim, like he was expelling his past, and he said, “In Islam there are two types of jihad.”

“I know. The greater, of the soul. And the lesser, of the sword.”

“I’m here to show the world the greater, and that our violent jihad is wrong.”

Kurt leaned in, his elbows on the table inches from Hashim’s hands.

“And how do you expect to show the world that?”

“In a courtroom, with all the coverage your country is known for.”

“And you expect to have a legal team help you do that?”

“There is no defense for what I’ve done.”

“It’s hard to believe your motive is to offer yourself up with nothing in return. You could use this platform for your lesser jihad.”

“How you deal with me is up to you. I am in your hands. This is neither simple nor easy, nor will be, for either of us. But I am here.”

He took another deep breath—this time the air that rushed out had the scent of roses. He could see Kurt’s breathing changed as well. And from the look in Kurt’s eyes, and his slow intake of breath, Hashim could tell he smelled the roses, too.

48

48

The White House was in a frenzy. There was no precedent for a terrorist’s surrender. Was it a tactical distraction away from an imminent attack? What ploy was behind Hashim’s surrender? How could this be contained for maximum security and played for political cachet?