BooksBarbecue
Back The Occurrence
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

“I’ll be in the car. Don’t take all day,” Robinson said, and walked out.

Keyser and Hashim were alone.

“What’s your deal?” Keyser asked.

“I don’t know that you would understand.”

“Try me.”

In his car in the Attica parking lot, Robinson was on the phone with the Attorney General. He told him of Hashim’s change of mind, to not be brought into a court.

The secret hope the government had was that the jihadi leader would never be captured alive, making a trial unnecessary—but they had to deal with reality. They discussed that while some of the prosecutors believed the image of Hashim sitting, chained, in a courtroom would be an eye-opening visual for those who thought he was invincible, there were others who were conflicted at the extraordinary difficulties posed by this scenario, and maintained there would be no way to provide adequate security. More important, it would be near impossible to select an unbiased jury. And there were those who thought it would send a horrible message to the world to not hold a trial because of those threats.

“The hell with what he wants,” the Attorney General said on the other end of the mobile. “He’s going to trial.”

Keyser came out of the prison and made his way to the car. He got in the passenger side and shut the door.

Robinson looked at him. He could see Keyser was shaken.

“What the fuck happened?” Robinson asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“That’s no answer. What did he say?”

“Forget it. It’s crazy.”

“We’re not moving until you tell me. Or I’ll go back in there and find out. I’m not playing games.”

Keyser was uncomfortable with what he was being forced to say.

“You can tell me, or the Attorney General.”

He turned on the ignition.

Keyser turned it off.

“He told me what happened in the warehouse.”

“What did he say?”

“You won’t believe it.”

“Try me.”

Keyser told him about the swirling light and the butterfly and the sound.

Robinson howled.

“Did you just make that shit up?”

The look on Keyser’s face was dead serious.

“He’s fucking with you, man. And you’re crazy if you think anyone is going to believe it. And you’re nuts if you do.”

PART FIVE: The Tablets

PART FIVE

The Tablets

58

58

Sunday, September 27

Senator Ledge never thought he’d contact Jack Dean again. Decades earlier, Dean had claimed to have information relating to an object he said the government called, “The Tablet.” Dean had top security clearance at the time. But after it had been discovered he was about to reveal to a larger audience what he knew…he was discredited and dismissed from service.