Lethal Conspiracy

Prologue Blood dripped from his forehead. The warm, red fluid slowly crept down his face. He smiled. It had taken a long time to reach this point, but today he had achieved victory. The blood smeared face in front of him showed no smile at all as the man dropped to his knees. Intense eyes stared back at him. “It is time,” the man said. “Take the oath.” The journey began four and a half years ago. Preparation started much earlier. He had been specifically chosen for this task. Highly intelligent, he learned easily to adapt to new surroundings. His dark skin made him a natural. It took some time to learn the language and the customs. Getting used to the food was especially difficult for him. Long hours of practice were required to make it all appear very normal to anyone observing him. He lived alone for awhile in their country, then finally bribes and lavish presents bought favor from elders who introduced him to government officials. In turn, as a reward for his diligence and as a demonstration of their power, he was appointed as Aide to the UN Ambassador for their country. He was easily accepted by the small group of Middle Eastern Muslims working in the United Nations. Becoming close friends with several of them, he felt free to express an occasional comment against Israel and against the United States. He played his role as a fellow Muslim and waited. He was in this position just in case something unusual happened. And now, his actions led to this special invitation. He could hardly believe this was happening, and at this location, only five blocks from the United Nations, in central New York City, USA. The mosque was empty. The private room set aside for special prayer had been prepared. There was no Imam present for this occasion. The man named Zakir Almahdi acted as leader. Both men were on their knees as a sign of respect and supplication. It emphasized the importance of this act. He faced the man, the leader, Zakir Almahdi from Yemen. “Do you take the oath freely?” “I do,” he lied. Swallowing hard, he told himself, you’ve come too far, you have to do this. “You now have the mark of blood on your head,” Almahdi said. “Take the oath.” Taking a deep breath, he spoke softly, “With Allah as my guide, and you as my witnesses…” They all watched him, anticipating what he would say. He was the last. The other four men, all working in the U.N., had completed the same blood oath, committing their lives and forming this new organization. “I vow my loyalty to this great cause.” Almahdi called his new organization Soldiers of Allah’s Victory. With the help of these men, he planned to increase the size of the organization. But it would not grow too large, they would achieve their ultimate objective in just a few months. Other Islamic Puritan groups conducted acts of terrorism in many locations throughout the world. But other than the 9/11 attack on America, they only fought little wars and only achieved little results. These men were tired of these small, insignificant results. They wanted total victory: a glorious, final Jihad victory for Allah. They would witness the annihilation of Little Satan, Israel. The Great Satan, America, would be humbled in front of all nations. The infidel’s troops would be withdrawn from their world and the final conversion to Islam would begin. They had a plan. It would begin with a bomb, and it would end with nuclear war. “On my sacred honor and that of my family, I pledge, as a true follower of the Prophet, that my life and all my belongings in this world,” he paused, grimacing inside but not showing it, “Shall be used to achieve the final victory in Allah’s Jihad.” It was done. With a sigh of satisfaction, the others smiled at him. All except one. He looked into the dark, penetrating eyes of the man facing him. They looked through him. He felt his soul being searched. He began to tremble inside, his chest tightened, his throat constricted. My God, he knows! Almahdi suddenly reached out and put his arms around him. “My brother, in the name of Allah, we will achieve great things together. We will see the final Jihad.” Taking a deep breath, relief swept over him. He was safe, for now. Standing up, Almahdi turned to the others. “Brothers, Allah blessed this goat’s blood and made it holy and acceptable for taking this oath. Let this blood be symbolic of the blood to be shed in the nuclear war we will start.” They all cheered. Almahdi looked around the room, looking at each person individually. “Remember, this is a solemn oath. You have pledged your life to this cause. If you violate this oath, your blood will flow. You will forfeit your life and that of your family.” The man’s eyes opened wider, glaring at them. “The great Jihad is a special form of worship,” he began shaking, as if possessed, on fire for his cause, “One that can only exist through the blood of those who sacrifice their souls for Islam!” Regaining control of himself, he calmed down and was silent for a moment. Then, raising his voice as if making a toast, he added, “May Allah bless each of us!” Sharing embraces with this man and the others in the room, he felt sick inside. How long could he keep up this charade? He knew he had to maintain this act for a while longer. And he had to be extremely careful with these Muslim brothers. If they knew the truth, he would be dead right now! They did not know. They had been deceived. There were three good reasons for them to kill him. He was a Jew! He was Israeli! He was Mossad!