AK 239: The Enemy Is Already Here

I also felt bad for Sally who is dying financially and no wonder, she’s probably back there making her first fresh pot of coffee and it’s 5 p.m.

But the slow service and little chit-chat was perfect for surveillance.

I felt like someone was watching me but when I looked in that direction, no one was there. I returned to my texting.

In the reflection of my black glass iPhone, I can see a man with a plain white keffiyeh (Muslim headdress) walking up behind me.

He walks right behind my line of sight.

The man slowly reaches in his vest pocket as if to go for a gun.

I wheel around and grab the guy’s right trigger finger when I realize it’s Yusef Abdullah.

Yusef quickly pulls out a piece of paper and throws it at me.

I reach down to the floor and pick up the paper.

Yusuf is upset and slow to respond, “I can’t help you any longer, John.”

“You’re not helping me, Yusef, you’re helping your country!”

“I’ve been your friend since school but this isn’t right,” chides Yusuf.

“Yusuf, please sit down. Let’s discuss this.”

A very long pause cuts through the strained relationship between us.

Yusuf finally pulls a chair and sits.

Sally, Yusuf’s wife, who is watching us from afar, now brings some coffee and two cups. She nervously pours the coffee for us as we stare down each other.

Sally quickly leaves, as it is forbidden in their particular religious culture to linger while the men discuss business.

I then boldly ask, “How much are you losing here?”

Without hesitating, Yusuf answers, “Too much. But that doesn’t mean you can take advantage of our relationship and think you can buy me off!”

“Wow! You think I’m buying you off? We don’t know if this guy’s dangerous or not!” I return to looking across the street in MAA’s direction.

“He came to my mosque. I volunteered to get him work. Then you show up. Are you my friend or an FBI agent?”

Without hesitation I answer, “Both!”

Yusuf says. "I can no longer be seen with you! People at the Islamic Center already think I’m with the government.”

“So are you against the government?”

“Of course not but…”

“So, whose side are you on?” I ask.

Yusuf quickly answers, “Mine!”

Now there’s another long pause and, as we stare out the window, it begins to rain.

My phone buzzes. I check it and Tom has sent the following text:

Don’t forget the huckleberry pie!!!

I think to myself sarcastically, that’s all Huckleberry needs: Another pie!

I then return my attention to what’s important saying,

“How would you feel if this guy shoots up a bunch of people or sets off a bomb?”

Yusuf stands, “I can’t help you any longer.”

As Yusuf starts to leave I then hesitantly ask, “Did Sally make huckleberry pie today?”

Yusuf stops, and then without turning around, leaves.

Great! Did I really just really lose a twenty-year friendship over this?

What if this guy’s really just someone who we’re profiling for no reason?

Sometimes I hate my job.

I stand, pull a hundred-dollar bill and lay it on the table.

As I exit the restaurant rain is pouring.

I can see Tom’s very disappointed face.

Per our standard OPS procedure, I purposely walk down the street, away from the restaurant and van.

I look back over my shoulder and see Sally running out to Tom’s van with a big bag.

Tom purposely pulls the van near the restaurant so Sally doesn’t get too wet.

Sally hands Tom the big bag and runs back into the restaurant.

I continue walking in the opposite direction, shaking my head.

I walk around round the corner as Tom quickly pulls to the curb alongside me. I casually look behind the van before stepping inside.

Tom is already tearing into an entire huckleberry pie.

“Fat squad here you come!”

Tom ignores the insult, “Let me introduce you to my psychiatrist. Wanna a piece of him?”

“You know, we call that a Man Caused Disaster!”

Tom casually looks up and with a mouthful of food says, “MCD?”

Moscow, Russia — Lubyanka Square

^{Three days ’til Christmas}

While Portland, Oregon today is raining and a dreary forty-five degrees Fahrenheit, Moscow’s high for the day is a brisk high of twenty-six degrees with six inches of snow!

At night here the streets are absolutely beautiful!

Lights, lights and more lights!

There are over 3,000 trees with Christmas lights. A giant red ball in Red square with a map of the world on it, the center, of course, is Moscow!

Today, a very secret meeting has been called for Russia’s top military leaders at Lubyanka Square, inside the old KGB building, 900 meters from Red Square.

General Petrov Andropov, General Sergei Aleksandrov, General Aleksandr Bortnikov and Admiral Victor Perchinkov sit in General Andropov’s office. It might be below zero outside but inside it was exactly seventy-six degrees. The general’s office is decorated in beautiful Italian White Carrara marble and African black woods. General Andropov loved his caviar, vodka and women. Andropov was an old friend and longtime business associate of President Ivan Mironovich and was, in fact, appointed to office personally by the president.