Path of Jen: Bloodborne (17 page)

The elevator doors opened and Najid stepped
out into the garage. He fished his keys out of his coat pocket and
pressed the unlock button. He heard the familiar chirp of his car
alarm disarming and the doors unlocking. Rounding the corner to his
parking row, Najid saw something he did not expect. He stopped in
his tracks and the four men standing at the rear of his car turned
in unison to face him. Two of the men were uniformed police
officers, and their car was parked directly behind them. The other
two men were dressed in dark suits. Najid almost turned back to the
elevator, but he knew that would just make things worse.

“Mr. Najid?” one of the men wearing a suit
called out.

Najid nodded, but stayed where he was.
“What do they want with me? Do they know?”

The two men in suits walked over to Najid and
flipped open their badges. The leather wallets each had a clear
window on the inner flap that showed a white ID card with “FBI”
written in large blue letters. “Sir, I’m sorry to surprise you like
this…I’m Special Agent House. This is Special Agent Fornier. We
have some questions for you about your daughter. Will you come with
us?”

Najid swallowed hard.
“Oh dear God, please
be with me now."
Najid nodded and went with them. The policemen
return to their car and Najid followed the FBI agents to theirs. He
was put in the back seat and they dove out of the parking garage
and into the busy Dallas streets.

“I haven’t been able to reach my wife. Is
someone from your agency contacting her as well?" Najid asked.

The two men in the front seat looked at each
other and then Agent House said, “She’s already where we’re going.
Just sit tight and you’ll see her soon enough.”

There was no more talking for the rest of the
ride. Najid was just as unsure about what would happen when they
walked him into an FBI conference room as he was in the parking
garage. “Mr. Ahmadi,” said Special Agent House. “Thank you for
cooperating. We brought you down here because we have reason to
believe your missing daughter is cooperating with the terror
organization, ISIS. That is…concerning.”

Najid shook his head angrily. “No! She was
kidnapped and whatever she is doing, I guarantee she is being
forced!”

Agent House raised his hands and said, “Okay,
okay, I understand the back story here. We’ve been in contact with
Congressman Seaver’s office already. We know your daughter was
kidnapped, and by all appearances, she was not affiliated with any
terror groups at the time. That doesn’t change the fact that she is
definitely affiliated with one now." His tone was snarky and he
made no effort to hide his belief that Jena was guilty. “You must
have seen the video. Can you honestly argue differently?”

“What video?” asked Najid angrily. “I saw the
headlines, and there was a picture. I haven’t even read the story."
He took a breath to regain control of his temper and spoke calmly.
“May I please see the video you’re talking about? And may I please
see my wife? I’m sure she’s just as upset as I am.”

Special Agent House and Special Agent Fornier
stepped outside the conference room to talk privately. A minute
later Agent House re-entered the room and said, “Agent Fornier is
sending for your wife, and we’re dialing up the video so we can all
watch it on the big screen." He tapped the table a few times and
looked at the door. “Okay, I’m going to get some coffee. You want
some?”

Najid nodded. “Yes, please. I take it
black.”

Agent House looked at Najid sideways for a
moment, as if he wanted to say something. Instead he smirked,
tapped the table once and walked out of the room.

Najid put his head in his hands and tried to
focus on the good news.
“I saw my daughter alive!"
He
repeated that phrase for strength and peace of mind, but it was a
hollow gesture.
“I don’t know who she is anymore,”
was the
truth that he finally had to admit.

Special Agent Fornier and Fouzia arrived at
the same time Special Agent House arrived with a carafe and a stack
of styrofoam cups. A young man wearing designer glasses, a pink
pinstriped shirt, and bluejeans logged into the computer at the
back of the room and the TV came to life. Najid could see the
computer desktop displayed on the TV screen, and followed the
cursor as it selected a network drive and opened a folder. The
techie opened a couple of subfolders and finally selected a file
labeled:
Armageddon
.

A media player opened to full screen and
white Persian writing appeared on a black background. On the bottom
of the screen, English subtitles read, “Jihad is coming to the
West. Jihad is coming to the World!" The screen faded from black to
a deep red, and in the center stood an ISIS soldier dressed from
head to toe in black, and carrying an AK-47. The red border had
ornate golden scrollwork, which created a dramatic frame around the
figure in the center. He spoke with a clear, authoritative voice.
As he spoke, the subtitles at the bottom of the screen read, “While
the Americans sleep, The Islamic State has been diligently working
to bring about their destruction. Our Jihadis have been training
non-stop, and our network now extends to the furthest reaches of
their decrepit empire. This is a minor accomplishment in comparison
to the feat our scientists and Imams have created. Non-believers
throughout the world will know the true power of Islam in these,
their final days."

The picture in the center changed to video
footage of a confident young woman in a dazzling white dress and
hijab. She wore gold and jewels, and took a seat upon an ornate,
high backed chair. She looked like a queen taking a seat on her
throne. In the video, flashes could be seen as photographers took
numerous pictures. The voice continued, “Behold, the Holy Virgin of
Islam. The most virtuous and devout Muslim woman in all the world.
For true believers, Jenna embodies the true meaning of her name:
Paradise; for that is what she brings to all who believe in the
Holy Quran." The center picture changed to a simplified global map
spinning slowly. A small red spot appeared in North America and
quickly spread, soon covering the entire world. All the while the
voice continued speaking. It said, “But for non-believers, the Holy
Virgin of Islam is the Mother of all Suicide Bombers, waging an
unstoppable Jihad against an unclean and unworthy world. Prepare
yourselves. For you, Jenna brings Armageddon.”

The center video enlarged to eclipse the rest
of the screen and the camera zoomed in on Jena’s face until all of
the focus was on her eyes. They were mesmerizing. Speaking in
Farsi, Jena said, “Islam is the only true religion and Allah is the
one and only true God." Najid slowly shook his head side to side in
disbelief as he stared a his daughter’s eyes and listened to her
declaration. Fouzia covered her mouth with her hand and let out a
heartbreaking whimper.

Jena continued, “By Allah’s command, we
commit Holy Jihad. Death to America. Death to Israel. Death to all
Infidels. Allahu Akbar." The camera stayed on Jena while deafening
chants of “Allahu Akbar!” erupted around her. The video zoomed out
and showed Jena looking around the room as the chanting continued
and grew louder. The video abruptly ended and the conference room
was quiet.

Special Agent House broke the silence by
clearing his throat and asking, “Well? Any thoughts?" He looked
from Najid to Fouzia, and back.

Najid stared straight back at him with
genuine dislike. Without looking away, he reached out and took
Fouzia’s hand in his. He squeezed it gently. She squeezed back with
surprising strength and Najid knew she was barely keeping it
together. The video was overwhelming in all of its horrific
implications.

The agent sighed in frustration and pinched
the bridge of his nose. “Look, we have a whole team of experts
analyzing this video. They’re looking for signs that she was under
duress, or subtle signals that she may be trying to send. Sometimes
there is something that is just off, like blinking, or words that
are out of character. Maybe she is speaking with an accent or a
lisp when she never did before. Maybe her eyes are wider than
usual, or more closed." He began tapping on the table again. “Do
you get what I’m saying here? This is your chance to help your
daughter if you truly believe she’s not the Jihad Jane pinup girl
they’re making her out to be.”

Najid nodded. He was relieved to hear that
the FBI was at least looking at the possibility that she wasn’t
participating willingly. “We will need to watch it again…maybe a
few times." Najid looked at Fouzia for her input and she nodded.
“Yes,” he said. “Let us watch again. I can tell you already that
she couldn’t speak Farsi before, but we’ll have to watch more
closely to catch anything else.”

Special Agent House looked at the techie and
made a rolling motion with his arm. “Play it again."

Jen sat in her room glued to the TV, shaking
like a leaf. Her fists were clenched and the veins in her forehead
were protruding. For weeks, she regretted giving in to the Imam and
his request for her to make a recorded statement. She felt
unbearable guilt and shame. She spent many nights crying herself to
sleep and many days praying for forgiveness. Over time the guilt
and regret changed into something else. Each time she watched the
edited video on the Jihadist network her TV was programmed to
receive, she felt intense anger.

“I was such an idiot to cave like that! Now
the whole world thinks I’m some kind of evil psychopath! Ugh!" She
slammed her fists on the bed and stood up. “And what? They think
I’m going to be okay with blowing myself up? Really?" Jen dropped
down and did thirty more push ups. When she was done, she lifted
one leg in the air and did five more. She immediately rolled onto
her side and did thirty side crunches. Without hesitating she
switched sides and did thirty more. She did burpees, jump squats,
v-ups and leg lifts until she thought she would drop, and then she
sat and watched the video again. Before it was over she was up
again, running in place as fast as she could. After two minutes,
she switched to jumping jacks until she caught her breath and then
ran in place again with high knees.

Jen was sweating profusely, but she kept
watching the video. The anger pushed her farther than she thought
she could go. She exercised for two hours before finally turning
off the TV. She stretched her taxed muscles and headed for a cool
shower. While the refreshing water cascaded over her head and down
her body, Jen wondered if her parents had watched the video.
“Was it broadcast world-wide?"
She put her head down and
tried to imagine their reaction. It was too much to bear. She hoped
that if they had seen the video, they didn’t recognize her.
“What a testimony I have been,”
she thought.
“I’m worse
than Peter, denying Christ."
She sighed and whispered, “No, I’m
worse than Judas, betraying Christ.”

Like most days, her troubling thoughts washed
down the drain with the last of the water and she found herself in
a lighter mood as she stepped out of the shower. Her arms and legs
felt like rubber as she toweled off. She laughed when she could
barely raise the towel to her head to dry her hair, but she knew
the exhaustion wouldn’t last long. Jen noticed her endurance
increasing since she began working out harder, and she recovered
much faster. The first week, she only made it fifteen to twenty
minutes into her workout before calling it quits and heading for
the shower. Now her workouts were much longer, and she actually
felt better afterward.

When she was dry, Jen dressed in her
signature white dress and gold jewelry and waited for Maria to come
get her for breakfast and her weekly blood draw. Since the video,
the doctor had been drawing blood again. He said it was necessary
in order to make as much of the vaccine as possible. Jen didn’t
mind.
“As long as something good comes out of all of this, then
it will be worth it in the end."
When she thought about the
vaccine she helped create and all of the kids it could help save,
it was possible to forget that she was pubic enemy number one to he
rest of humanity.

“
Maria must be running late,”
she
thought. It was an hour later than their usual breakfast time and
there was no sign of her companion. Jen heard heavy footsteps in
the hallway coming toward her door. There was a knock.

Jen considered donning her hijab and decided
against it.
“It’s probably Maria anyway,” she thought. Who else
would it be?"
She opened the door and nearly shrieked in
surprise. In the hall, a nervous looking soldier stood holding a
tray from the cafeteria. He was young, no more than twenty, with
dark brown hair and reddish-brown eyes. He looked Jen in the eyes
and then nervously looked away.

“
Oh wow, he’s cute!”
thought Jen.
“Geez, stop looking at his eyes Jen!"
They stood there
awkwardly for moment until Jen apologized for her rudeness and shut
the door. She was nearly eighteen and she couldn’t deny that she
noticed some of the men in this compound were handsome.
“Too bad
they’re insane…”
she joked to herself. She put on her hijab and
took a moment to glance in the bathroom mirror.
“Ugh! I forgot
to put on makeup!"
Jen sighed regretfully and went to answer
the door properly.

The soldier held the tray out and Jen took
it. “Why are you bringing this to me here?” she asked in Farsi.
“Where is Maria? Am I not allowed to leave my room?" The soldier
stood firm, although he looked for a moment as if he wanted to say
something. After an awkward moment he motioned for her to step back
into the room. Jen frowned and stepped back The soldier smiled and
nodded his thanks for her cooperation. Then he grasped the door
knob and quietly pulled it shut. She heard the locking mechanism
click back into place.