Draco Cronnoc II
"Satish Hamed." You say decisively. "That's who we want. This guy was the attacker; this guy was the key. Still, keep your eyes peeled for the name Lucas Esmodre."
"I can cache it," Susan offers.
"Cache?" you wonder aloud. "And that would be..."
"I can have the computer highlight the name Lucas Esmodre within Hamed's database."
"Great!" you smile. "Yeah, definitely do that."
Susan clicks on a few more things and hits the enter button (one of the few buttons you can recognize immediately). A picture of an Arab man flashes onto the screen.
Without reading the article, Susan scrolls to the bottom and then sighs. "Oh well."
"What is it?" you demand quickly. "What's wrong?"
"The cache brought up nothing. I was thinking that maybe the crime that brought Satish into this database was related to Luke. Maybe Satish's wife had cheated and he attacked Luke and just decided to finish the job."
"I see," you nod. "But let's still inspect the article. What did get Hamed in here?"
Susan scrolls back up to the top and laughs. "A whole lot, apparently. Mr. Satish Hamed was not at all a moral man. Arrested for attempted murder at the age of fourteen. Tried to kill a man named Jeff Green. No juvenile time. Joined an extremist group at the age of twenty, he's always been more of a radical person...takes his religion too seriously."
"What was the name of the group?" you ask. "Was it La Kaida? That's what we're going with so far..."
"No, it wasn't. The name's Esa Nor. They're a legal group, I'm pretty sure. Not overly violent, and the main thing keeping it alive is that Esa Nor has never been a slave to the media."
"Well I think we have what we want," you conclude. "I'll go see this Esa Nor and interrogate them. Where are they based?"
"Now, that I don't know." Susan exits the criminal database and accesses the internet. She types in Esa Nor and clicks on a line that says "Esa Nor Official Website."
You see immediately that the headquartes of Esa Nor is in Lackawanna, New York. Looks like you're going to Lackawanna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You arrive in Lackawanna. Man, this town is done. You've heard that it was once the jewel near Lake Erie: twenty thousand workers employed in the enormous company of Bethlehem Steel. And then the company burst. Either from rising costs or outsourcing, but Lackawanna was left with nothing.
And where there is nothing, that's when people of a more questionable nature come in. Starting around 1985 Muslims started coming in as land was so cheap. Lots of Muslims, most of them from Yemen. Now the city has the third-largest Muslim population in the United States. Eventually, the community got out of hand. In 2003 a sleeper cell made up of six citizens was discovered in Lackawanna.
"Time to find Esa Nor," you think. "Susan told me they were on Martin Street; that's where I am now," . Susan had also told you the man to speak with was named Omar Damin.
And then you see it. World Headquarters, Esa Nor, Lackawanna New York. You step out of your car and straighten your shirt. This interrogation would not be easy. You know Muslims are a wary people, they don't want anyone getting in their business.
Nevertheless, you push the door open and step inside. Just like the rest of Lackawanna, Esa Nor's headquarters is a decrepit piece of shit. Paint is falling off the walls, and there are gaping cracks in the floor. Squalor.
"May I see Mr. Omar Damin?" you ask the man at the desk. He is not dressed like an Arab, but he certainly looks like one.
"Do you have an appointment?" he asks in a rude tone. The man has a normal Western New York accent. "It is not normal that we earn the joy of receiving a white man in a suit..."
You smile. "Ah, so you know why I am here then. Yes, I am with the police. I'm currently investigating the Richland Harbor attacks, I'm sure you've heard of them?"
The man's lips curl into a snarl. "Yes, we have. And the Christians on the other side of the bridge blame us. There have been numerous assaults on Muslims in the past few days."
You vaguely remember crossing a bridge that separates the much smaller Christian population and the Muslims. "Well, I need to speak with Mr. Damin concerning one of his followers, a certain Mr. Satish Hamed."
The receptionist shook his head. "Satish Hamed left our family over a year ago. He is no longer with us."
"We'll see about that," you return. "I need to see Omar Damin right now." As an expression of urgency you slam down your police badge.
The man looks nervously at the badge and clears his throat. "Right, follow me sir. And don't touch anything. You might just destroy the building."
"Right," you nod. "Carry on."
And he does carry on. The man leads you to a large door on the right side of the hall, its paint peeling away from the cherry wood. "In here, officer."
"Thank you. You may leave." You stare at the man, almost daring him to stay. He glances at you for a moment but then departs for his post as receptionist.
You push open the door and find an Arabic man at the desk smoking from a mahogany pipe. He is dressed in traditional Saudi dress, unlike everyone else you've seen in this town. The white robes and checkered cap included.
Your eyes meet as he looks at you oddly. Then he puts down his pipe. "What do you want from Esa Nor?"
You begin in a stately manner, so as to appear confident. This whole thing is a game of acting. "I'm here, Mr. Damin, to ask you some questions about one of your members."
Damin shrugs. "Chances are I won't recognize the man's name. Esa Nor, despite what our building might tell you, is growing. More and more are joining our ranks. Slowly, but surely."
"Oh, I have a feeling you'll recognize this name," you smirk. "Does Satish Hamed mean anything to you?"
It certainly did. You see Damin's eyes widen, recognition smeared across his face. Hamed must have been a prominent member in this group.
"Yes, I do remember Hamed," Damin says gravely. "I despise the man. He's no more than a common traitor!"
"Please," you say slowly. "Start from the beginning. I need as much information as possible, and as of yet I do not know much about Satish Hamed."
"Fine," Damin sits back in his chair. "Satish Hamed joined our community of Esa Nor at a younger age than most; he was sixteen. However, he soon became disillusioned with our group. Apparently, we just weren't radical enough for him. He wanted to destroy America, and so in a few years he left us."
"Left you?" you sneer. "I bet you're still harboring him. Protecting him."
Damin stares at you, keeping eye contact. He turns his palms to you in a nonhostile motion. "No. In fact, I wish it were so. I saw much potential in the boy, much potential that needed to be reigned in. But I failed. I tried to keep him but lost. He is gone from our community.
"However, I want to help you catch this bastard's group. Satish Hamed left a stain on Esa Nor that shall never be wiped off. We are shattered, as you can see. I want you to find those he joined."
"Who did he join?" you press.
"The Red Exterior," Damin concludes ominously. "A group of Siamese rebels who don't just want communism in southeast Asia. They want it everywhere. Back in Russia, more in China, and even here in the United States! They are determined to get what they want, and have resorted to violence."
"A blend of the enemies of my generation and today's," you notice. "Communist terrorists."
"Indeed!" Damin thunders. "You must find them and bring them to justice. If Americans find out who really blew up Richland Harbor, they won't blame Muslims. You must find the Red Exterior. If you want my advice, you should see my friend, Mohammed Akbar. He's an expert on the Red Exterior, and I consulted him when Hamed abandoned our cause. Failing that, you could go check Satish's house yourself. He lives just six houses down the street, maybe he left something of substance there..."
"I can cache it," Susan offers.
"Cache?" you wonder aloud. "And that would be..."
"I can have the computer highlight the name Lucas Esmodre within Hamed's database."
"Great!" you smile. "Yeah, definitely do that."
Susan clicks on a few more things and hits the enter button (one of the few buttons you can recognize immediately). A picture of an Arab man flashes onto the screen.
Without reading the article, Susan scrolls to the bottom and then sighs. "Oh well."
"What is it?" you demand quickly. "What's wrong?"
"The cache brought up nothing. I was thinking that maybe the crime that brought Satish into this database was related to Luke. Maybe Satish's wife had cheated and he attacked Luke and just decided to finish the job."
"I see," you nod. "But let's still inspect the article. What did get Hamed in here?"
Susan scrolls back up to the top and laughs. "A whole lot, apparently. Mr. Satish Hamed was not at all a moral man. Arrested for attempted murder at the age of fourteen. Tried to kill a man named Jeff Green. No juvenile time. Joined an extremist group at the age of twenty, he's always been more of a radical person...takes his religion too seriously."
"What was the name of the group?" you ask. "Was it La Kaida? That's what we're going with so far..."
"No, it wasn't. The name's Esa Nor. They're a legal group, I'm pretty sure. Not overly violent, and the main thing keeping it alive is that Esa Nor has never been a slave to the media."
"Well I think we have what we want," you conclude. "I'll go see this Esa Nor and interrogate them. Where are they based?"
"Now, that I don't know." Susan exits the criminal database and accesses the internet. She types in Esa Nor and clicks on a line that says "Esa Nor Official Website."
You see immediately that the headquartes of Esa Nor is in Lackawanna, New York. Looks like you're going to Lackawanna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You arrive in Lackawanna. Man, this town is done. You've heard that it was once the jewel near Lake Erie: twenty thousand workers employed in the enormous company of Bethlehem Steel. And then the company burst. Either from rising costs or outsourcing, but Lackawanna was left with nothing.
And where there is nothing, that's when people of a more questionable nature come in. Starting around 1985 Muslims started coming in as land was so cheap. Lots of Muslims, most of them from Yemen. Now the city has the third-largest Muslim population in the United States. Eventually, the community got out of hand. In 2003 a sleeper cell made up of six citizens was discovered in Lackawanna.
"Time to find Esa Nor," you think. "Susan told me they were on Martin Street; that's where I am now," . Susan had also told you the man to speak with was named Omar Damin.
And then you see it. World Headquarters, Esa Nor, Lackawanna New York. You step out of your car and straighten your shirt. This interrogation would not be easy. You know Muslims are a wary people, they don't want anyone getting in their business.
Nevertheless, you push the door open and step inside. Just like the rest of Lackawanna, Esa Nor's headquarters is a decrepit piece of shit. Paint is falling off the walls, and there are gaping cracks in the floor. Squalor.
"May I see Mr. Omar Damin?" you ask the man at the desk. He is not dressed like an Arab, but he certainly looks like one.
"Do you have an appointment?" he asks in a rude tone. The man has a normal Western New York accent. "It is not normal that we earn the joy of receiving a white man in a suit..."
You smile. "Ah, so you know why I am here then. Yes, I am with the police. I'm currently investigating the Richland Harbor attacks, I'm sure you've heard of them?"
The man's lips curl into a snarl. "Yes, we have. And the Christians on the other side of the bridge blame us. There have been numerous assaults on Muslims in the past few days."
You vaguely remember crossing a bridge that separates the much smaller Christian population and the Muslims. "Well, I need to speak with Mr. Damin concerning one of his followers, a certain Mr. Satish Hamed."
The receptionist shook his head. "Satish Hamed left our family over a year ago. He is no longer with us."
"We'll see about that," you return. "I need to see Omar Damin right now." As an expression of urgency you slam down your police badge.
The man looks nervously at the badge and clears his throat. "Right, follow me sir. And don't touch anything. You might just destroy the building."
"Right," you nod. "Carry on."
And he does carry on. The man leads you to a large door on the right side of the hall, its paint peeling away from the cherry wood. "In here, officer."
"Thank you. You may leave." You stare at the man, almost daring him to stay. He glances at you for a moment but then departs for his post as receptionist.
You push open the door and find an Arabic man at the desk smoking from a mahogany pipe. He is dressed in traditional Saudi dress, unlike everyone else you've seen in this town. The white robes and checkered cap included.
Your eyes meet as he looks at you oddly. Then he puts down his pipe. "What do you want from Esa Nor?"
You begin in a stately manner, so as to appear confident. This whole thing is a game of acting. "I'm here, Mr. Damin, to ask you some questions about one of your members."
Damin shrugs. "Chances are I won't recognize the man's name. Esa Nor, despite what our building might tell you, is growing. More and more are joining our ranks. Slowly, but surely."
"Oh, I have a feeling you'll recognize this name," you smirk. "Does Satish Hamed mean anything to you?"
It certainly did. You see Damin's eyes widen, recognition smeared across his face. Hamed must have been a prominent member in this group.
"Yes, I do remember Hamed," Damin says gravely. "I despise the man. He's no more than a common traitor!"
"Please," you say slowly. "Start from the beginning. I need as much information as possible, and as of yet I do not know much about Satish Hamed."
"Fine," Damin sits back in his chair. "Satish Hamed joined our community of Esa Nor at a younger age than most; he was sixteen. However, he soon became disillusioned with our group. Apparently, we just weren't radical enough for him. He wanted to destroy America, and so in a few years he left us."
"Left you?" you sneer. "I bet you're still harboring him. Protecting him."
Damin stares at you, keeping eye contact. He turns his palms to you in a nonhostile motion. "No. In fact, I wish it were so. I saw much potential in the boy, much potential that needed to be reigned in. But I failed. I tried to keep him but lost. He is gone from our community.
"However, I want to help you catch this bastard's group. Satish Hamed left a stain on Esa Nor that shall never be wiped off. We are shattered, as you can see. I want you to find those he joined."
"Who did he join?" you press.
"The Red Exterior," Damin concludes ominously. "A group of Siamese rebels who don't just want communism in southeast Asia. They want it everywhere. Back in Russia, more in China, and even here in the United States! They are determined to get what they want, and have resorted to violence."
"A blend of the enemies of my generation and today's," you notice. "Communist terrorists."
"Indeed!" Damin thunders. "You must find them and bring them to justice. If Americans find out who really blew up Richland Harbor, they won't blame Muslims. You must find the Red Exterior. If you want my advice, you should see my friend, Mohammed Akbar. He's an expert on the Red Exterior, and I consulted him when Hamed abandoned our cause. Failing that, you could go check Satish's house yourself. He lives just six houses down the street, maybe he left something of substance there..."