رئیس‌جمهور میرسه

CHAPTER TWELVE

The President Arrives

On Friday morning, there were hundreds of security officers around the U.N building. There were police officers with guns on the roof and coastguard boats on the river.

A large group of protesters stood outside the U.N. Many of them wore face masks to protect their families in Matobo.

Lewis called Tobin. “The numbers on Jamal’s wall. There’s a pizza restaurant, a store, and an international cell phone.”

“Find the cell phone,” Tobin ordered. “Who owns it?”

Then Mohammad called. “Silvia used a computer to get a flight. But I don’t know where she’s going.”

“Get passenger lists for all flights to South Africa from JFK, La Guardia, and Newark airports. Find her and put her on the phone.”

Lewis called him again. “The international cell phone belonged to Jean Gamba,” he said.

“Did he call somebody at 3:30 PM the day before yesterday” Tobin asked.

“Yes,” Lewis replied.

“That was after the bomb on the bus,” Tobin said. “Who was the first person he called? Try the number, then call me back.”

A minute later, Tobin’s cell phone rang again.

“It’s a number in the Matoban government offices,” Lewis said.

“Lud’s number” asked Tobin.

“No,” Lewis replied. “Somebody named Marcus Matu. He’s one of the Ambassador’s assistants.”

“Go there” Tobin shouted. His phone rang again. This time it was Mohammad. “She’s on a flight out of JFK Airport at 9:00 AM.”

“Go to the airport and wait for her,” Tobin said. “Then call me.”

Matu and a group of Matobans arrived at the U.N building, they walked through the security gates, past the U.N guards, and past Tobin.

Dot was at JFK Airport when Edmond Zuwanie came down the stairs from his airplane. He looked old, small, and weak. “Is that Zuwanie” Dot asked the agent next to her. “Has that old man really killed thousands of people?”

Lud greeted the President. Zuwanie smiled and climbed into a car. Lud and Dot got in with him and they started to drive across the city to the U.N. Zuwanie looked out the car window at Manhattan Island. “I want to go to the theater,” he said.

“That’s not possible, sir,” Dot said.

“Last time I came here, there was a lot of sky,” the President said, “Now there are more tall buildings.”

“You came here twenty-three years ago, Dr. Zuwanie,” Lud said “Things change.”

“They get less important,” Zuwanie said. “They put flowers on the bridge during my last visit. I freed Matobo and the American people welcomed me with flowers.” A few minutes later, the car arrived at the U.N building. The protesters shouted angrily and waved their signs at the President. He looked surprised. “Are these people here for me” he asked Dat.

“Yes,” Dot replied.

Tobin opened the car door and Zuwanie climbed out slowly, and took his arm and helped him into the building. Tobin’s cell phone rang again.

“I’m at the airport. I can’t see her,” Mohammad said.

“Stay there,” Tobin said. He turned to Pettigrew. “Can we keep Zuwanie in the safe room? It will give us more time.”

“We can try,” Pettigrew said. “But he wants to speak.”

Tobin called Lewis and King. “Are you at the Matoban government offices” he asked.

“Yes,” Lewis replied. “But Matu isn’t here. He didn’t come in this morning. Nobody knows where he is.”

“They know where he is,” King said. “But they won’t tell us.”

“Get a photo of him and send it to the U.N security officers,” Tobin said. “Then go to his home address.”

Two minutes later, a U.N security officer came up behind him.

“This picture just arrived, sir,” he said, and he gave Tobin a photo of Matu.

Tobin looked at it carefully - and recognized the face!

“He’s here” Tobin shouted. “I just saw him at the top of the stairs.”

He left Dot with Zuwanie and ran into the main hall. It was full now with hundreds of people who were waiting for Zuwanie. Tobin saw Lud sitting with the other people from Matobo. He looked up and saw the interpreters in their booths. He looked for Matu, but he couldn’t see him.