// 845.371.2222 by the al Qaeda that the ideals of the movement were absolute truth, that they would lead to his salvation, that the American way was corrupt and destructive, and that murder in the name of Islam would lead to paradise—Jamil was now incapable of shedding this mindset. He could not criticize the movement or its leader, even in the recesses of his own mind. But this did not affect his relationship with Rachamim and Naomi. Somehow, they had slipped past his defenses. They had become more precious to him than anything in the world. The expert psychologists who had programmed his way of thinking had not prepared him for such a close relationship. Jamil recalled their twenty years of friendship. Aside from these two wonderful people, he had no one in the entire world. He couldn’t bear the thought that they would be among the victims—and that he would be the one to destroy them. Jamil tried to push these thoughts away. Instead, he focused on the device that represented his task. The large, red button in the center beckoned to him. Just one push on that button, and his work would finally warehouse provided just enough light to illuminate the entranceway. Jamil did not want to turn on the main lights. He preferred the darkness now, during the last few hours of his life. What should I do about Rachamim? The question gave him no rest. How could he convince him to leave before it was too late? He would do anything to help Rachamim survive. Anything, that is, except go against orders. Yet an inner voice refused to give him peace. He could not harm his close friends, Rachamim and Naomi. They had treated him like the family he had never had, and they were a part of him now. He couldn’t destroy the city until Rachamim was safely gone. Jamil slowly began pacing across the empty room, recalling events from the past. The room was chilly, and he wrapped his tattered coat tightly around himself. He was struck by the irony: al Qaeda was willing to spend millions to murder innocent citizens, but was unwilling to invest an extra fifty dollars to buy a decent coat for one of its devoted soldiers. Almost automatically, he pushed these thoughts away. The rigorous mental training that he had received over twenty years ago created a mental block that prevented him from thinking rationally. Taught 199
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