Read Online THE GUARDIAN (Taskforce Series) by Marliss Melton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marliss Melton
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eye, Ike looked more haggard than usual, which was saying something since his default expression was that of a man predicting world calamity. The only time he ever looked relaxed was when he took off to his mountain hideaway with his lovely bride, Eryn.
Of course, Eryn could make any man feel better, Jackson reflected. There’d been a time about a year ago when he’d hoped she’d be a balm for his own soul. He’d even taken Eryn out on a couple of dates while Ike was in Afghanistan , but with her heart already pledged to Ike, Jackson had never really stood a chance. Especially not when Ike came home early—gravely injured—but alive enough to claim Eryn’s hand in marriage.
“Starting with the Judgment Day pamphlet,” Ike began, diving right in. “Our analysts came back with this report.” He read from a printout. “The passage is a direct quote from the Qu’ran . It’s the same story that’s found in the Bible and the Torah, only with its own particulars. In Islam, the prophesied redeemer is called the Mahdi , who is predicted to live on Earth for seven, nine, or nineteen years before Judgment Day, depending on the translation. Then on Judgment Day, he’ll rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.”
“So the pamphlet is harmless,” Jackson concluded, with relief. The report corroborated his gut impression that Gateway’s agenda was perfectly benign.
“Except that the illustrations suggest that it’s going to go down in our Nation’s capital,” Ike countered, scowling .
“That’s to give modern significance to ancient scripture,” Jackson argued. “They have to appeal to the parolees’ mindset.”
“Possibly,” his boss agreed. “But we can’t afford to overlook a reference to some planned attack, when Gateway donates funds to Islamist rebel groups that slaughter civilians. Jackson —”
“Sir.” Twelve years in the Marine Corps had conditioned the respectful term to come out of his mouth. Ike was the team lead, yes, but they’d had equal rank when they left the military.
“What have you seen and heard this week?”
Jackson shook his head. Because he had nothing else to offer up, he finally mentioned the book that had caught his eye. “In my visual search of Ibrahim’s office, I saw a book called Supreme 120 Lessons: for the Nation of Gods & Earths . It struck me as…off.” He shrugged.
Ike’s eyebrows came slowly together. He leaned toward his keyboard and started typing . Then he sat back with a frown. “The Nation of Gods and Earths is another name for the gang called the Five Percenters.”
A faint alarm went off in Jackson ’s head. “Who are they?”
“Allegedly, they’re the number of enlightened people living on the planet who are willing to share their knowledge with less enlightened black men.” Ike continued to scan the information on his end. “NGE was founded in the 1960s by a student of Malcolm X. They broke away from the Nation of Islam over a fundamental difference in how they perceived God.”
“I’ve heard of this gang,” Toby volunteered .
“The NGE doesn’t believe in a traditional God,” Ike continued. “For them, the black man is Allah, which stands for arm, leg, leg, arm, head, not a separate and divine entity. Being the original man, Allah is destined to rule other races.”
“Plus, most Five Percenters are prison converts,” Toby chimed in. “They tattoo a sun, moon, star, and the number seven onto their bodies to identify themselves.”
Crap. “That was the logo on the side of the book,” Jackson admitted, realizing now why the image had looked familiar. He must have seen it while studying gangs for his Master’s in Criminology .
Ike sat back. “Okay, let’s assume Ibrahim is a Five Percenter,” he proposed. “How does that change things?”
Jackson had trouble envisioning the beneficent leader as a gang member.
“He is from Harlem , remember?” Toby pointed out. “That’s where the gang
Of course, Eryn could make any man feel better, Jackson reflected. There’d been a time about a year ago when he’d hoped she’d be a balm for his own soul. He’d even taken Eryn out on a couple of dates while Ike was in Afghanistan , but with her heart already pledged to Ike, Jackson had never really stood a chance. Especially not when Ike came home early—gravely injured—but alive enough to claim Eryn’s hand in marriage.
“Starting with the Judgment Day pamphlet,” Ike began, diving right in. “Our analysts came back with this report.” He read from a printout. “The passage is a direct quote from the Qu’ran . It’s the same story that’s found in the Bible and the Torah, only with its own particulars. In Islam, the prophesied redeemer is called the Mahdi , who is predicted to live on Earth for seven, nine, or nineteen years before Judgment Day, depending on the translation. Then on Judgment Day, he’ll rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.”
“So the pamphlet is harmless,” Jackson concluded, with relief. The report corroborated his gut impression that Gateway’s agenda was perfectly benign.
“Except that the illustrations suggest that it’s going to go down in our Nation’s capital,” Ike countered, scowling .
“That’s to give modern significance to ancient scripture,” Jackson argued. “They have to appeal to the parolees’ mindset.”
“Possibly,” his boss agreed. “But we can’t afford to overlook a reference to some planned attack, when Gateway donates funds to Islamist rebel groups that slaughter civilians. Jackson —”
“Sir.” Twelve years in the Marine Corps had conditioned the respectful term to come out of his mouth. Ike was the team lead, yes, but they’d had equal rank when they left the military.
“What have you seen and heard this week?”
Jackson shook his head. Because he had nothing else to offer up, he finally mentioned the book that had caught his eye. “In my visual search of Ibrahim’s office, I saw a book called Supreme 120 Lessons: for the Nation of Gods & Earths . It struck me as…off.” He shrugged.
Ike’s eyebrows came slowly together. He leaned toward his keyboard and started typing . Then he sat back with a frown. “The Nation of Gods and Earths is another name for the gang called the Five Percenters.”
A faint alarm went off in Jackson ’s head. “Who are they?”
“Allegedly, they’re the number of enlightened people living on the planet who are willing to share their knowledge with less enlightened black men.” Ike continued to scan the information on his end. “NGE was founded in the 1960s by a student of Malcolm X. They broke away from the Nation of Islam over a fundamental difference in how they perceived God.”
“I’ve heard of this gang,” Toby volunteered .
“The NGE doesn’t believe in a traditional God,” Ike continued. “For them, the black man is Allah, which stands for arm, leg, leg, arm, head, not a separate and divine entity. Being the original man, Allah is destined to rule other races.”
“Plus, most Five Percenters are prison converts,” Toby chimed in. “They tattoo a sun, moon, star, and the number seven onto their bodies to identify themselves.”
Crap. “That was the logo on the side of the book,” Jackson admitted, realizing now why the image had looked familiar. He must have seen it while studying gangs for his Master’s in Criminology .
Ike sat back. “Okay, let’s assume Ibrahim is a Five Percenter,” he proposed. “How does that change things?”
Jackson had trouble envisioning the beneficent leader as a gang member.
“He is from Harlem , remember?” Toby pointed out. “That’s where the gang
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