Prologue

Legacy

Scene [1]

Beirut Morning

Ar Rabiyah, Lebanon (Beirut suburb)
1983-10-23 04:00-06:15
Papa brushed the black curls back from the face of his eldest son sleeping next to his brother.  He bent over to kiss them, but hesitated.  No, maybe I shouldn’t.  They’d wake for sure.
Instead, he kissed his sleeping wife goodbye, went downstairs and mounted his bicycle for the ride to the truck terminal two miles away where he worked.  Today’s departure was a few hours earlier than normal.
I sould have kissed them goodbye, too.  But, they need their sleep, this day will be significant enough for them.  
Mama’s bed had been warm and intimate a few hours before.
Love is a wonderful way Allah preserves the faithful.  We have been blessed with two boys.  Two devout and smart young men that will find their way through the chaos of these times and serve Allah well.
Papa was happy, almost elated, as he rode down the dark street.  I have a great mission today.
He had not told his wife about it.  She was a devoted woman, faithful to him, the boys and Allah.  No need to trouble her with my destiny.  She will know soon enough.
He was about to join his lifelong friend, Jadde, who he had not seen since April.  Jadde and Papa were mechanics.  They could fix anything with wheels.
Fix or swipe, Papa laughed.  Last year they absconded with a van from the Great Satan by bypassing the ignition lock while it was parked at the airport.
But, we gave it back though.  Jadda delivered it to their embassy on April 18th.  Just as I hope to do today.

Papa arrived at the truck terminal at 04:30.  A brand new Volvo 2500 stake-bed truck was parked at the far end of the building.  A canvas tarp covered the cargo and two members of the 'Islamic Jihad'  sat on the front bumper to discourage wondering eyes from coming close.  Two bays nearer, a five ton dilapidated box truck was parked.  A third man was inspecting it.
His supervisor met him as he locked the bicycle to the yard fence.  “We have the camera and equipment setup in the office.  You can record your message there.  The other driver has finished with his.”
“Other driver?  I thought I was solo.”
“The country to the east insisted on two.”
“Why two men when one could do it?”
“No, you don’t understand.  There are ‘two’ trucks... and two targets.”
Papa said, “Allahu Akbar (God is Great), even a grander mission.”
Then Papa added, “I’ve decided I don’t want to leave a message.  The boys should remember me as I was last night at dinner.”
Papa handed the key to Supervisor.  “Be sure my eldest, Shi-Thead, retrieves the bicycle.”
Supervisor said, “Of course.”
The two men walked silently down the empty terminal to the bay between the trucks.  Papa said, “Not much business today?”
“We cleared out the usual vehicles last night before Force 19 delivered the trucks.  Wouldn’t want to have an accident while loading.”
Papa just nodded.
The third man, a young Iranian, Ismail Ascari, climbed into the idling larger truck and revved the engine.
Papa said, “In my truck?”
Supervisor said, “No, yours is the box truck.”
Disappointment washed over Papa’s face.
The two men in front of the larger truck greeted them with “Allahu Akbar.”  They had to shout over the sound of the engine.
Papa didn’t know either of them, but Supervisor did.  He introduced them as “Loader” and “Electrician.”  Bulges under their robes indicated they were well armed.
The Iranian began to pull out of the bay, so Electrician hopped up on the tank step and rode out with him.
Supervisor said, “Ismail has a little farther to go.  Your timing is important.  You must arrive at your destinations at the exact same time, 06:20.”
Papa said, “We will strike Satin together.”
Supervisor said, “He will go to the Great Satin, you are to go to the Colonialists at the Drakkar building in  Ramlet al Baida.”
The French?  Papa flinched.  I thought I was to hit the Americans.  Then he said, “All in the service to Allah.”
Electrician returned momentarily, opened the cab of the box truck and motioned Papa to get in.  “I’ll show you how to trigger the system.”
Papa mounted the cab, adjusted the seat and buckled the seat belt.
Electrician pulled a cable up from beside the seat.  There was a push-button on the end.  “When you get as close as you can to the building, just push this.”
“Is it armed now?”
“No, of course not.”  The Electrician depressed the button with a soft click.  “There’s actually two circuits.  This one arms the seat switch.  The seat switch triggers the detonators when you rise from the seat.  So stay in the seat until you’re ready.”
“Why so complicated?”
“In case you get stopped... or shot.  I’ll remove the system safety as you go out the terminal gate.  Stop there until I motion you to proceed.”
Papa took the button and pressed it, ‘kalick-click’ as he let go.
“Once I remove the safety, don’t hold or touch the button until you need to.  It’s sensitive.”
Loader said, “If you can’t get close enough, you have to trigger it anyway.  There is too much material here that’s traceable to our supporters.  The truck can’t fall into Satan’s hands intact.  You understand?”
“Yes, yes,” Papa said.
Loader said, “We’ve added plate steel to the inside of the doors.  It should stop most bullets.”
Papa said, “To preserve the mission.”
Supervisor handed Papa a manifest on a clipboard.  “Use this at the gate.  They are expecting a water truck, but tell them this is a load of bagged cement for the runway repair.”
“A legitimate shipment?”
“Yes, the contractor will be happy you are delivering it a day early.  But, you must arrive at the gate at exactly 06:20.”
Supervisor closed the cab door and Electrician stood on the step with his arm through the window bracing himself against the outrigger mirror.
Papa started the engine and waited a minute for the engine gages to stabilize.  He said to Electrician, “Still a good truck, too bad it’s a one-way trip.”
Electrician looked at Papa with a worried eye.  He said, “This mission is important.  The Colonialists have returned to our country and we must expel them.”
In a weak voice, Papa said, “It is an honor for me to serve Allah today.”
Papa eased the truck out of the bay and slowly rounded the terminal.
As he approached the gate, Electrician said, “Stop here.”
Papa stopped the truck, Electrician dismounted the step and walked around to the back of the box.  Papa could not see what the man was doing for a minute until he saw him step up on the passenger side of the cab.
Electrician said, “Allahu Akbar, you are set.”
Papa said, “Allahu Akbar,” and put the truck in gear.

The ride to Ramlet al Baida, north of the airport, would take almost an hour.  Traffic in Beirut is complicated.  There are destroyed neighborhoods, forbidden neighborhoods and checkpoints everywhere.  Supervisor had drawn up a map to avoid most of the checkpoints.  But the truck was heavy, almost 8,000 pounds.  It couldn’t traverse some of the bridges and narrow roads that cars use.
The manifest passed muster at two checkpoints he couldn’t avoid.  But the guards were not professionals, usually mere militias boys not much older than his Shi-Thead.
He finally arrived at the Ramlet al Baida checkpoint at 06:15.


Pages:         7
Words:     1,263

 
Prologue
Scene [2]

Early Delivery

Ramlet al Baida Checkpoint
1983-10-23 06:15-06:25
Papa joined the line of trucks at the gate and waited.  This time they were professional sentries, the Colonialist’s Paratroopers, that manned the post.  They did a thorough inspection of the truck in front of him.  There was some sort of problem with that truck’s paperwork.  Time was running.  It was 06:17 before the first truck moved on and the gate closed.
Papa considered arming the seat as the sentry motioned him to move up... then hesitated.  The previous driver had to assist the sentry by opening the trailer’s doors.
I’ll chance it and wait.  Only three soldiers here, where at my target there may be a hundred.
The sentry checked his admit list and said, “You’re not on the list.”
“I’m a day early... look at tomorrow.”
The sentry flipped a few pages... stopped and said, “Here it is.  Why so early?”
“I’m going to a wedding tomorrow.  I thought it would be okay a day early.”
The sentry pushed his helmet back a bit, “A wedding, huh.  Alright,” and motioned two other troopers to survey the truck.
The solders walked around the truck box using mirrors on sticks to look under the carriage.  The sentry told Papa they had to look inside the box.  Papa left the cab and opened the rear doors... the solders counted the cement in stacks while Papa paced beside the truck.
The inspection took about five minutes and time inched past 06:22.
The sentry raised the gate and motioned him to move on.
Papa mounted his seat again and as the barrier reached it’s top stop, his ears popped from a violent shockwave smashing across the buildings.  The ground jumped and dust whipped across the road.
All the solders looked toward a huge black and orange fireball rising from the south end of the airport three and a half miles away.
The Iranian completed his mission.
A dog by the guard house started barking.
Without securing his belt, Papa tromped on the gas and the truck lunged forward.
The sentry shouted, “Stop!” and reversed the barrier.
The dog ran toward the truck barking loudly while his handler drew his sidearm.  “Arrete!”
Papa hunched down and reached for the pushbutton.
‘Kapow!’  A round hit the steel plate in the door.
Papa pushed the button, ‘kalick-click,’ as the truck accelerated into the descending barrier.
‘Crunch,’ the barrier pole sheared from it’s base while the sentry operating it un-shouldered his carbine and pointed it at Papa.  The pole rolled to the right off the hood.
‘Crash,’ ‘bang,’ ‘blamm,’ rounds shattered the windshield and showered Papa with glass gravel.  ‘Zing’ a round ricocheted off the doorjamb and into his left jaw like a prizefighter’s cross.  The blow almost threw him to the right, but Papa held onto the wheel and remained seated.
The truck was speeding up rapidly.  Papa knew he’d have to slow down to make the turn onto the access road to his target the Drakkar building... but he hesitated.  It is better to get away from men with guns.
An automatic weapon opened up from the guard house.  Bullets ripped into the box and all around the cab.  One hit Papa in his left shoulder blade.  “Allahu Akbar,” he shouted.
Around the corner of the access road... too fast... the load shifted.  Several bags of cement ‘flumped’ from the stacks, smashed through the unsecured door and burst with a shower of gray powder on the sidewalk.
Now out of sight from the guard house, a loan officer with an ‘SP’ arm band stood to the side of the road.  He drew his sidearm and aimed it at Papa.
Papa smiled and guided his truck straight for him.
The officer fired as he leaped toward the sidewalk.
‘Boink,’ the round grazed off the hood and through the glass just above Papa’s head.
The officer rolled on the sidewalk, righted himself and while still seated, fired seven more shots as the truck roared past.  Most went into the box and around the cab.  But one hit Papa in his right arm below the shoulder.
“Allahu Akbar,” Papa shouted.
The truck’s front tires bounced over the curb and Papa’s grip on the wheel faltered.  He could feel blood draining down his back but he didn’t sense pain... yet.  Both of his arms were weakening and it was difficult to maintain control.  He struggled, using his knees under the wheel,  to aim the truck toward the hotel next to a wholesale produce market.
A trooper to the right of the hotel threshold raised his weapon and fired a 3-burst at Papa.  The bullets hit the window frame and severed a wiper which flipped into Papa’s forehead with a wallop.
Papa blinked and the trooper fired again.  A round hit him in the right chest severing his collar bone.  This pain was immediate.
Papa pushed hard on the accelerator and the truck charged past the trooper almost crushing him.
Many more shots raked the cab and Papa felt the energy of each as they entered his body.  His hands dropped to his lap and he felt life drain from his body.  His right foot went numb and slipped from the accelerator.
The truck rolled through concertina wire and past a culvert pipe barrier, but wedged to a stop against a large concrete block impediment just short of the hotel by ten yards.
For a full minute, the solders were reluctant to approach the truck.  With the echoes of the first blast still ringing in their ears, they knew this truck too was deadly.
A dozen paratroopers had been standing on their balconies watching the cloud rising from the American barracks over three miles away.  When gunfire broke out in the parking lot below, some retreated into their rooms to get their weapons and gear.
But before they could descend in the elevators, Papa’s face resting against the bloody steering wheel, slowly gave way and his body slipped to the right and off the seat.  The seat trigger closed the circuit.

Pages:       5
Words:    1015

 
Prologue
Scene [3]

French Barracks

Drakkar Building, West Beirut, Lebanon.
1983/10/23 06:26
The truck’s load, equivalent to three tons of TNT, detonated in front of the hotel.  Papa went to Allah in a million tiny chards of bone and flesh.
The entire building was displaced off it’s foundation twenty feet from the blast.  A second later all nine floors of the hotel fell into the lobby level flattening the normally 10 foot spaces between floors into 2 feet or less like an accordion stack of concrete pancakes.

Ar Rabiya, Lebanon
1983/10/23 06:22-06:26
Mama was washing the boys serial bowls while they were dressing for school.  The first shockwave echoed off the hills and arrived through the kitchen window as a ‘Wa-Wump,’ double crack of distance thunder.
Mama dropped the wooden spoon into the sink, looked out the window and whispered, "Papa?"
She raced to the front door, opened it and saw the black mushroom cloud rising from the airport 18 miles away.  She said, "Oh Papa, where are you?"
The boys packed up their book bags and, in a minute, dashed past her out the door to school.
Mama had waited to turn on the radio until the boys left, then, as she tuned in a news station the second blast occurred.
This wave reflected off her heart.  She said, “The war continues.”
All the initial reports were about a crash.  But after the second blast, that was changed to a pair of bombs at the airport.  It wasn't until just before noon that the reports said, 'Explosions near the cargo terminals.'
Did Papa say his delivery was to the airport?  I'll have to ask him when he comes home tonight.


Pages:       2
Words:     281

 
Prologue
Scene [4]

Sirens

French and Marine Barracks
1983/10/23 06:22-07:00
The actual explosive mechanisms were gas-enhanced devices consisting of compressed butane in canisters employed with pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) to create a fuel-air explosive.  The inertial barriers from the decoy bags of cement surrounding the main charges helped focus the blasts upwards.
The resulting disintegration and collapse of both hotels made of substandard concrete added to the blast effects.  The air was filled with a dense cloud of gray/white dust.  Many outside the hotels, who may have been temporarily knocked unconscious from the shock wave, later died from the suffocating dust.
The airport fire department responded to both scenes where several overturned JP-4 tanker trucks and fuel tanks were on fire.
Marines and paratroopers, returning from patrols in the city, joined the EMTs responding to the blasts, dug with their trenching spades and bare hands looking for survivors.  Most were from the very top floors.
There were a few miraculous escapes.  Two Canadians were watching the sun come up from the roof of the American building when the blast pulled the hotel down underneath them.  They were scratched and bruised but happy to be alive.
The guards from the Ramlet al Baida checkpoint, a block away running after the box truck, were cut up by flying rubble.
Everyone within blocks suffered ear damage.
Cars just outside the airport fence were blown off the road.  Dozens had crashed into homes and businesses by the side of the highway.
But 241 American servicemen and 58 French paratroopers perished .
A construction company working on the new runway brought in front loaders, cranes and finally bulldozers to clear away the debris looking for survivors.
It would eventually take a month to remove the destroyed hotels.  Some victims could only be identifies by dental records months later.

 
Ar Rabiya, Lebanon
1983/10/23 17:00-18:00
At the end of that first day, Mama was preparing stew for dinner when she looked out the kitchen window.  Supervisor was riding a bicycle toward the house in Ar Rabiyah.  Mama recognized the bike... Papa's.
She tossed her apron over a chair, pulled a scarf up to cover her hair and mouth, went out the front door and paused on the porch.
Supervisor dismounted the bicycle at the curb.  Mama started to resume her walk toward him, but stopped again, her eyes wide and her lips trembling.
Supervisor said, "This is a great day for Allah."
Mama whispered, "Papa?"
"He is with Allah.  We struck a glorious blow to The Great Satan and the Colonialists today.
Mama's eyes flowed and her knees weakened.  She steadied herself against the porch post.  "Allahu Akbar," she said, then turned toward the house, "Our boys?"
Supervisor took Mama's arm and guided her back into the house to the kitchen where the boys were doing their studies.  He said, "Care for your mother.  Your father has served Allah a great deed today."
Mama began to whimper... quietly at first, then gradually louder as the knowledge of Papa's never to return gripped her heart.
The boys dropped their pencils and crowded around their mother.
Supervisor helped her into a chair as the boys began to cry, "Papa... Papa... Papa."
The radio was playing and the hour was nigh for the news.  So Supervisor turned it off.  "Enough of the modernity world," he said.
The stew started boiling over on the stove, so he moved it off the burner and removed the cover.  The foam subsided but the cries became louder.
A neighbor woman came in the door and asked, "What's happened?  Why the sadness?"
Supervisor said, "Papa has served Allah today.  He is with him in heaven."
The neighbor shrieked, "Allahu Akbar," and fled the room.  In two minutes she came back with a dozen neighbors.
The kitchen became crowded in black and a crescendo of wailing.
Supervisor grasped Shi-Thead by the shoulder and pulled him outside.
"Papa asked me to give you this."  He placed the key for the bicycle into Shi-Thead's hand.  "You are the man of the house now.  Your father knew you were ready."
Shi-Thead's tears were still flowing as he looked at the key.  "The bicycle?"
Supervisor said, "Oh, it's only a bicycle.  But the meaning is greater.  The family is your responsibility now."
Shi-Thead straightened up, wiped away the last tear he would ever shed, and said, "Allahu Akbar."
Supervisor said, “I will return tomorrow to help your mother tend to Papa’s affairs.”  He turned and walked away toward the boulevard.

The sun was setting and shadows were invading the narrow streets.  Shi-Thead watched until Supervisor got into a waiting car three blocks away.
When he was gone, Shi-Thead squeezed the key hard until it punctured the skin of his palm.  He looked down at the drop of blood forming, heard the growing wails coming from the house and whispered, "Papa,” as he touched the blood to his lips.


Pages:                     5
Words:   817 + 17footnote  = 834

Chapter Pages:       7 +    5  +   2  +   5 =    19
Chapter Words:  1,263  + 1015  + 281  + 834 = 3,393