McCabe?” asked Mulvagh when Jaworski passed on the information.
“On what grounds?” came the reply. “Waylon McCabe is not a fugitive from justice, has committed no crime, and we have no reason to believe he’s carrying any contraband, drugs, or weapons.”
“Yeah, but he’s just about to…”
“About to what, exactly?” Jaworski interrupted. “We don’t know what he’s going to do-that’s the problem.”
By now, McCabe’s telephone, travel, and financial records were undergoing extensive investigation and analysis. McCabe’s doctors refused to discuss their patient’s health in any detail, citing their absolute duty of confidentiality. But trips to cancer-treatment centers in Houston and New York told their own story. It didn’t take long, either, to spot the million-dollar donation to the Reverend Ezekiel Ray, and the calls between the two men.
Mulvagh handled that interview personally.
“Can I ask you what you discussed, Reverend?”
Ray hesitated.
“I’m afraid I can’t talk about that. It’s a personal matter between me and one of my congregation.”
“I understand, but it’s not like the confession booth, right? I mean, you aren’t obliged to keep your conversation secret.”
“That’s correct, but even so…”
“Reverend, I appreciate your position. But I have to tell you, this is a matter of national security. We need to know what’s been on McCabe’s mind. Could you at least tell me what kinds of things you talked about, in general, even if you don’t go into specifics?”
Several seconds’ silence were followed by a thoughtful sigh.
“Yes, I suppose I could do that.”
“And…”
“Well, as you probably know, my ministry is centered on the concept of the rapture, the ascension into heaven of the chosen, at the end of time, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation. Mr. McCabe was deeply moved by the prospect of rapture, as are many, many of the decent Christian men and women who attend my services.”
The preacher was hiding something. Even down a telephone line, unable to see the other man’s face, Mulvagh could sense it: Something to do with the rapture had put Ray on his guard.
“I’m sure they are, Reverend,” Mulvagh persisted. “And when McCabe talked about the rapture, what was it, exactly, that moved him? What made him want to talk to you in person? He must have wanted to know something- something he couldn’t find out just by listening to your sermons, or watching you on TV.”
“He wanted to know…”
Again Ray paused.
“Yes?” asked Mulvagh.
“He wanted to know about the final battle against the Antichrist. That’s the conflict that Saint John prophesies that will bring about the coming of Christ.”
“What about that battle?”
“Oh, my… I just don’t know if I should tell you this. But what Mr. McCabe wanted to know was, What would God think if he-that’s McCabe-started the battle himself?”
Hour by hour, the investigation picked up pace. By lunchtime agents had made the connection to Clinton Tulane and established a further link between McCabe and Dusan Darko. It was clear now how McCabe planned to get hold of the bomb, and in what country. All that remained was its ultimate destination.
A brainstorming meeting was convened at the White House; all the agencies involved in the case were invited.
“We’ve got to consider every possibility, no matter how crazy it sounds,” said Leo Horabin, the national security adviser. “So whatever you’ve got on your mind, don’t be afraid to say it.”
Tom Mulvagh waited his turn, letting others air their ideas before he said his piece.
“I think you have to consider the religious aspect,” he said. “We’ve been thinking about this subject for a while at the Bureau-you know, religious crazies trying to bring about Armageddon. In fact, we’re planning a research paper on the subject. We’re thinking of calling it Project Megiddo, because that’s the hill, in Israel, where the Book of Revelation says the final battle will occur. So if I were looking for flashpoints, places where a crazy with a bomb might be heading, that would be where I’d start.”
“I hear you, Tom,” said Jaworski, “but it could be just about anywhere. A lot of these guys really hate the Arabs. Maybe he wants to take out Mecca, or Jerusalem…”
“How about St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome?” said an officer from the DIA. “Hundreds of thousands of people gathered to hear the Pope-helluva target.”
Horabin looked around the room, then came to his conclusion.
“I think you’re right, Tom. The target will have some kind of religious significance. And it would make sense if it was within easy reach of Kosovo, within Europe or the Middle East. I want a complete list of all possible targets that fall within those parameters. And I want contingency plans for all of them.”
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