Treason by Newt Gingrich, Pete Earley Page B

shed her western clothes for a modest, shapeless brown robe and drab hijab. She removed her makeup and with only seconds to spare, she mounted a stool behind a glass-and-chrome anchor desk next to the Al Arabic Washington bureau chief, Azim Basher, one of the network’s most popular broadcasters.
    When the live news broadcast returned from a commercial, Basher announced, “Ebio Kattan recently joined our Washington, D.C., bureau after reporting for us from Africa, and she has an exclusive follow-up story.” Turning to address Kattan, he continued, “You first told us about this female American soldier nearly four months ago in one of our network’s most watched documentaries.”
    The camera narrowed into a close-up of Kattan’s face. “Yes, Azim,” she said. “Last October, I reported that two Americans had avoided capture when Al-Shabaab fighters overran the American embassy in Mogadishu. Their names were Brooke Grant, a U.S. Marine, and Gunter Conner, who I revealed was the CIA station chief in Somalia.”
    Pictures of Brooke and Conner appeared on a monitor behind Kattan. “Gunter Conner was seriously wounded in Somalia during a confrontation with Al-Shabaab and was flown to a U.S. military hospital in Germany, where he was later assassinated by followers of an international masked figure known only as the Falcon. The other American—Brooke Grant—returned to the U.S. after preventing a suicide bombing in Mogadishu and freeing American hostages.”
    Kattan looked down at her notes, pausing for a second, before continuing. “Brooke Grant was in the news again when she helped protect President Sally Allworth during last week’s attack. She tackled Fawzia Samatar, who had lit herself on fire and was running at the U.S. president. Fawzia’s husband, Cumar, detonated a suicide belt when the president was fleeing.” Footage of the mayhem outside the National Cathedral appeared. Those horrific images were replaced by jumpy footage captured by Kattan’s lapel camera as she approached Brooke, Jennifer, and Miriam.
    â€œOnly hours ago, Major Brooke Grant refused to answer my questions when I attempted to interview her about a new fear gripping America—the fear of so-called homegrown terrorism by U.S. citizens who have sworn allegiance to jihadist organizations, such as ISIS.”
    Images of Brooke hurrying to her parked car now flashed on the screen. She could be heard saying, “I’ve got nothing to say to you!” Next came footage of Jennifer hiding under a shawl inside the Jaguar.
    â€œThe teenage girl covering her face is Jennifer Conner, the only surviving child of CIA agent Gunter Conner. Major Brooke Grant is now this girl’s legal guardian. This teenager suffered brain damage nearly five years ago when a bomb hidden in their family car exploded in Cairo, killing her mother and brother.”
    The camera returned to a close-up of correspondent Kattan. “Major Brooke Grant became an orphan when her own parents were killed during the 9/11 attacks. Jennifer Conner became an orphan too.” Kattan hesitated to let her viewers absorb the significance of what she’d just revealed and to add suspense to her closing comments. With the monitor behind her showing Brooke speeding backward in her Jaguar after nearly striking the camera crew, Kattan said, “Brooke Grant is in hiding because she is terrified that she and Jennifer will be the next victims of the Falcon who, sources tell me, has pledged to hunt them down and kill them even if they are in the United States. There is no place safe for them to hide.”

PART TWO

A TRAITOR IN YOUR HOUSE
    Et tu, Brute?
    â€”William Shakespeare,
Julius Caesar

CHAPTER TEN
    Joint Chiefs of Staff Headquarters
    The Pentagon
    Arlington, Virginia
    F or a moment, Major Brooke Grant wondered if her uncle was ignoring her. He’d asked her to meet him in his Pentagon office for a