The 13th Enumeration Read Online Free Page A

so.”
    Joe climbed up into the cab of his truck, the sole possession he had retained from his pre-prison life. His first few days in the penitentiary had been one continuous nightmare of bullying, pain, and fear. That was until Hassan walked up and stood beside him one day. No one ever bothered him again. Hassan was a lifeline to a terrified and lonely man who had nowhere else to turn. Over the next two years, Hassan taught him about Muhammad and the Koran. At first he paid attention out of necessity, and later out of genuine interest. Joe had never been particularly interested in any religion, but prison changed all that. With Hassan’s friendship and brotherhood, he embraced the Muslim religion. He knew now that all his problems were a direct result of a godless and hedonistic Western lifestyle and belief system.
    Allah willing, he was going to help change that. The two hundred gallons of diesel fuel in the back of his truck were a step in that direction.

Chapter 5
     
    Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    After a soft knock, the door opened and five familiar faces entered. Darius stood and calmly welcomed the four men and one woman who entered his office. “Good afternoon, lady and gentlemen.” He ushered his team into the conference room.
    When everyone was seated, Darius took his chair at the head of the table. He surveyed the faces gathered there. Although they served in several capacities, each had a specialty which made him or her indispensable to the organization and invaluable to his plan.
    Today, they would decide whether or not to set the plan in motion. For Darius, it had taken over twenty years to reach this point. Many of the rest had been working tirelessly—and secretly—for five years. They all knew the success of their plan depended on their silence. Their invention would fundamentally alter the current order of the world. Darius thought it ironic that half the faces looking back at him were Americans born between the years 1961–1981. According to William Strauss and Neil Howe in their book Generations, these men and a woman were part of the thirteenth American generation.
    And none of them had any idea how significant that was.
    On his right sat Alexandra Riley, whose primary function was executive assistant and public relations. The first time he had seen Alexandra was in his second year at MIT, where she was leading an environmental protest. She was an activist in every sense of the word, fearless, passionate, and unrelenting, with classical Irish features and a temper to match her fiery red hair. Her passion, intelligence, and commitment raised her as a leader in the environmental movement until she became the international face of the cause.
    That is, until Darius asked her to join his organization three years ago. They met over lunch at a vegan deli in New York, and he asked her if she wanted to change the world. She looked up at him with her pale green Irish eyes, a bitter laugh, and a mocking smile.
    “Mr. Zarindast,” she said, “everyone dreams of changing the world. Few ever really make a difference. Most people are content to follow others.”
    After a few moments, Darius replied, “What would you do if you had practically unlimited money and influence?”
    With a sarcastic tone she replied, “Why, Mr. Zarindast, I would change the world.”
    Darius stood up, laid an envelope on the table, and said, “If you want that opportunity someday, I will give it to you.”
    One week later she was standing in this very conference room with a look of incredulity on her face as he finished explaining what he had invented and a modified version of his plan to change the order of the world. He said nothing of the Order and his plans for revenge—that was not necessary for her to know. After a couple of minutes of searching his face for some trace of obfuscation, she simply said, “Prove it.” He took her to the complex on the outskirts of Dubai and showed her the prototype. One million gallons of