Sherlock stepped to the microphone. The sudden silence was unnerving after the constant buzz of voices from the overflowing plaza. She looked out toward a dozen vans hunkered up as close as they could park, paused when she recognized some of the media faces familiar from the nightly news. All of them were staring at her, restraining themselves, but obviously chomping at the bit to yell out their questions and, they hoped, get the sound bite of the day.
Sherlock wished Dillon were standing beside her, but he wasn’t; she was on her own. She pulled the microphone close and said clearly, “I want to emphasize that Nasim Conklin was not a terrorist. He was a man forced by terrorists holding his family to do what he did. I don’t know if I could have stopped him if not for his hesitation brought by the horror he felt at what he was being made to do. In the end, he helped us free his family.” She couldn’t help it, she blinked away tears. She was unaware that her hands, resting on the dais, were clenched into fists. “Let me say that the terrorists who did this to him, the terrorists who would not have hesitated to murder his family, would have succeeded were it not for the men and women here today who rescued them.” She called out the names of Agent Kelly Giusti and Agent Chris Tyson of the Boston Field Office, nodded to them.
She raised her voice. “I hope the people behind this are watching, because they should know we will find them, and we will bring them to justice.”
She stepped back. Director Comey looked at his watch, looked back at the large group of people, and said, “We have a few minutes for questions.”
Martin Chivers from The New York Times had his own microphone and didn’t have to yell. His deep voice drowned out the other voices. “Can you tell us anything more about who these terrorists are, what group is behind the attempted bombing of Saint Patrick’s?”
Director Comey said, “You know I will not speculate. Nor can I give out any information that might compromise our investigation. There are many leads we are following, myriad details we are working through. We will share those with you as we are able.” Comey knew he’d spouted the party line, no choice but to say everything and nothing at all.
Then came NBC’s Lois Nedrick’s little-girl voice. “Agent Sherlock, what are your plans now?”
Comey stepped aside and Sherlock moved close to the microphone. “The Bureau has asked me to stay on here in New York to pursue the investigation. After we have apprehended those responsible for these terrorist attacks, I plan to go home to my husband and son. For some R and R.” That brought a few laughs.
There was a jumble of voices before Mark Allen of FOX managed to outshout everyone else. “Director Comey, do you believe the bombing of the TGV in France today is tied to the attempted bombing of Saint Pat’s?”
There it was, the eight-hundred-pound gorilla.
Director Comey looked out into the sea of faces. His first inclination was to duck the question, but instead he said, “We are in contact with the French authorities and will continue to be. As yet we have no direct proof, but in my opinion, yes, there is no question in my mind the two acts are tied together.”
Mark Allen picked it up before Director Comey had finished taking a breath: “A newly appointed French minister was killed in that explosion. Vice President Foley and dozens of other high-ranking officials were in attendance at the attempted bombing at Saint Pat’s. Do you believe these terrorist attacks could have been intended not only to destroy national treasures, but to kill national leaders or specific individuals?”
Comey had expected that question, too. No one was stupid. “Let me say again that the FBI does not yet have information to tie the two attacks together. There has as yet been no credible announcement by any group taking responsibility for these attacks, or their stated goals. Both have the hallmarks of terrorist operations. But as you said, the attempted assassination of public officials in high-profile public venues goes beyond what we’ve seen from terrorist attacks in the past, and it raises serious questions.”
Harold Carver from NPR started to speak, but a stout woman shoved him from behind. As he windmilled to regain his balance, she yelled out, “Agent Sherlock, what about you? What is your personal opinion?”
Sherlock shot a look at Comey, who nodded. She said, “I personally cannot imagine what a terrorist supposedly feels when he’s managed to murder innocent people. Is he pleased? Is he dancing for joy at the sheer number of people he’s robbed of their lives? Is he convinced he is fulfilling his duty to Allah? Is his hatred so great for those who believe differently that their destruction is all that matters to him?”