Quake Read Free Page B

to go on.
    But nothing happened. Alivi’s people, it turned out, were all bark and bluster. And now the long run-up to the trial was finally over. Here he was, standing in a lavish courtroom at 500 Pearl, delivering his opening remarks to the jury that would ultimately convict this world-infamous terrorist who had played a major role in the attacks that had torn apart Nick’s family.
    As the morning wore on, AUSA Nick Dykstra grew more confident and more relaxed. He hadn’t just settled into his rhythm; he was in a zone. The twelve men and women sitting before him were captivated. At various points in his opening, one or more jurors even had tears in her eyes.
    â€œAnd so,” Nick said, “at the conclusion of this case, I’ll return to this rail, and having fulfilled each and every promise I made to you this morning during my opening, I will ask you to once and for all consign this madman to the dustbin of history. After you have seen all the evidence and heard all the testimony, I will return to you in my summation and ask—”
    The softest rumble seemed to emanate from the walls. The sound echoed throughout the gallery, rose until it ricocheted off the sides of the vaulted ceiling. The chandeliers overhead shook briefly, their jingle like a wind chime before a storm.
    During the vibration, Nick turned to look at Wendy, whose eyes had gone wide with fright. When nothing more happened, her face slowly returned to normal and he looked back at the juy, expressionless.
    Nick was at a pivotal point in his opening and he was afraid to lose his rhythm so he began his last sentence from the top.
    â€œAfter you have seen all the evidence and heard all the testimony, I will return to you in my summation and ask you to go into your deliberations with—”
    The floor beneath Nick’s feet shifted ever so slightly. It felt as though a pair of mice had skittered under the soles of his shoes.
    After a momentary hesitation, he continued. “After you have seen all the evidence and heard all the testimony, I will return to you in my summation and ask you to go into your deliberations with one image at the forefront of your minds—”
    Then it happened.
    This time there was no mistaking it.
    Abruptly, the entire courtroom began to shake.

4
    While Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Dykstra delivered his opening statement in the trial against Feroz Saeed Alivi, Nick’s teenage daughter, Lauren, walked the grounds of Columbia University’s campus at 116th and Broadway. A freshly minted senior at York Prep, a private preparatory school near Lincoln Center, Lauren—like most high school seniors, she’d been assured by her guidance counselor—was torn between going away to college and staying near home. Of course, she wanted the “full college experience” that most teens dreamed of, and with her grades and SAT scores, she had her choice of Ivy League schools. In addition to Columbia, she’d already applied and been accepted to Yale, Harvard, Brown, Smith, Princeton, and Stanford, as well as a half-dozen safety schools. All other things being equal (yeah, when does that ever happen?) Lauren would have accepted Stanford’s offer of a nearly full ride in a hummingbird’s heartbeat. Attending a top tier college less than an hour’s drive from San Francisco would have made her life complete. Almost .
    But Lauren had someone else to consider. Sure, she wasn’t the only high school senior with a single parent. Her friend Madison just had her mom. So did Eileen and Kerry and Justin and Connor. None of their mothers had remarried. Well, Justin’s mom had, but that lasted all of a month. But all their moms did have active social lives. And Madison’s mom had younger kids who would remain in the nest for at least the next three years. Eileen’s mom had her boyfriend, James, not the greatest conversationalist, but still he was something. Kerry and