Trust Me Read Free Page B

months.’
    ‘Wow.’
    ‘It’s weird. I feel like a cop who pretends to be a thirteen-year-old girl luring the old perverts. But instead I’m trying to draw out the next Timothy McVeigh, or the next Madrid bomber, the next al-Qaeda wannabe here in America.’
    ‘You really think some of them are that dangerous?’
    ‘Look at today’s batch.’ He pulled up a comment from the day’s database. ‘Not surprising a lot of them are anti-government.’
Let’s start fresh. End their lifetime appointments; kill all the judges .
     
    ‘Now, maybe this guy’s just venting, maybe he’s harmless. It’s the first time he posted, I have to wait and see if he amps it up. If he does, then he’s a possibility to follow.’
    Henry rubbed at his lip. ‘Prod him harder. See what else he says.’
    ‘Here’s one from one of my more consistent correspondents,’ Luke said. ‘ChicagoChris. He’s on a number of discussion boards for anarchists …’
    ‘Organized anarchists. I love the concept,’ Henry said.
    ‘… and he loves to talk about eco-terrorism.’ Luke hit a button and a long series of comments made by ChicagoChris over the past few days rolled up the screen:
Burn every McMansion to the ground, that’s the start. A serious attack on a gated community would send a message. Don’t kill people, warn them first, but level the houses. Sabotage the construction equipment. Get busy to save the Earth .
People who destroy the earth deserve whatever bad stuff happens to them .
Killing our environment is akin to the greatest murder ever committed. I blame the oil and construction companies. I know those guys, what they’re like when the attention isn’t on them, and they’re scum. Kill them, kill all of them, and there would be change. A change is in the wind, I know it. It’s coming, fast. I want to be a part of the storm of change .
    ‘He’s a charmer,’ Henry said.
    ‘And he believes every word he says. He emails me a lot, through the boards. I’m his new best online friend. And he’s not just crazy, Henry, he’s focused . That’s what’s scary.’
    ‘You said in last month’s report you think he’s one of the most likely to go violent.’
     
    ‘Yeah, he’s promising.’ Luke made a face. ‘But crazy.’
    ‘I’m not interested in the crazy ones. I’m interested in the committed ones. There’s a big difference.’
    ‘I can’t really diagnose these people, I can only catalog their comments. I hope this is enough data for your research.’ Looking at all the hate made him tired. ‘For your client.’
    Henry heard the stubborn question in Luke’s voice. ‘I told you, I have to keep my client confidential.’
    ‘Let me guess. It’s the government. They want to watch these people, make sure they’re only hot air and not actually acquiring weapons or putting bombs on buses or targeting politicians.’
    ‘I can’t say. But I know my client will be extremely pleased with your work.’
    Luke said, ‘I’m surprised you don’t trust me. You always have.’
    ‘And I always will. But the client set very specific parameters for me. If you worked for me full-time, were officially on the payroll, then maybe …’ Henry gave a shrug, a half-smile.
    ‘I’m not a think-tank kind of guy.’
    ‘Please. We’re academics, just in nicer suits,’ Henry said. ‘Let me guess. You would like to get a paper out of this data yourself. Maybe the foundation of a doctoral dissertation.’
    Luke nodded. ‘Yes. I would. But I respect that you hired me to do the research. It’s your data, not mine.’
    ‘Luke. I understand why you’re driven to dissect the minds of those who think violence is a solution to every problem.’ The silence between them felt suddenly awkward. ‘But understanding why violence happens, that’s the puzzle that can never be solved. And it won’t bring your father back.’ Henry cleared his throat, looked at the picture of Luke and his father. His lips narrowed and he bowed his head