It Was Nice To See Sophie Again.

Somewhere On The Shore In New England

My research on Sophie's father is as complete as it can be without knocking on government doors.  I'll save that unpleasantry for later.

I'm not sure that his immediate family, Mrs. Tanner, and Sophie, knew much about his background. Gaps in his work life and a few wild tangents add up to the possibility that Gerry had worked for a government agency at some point.

While still in college, we know, based on a dated photograph, that Gerry was in either Pakistan or Afghanistan.  Gerry was a young man in 1980, but the dated photo shows young Gerry standing with a person who was then a friend of The United States. A common enemy, Russia, brought the two together. Both Tanner and Bin Laden would have been about twenty three years old.

Russia invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support a shaky pro-communist government. The Russians soon understood they were in a world of shit.

Tribal infighting made it difficult to create a coalition in a population that had been fighting each other for centuries. The one thing the Afghans realized they all had in common was that the Russian invaders had to be killed and pushed out.

The United States formed an alliance with a few tribes, and soon after, money and advanced arms like Stinger missiles started pouring into Peshawar, Pakistan, which became a staging point for an American shadow war against the Soviet Union.

So why does Osama Bin Laden, a Saudi, come into the picture?  

The Bin Laden family owned a construction company that helped turn Saudi Arabia into a modern country despite occasional camel shit on the paved roads. The family made billions as the oil money trickled down for large infrastructure projects to build up the newly wealthy country. 

Osama believed a Jihad (Holy War) should be waged against the Invaders. 

Bin Laden held his nose when dealing with Americans because he hated them as much as he hated the Russians but their money, expertise about the Soviet Union and a desire to poke the bear had to be tolerated for the greater good of Islam.

The Sheik recruited fighters from every Islamic state on the globe to come and fight the Russians. He convinced many young men that is was their duty.

Osama's construction company began to fortify areas of the White Mountains in Afghanistan to act as a secure base for the Jihad against Russia. This construction included extending an ancient cave system within the mountains and digging new operation bases deep into the mountains.

There was so much American cash being dumped into the area for weapons that Peshawar, Pakistan was a party place all of a sudden.

Does Gerry Tanner just get up one morning and say to himself " I miss the smell of camel shit and goat meat, I think I'll go to Pakistan" What young man's dream starts with that "Once upon a time?"

Gerry had to be there as an American observer, an overseer of the cash, a consultant or just a pair of eyes on the ground. This to me smells like the Central Intelligence Agency or some other State Department venture.

I spoke with Sophie about her father and asked her if she knew what he did for a job. 

Her answer was, "He was like in construction or something."  

I pressed a little. "Did he ever say anything about being in Pakistan or Afghanistan?"

Sophie said that her father had said, "One time, on a job, he got to ride a camel." 

"I was impressed. I think I was like eight."

"Did he ever talk about his other work?"

"Did he travel a lot?"

Sophie got concerned and asked, " Did my parents get killed because of his job?"

I was honest with her. "I think your parent's death was related to his job, and I'll figure it out."

She then added, "He was a good man, Allston, I'm sure of that." 

"Please find the truth." 

"I know he was good and that he would never cross that line."

"Can I pay your fee now? I have money."

"I said, "I'm okay, and we will settle when the case ends."

" I feel funny taking money from an Orphan"

She said, "I am now a rich orphan."