Page 49 of Fighting for Mallory

“Then you should not have given me this name or explained its significance.”

“Nehebkau, please tell me where you are, and I’ll join you.”

“You know where I’ll be on the twenty-ninth. If you join me, the circle will be repaired.” Nehebkau disconnected the call.

“Holy Hannah!” Faith declared in disbelief. “Dr. Khalil is Nehebkau’s mother?”

“Yeah. And she’s the key to stopping him once and for all.” Judd broke into a trot as he tapped his earpiece. “Don’t allow Dr. Khalil to leave her office! I’ll be there in two minutes!”

He picked up his pace with Faith sprinting beside him.

When they reached Dr. Khalil’s office, the two cadets were standing guard outside the door. “She’s still in there, sir,” the female cadet said.

Judd nodded. When his breathing slowed down, he ordered the cadets, “Stay here.” He knocked twice and opened the door. Faith followed him across the threshold.

Dr. Khalil turned from the window. “I’ve been expecting you. I know you’re not students.”

Judd showed his ID. “U.S. Attorney, Judd Morgan. Your son, Nehebkau, is responsible for the murder of a prominent businessman in LA, Bentley Hayes. We know he’s holding D.A. Mallory Hayes hostage in Tennessee and plans to murder her in four days. Help us stop him, and I won’t charge you with obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting a murderer.”

“I’m not saying a word without a lawyer.”

“That is your constitutional right. Would you like to call your lawyer right now and tell him or her to meet you at the Berkeley PD?”

“Am I under arrest?”

“Not at the moment. If you cooperate, you have my word I’ll give you full immunity.”

Dr. Khalil sighed in resignation. “Let us go.”

A captain at the Berkeley PD recognized Judd and led him and the others to a small interrogation room. Judd told Faith and the cadets to wait outside while he questioned Dr. Khalil. He nodded at the captain who flipped on the intercom system so the others could hear the interview.

Judd took a seat across from Dr. Khalil and set his cell phone to record their conversation. “Please state your full name for the record.”

“Isis Khalil.”

“Do you have a son named Nehebkau?”

“Yes.”

“Is he the leader of an organization dedicated to the practices of the ancient Court of Ma’at?”

“Yes.”

“How are the members recruited?”

“Through social media sites and the dark web. At the University of Memphis and others around the U.S.”

“We’re going to need a complete list of those universities. Are members identified by a fanged copperhead tattoo?”

“Yes. No one would connect the snake to the Court of Ma’at.”

“How many members belong to this organization?”

Dr. Khalil shrugged. “It’s hard to say.”

“Take a guess.”

“Several hundred, perhaps a thousand.”

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