Chapter 1  The Present  Halima still could not believe she was
on a plane overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. She looked below
at the azure water, closed her eyes, and began to drift away.
Her mind raced back to the day she received the unusual package.
She pictured herself arriving to her front door having just
returned from L.A.  She had just submitted the revised draft of
her final story about South Central L.A. gangs. It was common
knowledge that the major gangs, MS and 18th Street, were
responsible for much of the illegal drug trade entering LA. But,
as was her trademark, she went further than the typical
reporter.  She published, at great risk to herself, the names of
the gang leaders that had connections to organized crime. She
named government officials paid to look the other way as cocaine
was smuggled through LAX. Her paper, the Washington Post, was
sure to win numerous awards for breaking the story. Many of the
government officials would be indicted for their involvement.
Halima had put her life on