29 - Boston
Ben Shapiro listened to WBUR, one of Boston’s two National Public Radio stations, as he drove to his office at 6:30 a.m., wondering for the hundredth time why he bothered to pay for the upgraded sound system in his car when all he ever listened to was either news or talk stations. Mention of Boston on the national news broadcast caught his attention.
“President Quaid said he regrets having to take this action against American citizens in the Boston area,” the announcer murmured in that unexcited public radio voice never heard on commercial radio stations. “Nonetheless, he said at last night’s midnight news conference that he refused to stand idly by – and keep in mind that these are the President’s own words – while a virtual insurrection took place in New England that resulted in the deaths of ten American military personnel.
“Those taken into custody in last night’s roundup included approximately 980 American citizens who harbored refugees from the two ships in Boston harbor, and an additional 2,200 persons who fled the ships. President Quaid said there are at least a thousand people from the two ships still at large. He said a manhunt on an unprecedented scale is in effect for those people and anybody harboring them.
“The President said he expects arrests to continue for the next few days. The midnight press conference was called with only thirty minutes notice as word of the roundup spread through the internet. The President said he called the press conference to quash rumors and calm the public. He said he expects to make further announcements during the day today.
“While it is too early to gauge public reaction, National Public Radio will be speaking with Harvard Law School Professor Alan Blickstein in a few minutes to discuss …”
Shapiro turned down the volume on the radio as he pressed the steering wheel button that turned on the cell phone. He first left voicemail messages for his partners telling them he’d be tied up at least all morning and didn’t know if he would be at the office at all. They would have to tap dance him out of a 10 a.m. deposition in an age discrimination case, call opposing counsel to reschedule. He wouldn’t be making friends by doing that, but Shapiro sensed where his priorities would be that day, and for many following days.
Next, Shapiro dialed 411 and asked for the phone number of Aaron Hocksberg in Swampscott, Massachusetts. Hocksberg was an attorney with Rudnick, Fierstein & Pendergast, LLP, a large Boston firm known as much for its political connections and lucrative public bond offering representation as it was for the opulence of its new offices on the continually developing South Boston waterfront. Hocksberg was fundraising chair for the ADL, the Anti-Defamation League. He and Shapiro had served in the District Attorney’s office together. They’d stayed in contact since. While they weren’t close friends – moving in decidedly different legal circles in their careers - they got together for lunch every few months. Hocksberg had recently urged Shapiro to take more of a role, actually, to take any role at all, in the ADL, which championed Jewish causes. Shapiro begged off, claiming that his involvement with the ACLU took up all the time he was willing to devote to such cases, which usually took on lives of their own, lives that went largely uncompensated.
If anybody was wired into this whole refugee business, Shapiro knew it would be Aaron Hocksberg. Shapiro already had a head start on every other lawyer in town on this case because of his representation of Howie Mandelbaum. These folks were going to need lawyers, quickly, and Shapiro intended to be at the forefront of this case.
Rose Hocksberg, Aaron’s wife, answered the phone on the first ring.
“Hello Rose, this is Ben Shapiro. Sorry to call you so early but I need to speak with Aaron. Has he left for work yet,” Shapiro said into his car’s speaker phone.
“Oh Ben, I’ve been trying to reach Aaron’s law partners all night but the phone was broken and it just started working a few minutes ago,” her voice, while not quite hysterical, was well down that road. “Ben you have to help us. They took Aaron away last night. Two men came and took him away. I don’t know where he is. I haven’t heard from him and its been hours and the phone hasn’t worked all night and ...”
“Calm down, Rose. Who took Aaron? Did they say who they were?” Shapiro asked calmly.
“They wore suits. They had some legal papers. They knew his name. They knew my name. They took those Israeli people who were in the boys’ room. They left me and the boys at home. And the phone has been dead all night. I didn’t know what to do. Will you find Aaron and get him back to me, please, Ben.”
“I’ll do everything I can, Rose, I promise.” Shapiro said. “Stay home. I’ll call as soon as I know anything. Stay in the house. I promise I’ll call.”
Shapiro pressed the steering wheel button that terminated the cell phone call. He had not expected to get his first new client that quickly.