Fabula
S3E0 · Isaac and Ishmael
S3E0
· Isaac and Ishmael

Ron Briefs Leo: Raqim Ali Matches Terrorist Alias

In a hushed Leo's office at night, Ron Butterfield waits for the doors to seal before delivering chilling intel: terrorist Khuram Sharif, arrested hours earlier, named coconspirator Yaarun Nabi, whose NCIC aliases include Raqim Ali—one a White House staffer. Stunned, Leo probes for confirmation, then resigns grimly to the inevitable breach. Ron's terse affirmation escalates post-9/11 paranoia, catalyzing Raqim's apprehension and exposing the White House's vulnerability in this revelation beat that propels the lockdown crisis.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Ron Butterfield delivers explosive intelligence: a White House staffer is suspected of terrorist ties through NCIC alias matches.

routine to alarm ["Leo's office"]

Leo processes the revelation with grim acceptance, acknowledging the inevitability of such threats.

shock to resignation

Ron confirms the worst-case scenario with a terse affirmation, cementing the gravity of the situation.

uncertainty to confirmation

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

4
Khuram Sharif
primary

Not directly observed; inferred as self-preserving capitulation

Khuram Sharif is referenced as the recently arrested terrorist at the border, turning state's evidence to name coconspirators including Yaarun Nabi, his actions catalyzing the intel drop that pierces White House security.

Goals in this moment
  • • Mitigate personal consequences via testimony
  • • Expose network to authorities
Active beliefs
  • • Betrayal ensures survival
  • • Plot's failure demands damage control
Character traits
treacherous cooperative under pressure
Follow Khuram Sharif's journey
Raqim Ali
primary

Not present; positioned as potential innocent under siege

Raqim Ali emerges as a critical alias match in NCIC data—one of three, specifically the White House staffer—distinguished from innocents in Spokane and LA, thrusting him into suspicion and propelling the crisis forward.

Goals in this moment
  • • None directly; object of investigation
  • • Maintain routine duties amid shadows
Active beliefs
  • • Not inferred; focal point of paranoia
  • • Identity overlap breeds peril
Character traits
unwittingly implicated profiled by name
Follow Raqim Ali's journey
Ron Butterfield (Secret Service Special Agent)
primary

Terse professionalism veiling urgent concern

Ron enters alongside Leo, methodically waits for doors to seal before delivering precise, chilling intel on Sharif's arrest, Nabi's naming, NCIC aliases, and the White House Raqim Ali match, concluding tersely with agreement to Leo's fatalism.

Goals in this moment
  • • Brief Leo comprehensively on the threat without leaks
  • • Prompt immediate lockdown and response protocols
Active beliefs
  • • Security intel demands total containment
  • • No breach is coincidence in terror era
Character traits
methodical stoic protocol-driven
Follow Ron Butterfield …'s journey
Leo McGarry
primary

Stunned disbelief masking dawning dread and fatalistic acceptance

Leo enters with Ron, seals the doors to ensure security, listens intently to the briefing, probes sharply with 'Who's the third?', then reacts with visible surprise verging on speechlessness before uttering grim resignation about the inevitable breach.

Goals in this moment
  • • Confirm the intel's accuracy and scope
  • • Gauge the immediate security implications for the White House
Active beliefs
  • • Post-9/11 threats make infiltration inevitable
  • • Swift confirmation prevents wider panic
Character traits
authoritative incredulous resigned
Follow Leo McGarry's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

4
Spokane

Spokane is named as home to one innocent Raqim Ali (software designer), providing crucial distinction that narrows suspicion to the White House match amid alias chaos.

Atmosphere Distant Pacific anonymity clashing with crisis
Function Distinguishing reference for identity vetting
Symbolism Everyday normalcy versus terror shadow
Night-cloaked urban hush Roots tangling with paranoia
LaGuardia Airport

LaGuardia Airport surfaces as the foiled bombing target under Sharif's warrant, heightening stakes by linking the intel to domestic aviation peril and White House complicity fears.

Atmosphere Locked-down terminals pulsing with dread
Function Terror target cited for context
Symbolism Vulnerable hub of American transit
Access Federal sweeps and gate freezes
Slick runways under security glare Blared alerts in concourses
Los Angeles

Los Angeles is cited for the second innocent Raqim Ali (caterer), further delineating the White House threat and amplifying profiling tensions in the alias revelation.

Atmosphere Smog-veiled coastal sprawl harboring peril
Function Distinguishing reference for identity vetting
Symbolism Urban anonymity fueling misidentification fears
Palm-fringed anonymity Thrumming freeways of potential threat
Ontario–Vermont Border Crossing

The Ontario–Vermont Border Crossing is invoked as the site of Khuram Sharif's custody five hours prior, its tactical seizure grounding the intel's recency and emphasizing border vigilance in post-9/11 terror pursuit.

Atmosphere Remote and fortified, echoing procedural lockdown
Function Arrest site referenced to establish timeline
Symbolism Frontier of national security fragility
Access Heavily patrolled international boundary
Chain-link barriers under floodlights Gravel under tactical boots

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

2
NCIC

NCIC is queried for Yaarun Nabi, yielding five aliases including Raqim Ali, its database output confirming the White House link and thrusting federal criminal shadows into the administration's core.

Representation Via preliminary check delivering alias torrent
Power Dynamics Exercising informational authority over security response
Impact Amplifies post-9/11 vetting scrutiny on staff
Expose terror network aliases accurately Facilitate rapid cross-agency threat ID Criminal database linkages Warrant and alias dissemination
U.S. Attorney

U.S. Attorney receives Sharif's state's evidence, channeling named coconspirators like Nabi into prosecutorial pursuit, its role underscoring legal machinery grinding against the White House breach.

Representation Recipient of turning evidence from arrest
Power Dynamics Wielding prosecutorial vise on informant intel
Impact Exposes gaps in White House personnel screening
Build airtight case from Sharif's testimony Coordinate with federal security on leads Evidence intake and distribution Interagency terror prosecution pressure

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Themes This Exemplifies

Thematic resonance and meaning

Prejudice and Exoneration
6
Post-9/11 paranoia fuels rapid suspicion of Raqim Ali via alias match, triggering FBI grilling and Leo's prejudiced interrogation on ethnic ties. Swift clearance exposes profiling …

Part of Larger Arcs

Leo McGarry's personal psychological struggle with bias and post-Rosslyn trauma, manifesting in prejudiced questioning of Raqim Ali and culminating in remorseful apology after exoneration.

Key Dialogue

"RON: "Five hours ago, Khuram Sharif was taken into custody while crossing from Ontario into Vermont. There was a warrant for his arrest in connection with an attempted bombin at LaGuardia. Turning State's evidence over to the U.S. Attorney, he named several coconspirators. One of whom was Yaarun Nabi. A preliminary check in the NCIC kicked out five aliases. One of which was Raqim Ali. There are three Raqim Alis. One's a software designer in Spokane. Another is a caterer in Los Angeles.""
"LEO: "Who's the third?""
"RON: "He works in the White House." / LEO: "It was only a matter of time, huh?" / RON: "Yeah.""