The Terminal List

Reece considers the fact that he is not particularly upset about what he’s done. However, Reece knows he is good at killing; in fact, he comes from a long line of people who are adept at killing. While he doesn’t enjoy killing, he thinks that it is a necessary evil to protect his country.

The next morning, Ben wakes Reece up by bringing him tacos. He makes fun of his appearance, especially his grown-out beard that makes him look like he is going back to Afghanistan. Ben tells him that various federal agencies are intrigued by the CJNG killings, thinking that it indicates the beginning of a gang war. No one suspects Reece. Ben reveals that he knows who set up the troop to be killed overseas: Captain Howard met with a local imam (an Islamic prayer leader), Hammadi Izmail Masood, who has ties to the Islamic State (ISIS).

Masood is the imam at the Islamic Center for Peace and Prosperity of Southern California. Ben explains that, on the outside, the group appears to be a peaceful institution that calls for the end of violence. However, it is a conduit for money for ISIS. Reece decides to go undercover as a graduate student and then kill Masood.