Flags of The Forgoten

by Stallcup, Heath

“What the hell are you planning, Bobby?” Roger stepped between him and the table, pressing his finger to the larger man’s chest. “I want a real explanation, too. None of that, ‘I can’t tell you in case we’re caught’ bullshit, either.”

  Bobby glared at the man then caught Jay on the edge of his periphery. Jay gave him a slight shrug and a nod. With a long sigh, Bobby pulled Roger aside. “I’m parachuting onto the rooftop. It’s the only way to get access to the proper computer systems.”

  Roger’s eyes bulged. “I thought…but…she said that you guys had an ‘in.’”

  Bobby’s brows furrowed in confusion. “She who?”

  “Jay’s wife. She said that you just needed help for your exit and…wait…parachute?”

  Bobby gave him a lopsided smile. “We’re sending in repair techs to fix what Slippy is doing to their systems right now. The techs will have access to the security systems, but the servers are locked down. That means somebody has got to access the upper levels and use their computers to open all of these documents you pulled for us.”

  “That I pulled…” Roger’s mind raced. “From the classified network in Oklahoma City.” He snapped his fingers. “So those documents were useful?”

  Bobby shrugged and began to pull on the coveralls, zipping them up. “Judging from the titles, we think so. We just can’t open them.”

  “So get a decryption key.”

  “Not that simple,” Gregg hollered at the pair, a pencil clenched in his teeth. “Stand alone, air gapped, non-networked. The only way to open those documents are on their home computers.”

  “So find somebody who works there that can—”

  “No time.” Bobby scooted past him and grabbed more gear from the locker. “We need these documents opened now.”

  “Now, tomorrow…what’s the difference?”

  Gregg looked up and pulled the pencil from his teeth. “You got a source that works there that will do this for us? Because I don’t.” He stood from his workspace and studied Roger. “I’ve been trying to get somebody on the inside for years.”

  Roger sighed and his shoulders slumped as he shook his head. “No. I don’t.”

  “Then I go in.” Bobby pushed past him and checked the altimeter on his wrist.

  “I’m still not following you, though. How will you get out?”

  Bobby motioned to Deric and Jim. “Those two are gearing up to answer a service call that Slippy has already intercepted. They’ll go in and do whatever, buying me time to decrypt the documents and get screenshots. Then we’ll all walk out together.”

  “Two goes in, three goes out.” Roger hiked a brow at him. “You really think they’re that stupid?”

  Bobby tugged the belt around his waist and snapped it into place. “I certainly hope so.”

  “You know you’re not walking out of there, right?” Roger began to pace, his hands waving as he spoke. “Even if you got out of the building, they’ll notify security and they’ll seal the exits. The guards have guns, ya know.”

  “We know,” Deric and Jim both said as they continued loading gear into the box van. “We got an idea that may help.”

  “Let me guess, you’re going to walk in a blow up doll in coveralls, deflate it and have Bridger take its place when you leave?”

  Deric turned to Jim and grinned at him. “You think that would work?”

  Jim shrugged. “I’m game if you are.”

  “Come on guys!” Roger was nearing panic mode when Bobby placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

  “Calm down. We got this.” He glanced at Jay, who gave him a thumbs up. “If everything goes as planned, this time tomorrow you’ll be well on your way to having your life back.”

  Roger fell into the chair and tried to steady his hands. “I don’t like this.”

  “What’s to like?” Bobby made a circular motion with his hand and Viktor nodded. He pulled open the door of the small jump plane and began the pre-flight checks. “As long as Viktor doesn’t crash us on the way, we’re golden.”

  Jay approached Roger and sat down across from him. “This is nothing. We’ve pulled far stupider things with much less planning and got away with it.” He motioned behind Roger. “I’ve got Ryan and Marcus gearing up to provide support. Deric and Jim will get him out and off of the property, no problem. I’ve also got Steve standing by with an exit vehicle that should get them out of the area without raising any brows.”

  Roger groaned. “Why do I sense a very large ‘but’ at the end of your statement?”

  Jay smiled and patted the man’s shoulder. “No ‘buts’ about it. We’re covered.” Jay raised his voice, obviously directing his next comment to Bobby. “As long as Bridger can stick the landing and get his big ass below decks while the sensors are down, there shouldn’t be a hitch.”

  “You’re welcome to go in my place, Wolf.”

  “Sorry Bridger, but this is your shit storm. We’re just support staff.”

  Somewhere Above Langely, VA

  * * *

  “CROSSWINDS ARE at twenty knots.” Viktor Teplov’s voice came across the headphones over the drone of the aircraft’s engine. “Three minutes to bingo.”

  Bobby Bridger gave him a thumbs up and pulled the side door open of the craft, the night air biting through the material of his jumpsuit. Even with the multiple layers, the cold burrowed deep and settled into his bones. “Fuck this cold. I can barely feel my fingers.” He pulled the oxygen mask from his face and tossed it aside, confident that the nitrogen had been forced from his bloodstream.

  Viktor adjusted the altitude then slowed the craft slightly. “Coming up on bingo.”

  Bobby pulled the headphones off and tucked them away. He quickly opened the portable oxygen bottle and slipped the respirator over his face, tucking it under his goggles.

  He turned and watched Viktor’s silhouette. His raised hand began counting down. Five. Four. Three. Two. Bobby gripped the sides of the opening and launched just as Viktor’s last finger fell.

  He watched the edges of his goggles fog up and he prayed that he didn’t lose his field of sight. Above the clouds there wasn’t much to see, but once he broke through the canopy, he knew that he’d need his vision more than anything else to zero in on the landing zone.

  He glanced at the tritium dial on the altimeter and prayed that the weather didn’t shift in the long minutes it would take him to close the distance on the building.

  Bridger burst through the clouds and the nightscape nearly blinded him. He hadn’t realized just how lit up the city was in the wee hours and it took him precious moments to get his bearings. He began to maneuver himself in the air, shifting his weight, increasing his drag and attempting to point himself in the proper direction. He continually glanced at his altimeter, doing his best to time the opening with his current position.

  Not wanting to risk a chute failure and no chance to recover, he opted to open at 800 meters. The chute was good and snapped him like a tetherball once fully deployed. He used the toggles and directed himself into a slow, circular arc over the target. He watched as the building loomed larger, his descent appearing much faster than he felt comfortable with.

  With all of the strength he could muster, Bobby pulled both toggles as far down as he could, slowing the descent until he came in almost horizontally. He felt his feet slipping across the roof of the access and scrambled to find purchase.

  He caught a steel vent pipe with his left boot and hooked it, stopping his motion. With a quick, nearly panicked action, he pulled at the suspension lines, gathering as much of the canopy as he could before it cleared the roof and entered the monitored security areas.

  Bobby rolled to the side, yanking and folding at the canopy, collapsing then rolling it into a bundle and wrapping it with the suspension lines. He pulled the oxygen mask and goggles off and wrapped them into the canopy fabric.

  “Slippy, give me a sitrep,” he whispered into the coms.

  “I take it you successfully made landfall on the ta
rget.” Gregg’s voice was deadpan. “I see no alarms, so you either overshot or you did good.”

  “Give me the damned sitrep,” Bobby bit back through chattering teeth. “I’m freezing my nuts off.”

  “I would say no real loss, but…” Gregg tapped away at his computer. “The best I can give you is about eleven seconds. I suggest you move quickly.”

  “Give me a countdown.” Bridger moved to the edge of the roof and dragged the parachute behind him. He slung the spent chute over his shoulder and hunkered near the edge of the roof, directly in front of the steel door.

  “Roof access is unlocked. You will have your blind spot in three…two…”

  “I need a longer countdown,” Bobby interjected, his teeth still chattering. “Body’s stiff. I need to get into position.”

  “We’ve lost this window. Give it a moment,” Gregg replied. “I can drop it again in…ten, nine, eight…”

  Bobby slipped his feet over the edge of the roof and dangled his legs in front of the door, slowly lowering his body until his weight was supported fully on his upper arms.

  “…three, two, one. Now.”

  Bobby let go of the roof and felt his body slide down the rough exterior. His legs buckled and he rolled back and away from the door.

  Scrambling as quickly as he could, he crawled to the door and pulled it open. He pushed himself through and pulled the stray suspension lines behind him. He shut the door and collapsed against the interior wall. Slippy’s voice came back across the coms. “Security measures re-engaging in five, four, three—”

  “I’m in,” Bobby huffed into the mic.

  “You’re quick for an old man.” Gregg grinned as he scanned the security feed. “Okay, Bob, move forward and let me know when you’re at the stairwell door.”

  Bobby groaned as he came to his feet and kicked the parachute to the corner. He worked his way slowly down the stairwell and tried to peer through the safety glass in the fire exit. “Standing by.”

  “I’ve got nothing on the top floor so I’m assuming it’s empty. Unlocking the door…now.”

  Bobby heard the lock click and he pulled the door open cautiously, peering down the hallway. He slipped inside and pulled the door shut. “Inside.”

  “Okay buddy. It’s all you now. Deric and Jim should be entering at any time.”

  Bridger groaned and tried to stretch the kinks from his neck. He glanced around the corner at the sea of cubicles. “In for a penny…”

  Langley, VA

  * * *

  DARREN CHESTERFIELD PACED, waiting for the call that he knew could come at any moment. He swiped a hand across his unshaven face and bristled at the stubble he felt. He walked to the corner of his office and stared at the image in the mirror. He didn’t even recognize the face staring back at him.

  His skin appeared ashen, dark circles enveloped his eyes and the stubble across his chin was riddled with grey that he had never noticed before. “You gotta find another job, buddy. This shit is going to kill you.”

  He made his way back to his desk and sucked down the last of the cold coffee. He continued to stare at his phone, then at his computer, then back to the phone. Why wouldn’t the damned thing ring?

  He tapped in a new set of commands then cursed under his breath. Grabbing his phone, he dialed the number for the strategic command office in Karachi. “I need a sitrep!”

  “Sir, there’s been no change since the last time you called. We’ve checked all known safe houses in the area and we aren’t finding any signs that they’ve utilized the spaces.”

  Darren groaned and wiped a heavy hand across his face. “Then search the unknown safe houses! They’ve got to be holed up somewhere!”

  “With all due respect, there are no ‘unknown safe houses.’ Pakistan may be an ally, but this isn’t exactly the most hospitable place for a bunch of Americans to lie low.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “If I were you, I’d be looking for them elsewhere.”

  “They couldn’t have gotten out of Karachi. We’ve got all of the streets monitored. We have roadblocks set up. There are people in every airport, bus station, train station and fucking hotel right now! Wherever they are, they’re still local.” Darren paused and tried to imagine he were in Bridger’s shoes. “You’ve gone through all of their known accomplices?”

  “That’s just it, sir. They didn’t have any that we know of. The closest thing we’ve ferreted out was that they once worked with the station chief, but that was decades ago.”

  Darren sat up and stared at the same screen on his computer, his mind trying to connect dots. “What station chief?”

  “Jeff Greenberg. Goes by Green in the ‘stan, though.”

  “You’re telling me that one of our own station chiefs used to work with these assholes?”

  After a slight hesitation, the voice on the phone replied, “Yes sir. But we’ve checked him out. He’s neither seen nor heard from them and he hasn’t missed work so we know he isn’t with them.”

  “I need his direct number. NOW!”

  Karachi, Pakistan

  * * *

  MAMOON SAT IN the dirt road, his back against the rear door of the car when a shadow fell over him. “What has happened?”

  He lifted reddened eyes to the shadowy form and shook his head. “Sameer…”

  Balil stepped closer and stared at the gore splattered across the inside of the car. “You did this?”

  Mamoon sobbed and shook his head. “He did it himself.” He rolled to his side and tried to push himself from the ground. He came to his knees and felt the sobs begin to form in his chest again. “First Tariq, now Sameer.”

  Balil leaned down and pulled at Mamoon’s shoulder. “We need to get out of the street. We will be seen.”

  Mamoon stumbled alongside him, shaking his head. “I do not care any longer. Let them come.”

  “They will not be kind, Mamoon. They will not care that Tariq is dead and they surely will not care that Sameer has taken his life. They will want blood for the blood we spilled.”

  “But we didn’t do it, Balil. It was not us.”

  “When the crowd came and Sameer shot into them…that is on all of us. They do not care if we are to blame for the flags, Mamoon. They will blame us regardless.”

  “Where could we possibly go?”

  Balil pulled him into a narrow alley and the pair leaned against the wall in the shade. “I have family in Multan. We can hide there until either this dies down or we can find an explanation.”

  “Punjab?” Mamoon groaned and slipped down the wall, sitting in the dirt of the alley. “We will never make it.”

  “We shall try.” Balil grunted as he tried to lift Mamoon from the ground. “Come! We are not to die on the streets like dogs.”

  “It is what we deserve,” Mamoon sobbed.

  “Stop this!” Balil backhanded his boss and glared at him. “We are not to die here. Not today!” He pulled at his arm and half dragged him away from the scene. “We will find a car and if we must, we will dress as women. But we will make it.”

  Mamoon groaned again as Balil pulled him deeper into the alley.

  24

  Langley, VA

  * * *

  BOBBY PEERED AROUND the corner and verified the area clear.

  “Sensors going down…now. Move!” Gregg’s voice was calm but firm in his earpiece. “You have ten seconds left. Eight…seven…six—”

  “Unlock corridor 5-Bravo.” Bobby clung to the wall and waited for his time to run out again.

  “On it.” He could hear clicking through the earpiece. “Go! Two…one…sensors are back.”

  Bobby stood in the corridor holding the security door. “Tell me they won’t trigger with the door open.”

  “I’ve got nothing at the moment. Just don’t move for a few more…got it. Go!”

  Bobby released the door and practically sprinted to the end of the corridor. He slid to a stop in front of a glass-walled office. “I’m the
re. Door!”

  He heard the click before Gregg reported it unlocked and pushed his way inside. He pulled the chair away from the desk and slipped the USB drive into the side of the computer. “I thought government computers weren’t allowed USB ports after Snowden?”

  “The CIA don’t need no stinking rules,” Gregg snorted.

  Jay smacked him in the back of the head as he walked by. “Stay on task.”

  Gregg rubbed at the back of his head and glared at the larger man. He covered his lip mic. “I’m on task. Just lightening up the situation.” He muttered under his breath then keyed is microphone again. “That thing only hacks the password. You’ll still have to take pictures of the decoded documents.”

  “Okay, I’m in.” Bobby pulled the USB drive and inserted the second one. “Let’s hope this works.”

  “It will. Just be ready to snap pictures. You won’t be able to carry out the amount of pages we need.”

  Bobby sat back and waited for the files to open. “Holy shit. I didn’t realize how many there were.”

  “Just try to get the best images.” Gregg chewed the pencil as he typed. “Open them all and then close them after you’ve taken the photo. That’s the easiest way to make sure you get them all.”

  Bobby groaned and began clicking the files on the drive. “This is going to take a while. You sure Jim and Deric can kill that much time?”

  Gregg chuckled. “They can be there all night if you need them to be.”

  Bobby sighed and settled into the chair. “Good. Because it may well take all night.”

  Langley, VA

  * * *

  DERIC PULLED THE box van up to the security gate and handed his ID and repair order to the gate guard. The guard glanced at the documents then pointed to Jim. “I’ll need his as well.”

  Jim pulled the clip from his front pocket and handed it to him. “Sorry man. It’s been a long day.” He glanced at the building beyond the massive parking lots. “Any idea where we’re headed?”