by Chase Austin
The control rooms had TV sets tuned to various American news channels and every social media channel, where Americans flocked regularly, to monitor the narrative and if required, then steer it in the direction they wanted. The other aspect was to get the latest updates and know how the American forces were being mobilized.
The information communication revolution had transformed the world. It was now, in an unprecedented way, helping the transborder terrorist masterminds exercise military-style command and control for the duration of the attack.
Part 3
Chapter 35
Oval Office, Whitehouse, 5 hours since the attack
President Hancock was pacing back and forth in the Oval Office. Samuel Baker, his Chief of Staff, was the only one accompanying him, and at the moment Baker was gazing at his boss with anticipation. Even after ninety minutes of intense discussions in the Situation room, Hancock wasn’t sure what steps to take next.
The information that the terrorists were Americans and not from the usual suspect countries had made the situation trickier. He had although asked the FBI Director to start interrogating the families of the identified terrorists as discreetly as possible, he knew that sooner or later this would come out in the media and his decision and actions would be scrutinized from all angles. He was on a slippery slope, and with him was his legacy.
That’s why he needed someone like a Peter Jackson at such crunch moments. Peter was an expert in getting the best out of even the worst situations and this was one of those. But Peter had quit a few hours ago. Hancock didn’t want to call him to reconsider his decision. That would make him look weak. The US president could never look weak. Peter could be the Einstein of political maneuvers, but it was Hancock who was the President of the United States, based on his own merits and hard work. And he would bend for no one. If Peter wanted to go, then he didn’t deserve to be in the White House, and that was that.
Baker, unaware of the contradicting thoughts going through the mind of his boss, was in his own world. For now, he was just glad that Helms had not revealed their conversation on the phone, but he had to talk to him and if necessary, apologize, to douse the impending fire. But he didn’t want to do it in person. Why would he waste his time to travel to Maryland? Even if he had to cede his ground, he would do it on his own terms. The best way was to do it on the phone, quick and easy but not now.
Chapter 36
Helms knew he wasn’t going to be a part of the Situation Room meeting anymore. Hancock after listening to his thoughts, asked him to log out of the meeting in the politest way a possible. Helms was just disappointed that Hancock’s personal agenda trumped national security in his case.
The downside of this was that he had no idea what was happening in the Situation Room, what decisions were being taken, and that made him jittery. On the other hand, he was constantly getting bombarded with intel on the terrorists’ movement in the three cities. He knew that the same intel was also routed to the Situation Room, but he couldn’t fathom why there was a delay in arriving at critical decisions. The more Hancock waited, the worse the attacks were getting. The lives they could have saved were reducing fast due to the government’s inaction. Philadelphia was under control but what about Manhattan and Houston? Especially Houston, since it was now turning into a massive hostage situation.
Finally, he called Mattis. As soon as the call was picked up, he asked, “What’s happening?”
“The President has taken a ten-minute recess.”
“Recess!” Helms couldn’t hold back his surprise.
“He needs to think through this. There are Americans involved on both sides.”
“Yeah, but one side is killing the other so whether American or not, we should act now. We act when a lone shooter goes berserk on a school. How is that shooter any less American than these terrorists?”
“This is different, Bill. You are not getting it.”
“Then explain to me, Patrick. I want to know what I am not getting, and you all are.” Helms’ bottled anger was now visible through his words.
“I’ve to call you back. The President is here.” Mattis disconnected the call, leaving Helms again in the dark.
Chapter 37
Oval Office, Whitehouse
“What’s the latest situation?” The first question from Hancock was in the air as soon as he entered the room.
“Philadelphia is under control. The SWAT team has taken over the market. Six terrorists are dead, and one has been captured alive. He is severely injured and unconscious. A team of doctors is working hard to resuscitate him. The reports are that a man named Stan Lang helped contain the attacks but unfortunately, we couldn’t save him,” Mattis responded.
“I need everything on him, and keep me posted on that terrorist’s situation. We just cannot afford to lose him,” Hancock ordered. “What about the other cities?”
“Manhattan and Houston are now turning into a hostage situation. In Manhattan, the terrorists have taken over a hospital and an estimated fifteen hundred plus hospital staff and patients are in the building.”
“Which hospital?”
“Bellevue Hospital Center.”
Hancock’s face displayed shock on hearing the name. It was the same hospital where his children were born.
“A SWAT team is stationed outside the hospital ready to engage and waiting for orders.”
“How many men?” Hancock asked.
“From our side, twenty men against seven to eight terrorists. More reinforcements are on their way to the hospital.”
“What about Houston?”
“Houston is worse. The terrorists have taken over the Onyx building. More than four hundred guests and hotel staff are expected to be in the building. A team of eight local police officers initially tried to enter the premises but the terrorists thwarted their efforts. They have also started a fire on the hotel’s top two floors and the rooftop. We are trying to douse the fire using helicopters, but the birds cannot go near to the building due to the fear of getting shot at. We are awaiting orders from you on the next steps.”
Hancock heard all this silently and then spoke, “General Shelton, what can we do?”
General David Shelton looked at his four aides, one each from the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, and the Marines. He then spoke with caution. “Sir, we should not make any decision in haste.”
General Shelton knew what he was talking about. The Mogadishu incident had forced the American forces to refine their strategies. In Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993, nineteen Army Rangers and Delta Force operators were killed in a daytime raid that had spun disastrously out of control. The conclusion to this failure was: never operate during daylight if you don’t have to, and if you’re not sure what you’re up against, don’t go in without close air support, or armor, or both. In this case, they had no idea what they were up against, so General Shelton didn’t want to add another layer of complexity by conducting the raid in broad daylight. They had to wait for the night. But there was only one problem. Hancock wasn’t onboard with this plan. Worried about the negative press and a resurgent opposition, he had to look decisive, and not only in the Situation Room but also outside.
“General Shelton, we cannot wait till night. We have to act now.”
“I’m asking you to wait while we are trying to gather intel about the terrorist. We are also awaiting reports from the Philadelphia attack so that we’ll have more clarity. If we go now, we expect heavy casualties from our side too. It can also backfire if the terrorists start using hostages as a shield.”
“General, we are constantly hearing gunshots from the buildings so our people are already in danger, dying. Don’t you think the more we delay the more we are giving these terrorists a free hand? We have to proceed with the mission now.”
General Shelton looked at others but none of them came forward in his support. After a long pause of deliberation, he nodded his head in negation. Despite the President’s insistence, he could not endanger the lives o
f the hostages and his men.
“General, are you saying you won’t do it?”
“Not before we get more relevant intel.”
“General, you know what this means for your career?”
“I understand, sir.”
Hancock looked desperately at others, but none of them appeared inclined to interrupt to take anyone’s side. They knew that a four-star general was no pushover.
Hancock had to take action now to show his strength. As the President, he could’ve overridden General Shelton, but that scenario had more downside than up.
However, he could obviously mobilize the local police teams, and he did that without waiting. He looked back at General Shelton one last time and started instructing everyone else in the room.
Hancock looked straight at others who didn’t dare deny him what he wanted. “Let the SWAT team know that they are authorized to proceed as they see fit. Start with Philadelphia. If the operation is successful, then we will replicate it in Houston. Can we see the operation on the screen here?”
“Yes, Mr. President,” Mattis responded.
“Do it.”
Yes, sir.”
“Try engaging the terrorists in the Onyx using dialogue. What’s the status of their families?”
“Some of them have been already contacted. Multiple teams are now en-route in the various cities to meet the rest. The identification of the rest of the terrorists is still a work in progress.”
“Did we get any updates on the terrorists hiding in Onyx and Bellevue?”
“Not yet.”
“Keep at it.”
“We are, sir.”
“What about the press? Have we issued any statement yet?”
“No, sir.” Baker responded this time.
“Work with Sandra and show me a statement for the press in thirty minutes.”
“Yes, sir.” Baker nodded and rushed out of the room.
Chapter 38
Jessica was in her one-room apartment in Todd Mission watching the deadly attack unfolding on the television when a number flashed on the cell that she used when not in active duty for Task Force 77. Being a part of the Team Vesuvius, one of TF-77’s support teams, she was accustomed to leading a dual life. This call was nothing out of ordinary.
Vesuvius’ job was to support TF-77’s assets in their missions. These teams typically comprised of three to four members — made available to field operatives depending on the mission’s complexity.
Jessica led Vesuvius. She was the logistics liaison and an expert in close combat. Stan and Mac completed the team’s trifecta. Stan was a former Marine and an Olympic-level shooter. Mac was the ‘go-to guy’ for anything remotely associated with technology. Together these three represented one of TF-77’s ace support teams.
“Am I talking to Ms. Jessica?” The receptionist on the other side spoke in a soft tone.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“I’m calling from the Hahnemann University Hospital. Do you know anyone with the name of Stan Lang?”
“He’s my colleague. What happened?”
The receptionist looked at the officer standing at the other side of the reception desk. He nudged her to go on with the conversation.
“Ma’am, we found your name on his list of emergency contacts.”
“Is he alright?”
“I have Sergeant Root with me to answer your questions.” The receptionist looked at the officer and handed him the phone.
“Hello Ma’am. Sergeant Root here.”
“Sergeant, what’s the matter, is Stan alright?”
“I request you to sit down.”
Jessica’s heart sank. She knew the drill as she had done it multiple times in her previous role before joining TF-77.
“I’m fine, tell me.” She articulated every word with great focus.
“Ma’am, during the terrorist attacks on the Farmer’s Market Terminal, our team found Mr. Stan in the building. I’m sorry to say that when we reached him, he had already succumbed to injuries. The medics couldn’t do anything to save him.”
“Cause of death?” Jessica tried to control the pitch of her tone.
“Possibly, excessive bleeding…but an autopsy report is still awaited.”
“What about his mother, Mary?”
“She is injured, still unconscious, but out of danger. The doctors are taking care of her.”
“How did this happen?” The questions kept pouring out of her.
“We are yet to ascertain the cause, but initial reports suggest that your colleague was the one who helped to stop the gruesome attack at the market. We have found that the bullets that matched his gun were the cause of the death of one of the terrorists. Also, the blasts that killed four other terrorists were nearer to his location. Our best people are still working on adding the pieces together.” Root took a pause to gauge the situation at Jessica’s side. “Ma’am, are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Jessica took some time to respond.
“We might need you here in Philadelphia for a few formalities once the flights resume operations.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Thank you, I’ll be in touch. I have already sent you my number so call me if you need any help.” Root took a short pause, then said, “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Jessica disconnected the line without a response. Her emotions had taken a toll on her speaking capacity. She had spoken to Stan just the night before and she could still hear his laugh. And now she didn’t know what to do. Should she call the TF-77 command center to let them know about the tragedy and take care of the proceedings? Should she call and tell Mac? What should she do?
Chapter 39
Maryland, USA
Martha Helms switched on the news and found that Onyx was on fire. The first thing that came to her mind was — Olivia! She quickly grabbed her cell, lying face down on the dinner table and found multiple missed calls from her daughter. She called back. The phone on the other side rang too but wasn’t picked up. She thought of calling her again but then saw the headline on the television screen: Onyx still under siege. The reporters had no idea how many people were inside and if they were dead or hiding or captured. What if Olivia was in the building and captured? The thought itself made her giddy with fear. Millions of unanswered questions invaded her mind. Only one person could have the answers, her husband.
William Helms picked the phone after three rings. Admonished out from the security briefing in the Situation Room, he was trying to overcome this shun while sitting alone in his office. As soon as he saw Martha’s name on his phone, Olivia’s face appeared in front of him.
Olivia was their adopted daughter, and both Martha and he were proud of her achievements and how she was leading her life. Now she was trapped in the burning Onyx. An envelope of guilt engulfed his vision, and he blamed himself for not being there for her when she needed him the most.
Martha’s voice invaded his thoughts. “Bill, where is Olivia?” Martha was on the verge of tears.
“Martha, don’t panic.”
“Where is she?”
“Onyx.” He told her the truth and heard her dropping to the floor.
“Martha…Martha…you okay?”
“Bill…I want her back. Get her home. Please, I beg of you.” Martha had lost the grip on her phone but picked it up again with tears in her eyes as she begged her husband.
“I will, Martha, I will,” Helms promised her, even though he didn’t know if he would be able to keep this promise.
Chapter 40
Onyx Hotel, The Marina, Houston
Olivia waited in the darkness without making a noise. The realization that her father couldn’t come to her rescue at a moment’s notice had finally dawned upon her. Now, till the rescue teams arrive, she had to remain invisible, but an office surrounded with large glass windows was not the best place.
She could hear the guns cracking in the adjacent lobby and the sound slowly grew louder. While she was contemplating wh
at to do next, a few stray bullets flew around the server room, shattering the glass, making here retreat further in.