The Outlaws split evenly into two ten-person teams. Tara and Taia went right to Angela’s side. She was happy to have them on board. Several of the men joined her as well. “I hope everyone is ready for this,” she said.
“Oh, we’re more than ready,” Hendrickson replied with a faint chuckle. “Stopping a madman with a remote detonator and a bomb capable of blowing Texas off the map. What’s not to love about this?”
Burke walked past Angela, holding his sniper rifle out and low to the ground like a metal detector. He led the way as the group followed carefully behind, Angela’s team on one side of the road and Hendrickson’s on the other. Everyone, it seemed, had entered their default military mode, and kept carefully spaced intervals among their ranks.
Angela could feel that they were close to finding Asgar, but they still had a long way to go in defeating the terrorists. There were a hundred troubling possibilities. Asgar could have fled the warehouse for a different location. Worst of all, Angela had no doubt that he would detonate the bomb if he discovered their presence. They would have to get inside quickly and remain unnoticed. Such a feat seemed next to impossible, but it was their only chance.
They continued along the quiet forest for a good twenty minutes, their movements careful and measured, eyes alert and focused. From the front, Burke stopped, raised his hand, then lowered it, signaling everyone to kneel.
He crouched, turned to the group, and spoke in a whisper. “It’s right up there. I can see it past the trees to the left.” Angela picked up the small M22 binos hanging from her neck and looked through them. She could see part of a decayed building. They were definitely close. There didn’t seem to be any lights on, in or outside the place, a smart move on Asgar’s part. Had they not been looking, they would probably have walked right past it.
Burke rose and continued the march, both teams following. There were tire tracks in the sand all the way down the dirt road, leading Angela to believe that the path led to some kind of lot where the terrorists parked their cars. Rather than engaging Asgar directly, it would have been easier to call in a drone strike, had they the authority. But with a thousand-pound bomb housed inside, such a decision would be disastrous.
Burke shifted to the left and walked off the path and into the forest. “I can see a fence over here. This looks like a good enough spot to split up.” He signaled past him where more of the warehouse came into view. “Hendrickson, take your team around here.” He then turned to Angela, signaling past himself and farther down the road. “Agent Gannon, your team needs to go around this way and find the rear of the building.”
“We’ll be careful,” she assured him. “We have to be.”
The teams split up, wishing each other the best. Things were just about to get started for real this time. A chance to stop the terrorists—to strike them directly at the heart of the sleeper cell, with hopes of destroying their entire inside organization.
Terrorism would always exist. They weren’t putting an end to that. But stopping Asgar and delivering a devastating blow to the Islamic State was a big step.
After a good quarter mile, Angela led her team off the dirt path, and into the tall grass and weeds of the thick, black forest. Exposed parts of the warehouse remained in view. Burke stepped forward and ordered their team to split up and take different sides of the compound. The Outlaws hesitated but then formed into action. One team moved to the side as Angela, Burke, and the other team approached the warehouse ahead with caution.
She hunched down and moved swiftly through the musty woods, pushing sharp branches out of the way. They continued on, unable to suppress the crunch of leaves or snap of twigs under their feet. It was becoming harder not to make any sounds the deeper they got into the woods. After a long, careful passage, they came to an opening where a tall, rusty fence came into view. Angela hunched down lower and approached the fence, signaling the team to split apart and take positions at both her sides.
Tara and Taia split up and led the mini-teams. Excitement built when they saw the warehouse in full view. It was an old building, mammoth in size and seemingly vacant, but Angela knew better. It looked like the perfect hideout for terrorists. The place was probably crawling with them. She looked through her binos to the top of the building and ducked down lower behind some bushes when she caught sight of a figure walking along the top. It was one of the guards Ibrahim had talked about. Invading the warehouse in the middle of night had its advantages, but none of them expected that they could just waltz inside.
“They’re up there,” she said quietly to Tara at her left. She looked through her binos again to get a better look, and then lowered them. “Looks like they have standard AKs. I see about three of them.”
“Fucking lookouts,” Tara said. “Incredible.”
“What’s going on?” Taia asked, crouching down at Angela’s left.
“They’ve got shooters on the building,” Angela said. “Who has the cutters?”
Taia looked behind her. “Axel!” she said with hushed urgency. A bulky man with an abnormally thick neck and trim crew cut leaned back to respond.
“Yeah?”
“You’ve got the clipper, right?” Taia asked.
He reached into the chest pocket of his tan tactical vest and pulled out a folded multi-tool. “Right here.”
“Good,” Angela said to Taia. “Make sure he’s ready. We’ll be going in any minute.” She unclipped her radio from her vest and held down the clicker on its side. “Hendrickson. Burke. We’re in position at the rear of the building. What’s your status?”
“In position,” Burke said through her earpiece.
“We’re at the front gate past a dirt parking lot. Several vehicles are here. At least fifteen trucks and vans. Could be dealing with a lot of scumbags here,” Hendrickson said.
“Just stay out of sight,” Burke said. “I got eyes on at least three guys on the rooftop. They got one on each side. Need that diversion.”
“Working it,” Hendrickson said. “Give us a minute to find some cover.”
“Hurry up,” Burke said.
Hendrickson didn’t respond, but Angela could feel his anger. Burke could be especially pushy when the time came. And the time came quickly, after a few minutes of lying low in the weeds among ants and other stinging insects.
Taia then leaned close to Angela with a question. She and her sister were nearly identical, though Taia had a noticeable gap between her two front teeth. “When we find this Asgar guy, how do we know it’s him? What does he look like?”
Angela thought to herself. He had spoken in the previously recorded video message to America, promising the caliphate to come. That image of him had been seared into her mind. She described him the best she could. Tall and lanky with sunken eyes and a trim gray beard that went down past his chin. As the leader of the sleeper cell, she believed that he would be wearing the traditional white robe.
“There’s only one way to be sure,” she told Taia. “We’ll probably have to kill them all.” Such a revelation didn’t bring her any new satisfaction, though she felt it necessary to say it. All Asgar had to do was press a button and they’d all be dead anyway.
“We’re ready,” Hendrickson said. “We’ll make some sounds and get their attention.”
Angela rose slightly and waved to her team. “All right. It’s almost go time.”
The team stood up as Axel unveiled his tool, exposing miniature cutters, sharp as glass, he had explained. Angel kept a careful watch on the rooftop with her binos as she saw the men turn their attention from the rear of the building to the front. They moved from their positions and huddled together speaking.
“Rear team,” Burke said. “Go ahead and go through. I’ve got them in my sight but don’t want to fire until I absolutely have to.”
“Understood,” Angela said. “Watch our backs.”
Axel began clipping the chain links in the fence, creating a circle large enough for them to squeeze through. All windows appeared to be covered. T
here was a loading dock at the rear with all rolling doors closed. Upon closer inspection, she could see a back door. It looked to be their best bet to getting in.
“Be careful of any traps, triggers, alarms along the way,” she said, as the first of team breached the hole in the gate. With the last person through, Angela followed, and told Hendrickson they were on the move.
“Good luck,” he said back.
Suddenly, one of the men on the roof pulled out a portable spotlight and shined it in the woods just in front of them.
“Shit,” Hendrickson said. “We definitely got their attention now.”
“Stay low!” Burke said from his position. “The rear team is almost inside.”
It sounded like wishful thinking on his part. Angela still wasn’t sure exactly how they were going to get in. She moved up in the line as they reached the loading docks. “Keep your eyes open,” she said. “All sides.” She climbed the stairs as the team followed, alert with their guns raised. The red back door seemed an ideal spot to try. Though it could always be rigged with explosives or something worse.
“To the door,” she told the team in a whisper. “Be very careful though. Check for wires or anything out of the ordinary.”
Taia stopped next to Angela with concerns of her own. “If they have an alarm on that door, it’s over. You see any other way inside?”
Angela looked up and all around the building. The windows were too high, but on the far left side she saw a ladder leading to a small railing and could barely contain her enthusiasm. “An old fire escape. Perfect.”
“Hold up!” Taia told the team as they approached the door. “We found another way inside.”
They regrouped and quickly moved down the loading dock to the very end where the rusty metal ladder was just within reach. Axel, one of the leaner Outlaws, reached up and grabbed the first bar, hoisting himself up and climbing the ladder first. One of the men helped lift Angela up and she climbed next, with her rifle slung over the back of her shoulder. The rest of the Outlaws followed, one after the other, as Angela reached the second story side railing of the escape and quickly took a knee. The guards on the roof were still a very real danger despite how distracted they might be.
“We found another way in… I think,” she said into the radio. “A fire escape.”
“Then get in quick,” Burke said. “The guards are getting suspicious. If I take a shot now, everything changes.”
She looked around and saw another door with a faded exit sign above it. The door was closed and they now faced the same predicament as before—the potential of setting off an alarm. Next to the door, however, was an air conditioning unit connected to an air vent. The Outlaws filed onto the railing with barely enough room to stand.
Tara moved to the door, prepared to open it.
“Wait!” Angela said, holding out her hand. She held the radio close for a status. “What’s the latest, Hendrickson?”
His voice came through, panicky and quiet. “We’re stuck. They’re flashing lights all around us. Whatever you have to do, do it fast.”
“10-4,” she said, clipping the radio back on her vest. She raised her head and could hear the roof guards, who were within ear shot, talking to each other in Arabic. She grabbed Axel’s meaty arm and pointed to the air vent. “Can you get us in there?”
He turned and glanced at the vent with uncertainty. “I might. We’ve just got to open the duct and crawl in. It’s not going to be pretty though.”
“That’s fine. Just give it a shot,” she said. Axel pushed his way over to the a/c unit and got to work with his tools, unscrewing the bolts attaching the unit to the air duct. Tara felt around the door, trying to listen inside. She looked poised to give it a shot when Angela stepped forward to remind her that they had to wait. Waiting, it seemed, was the last thing they wanted to do.
“Our guys are sitting ducks out there,” Tara said. “This building looks at least a hundred years old. I’d say the fire alarm is very unlikely.”
“Not worth the risk,” Angela said. “We’ll consider it once it’s our only option.”
Axel managed to disconnect the main duct from the unit. The vent inside looked just large enough for them to crawl through, Angela hoped. Axel gave it a shot, climbing halfway in, but he could barely fit. He lowered himself out, covered in dirt and debris, and looked at Angela. “I don’t know about this. What if we get stuck?”
Angela passed the other Outlaws and went straight to the vent. “I’ll go first. Give me a minute to check it out.”
“If you say so,” Axel said. He pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and handed it to her. “Hope this helps.”
“It will,” she said, taking the light. She lifted herself into the vent as Axel helped push her in. It was dark and confining, like a tomb. She crawled inside, pushing herself along the dirty aluminum surface with her rifle knocking the top of the duct and the flashlight in her hand lighting the way. The noise was concerning enough, but she pushed on, breathing heavily and feeling the constricting closure of the tight space pushing down on her. She came to a corner of the vent and turned her head back to see Axel’s face at the end, waiting.
“It’s good,” she said softly, as her voice carried. “We can fit up to here. Come on.”
Axel hoisted Tara inside first. Then came the others. With the Outlaws behind her, Angela went left and continued to crawl toward a vent about fifty feet ahead of her. It was a welcome sight. She pushed herself harder and could hear the others crawling behind, grunting and trying their best not to make too much noise. As she reached the vent, deeply relieved, she asked Tara for Axel’s multi-tool.
He passed it down the line and it reached her hands. Before cutting the vent open, she peeked through, trying to see any movements while listening for the slightest sound. Beyond the vent, all she could see was darkness. It was good enough. She got to work, cutting the vent at its sides, and then gently pushed it out, lowering it to the ground. She pulled herself out with one strong push and fell carefully onto some cross-steel railing. They were on some kind of second-story platform.
She moved aside as the remaining Outlaws spilled out of the vent like an assembly line. “We’re in,” she said excitedly into the radio. “Conducting a search of the area now.”
“Excellent,” Burke said. “I’ve got to keep my eyes on this bunch on the roof. Godspeed.”
“We can’t go anywhere,” Hendrickson said, cutting in. “They turned their lights off, but there’s no doubt that their attention is on us.”
The situation was clear enough. Their strategy had been effective, but Angela and her team were clearly alone. She felt the weight of that realization like nothing she’d felt before. The Outlaws stayed low and took positions around the railing. Angela held her binos up to explore further. Below them seemed to be a storage room. There were crates and boxes, but not one militant was in sight. Ahead was a staircase leading down. She stood up and signaled the team forward. “We’re clear. Let’s get out of here.”
They carefully crept down the stairs and reached the bottom to find another door. It wasn’t an emergency exit and there were no signs of wires or explosives. They had made it this far, and Angela felt that they were very close to something. Tara pushed forward and went to the door. Angela held her rifle up and nodded as Tara slowly pushed the door bar and opened the door with the utmost care. Angela snuck out, low to the ground as her team followed behind her. Her movements felt instinctual, as though all her former military and border patrol training had reached its zenith.
She moved forward, down a darkened hall where she could see a glimmer of light at the end. They continued their pursuit without a word, moving together as a single interlinked unit. Angela stopped at the end of the hall and peeked around the corner. They had reached the main floor, and what she saw stunned her. In addition to numerous crates and a group of armed militants loading military vehicles, she could see a cargo truck that nearly took up half the floor.
She
signaled her team to wait and held her binos up to get a closer look at some activity happening near the truck. There were spotlights set up next to a table with laptops. A video camera rested on a tri-pod, its red light flashing. Several militants stood around watching the proceedings.
In the center of it all stood a tall, lanky man in a white robe, speaking to the camera with a black ISIS flag hanging from the truck behind him. She counted about fifteen militants in all. Some were spread out and working. Everyone was occupied and no one, it seemed, was aware of their presence. Angela knew a good opportunity when she saw it.
“We’re on the main floor. The terrorists are in sight. Burke, we’re moving forward, and when I give you the signal, go ahead and take out the guards. Hendrickson. Once that happens, your team moves forward.”
At first there was a pause as though Burke and Hendrickson were surprised they had made it in so quickly.
“Got it,” Burke said. “Be careful. Don’t try to be a hero.”
“Too late for that,” Hendrickson said with a laugh. “We’ll move in as soon as we can.”
“Thanks,” Angela said. She clipped the radio back onto her vest and looked to her team, their faces pumped up and eager with anticipation. “We’re going to move in, but we have to be smart. We can’t be seen, until I’ve got Asgar in my sights. Take out any militants in our way as quietly as you can.”
The team nodded in understanding. Angela turned back to the main floor and moved forward slowly with her rifle aimed. They followed as she moved from crate to crate. A few men from the team split up and tackled three militants, slicing their throats, barely letting them get out a gasp.
Angela moved to the next crate, fifty feet from the video shoot. There was no doubt in her mind that Asgar was recording his final message to the world and that he was prepared to detonate the bomb as soon as he wrapped it up. She walked toward the men as her team split in a flank.
All the militants’ backs were turned to them, and as she got closer, Asgar’s words came into earshot. “It is an honor to bring the caliphate of the Islamic State unto our enemy, Allah be praised. For centuries you have fought us, and now we deliver this next attack in the name of Islam, the Islamic State, the Prophet Mohammed, and our dear leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In the name of Allah, the merciful, we send you where you belong, into the fires of hell for all eternity.”
Surviving The Collapse Super Boxset: EMP Post Apocalyptic Fiction Page 161