“We are going to shock the world tonight,” he said. “Americans will no longer talk about 9/11. Instead, they will talk about the Denver Disaster. But we will call it Denver Delight, for it is just another step in our goal of bringing this country to its knees.”
The men cheered again before breaking into a chant of “Fa-reed, Fa-reed, Fa-reed.”
His phone buzzed with a text message. He glanced at the screen and read the note informing him that no officers attempted to detain her.
One less thing to worry about.
Each member of the sleeper cell was instructed to proceed to the event pass gate where working members of the rally were granted access. They would all leave five minutes apart to avoid suspicion.
Fareed had worked with Campbell to get the specifics on the metal detector they would pass through. Two members of Fareed’s team would activate a device that would inhibit the machine from picking up any metal. Once they all passed, they would be free to walk about the stadium and plant their bombs. That was the plan.
Fareed would go last, serving as a contingency. If he didn’t receive a text alerting him that everyone had made it through, he would execute the backup plan. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make if necessary.
He offered a thin smile as the first member of the sleeper cell left the building.
Now all he had to do was wait.
* * *
BLACK AND SHIELDS WERE in position with an FBI team situated two blocks away from the warehouse that had been most rented in the timeframe parameters. There had been three newly rented spaces, but there was one that stood out to Black. According to the rental records, the company was also new and had skimpy records. Black surmised that getting a more established corporation to rent for them would’ve been far more difficult, therefore less likely.
After conducting surveillance on the building for nearly an hour, Black was starting to question his deduction. But two hours before the campaign rally was scheduled to begin, Black spotted the first man.
“I got eyes on the first target,” Black said into the coms, patched into the FBI’s communication system. “He’s heading east toward your position.”
As soon as the man rounded the corner, he was met by three FBI agents. They immediately apprehended him and ushered him into a waiting transport van. Following a brief search, the special agent in charge reported back that the man was indeed carrying explosives.
“I’m sure he’s not the only one,” Black said.
“We’re still standing by,” the agent replied.
Five minutes later, another member of the cell exited the facility and continued along the same route as the first man. The process was repeated for an hour. However, after capturing the eleventh, a half hour passed with nobody leaving the facility.
Black shook his head, fighting the sinking feeling in his gut. “Are you sure none of the men you’ve detained look like the picture of Kalil Fareed that I sent you?”
“Negative,” the special agent in charge replied. “And I can’t get any of these guys to talk.”
“We need to move in,” Black said.
“I’m not sure that’s wise,” the agent said.
“At this point, we don’t have a choice,” Black said. “I know there’s at least one cell member we haven’t detained.”
“There could be an ambush awaiting us.”
Black shrugged. “With all due respect, sir, I don’t operate out of fear. My partner and I will go in first if that puts you at ease. But be prepared to exchange first. I don’t think this guy is going to go quietly.”
“Roger that. I’ll move my SWAT team into position and follow your lead.”
Shields glanced at Black. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Do you have a better one?” he snapped. “There’s a stadium two blocks from here that’s going to be packed with people. Obviously whatever this sleeper cell was planning won’t be nearly as tragic. But that doesn’t mean they can’t still inflict some damage.”
“How many terrorists do you think are still in that building?” she asked.
“I’m betting one, if that. For all we know, Fareed could be in the wind—or he could be planting explosive devices at Mile High Stadium as we speak. But there’s only one way to eliminate one of those possibilities. So, are you with me?”
She nodded resolutely. “Let’s nail the bastard.”
Black and Shields left their vehicle and maneuvered into position. The captain of the SWAT team reiterated what the FBI agent had agreed to do.
“On your mark,” the SWAT captain said.
Black nodded and looked at Shields. “You ready?”
“After you,” she said.
Black set an explosive charge to fry the security system on the door. When it detonated, the door swung open, allowing them access. Black went in first, gun trained in front of him. He half expected to be returning fire within seconds of entering, but that wasn’t the case. Shields followed him and then more SWAT team members poured inside. They quickly worked to clear the building.
“It’s empty,” the SWAT team captain announced. “What do you want to do now?”
Black shook his head as he bit his lip.
What would I do if I was Kalil Fareed?
* * *
KALIL ALWAYS had a backup plan. It was in his nature to hope for the best, but plan for the worst. For weeks, he was confident that they would be able to pull off the deadliest attack on American soil. But then the wheels started to come off. Someone got careless with someone else who was careless and a big mess unfolded. There were days when he never heard anything and thought the sleeper cell would be fine.
If only he hadn’t gotten careless.
He should’ve never let his relationship with Campbell get as far as it did. He only used her in Afghanistan because she was crazy and begged to be a part of it all. Her thirst for the next adrenaline was so beyond anything he’d ever seen that he wondered if she might be willing to strap on a vest for the cause. She’d do anything to feel something. But Kalil was the one who felt something, regrettably. He couldn’t resist her allure, her beautiful body that was just as jaw-dropping as anyone he’d ever seen in those forbidden magazines, her magnetic personality, her insatiable quest to experience new things. Yet he didn’t hesitate to shoot her. He wished he hadn’t shot her so quickly, so resolutely. But he had to. Nothing could compromise the mission. Nothing.
Despite expressing his concern to those higher up the chain of command at Alsheri, they’d gone too far to turn back now. They had to try as the window of opportunity was still slightly cracked.
But when Kalil didn’t hear back from anyone on his team, he realized something had gone awry and had to move to Plan B.
Though Plan B sounded simple, the biggest obstacle was avoiding the federal agents crawling outside the building, something he noticed while on the roof. His secret weapon was knowledge, information that there was a door that connected to the warehouse adjacent to his, separated by a large wall and a single door. However, the door could be opened from his side.
Kalil made his way through the narrow corridor and into the heart of the warehouse. He secured his hardhat and threw on his reflector vest before jumping behind the wheel of a forklift. He picked up a pallet and maneuvered toward the docks. When he reached the spot, the doors were open. He glanced around and waited until he was sure nobody was watching him and then hopped off the machine, leaving it running. He kept on the hardhat and vest to maintain the ruse, striding down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of the feds.
He walked a couple of blocks before shedding the uniform. When he reached the service entrance of the stadium, he activated the blocking device for the metal detector and walked through without any incident. The woman at the machine smiled at him as she inspected his credentials.
“Do you know where you’re headed?” she asked.
He nodded and smile. “Of course, but thank
you.”
Being polite but not memorable was what helped him blend in with the Americans. A rude or grumpy person would always stand out, but a meek yet kind man? Just another face in the crowd.
He’d studied the schematics of the stadium for weeks and knew exactly where the stage would be—and where a blast beneath the facility would produce the most impact.
And that’s exactly where he went.
* * *
BLACK SAT DOWN, trying to catch his breath, wishing that his worst nightmare wasn’t materializing in front of him. But he didn’t have time to sulk. The moment of truth was rapidly approaching, and if he didn’t do something to stop it, he’d live with a lifetime of regret.
“Alex,” Black said over the coms, “have you noticed anything strange about the people who’ve exited this warehouse over the past hour?”
“Nope,” she said. “Everyone on the other side of the building looks like they belong. There’s nothing that stands out about anyone.”
“Okay,” Black said as he nodded, still trying to grapple with the situation. He stood up and paced around a small space.
“We just need to get a picture of him to the security personnel over at the stadium,” Shields suggested. “They can be on the lookout for him.”
“No, he’s probably already inside,” Black said. “Alex, can you call up the schematics on Mile High Stadium and tell me where the structure is its most vulnerable?”
“Roger that,” she said.
“Brilliant,” Shields said. “He’ll want to inflict maximum damage on the stadium and kill the highest number of American lives. He already knows he’s a goner.”
Black nodded. “And he’s going to try and take down as many people as he can with him.”
“A Muslim Samson,” she said.
“Let’s hope he’s not successful,” Black said, gesturing for Shields to get up. “We need to get to the stadium as soon as possible.”
“Jana,” Black said over the coms, “are you still listening?”
“I’m already ahead of you,” Jana said. “I’m walking in now.”
“Just be careful,” Black said. “Kalil is likely armed with plenty of explosives. Stay far away, but let us know if you see him.”
* * *
KALIL CHECKED his watch. The festivities had already begun and he tried to figure up how long it would be before President Young graced the stage. However, the emcee of the campaign rally never mentioned what time the president would appear, likely to keep the audience in suspense.
But Kalil couldn’t wait, given the way federal agents arrested the rest of his crew. He made his way down a set of stairs, reaching the bowels of the stadium. Around the edges were locker rooms and some storage space. But directly beneath the field, Kalil found offices and other special power rooms. A system of heating coils was buried beneath the surface to dry out the turf in icy and snowy conditions. Beneath that was where Kalil wanted to be, more precisely beneath the corner of one end zone. Finding the perfect spot was tricky, but he’d rehearsed this moment so many times in his head, it felt like déjà vu.
All he had to do now was wait for when the night’s most important speakers took the stage.
He slumped to the ground on a paved concourse, leaning his head against the wall. With the small red button in his hand, he contemplated just activating the explosive and ending it all. The amount of people he’d kill would be irrelevant. It’d be a massive blow to the Americans. And Kalil would never see it.
He didn’t care. Kalil realized he was as good as dead anyway.
However, his plans were turned upside down when he heard a voice call out his name down the hall.
“Kalil?” a woman said. “Kalil Fareed? Is that you?”
* * *
JANA COULDN’T believe her luck. She’d stumbled upon the target in the bowels of the stadium. Then she came to a horrifying realization: She didn’t know what to do next.
She backed away and eased behind a large concrete support, shielding her from Kalil.
“This is Jana,” she said. “I’ve got eyes on the target. I repeat, I’ve got eyes on the target.”
No response.
She tried again and again and again.
Still nothing.
Jana clutched the cold steel handle in her hand and took a deep breath. While she wanted to shoot him and end the entire episode, her instincts suggested another course of action.
“Kalil?” she called out. “Kalil Fareed? Is that you?”
The man scrambled to his feet and eyed her closely. “Yes? Who’s asking?”
“I’m with the U.S. government,” she said. “Please place your hands where I can see them.”
He laughed and shook his head. “All I have to do is let go of this switch and the whole place goes boom. Understand?”
She cocked her head to one side, unsure of what he was saying.
“If I let go, you die,” he said. “It wouldn’t be a good idea to shoot me.”
As she tried to process the information, he started racing toward her. Jana wanted to shoot back, but she couldn’t. Tears filled her eyes, blurring the entire scene, made even worse by the stark white background all around her.
She fired a shot, but it was a half-hearted attempt. However, Kalil stopped.
“Do I need to remind you that if you hit me, we both die,” he said, gesturing for her to lower her weapon.
She held her ground, aiming her weapon at his chest, center mass, just like Shields had taught her. “You can’t kill all those people.”
“You’re not going to stop me,” he said with a grin.
“Think again,” she said.
Before she could move, she heard an engine roaring toward her location. The noise reverberated off the tight space, echoing and amplifying the sound. Her angst rose and she turned to see the source. It was nothing more than a motorized cart, operated by someone on the maintenance staff.
By the time she turned back around, Kalil was right up on her. He grabbed her arm, aiming her pistol upward. Then he spun her around, wrapping his arm around her neck. With his other hand, he shook the weapon free and kicked it aside.
The man driving the maintenance cart noticed the kerfuffle but kept driving, apparently uninterested in getting involved.
Jana began to cry, pleading with Kalil not to kill her.
“You should’ve minded your own business,” Kalil said. “Because tonight, you will die.”
* * *
BLACK SPRINTED AROUND the concourse beneath the stadium. His attempts to hail Shields and Jana on his coms had failed. Some type of interference was preventing him from getting a signal.
With his gun trained in front of him, he stayed tight against the rounded wall that matched the oval shape of the structure above. Had the president been on-site, the facility would’ve been crawling with Secret Service agents under the stadium, but without Young present, it was a virtual ghost town.
As Black neared the end of the stadium where the stage was set up, he thought he heard a faint cry over the roar of the crowd. He stopped and listened again.
There it is.
After a few more meters, the source of the cries came into focus: Jana had been captured by Kalil.
Black studied the scene for a few seconds, determining that neither of them had a weapon. He moved into the open and initiated contact.
“Kalil Fareed, let go of her if you want to live,” Black said.
Kalil laughed and held up his left hand. “Do you know what this is? It’s a dead man’s switch. As long as I keep my finger on this button, the—”
“I know what a dead man’s switch is,” Black said.
“Then you know if you shoot me then we’ll both die,” Kalil said.
“Shoot him,” Jana said, her eyes attempting to communicate something.
Black froze, unsure of how to proceed.
Kalil laughed again. “Your friend is smart.”
“Shoot him,” Jana said, her eyes wild and i
ntense.
He noticed that she wasn’t struggling against him, but had her hand in her pocket. The rest of her body was nearly motionless.
“Trust me,” she said after a few more seconds.
Kalil smiled as he looked directly at Jana. “Do you have a death wish too?”
“If what you say is true, we’re all dead anyway,” she said. “What difference does it make?”
Before Kalil could answer, Black pulled the trigger. The bullet zipped through the air, but it felt like an eternity to Black. If he missed, he’d never forgive himself. But if his hunch was wrong, it wouldn’t matter because they’d likely all be dead anyway.
Kalil was struck in the head and teetered for a moment before toppling to the ground. Black watched as the man’s body crashed against the concrete floor, his hand still clutching the device. Then after a few seconds, his fingers fell off the trigger.
And nothing happened.
“Come quick,” Jana said as she stood over his body.
Black stared slack-jawed but relieved as he ran. He stopped as he reached Jana before embracing her.
“How did you—”
“It’s a jamming device I brought,” she said. “It scrambles all radio frequencies. When I noticed that his switch wasn’t connected with a wire, I figured I could jam it.”
Black knelt next to Kalil’s body and unbuttoned his jacket, revealing an explosives vest.
“He didn’t intend to commit suicide initially,” Shields said. “That was set up to be affixed to the side of a structure somewhere and detonated some distance away.”
“Guess he got desperate,” Black said. “But he died a failure, thanks to you.”
Jana’s lips quivered as she looked at the body.
“Are you all right?” Black asked.
She bit her lip, shaking her head subtly. “Next time, I’d rather just stay in the van.”
“You did great,” Black said. “Now, let’s go find Shields and get this mess cleaned up.”
Chapter 41
Washington, D.C.
Honorable Lies (A Titus Black Thriller Book 6) Page 20