by Hawk, Nate
Steven paused while he organized his thoughts and continued. There were so many details to the plot that it was easy to get sidetracked and lose sight of the point.
“This organization has more than twenty training camps within the United States. We raided one of those compounds late last year. It was a complete mess. Literally and figuratively speaking. I know because it was the break that got me promoted to ASAC. The place was filthy. My team ended up killing three militants. One of them had a suicide vest that, thankfully, failed to detonate. Look Kelly, these guys, this whole organization is hell bent on converting our entire country to Islam. They want to enact Sharia Law and they are not at all secretive about their intentions. The leaders have websites all over the Internet stating their objectives. The one guy we killed with the suicide vest, had stuffed papers inside of his clothing. He intended to destroy them in the blast-that-didn’t-happen. The papers were blueprints of train stations, airports… Heavily visited tourist sites, you know. High value targets.
“Jesus Christ,” Kelly said, thinking back to the IED attacks in Iraq.
“Yeah, well the craziest part is that we found a woman in a cage in this guy’s bedroom. She’d obviously been kidnapped and apparently been his sex slave for months. He had repeatedly tortured her. It was a grotesque, nasty situation.”
“Sick bastard,” Kelly sighed.
He could feel his hatred for the group growing more intense. He thought of what he’d do once he got his hands on this Plotnikov. He couldn’t believe how disgusting the group was. How were they successful in committing these crimes on American soil? And they did it right underneath law enforcement’s ever-watchful eyes. Kelly continued listening as Steven filled in the backstory.
“That wasn’t even the first time that a member of this group was involved in kidnapping and sexual assaults. In an out-of-court settlement, the group agreed to pay restitution to a woman here in Massachusetts a while back. One of the members of the group had kidnapped and raped her. She too was captured by some animal and held against her will for months. It was a harrowing ordeal. I read that the woman refused to cooperate with the judicial system. For some reason she chose privacy and healing over a drawn out public trial. She just refused to testify. She said that she couldn’t bear to face the man and that she had already been through too much. Without a material witness, there were no criminal charges brought against the organization or the man who held her and repeatedly raped her. I had my assistant check into who exactly this man was that got away with the kidnapping and repeated sexual assault.”
Kelly stared at Steven with a chiseled stoic look that he had picked up during his stint in the Marines. Kelly’s desire to kill every last one of them was raging. Steven could see the hatred in Kelly but the ASAC was fired-up at that point and showed no signs of slowing down.
“Care to guess who it was?”
“Don’t tell me it was Niko Plotnikov,” Kelly said in disbelief.
“It sure was. Who knows how many other kidnappings they’ve perpetrated over the years? Going back further, this same group has been involved in bombings, assassinations, human trafficking, etc. All kinds of sick shit. Same group of guys that beheaded Danny Pearl.”
Kelly needed a notepad to keep track of all of this. He looked at his friend, and realized there was more to the story but he wanted to stay focused on one element at a time.
Kelly asked, “So where did Niko Plotnikov go? I can’t believe he outwitted the Bureau.”
“No, Niko didn’t outwit us. The CIA and the Department of Defense came in and slapped a Top Secret clearance on this guy. They were citing “National Security Concerns”. We sold it to the media as a two-man operation without any sort of domestic or overseas funding or involvement. Just some run-of-the-mill, homegrown terrorism. My boss just arrived back in town and my asshole still hurts. My career is swirling the tank and this Niko Plotnikov guy just got a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
Kelly was fuming now. This terror network was full of murderers and rapists and the federal government seemed to be willing to let them get away with it.
“Surely there is something the Bureau can do? CIA isn’t even supposed to run operations within the borders of the US. Isn’t this guy still here domestically? I mean, what gives, how can they stop the legal pursuit of a terrorist?” Kelly asked.
It was more of a rhetorical question. Kelly knew damn well how federal government politics could get in the way of sound policy measures.
“I hate to let it go but Niko has been marked by multiple federal agencies now and the CIA has a long memory. In my experience, once they focus their assets on a guy like this, his lifespan shortens significantly.”
“The CIA can fuck off. You know when I get out of here I am going for him. Niko Plotnikov’s days are numbered alright and I’m going to do the countdown myself.”
Steven looked hard at his friend. He knew Kelly well and he had anticipated that the conversation would move into this territory. The agent took a deep breath and remained a voice of reason as he responded.
“Kelly, this isn’t the Wild West.”
He paused to stress the point and to appear emphatic.
“I mean everybody understands your feelings of…”
“No, you listen here Steven. Nobody can possibly understand how I feel. I spent two years of my life running around in Iraq, trying to get closure for those that died in 2001. I killed and killed until I was satisfied that I had evened the scales of justice. Then I killed some more. In fact, I killed until I got bored of pulling the trigger and watching their little Neanderthal heads explode in my optic. Nearly all of my emotions had worn off by the end. And, I lost some good friends in the process. I don’t plan to go in with a battalion of Marines this time. I am going to tear Niko Plotnikov apart myself. Once I stop him, I’ll keep going. I’ll follow these guys all over the globe and take them out one at a time until they kill me or I run out of money. And I’ll add that I’ve been saving my pocket change for quite some time.”
Steven couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His friend sounded suicidal.
“Kelly, you can’t…” he started to say before he stopped himself. Kelly wouldn’t be told where his limitations were.
“What I can’t do is go back to the BPD and act like none of this shit ever happened.”
A plan was already developing in Kelly’s mind, so he continued.
“You’re gonna help me. If I go searching for the VIN on that SUV, we both know it is going to raise questions that could lead to me getting heat that I don’t need. Do that for me, Steven. Just get me the VIN. Also, photocopy any files you can about Jamaat Al Fuqra in America and see if you can figure out where this might have gone. Two weeks and I am out of here, literally and figuratively.”
“Whoa Kelly, slow down. You know I can’t just go against the FBI’s code of ethics, damn it. You know that!”
“I can’t imagine it would be the first time, Steven. Besides, you just admitted to me yourself that your career is swirling the tank. Let’s figure out a way to change that. You know, make this right and get your career back on track.”
“Kelly, you’re not thinking straight. If I do this I am breaking the law. I seriously doubt it’s going to help my career. In fact, if either one of us gets caught, I guarantee we will both be indicted by a Federal Grand Jury. We’ll be in such deep shit that they’ll throw us both in a federally-sponsored cage where we will rot the rest of our miserable lives. You know how they treat former law enforcement in those places. You might survive but do you know what they would do to a guy like me, Kelly?”
“Yeah, I do. Sounds like a great incentive not to get caught. You know I’m not going to yield on this, Steven.”
Steven put his palms up to his face and rubbed his eyes as he thought more about what logistical support Kelly needed and what he could offer. He sighed, trying to push away the stress that was compounding his guilt and making him feel more agreeable than he might have otherwise been
.
“Well, what I know is that I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this,” Steven resigned.
“You’re Goddamn right about that,” Kelly said, satisfied his point had been understood.
Steven paused and seemed to think very carefully about what he would say next. Acquiescing, he came Kelly’s way.
“In light of that fact, there is more that you need to know.”
“Now you’re sounding more like my old friend. Tell me,” Kelly said eagerly.
Steven wore the look of a stressed out intellectual, as he thought about Kelly’s comment. Here we go, he thought to himself.
“The CIA has more or less told the Bureau that Niko has indirect connections with a much bigger network of terrorists that is gaining affluence in Syria and Iraq. They think he may be trying to leave America and join up with this other group abroad.”
“What’s this group’s name?” Kelly inquired.
Steven let out another sigh of reluctance. He knew there was no going back now.
“This group calls themselves ISIS. Apparently, they are plotting a big terror event in Western Europe. That being said, we go back a long way before I was a government man. I will help you, Kelly, but in addition to chasing terrorists, you need to understand that you’re about to be mixed up with the CIA. And you’re going to be doing so on their own turf.”
Kelly had a good idea how ruthless the CIA could be. It was something to remember but he would not let it affect his plans to go after Niko. Kelly never listened to anyone when he had his mind made up. What did Steven expect? Did he think Kelly would quit and take his ball home after the CIA revelation? As the information settled in, Kelly sighed loudly in an attempt to release his anxiety.
“I truly appreciate anything that you can do to help me track down Niko. I think I can take it from there.”
“Just listen to me Kelly. I can’t stress this enough. We cannot talk about my role in this with anyone else. I’m up to my neck in shit with the Bureau the way it is. The last thing I need is problems with the Agency, too.”
He finished his statement and as he looked up he saw Nurse Megan standing in the doorway with a meal for Kelly. Knowing the conversation had to end but unsure of what the nurse may have overheard, the ASAC nervously pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. He looked at her in annoyance as she walked in and he caught her arm as she tried to pass by.
“I don’t know what you think you may have just heard. So keep your mouth shut about the entire thing.”
He stared deep into her eyes. She was nervous but she did not break eye contact as she considered how to respond.
“Do you understand what I am saying?” Steven asked in a powerful and calculated manner.
“Yes. I do, but don’t come into my hospital talking too loudly and then chastise me for eavesdropping. And don’t assume that just because I may have heard something that I’m going to do anything that might screw up some payback.”
The ASAC looked at her as if he thought they had an agreement. Then he looked back to Kelly as if to say, See, our plan is already turning south. Don’t do it. He returned his focus to Megan.
“Remember what I said. Just keep your mouth shut.”
Megan wouldn’t be talked to that way. She’d fought too many battles of her own while working at the hospital.
“And you remember who’s here taking care of the broken bodies every day.”
Steven was irritated and worried. He continued walking out the door, clearly realizing that he had met his match in the assertive nurse. She spends her days and nights making sure people do what she expects. Great, another uncontrollable variable that I don’t need! he thought sarcastically.
Kelly and Megan remained in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Megan spoke.
“Kelly, obviously I heard some of that. It sounds like you are still thinking like a Marine. Your health depends on thinking logically and getting all of the rest that your mind and body both desperately need. You’ve got to take it slow for a while. If you still have to balance the books in a few months, you’ll at least be up to it physically.”
Kelly appreciated that Megan had taken a special interest him. She was clearly a nice woman who cared about people. He didn’t want to upset her but he didn’t want another lecture either.
“Look, don’t start on me. You can’t possibly know what I’m going through,” he said selfishly.
He chose his words carefully and kept his volume low so he wouldn’t attract more unwanted attention.
“Kelly, I became a nurse to help people,” she said with her southern accent breaking through as her voice became less measured.
Kelly almost cut her off but he was growing curious at what she might have to say. In fact, he couldn’t believe what she said.
“I lost my husband and my mother in a car crash nearly ten years ago. I barely survived myself.”
Even after nearly a decade, she clearly was holding back a reservoir of emotion. “My husband was driving and my mother was sitting behind him. I was sitting in the front passenger seat. The doctors later told me that they both died instantly. I know better though. I was still conscious and I remember my husband fighting for his life while he was choking on the blood that filled his lungs and asphyxiated him. So I get it Kelly. I do. And you need somebody to blame for it.”
Kelly looked at her in surprise and empathy, not knowing what to say. He wasn’t completely sure why she had shared this information with him. It seemed so personal and perhaps crossed a professional boundary. Kelly figured there were entire nursing courses dedicated to proper nurse/ patient protocols. It was clear that she didn’t want him going out and getting himself killed, especially after all of the time that she had spent bringing him back. Kelly knew that she was being logical but he didn’t want to be logical. He wanted to avenge the deaths of Jen and Brady.
Surprisingly, Megan seemed very well composed. There was a whisper, just a hint of sadness in her voice. Somewhere along the way she had somehow come to peace with the tragedy that had taken her family. Kelly didn’t say anything for a couple of moments while she was writing on his chart and focusing on the medical tasks that she was there to perform. When he did speak, he did so with more control and an added level of empathy.
“When I was fighting in the Marines, I learned the unpleasant reality that there are evil people out there that have to be stopped. If someone doesn’t go after this guy, what will stop him from getting away with it again? Should I go find some comfortable existence and then feel no remorse when the same man is responsible for the deaths of more innocent people?”
Megan seemed to consider his point before continuing with her perspective.
“In my case, I realized that I had to forgive or it would have consumed my soul. And believe me, it almost did. Forgiveness and acceptance was the only way to move forward. I couldn’t allow myself to live in the past anymore.”
Kelly thought about her words for a few seconds and then finished the conversation with his inevitably dark assessment.
“Well, you’re clearly a better person than I am, Megan.”
He continued to plan ahead for the death that he so badly wanted to deliver.
***
Chapter 25
Niko spent the morning looking around the Red House, Virginia compound. Not to his surprise, there wasn’t shit to do there. He figured city people could have a hard time adjusting to rural country life. Abbas Zaki, on the other hand, was born in some rural corner of BFE Pakistan. He seemed to enjoy the isolation. Niko figured that the goats walking around might appeal to him too.
Abbas had spent the morning finishing the butchering of his chickens that had begun the previous day. It was a mess. There was blood everywhere. Niko liked blade work but butchering chickens was peasant work. Forget that, he thought to himself. Both men were OK with the fact that Abbas would finish the chore alone. Niko had followed Abbas’ suggestion to familiarize himself with the grounds.
Both knew it might behoove him to do so. Especially if the FBI showed up again looking for him.
Niko located the shooting range and then spotted a field that was home to the obstacle course that the community’s men apparently used for training. He pictured those fools that he had seen on the Internet running around like commandos. He dismissed them as commandos in a war that they would probably never fight. Niko was used to a busy life. He sure didn’t want to spend the rest of his hiding out in the stodgy humdrum of that run down shithole. It even smelled like the slums in Dagestan. Mind-numbingly nasty. Niko thought he had left that primitive existence behind.
After the two men consumed tikka masala, a dish that featured the freshly harvested chicken as the main ingredient, they retreated to Abbas’ study. Abbas was now puffing away on his hand carved pipe and enlightening Niko on the need for foreign operators within what he called, “the network”. Niko found himself cursing the smoke again. That and wondering how his superior could enjoy such a pointless existence in a place like Red House, Virginia. Though, when Niko compared Red House to the conditions of a place like Pakistan or Dagestan for that matter, he could envision the relative upward social trajectory of his host’s current place.
“You know, Niko,” Abbas continued, “This organization… has a history of getting you out of… legal problems. First, the…”
He paused searching for the word.
“The restitution to that woman you got mixed up with.”
Niko found annoyance at the reminder of days gone by, years before. Surely the restitution that Abbas was referring to had more than been made up for by Niko’s actions since.
“I have dedicated my life to this organization. Surely the expertise that I bring to Jamaat Al Fuqra outweighs the couple of set-backs that we have experienced along the way.”
“Yes. But we are… now… in similar situation. Again!”
“This was not my doing. Those brothers acted independently and brought this heat on our organization themselves. What could I have done? Like you, I didn’t know anything about it, either,” he lied.