Abdul Aziz appeared from the group of men, wearing a long white shirt and robes. His salt and pepper chin beard made a long point off his face like the evil genie in a child’s cartoon. His mirrored sunglasses hid his dark, hate-filled eyes.
Rasheed stepped out of the van, into the hot stale air of the old building. It was over a hundred degrees, and there wasn’t any hint of a breeze. At least the metal roof kept the sun off of them. Rasheed walked to the rear of the van and opened the door, then pulled off the blanket revealing the large bomb that filled the entire rear of the van. When the men saw it, they began praising Allah. Abdul walked straight to the van and greeted Rasheed, then looked inside at the bomb with great admiration. He quietly prayed for a moment, and then grabbed Rasheed by the arms excitedly.
“Jamal’s death was not in vein! This weapon will change everything! God is great!” he screamed. The rest of the men in the building all cheered and repeated, “Allahu Akbar!”
After a moment of celebration, Abdul raised his hands and the crowd went silent. “We have preparations to make. Everything we do from here on must be done with great care. Any mistakes with the Sarin will kill all of us before we can complete God’s will. Pay attention and follow instructions and, God willing, we will drive the Infidels from the Holy Lands.”
Chapter 29
CIA Briefing
Mackey and Cascaes were back in Mackey’s room talking to Langley on a video conference. Kim and Dex were obviously excited on their end of the phone.
“We’ve finally got something,” announced Kim, the excitement showing in her face.
“Shoot,” replied Mackey.
“The Bedouins, of all people, gave us a break. This is huge.” said Kim.
“And these are folks who never talk to anyone about anything,” interrupted Dex.
“So why now? You sure it’s reliable?” asked Cascaes.
“Yes. Listen…these Bedouin tribesmen are moving through the desert by camel, and they come upon a body. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, they’d just pass it and not say a word. But this body is so disturbing in appearance, and has a pair of dead Golden Jackals next to it, that they decide to notify the authorities,” said Kim.
“I’m not sure I’m following,” said Mackey. “Dead jackals?”
“Yes. That’s what made them stop and look closer. The jackals found the body and opted for a quick meal. They had a lick or two and dropped dead. The body was very blistered and chemically burned—not sunburned. A few of the Bedouins had seen the effects of Sarin gas before, probably in Iraq, although I’m not sure about that part. Anyway, they knew the jackals had died from trying to eat the bodies, proving to them, in their minds, that something was very wrong. They decided to call it in to the Saudi authorities.”
“So these tribesmen just happened to have a phone?” asked Mackey skeptically.
“Yes. And satellite television on flat-screens inside their tents. They’re Bedouin, not Amish. They even sent a few photos of the body with the GPS location—the body had been dumped in the desert, far from any town or road. If the jackals hadn’t been digging around the body, I doubt they’d have spotted it or called it in. Anyway, the Saudis sent a team and recovered it. Lab tests confirmed Sarin residue, and fingerprints got a match.”
The word Sarin hung in the air like the poison itself.
“A match to whom?” asked Mackey.
“A suspected terrorist from the New Wahhabi Jihad. He was just a low level soldier, but he was being watched. A guy named Jamal Salam. He was being looked at in a few bombings. But here’s where it all starts to come together. Remember I told you we had video from the bank that our facial recognition software was working on? Well, the fingerprints and video matched. Jamal Salam, the dead body in the dessert, is also one of the two men that withdrew fifty million dollars for Prince Awadi.”
“Holy shit” said Cascaes quietly.
“Wait, it gets a lot better,” replied Kim. “Your bugging devices picked up a call from a disposable cell phone to Prince Awadi. Then a call from Awadi back to the cell a few minutes later, and then a video from the cell back to Awadi.”
“What kind of video?” asked Mackey, his furrowed face showing his interest.
“An execution video. This is the prize,” said Kim, her heart pounding in her chest. “In the video, a man decapitates Tariq Fareed. Tariq is NWJ for sure, but that’s not the big news. The man who murdered him in the video is the big fish—Abu Mohamed.”
“Wait a second,” said Cascaes. “This Tariq guy, was he the other guy at the bank with Jamal?”
“No, we’ll get to that in a second. Abu Mohamed is one of the largest illegal arms dealers in the Middle East. We’ve been after him for five years, but the guy is very careful. If anyone could get Sarin from Syria, it would be him. Now, based on the video, we believe that Tariq was meeting Abu Mohamed to make the pickup of the Sarin. The fifty million that you intercepted put a wrench in the deal, and Mohamed took it out on Tariq. You with me?”
Mackey and Chris both nodded automatically. “Who was at the bank with Jamal?” asked Cascaes again.
“We’ve confirmed the identity of the other man as Rasheed Rawani, a Saudi national known to be a member of the New Wahhabi Jihad. He’s been on our radar since the Embassy bombing in Riyadh last year. If he’s alive, our guess is he’s where you find the Sarin.”
“Not Abu Mohamed?” asked Chris.
“Mohamed is an arms dealer, not a soldier. If he brought in Sarin, it was to sell, not to use. Now, if he was as pissed at Rasheed as he was at Jamal or Tariq, then Rasheed’s dead, too, and Abu Mohamed still has the Sarin. Or, if the deal went down with the second fifty million, then Abu Mohamed is in the wind again with a big bag of cash, and Rasheed Rawani has a very big bomb somewhere in Saudi.”
They were all silent for a moment. “But you don’t think the target is in Saudi?” asked Chris.
“Hard to say with any certainty, but the rumors and chatter we’ve been picking up reference Doha, Qatar, not Riyadh.”
“Why not warn Qatar and let them step up border patrol?” asked Chris.
Dex and Kim looked at each other. “Chris, you’re still thinking like an American,” said Dex. “If we warn the Qataris, most likely it gets back to Abu Mohamed or Rasheed Rawani, and they just pick a different target or work a way around border security.”
“Great allies,” replied Chris quietly.
“So what’s the play?” asked Mackey.
Kim’s face showed great intensity. “Remember I told you that we had the execution video. Iphone pictures and videos contain GPS information. We know the exact location of where Tariq was executed. Had it been in a city, we’d figure they had quickly moved to a different safe house; but this is a very remote location. We think we found Abu Mohamed.”
She let that sink in. “Mack, we’ve been after him for five years. This is the closest we’ve ever been. We need your team to go check it out.”
“We’re not talking a baseball game,” said Mackey.
Dex interrupted. “No baseball. Covert assault on a hostile target. And Mack, there’s a chance the Sarin is still there.”
“That’s comforting,” he replied.
“We’ve looked at the layout of the compound. It’s a farm with a couple of houses and barns. We’re getting a drone over it now to try and get a head count.”
“What are you thinking?” asked Cascaes.
“Similar assault to how we got Bin Laden. We bring you in with stealth choppers, drop you nearby, and let you hit the house at oh-four-hundred when everyone’s asleep. Night vision and surprise should get you in and out quickly. The Moon Dogs can fly what appears to be a routine flight from Doha to Riyadh. They take the scenic route and jam all electronics in the area of the compound along the way. It will cover the choppers in and out and also prevent any electronic detonations
, in case the Sarin’s wired.”
Cascaes sighed. “We crashed a chopper in the Bin Laden raid. It all sounds so simple. Like stealing fifty million from a fruit truck.”
Kim leaned forward towards the camera, her face almost glowing with her energy. “Chris, you have one of the best teams of Special Operators ever assembled. We have a slim chance of taking down Abu Mohamed and grabbing a Sarin bomb, if it’s still there. Even if the Sarin is gone, Mohamed may know where it went. This is it. Our big break. We need you to get it done.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
Dex cleared his throat. “There’s another wrinkle.” He paused. “You’ll be operating in Saudi Arabia, one of our strongest allies in the region, without their knowledge or permission. If something goes wrong, it will present an extremely difficult position for the administration. You won’t be wearing official uniforms, not that anyone wouldn’t know in two seconds you’re Americans.”
“So we’re on our own,” said Cascaes bluntly.
Dex looked uncomfortable. “Look—you get in, you ghost the bad guys, grab the Sarin if it’s there, and get out. You’ll be ex-filled to Doha.”
“What if the Sarin is there?” asked Mackey.
“If it’s there, it’s going to be too heavy and dangerous to move. You’ll blow it in place.”
“Better be a long fuse,” said Chris.
“Roger that,” said Mackey. He looked at Dex on his screen. “So when do we go?”
“Tonight. We’ve got to move fast. We have our special operations folks putting together flight plans and coordinating aircraft, drones, and time tables. I know it doesn’t give you enough time to prepare…”
“It doesn’t give us any time to prepare!” snapped Chris.
“Give me three hours. You’ll have satellite images of the target, a head count, and all of the details. It’s not ideal. It’s what we have.”
“Understood,” replied Mackey. “We’ll be ready.” He stared at Cascaes.
Cascaes looked at Mackey and nodded. “Yes, sir. We’ll be ready.”
Mackey pressed “end” and closed the laptop. He looked at Cascaes and raised his eyebrows.
“You caught the end of that. We’re in Saudi Arabia. We get pinched, and it’s a difficult situation for the administration. That means that Randall Hill is up their ass again. They’ll scrub the team and scatter us into the breeze.”
“Look on the bright side, Chris. We’ll probably all die from the Sarin,” said Mackey with a huge toothy grin.
Cascaes was in no joking mood. “We’re going to take them down, and then I’m going to personally shove that Sarin bomb up Hill’s ass.” He stood up, added, “sir”, and left.
Chapter 30
Abandoned Oil Facility, Saudi Desert
Morning prayers were finished. Abdul Aziz brought Rasheed to a small office inside their compound away from the others.
“It is time to strike, Rasheed. We will hit two places that will send a clear message to the Infidels. I will be leading the first attack. I need someone to lead the second attack—someone I can trust, who will not fail.” He placed his hand on Rasheed’s forearm and squeezed. “You brought us the weapon. You will be my general for the second strike.”
Rasheed bowed his head humbly. “Thank you, Abdul. I would be honored.”
“I haven’t shared all of the details with the others. They are good soldiers, but they don’t need to know yet.” He paused and looked into Rasheed’s dark eyes. “Manchester United is playing Spain in the emir’s stadium. There will be tens of thousands of spectators, most of them foreigners. You’ve seen the pictures of that stadium. The emir invites westerners to drink alcohol and dress like whores. It’s disgraceful.”
“How will we carry it out?”
Abdul smiled and stood up, then walked to a closet. He pulled out an aluminum box with a canvas belt attacked to it. At first, Rasheed didn’t understand what he was looking at. When he realized it was a vending box used by the workers in the stadium, the smile crept across his face.
“This is the prototype. They are being prepared as we speak. Eighty boxes will be armed with a Sarin bomblet and small detonation device. When it nears halftime, and the stadium is full, our soldiers will spread throughout the stadium with the boxes, selling food and drink. I will make one call, which will go to every phone detonator. The eighty boxes will explode at once, releasing enough Sarin to inflict massive casualties. Our martyred brothers will have stuck the Infidels on international television. The whole world can watch it happen, God willing.”
Rasheed nodded. “It is an excellent plan, Abdul.”
“It is only one part. While our men are spreading throughout the stadium, you will lead three others, each with your own car. The lead car will have enough explosives to take out the gate at Al Udeid and kill the guards. With them out of the way, the other three vehicles can attack the barracks there. I have a diagram that shows the locations of the barracks where their pilots live. These are the men that have been bombing our brothers in Iraq and Afghanistan for years. You will kill them all, God willing.”
Rasheed bowed his head again. “To be the one who strikes the American airbase is a great honor, Abdul.”
“Paradise will await us both.”
The two of them returned to the large garage where three of the men were working on the preparations. They had carefully removed the bomblets from the bomb and were carefully packing them in Styrofoam. The Styrofoam was then wrapped with heavy duct tape, and a small amount of Semtex with a blasting cap and phone was then wired to it. The small bundle was then placed inside the bottom of the vendor box, which had been provided by a true believer who worked for the company. They would be switched out on game day morning, filled with food or beverages, and then sent out to the crowd according to the plan.
“As soon as they are finished, we will move from here. We need to get into Qatar as soon as possible. Your four vehicles have already been prepared. The first one is the truck. It contains enough Semtex to take out their concrete reinforced guardhouse. The three smaller cars have the Sarin. All of the vehicles have the explosives hidden inside the rear quarter panels. Even if the car was stopped and someone gave it a quick inspection, they would find nothing.”
The preparations continued throughout the morning, and by Zuhr prayers at noon the vehicles were loaded and ready. Abdul called all of his men together in the warehouse, where they prayed together, and then he made a short speech to inspire his followers. Three cars would follow Rasheed north on Highway 75, the rest of the men would take several trucks and cars and head due east to Qatar via Highway 10. Both routes would be traveling through the eastern desert. They would space themselves out to avoid any possible suspicion, but the area was so remote that the odds of anyone bothering them were slim.
The vendor boxes were in a truck from the vending company that had been loaned to one of their members by a NWJ supporter inside the company. Of course, that person had no idea that the stadium was the target and he would most likely be killed for his assistance during the attack. The truck would be driven to the stadium where the vendor boxes would be brought into the catering area and then would be loaded with snacks and drinks. All of their paperwork was in order, although much of it was forged. Abdul Aziz and several of his men were traveling under false passports, but they were so well made, with the assistance of supporters inside the Saudi passport office, that they would pass any inspection.
The vehicles pulled out of the old facility a few at a time, a caravan of sorts, and drove out into the one hundred degree Saudi sunshine.
Chapter 31
Operation Silent Serpent
Al Udeid Hanger, 1900 Hours
The brass in Special Operations back in Washington, DC loved code names. They named this one Silent Serpent, and in very short order had coordinated a very complicated mission with th
e Special Operations people from Al Udeid airbase and the CIA.
Mackey and Cascaes had assembled their team, with all of their gear, in Al Udeid’s helicopter hanger. With the two space-aged looking UH-60A stealth Black Hawks serving as dramatic backdrop, Mackey began the briefing. A screen behind Mackey showed a satellite image of the farm compound they would be assaulting.
“Gentlemen, it’s time to earn your reputation. You’re meat-eaters tonight. This farm is the last known location of an illegal arms dealer named Abu Mohamed. It’s believed that he’s smuggled in Sarin from Syria, which is to be supplied to New Wahhabi Jihad terrorists for an impending attack. We don’t know what their attack plans are yet, but if we can hit the target and destroy the Sarin, we’ll stop it before it starts.” He pressed a button on the remote and the projector showed a grainy picture of Abu Mohamed. “This is Abu Mohamed. We’d like to take him alive if possible. If the Sarin’s already been moved, he may be able to tell us where it went. Anyone else in the compound is considered an armed threat. We’ll be using silenced weapons and night vision when we assault at oh-four-hundred. Our goal is to get in, take out everything that moves, confirm the Sarin, and destroy it. We then exfil to Doha on the same birds that brought us in.”
Mackey pointed to the two strange looking Blackhawks behind the team. “These are the same type of birds that were used to get Bin Laden. They’ll be bringing us in. Dust off is at oh-three hundred. Time to target is one hour. The Moon Dogs will be flying two Prowlers from Al Udeid to Riyadh, which isn’t unusual. Routine training flight, except this time they’ll loop south and jam all radar and electronics in the area. Our birds will go in quiet and invisible. The Prowlers will be jamming everything at the farm. No phones, alarms, or detonation devises will be operational. In theory, our comm channel won’t be affected, but if we lose ears with each other, follow the timetable and make sure you know where each other are. Birds will drop us fifty yards from the target so we won’t wake anyone up. Hodges will find a spot nearby to provide sniper cover. Hodges, you’ll be silencing that canon.”
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