Into The Shadows

by Michael Brady

  Brittany noticed an older man with gray hair sitting in the room watching television.

  “Our guest was quite certain. I only need a few minutes of his time. Please, we have a good project in mind and think he would be a tremendous partner in Kenema.”

  “I am sorry, but…”

  The Sheikh intervened. Cissi spoke Hausa and directed the man to let her inside.

  “I am Sheikh Cissi. And you are?”

  “Brittany Seacrest.”

  “Please, come here and have a seat.”

  Brittany sat across from the Sheikh while the three men assembled around her. Little did they realize that Brittany’s men had gathered in the hallway.

  “Who did you say saw me at the hotel?”

  “One of our project officers at USAID. Her name is Kate Bush.”

  “Bush? Like your last President?”

  Brittany smiled and said, “No relation, Sheikh Cissi.”

  “What is this project all about?”

  One of the men standing to Brittany’s left spoke in Hausa. He did not trust her and suggested Cissi should have her escorted outside.

  Brittany spoke enough Hausa to understand the man’s suggestion.

  Brittany immediately reached into her purse and pulled out a Glock 9mm pistol. She pointed it toward the Sheikh.

  Cissi’s men reached for their weapons soon after.

  “Tell your men to lower their weapons, Cissi.”

  “I will do no such thing.”

  Brittany moved directly in front of Cissi and placed the barrel directly onto his forehead.

  “All I want to do is ask you some questions. Your men will lower their weapons in five seconds, or I will pull the trigger.”

  Sheikh Cissi stared into the woman’s eyes and recognized her commitment. He doubted she was bluffing.

  “Lower your weapons.”

  “Now tell them to place their weapons on the floor.”

  She circled the Sheikh and now stood behind him.

  “You heard her. Do it, now.”

  “Sheikh Cissi. You will slowly walk backward toward the front door. My weapon is pointed squarely at the back of your head.”

  “Where are you taking me,” asked Cissi.

  He was now clearly distressed and his arrogance had faded.

  “Do not worry about that now.”

  Brittany opened the door and quickly stood behind Cissi once again. She entered the hallway and issued instructions to her men.

  “Tyler. Collect their weapons and stay inside. I will call you when it is time to leave. Drew, grab the car and pull alongside the hotel’s side entrance. I’ll use the stairs and wait for you.”

  Brittany and her team quickly departed the hotel for the Embassy. She texted Zach from the car.

  We have him. Moving to the Embassy now. ETA fifteen minutes.

  Zach immediately placed the first of two calls.

  “Doug, we have him. Our team picked him up at a hotel in Freetown just moments ago. We have a jet ready to fly him to Kenema within the hour. Two of my agents will accompany Cissi.”

  “Excellent news, Zach. I will let my man know. Do you have an ETA?”

  “Not right now. I will send it to you ASAP. Be in touch soon, Doug.”

  Zach hung up the phone and called his contractor in Hangha.

  “Gideon. Your guest will arrive this afternoon. I will send you the ETA.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Thompson. We are standing by.”

  Hangha, Sierra Leone – November 9, 5:30 PM

  Michael pulled alongside the trailer at the abandoned diamond mine. Gideon was waiting for him.

  “You must be Gideon? Your team comes highly recommended.”

  “Thank you. You as well. How may I address you?”

  “Michael is fine.”

  Michael reached into the passenger side of the vehicle and pulled Cissi to his feet. A nylon braid restraint encircled Cissi’s wrists. The breaking strength of eight hundred pounds ensured Cissi remained under control during his trip to the dusty remote mine.

  Gideon’s men took hold of Cissi and escorted him into the trailer. They sat him down on a folding aluminum chair. Sheikh Cissi quickly noticed the sets of tools designed to inflict pain and suffering. He gazed at the pliers and wondered what purpose they served. The seriousness and appearance of Gideon and his men further intimidated Cissi. His heart began to race and his breathing intensified.

  “I don’t have much time, Sheikh Cissi. It is my understanding you are aware of a plan to deliver an infected person with Ebola into the United States. Are you aware of such a plan?” asked Michael.

  “I do not know what you are talking about. This is preposterous. I am a Muslim Sheikh. You have no right to do this.”

  “Are you aware of a plan to deliver an infected individual with Ebola into the United States?”

  “No. I am not.”

  “Are you affiliated with Islamic State?”

  “Of course not. I am a peaceful man.”

  Michael determined the man had calmed down a bit as his breathing became more normal.

  “Do you know anyone affiliated with Islamic State?”

  “No.”

  “Sheikh Cissi. I am a peaceful and patient man. I do not embrace violence nor do I look for trouble. However, I hear otherwise. Someone close to Shirazi specifically mentioned your name in connection with the plot.”

  “Who would say such a thing?”

  “A dead man, Sheikh. A credible man. What do you know of the plot?”

  “Nothing. I told you that, already. I know nothing. You cannot hurt me. CIA has outlawed torture at the direction of your President.”

  “Do you see these men here? They do not work for CIA. They are private contractors and free from restrictions. They actually enjoy hurting people. Would you like to spend some time with them?”

  “You cannot allow such a thing. You would be in violation of your President’s directives.”

  “How do you know so much about my President?”

  “I watch the news. I read papers. You are breaking the law.”

  “Which law, Sheikh Cissi?”

  “I want to be released now. I demand you let me go.”

  “I will not. The only way you leave here is by being brutally honest with me. If you tell me what you know now, I will return you to the Mosque unharmed. And you will never see me again.”

  “I cannot give you what I do not know.”

  Michael motioned for Gideon to join him outside.

  “Let’s soften him up a bit tonight. Use white noise and stress positions to keep him awake. Nothing physical tonight. I am staying in Kenema and will return in the morning. If he talks, call me right away.”

  “Will do, Michael.”

  Cissi’s first night in captivity was not as bad as he feared. The annoying sounds of continuous white noise and bright lights burning toward his face only prevented him from sleeping. At one point, Gideon forced the man to get on his knees and keep his back straight with his hands tied behind his back. The stress position became too difficult as the weight of his body pressed onto his knees directly in contact with the rigid floor. Gideon and his men spent much of the night taking turns to ensure the Sheikh remained awake.

  Michael returned the following morning.

  “Has he said anything yet, Gideon?”

  “No, but he has been awake all night.”

  Michael walked into the trailer and asked that Gideon and his men leave. Michael wanted to speak with the man and establish rapport.

  “Sheikh Cissi. How long have you lived in Kenema?”

  “Since my childhood.”

  “Do you have a family?”

  “A wife and two daughters. My son died after birth from complications.”

 
“I am sorry to hear that. Where is your family now?”

  “Why would I tell you such things? You will just take them.”

  “You have my word, I will not. Do they reside with you in Kenema?”

  The Sheikh did not respond.

  “What do you enjoy doing with your family?”

  Silence. Sheikh Cissi recognized Michael’s attempt to personalize the situation.

  “If I had a wife and two children I would do anything to be with them,” said Michael.

  Still nothing.

  “Why are you not answering my questions? I am simply trying to get to know you, Sheikh Cissi. Why do you not want to talk?”

  “Would you want to talk with me if I were sitting there?”

  “Probably not, but I would tell you everything I know. I would want to return to my family.”

  Sheikh Cissi remained quiet.

  “What if I could guarantee safe passage to the west for you and your family? You could start a new life and be free from the Islamic State. All I need to know is if someone with Ebola is attempting to enter the United States. Has this person already left or are they still in Kenema?”

  Still no response from Sheikh Cissi.

  “I am going to have these men gather some food for you. They will bring you water, and I will tell them to let you sleep. How does that sound, Sheikh?”

  The Sheikh looked into his eyes and still said nothing. Michael recognized the bitterness in his eyes, but the prospect of sleeping appealed to the man.

  “I’ll let you think on it for a few hours, Sheikh Cissi.”

  Michael went outside and gave Gideon his instructions.

  “Gideon, allow him to rest until one o’clock. Give him some food and plenty of water.”

  The kidnapping of Cissi from Freetown was not an extraordinary rendition, defined as the transfer of an individual without due legal process to a foreign government for the purpose of interrogation or detention. Cissi now belonged to Michael and his group of Nigerian contractors. The situation Michael found himself was still in the gray area of CIA’s legal restrictions under President Obama. Up to this point, Michael only questioned the man and did not intend to harm him. He just wanted to scare Cissi and convince him to give up the information.

  Renditions were widely used in the Bush administration following the 9/11 attacks. President Bush and his senior foreign policy advisors were shaping a new world order and implementing aggressive tactics to combat international terror groups. Michael participated in his first rendition in June 2002. There, he managed to capture a top leader in the Abu Sayyaf, a militant group in the Philippines. His detention and interrogation led to the rescue of three North American citizens, two of which were American missionaries.

  “Michael, are you staying or heading back to Kenema?” asked Gideon.

  “No, I’ll be here most of the day. I have two, maybe three days to get the Intel. He needs to start talking soon.”

  Michael returned several hours later to the trailer and found himself alone with the Sheikh.

  “Sheikh Cissi. Have you given any more thought to what we spoke about earlier?”

  National Security Council Deputies Committee, Washington, D.C. – November 10, 9:00 AM

  Leslie, along with several other guests, arrived at the White House at 8:30 AM. She passed through screening at the east entrance and was escorted to the situation room by an assistant to the National Security Advisor.

  Attending today’s National Security Council Deputies Committee meeting were the deputy director at CIA, the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security, and Deputy National Security Advisor. Several civilian assistants and military advisors surrounded the group.

  Leslie had the good fortune of starting the briefing.

  “Sir, it appears the possibility that Islamic State plans to introduce the Ebola virus into the United States may be credible. We have confirmed reports from CIA that Shirazi approved the plan and directed a man named Sheikh Sahr Cissi to execute it from his Mosque in Kenema, Sierra Leone. We have since then received additional information that several vials of Ebola-infected blood are missing from a field hospital in Barma, Sierra Leone. The director of the facility is sure it was not an error on their part. They believe someone outside the facility stole the blood. CIA has….”

  “Leslie, let me cut you off right there. How long ago did the blood go missing?” asked Jason Clancy, the deputy national security advisor.

  “Approximately five days ago.”

  Clancy turned to Kerry at NCMI.

  “Is it feasible for someone to do this and not be infected themselves?”

  “Quite feasible, sir. All the individual has to do is use a high-quality transport device to secure the vials. With the proper equipment, and cooling temperatures regulated, it would be quite safe.”

  “Go on, Leslie.”

  “CIA has an operative on the ground and is attempting to extract the information from Sheikh Cissi.”

  Clancy turned to CIA.

  “Do I want to know what we are doing with him?”

  “All legal. We are following the law.”

  “So, let’s say this is legit. How could Islamic State inflict a significant number of casualties? Ebola is treatable, and our medical facilities could deter any outbreak. Leslie, help me out here.”

  “Sir, you are correct. Our medical facilities could probably contain any infections. However, the problem I see is with timing.”

  “How so?”

  “If this is true and the virus is introduced into the United States, imagine if the infected individual wandered around a large city. Take the District, for example. What if an individual rode along the subway and simply spent the day coughing and sneezing? In theory, the infection could spread to several passengers over the course of a few hours or days. Due to the time of the year, some infected individuals would likely deal with early symptoms as they would with the common cold. Those people could, in turn, ride the subway and continue infecting others. The contagion could spill to hundreds of people within days. There would be panic. The psychological blow Islamic State could deliver would be massive.”

  Clancy sat back in his seat.

  “How would they do it, Leslie?”

  “There are multiple scenarios here, sir. I believe the most likely course of action is for Islamic State to introduce the virus via a cargo ship or a private transatlantic vessel. The cargo ship is a possibility but a smaller ship is more likely, something like a yacht perhaps. They could enter at any of the hundreds of marinas along the east coast. The vessel would probably have the capability to keep the blood at the required temperatures.”

  “How long can the blood be stored, Kerry?”

  “At least thirty days if cooled at ten degrees Celsius.”

  “Leslie, do we know when this Sheikh Cissi put the plans in motion?”

  “No sir, the individual may already be here in the United States.”

  “Ben, any idea when your man will get the information?”

  “This could take days, weeks or even months. I have no idea how long it will take to get the information.”

  “Okay. I do not think we have enough to alert the President right now. However, I want to reconvene in a couple of days or as soon as the information is collected. Take care everyone.”

  The situation room cleared within a few short minutes. Jason returned to his desk and pondered the briefing. He prayed the hypothesis was false and the intelligence community was stretching its imagination. However, something inside him felt uneasy concerning this potential threat to the homeland. Its sheer insanity and simplicity are what actually gave it credibility.

  Hangha, Sierra Leone – November 10, 1:05 PM

  “What kind of guarantees can you provide me if I talk?” asked Cissi.

 
The Sheikh just made a major miscalculation. He all but admitted he was a full participant by asking for assurances. This would allow Michael the opening he needed if partial torture or enhanced interrogation were necessary. Any information provided by the Sheikh, under those circumstances, would become less credible due to the physical mistreatment.

  “That depends on what you give me, Sheikh Cissi,” said Michael.

  “What if I knew the individual that was planning to enter the United States?”

  “Then I would want to know that information, Sheikh Cissi.”

  “What would I get in return for his name?”

  “Nothing. I will need his full name, any aliases, recent photos, and where he is right now.”

  “I do not know where he is now.”

  “Who is he?”

  “I need assurances you will get me and my family out.”

  “No, I already told you that.”

  Michael immediately stood up and stared into the Sheikh’s eyes.

  “I gave you an opportunity, Sheikh Cissi. I want you to remember that. Gideon, come inside.”

  Michael walked toward Gideon standing at the entrance of the trailer. He whispered in his ear. The gesture had the intended effect.

  Gideon turned to one of his men standing outside and motioned him to come inside the trailer.

  “Rough him up a bit,” said Gideon as Michael stepped outside.

  The young man began slapping Sheikh Cissi in the face with his hands while keeping his fingers spread apart, also known as an “insult slap.” He did not exert all of his strength on the elderly Sheikh for fear of hurting him too quickly. The Nigerian then proceeded to conduct a series of facial holds and attention grasps, techniques the CIA could no longer perform. The Sheikh suffered for approximately thirty minutes.

  “Move away and return outside. Bring in our friend,” said Gideon.

  “Sheikh Cissi, who is the person you directed to the United States,” asked Michael.

  “I will give you his name. First, I need a signed letter from your government assuring my family’s safety. Once my family and I board a plane, I will give you his name.”

  “Where is the individual now?”