by Bryan Murray
Back in the Winston plant the next morning, Ben was already back in action with his two protégés Isaac and Andy and they were already looking at the backlog of training and final approval on orders going through the plant, that had been delayed by Ben’s visit to Tel Aviv.
Only a select few people were aware of what had happened to Ben and when he had been asked about the bruises on his face, he had laughed it off saying he had slipped in the bath tub.
* * *
When Jake and his team arrived on the plant, they received a message that Mulgrave would like to see them as soon as they arrived.
They made straight for his office and had a welcome cup of coffee as the CEO quickly brought them up to speed.
“Good morning, lady and gentlemen,” he began. “Here’s the game plan so far that we were discussing yesterday. I managed to speak to the President and I told him of our concerns over the safety of the Death Dart and the possible prospects of something big going down from the bad guys.”
“And what was his reaction, Doug?” Jake asked
“Well, when I told him of the concerns that you and Sarah had raised yesterday, his actual words were, ‘In that case, if I were you, I’d listen to those guys’!”
“So, how do you want to proceed, Doug?” Sarah asked.
Mulgrave explained the game plan. “Well, the President has already spoken to his Directors of the FBI and CIA and they are already on board to work with Homeland Security to help intensify security around the Death Dart.”
“That’s good news.” Jake added
“Yes, and the FBI contact for you to work with here in Tennessee and DC will be the Deputy Director, Peter Davies.”
Sarah smiled. “Great, he used to be my boss when I was with the Bureau.”
Jake was also pleased. “So, I guess we need to speak with Peter quickly and get the program moving. I know Ben is busy catching up after his trip and that Roddy gets back later today, so we’ll try and keep their involvement to a minimum.
“Good idea,” Doug added. “And if you need to double check the targeting software security, perhaps you could liaise with Andy?”
“No problem. We’ll also liaise with your international sales people to make sure the CIA can contact all your overseas customers who are actively operating the Death Dart, to double check their security on all locations.”
Mulgrave looked a little more relaxed. “That’s a good start, Jake. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to debrief with Roddy who’s on his way in from the airport. Apparently the sales prospects from the air show were extremely promising.”
Jake smiled. “Let me guess, mostly Death Dart business?”
“You’ve got it in one!” Mulgrave rose to indicate the meeting was over. “Thanks, guys, keep in touch as things progress further along on the security details.”
“We will, thanks.” The trio left the busy CEO who was already on his phone.
* * *
Peter Davies, the Deputy Director of the FBI, with grey hair in his fifties, was at his desk reading the previous day’s security reports when his phone rang.
He answered. “Davies here?”
It was Jake on the line. “Good morning, Peter, Jake Harrigan.”
Davies smiled. “Hi, Jake. I just got off the phone with Director Mobley, seems like we’ll be working together again?”
“So I understand, Peter. We just left a meeting with Doug Mulgrave, here at Winston Aerospace.”
Davies was obviously fully briefed. “My goodness, Jake, trouble seems to follow you and Sarah around these days!”
“Tell me about it,” Jake replied “We came here to do a regular security audit and before we knew it, one of their senior engineers was kidnapped in Israel and we were hired to go find him!”
“Which I understand you did. Well done, guys. So now this has caused a few flutters concerning the security of the Death Dart and this is where we are right now?”
“In a nutshell, Peter,” Jake replied. “And we’re just now scoping out where we need help and that was where the FBI came in.”
“So, how would you like to play this?” Davies asked.
“It’s almost one of those intangible assignments, Peter. We’re working on the premise that the terrorists, probably JOD and Al-Qaeda, are planning something involving the Death Dart, either sabotaging existing air strips where they operate from or trying to jam their incredible targeting capabilities.”
“So, what can we do in the Bureau?”
“Well, if you can work with the USAF domestically to double check the security on each drone with the security team in each operating air base, that would be great.”
“No problem,” Davies replied. “And the overseas bases?”
“Hopefully the CIA will do the same in liaison with each overseas US base commander as well as checking with non-US military customers overseas.”
“And what will you guys be doing, Jake?” Davies asked.
“Well, we’re already in the middle of a security audit here at Winston and hopefully we can expand that to double check on what happens with the Death Darts going through the plant and during handover to the new customers.”
“Makes sense.” Davies added.
“Exactly and then there’s the one other important thing we need to check here in addition to avoiding possible sabotage of the drones in production.”
“Such as?”
“That the terrorists could try and use their boffins to hack into the targeting software of the Death Dart to try and scramble any in-flight target acquisition!’
“So, how would you be able to check on that?” Davies inquired.
“By working with the young geniuses who designed the present incredible software here at Winston.”
“Well, good luck with that, Jake,” Davies was now in the loop. “We’ll stay close on this and if we see any anomalies from our end of any kind, we’ll be in touch and you do the same, okay?”
“Will do and thanks for the help, Peter.”
“Bye and say hi to Sarah.” Davies rang off.
Jake hung up and looked across at Steve and Sarah. “Well, that’s the FBI on board. Davies sends his regards.”
Sarah was pleased. “So now we need to get on the same page with the CIA!”
“Exactly, let’s hope that Director Grover is as helpful as he was on the last job!”
“Amen to that.”
Jake got through to Langley and Director Grover’s office on the second ring, which was amazing and when he mentioned his name, Grover came on the line.
“Hello, Jake, how are things?” he began.
“Fine thank you, Director Grover.”
“I just finished speaking with the President and it seems that potential political incidents seem to be following you around?” Grover continued.
“I’m afraid so, sir,” Jake replied. “All of a sudden, what was a routine security assignment turned into a potentially dangerous terrorist infiltration.”
“Yes, the President explained. So I understand the continued security of the Death Dart is what’s worrying the White House?”
“Exactly. One of the senior staff of my current client Winston Aerospace was kidnapped by terrorists and we had to go and get him out. Luckily we moved fast enough before they could torture any information out of him, but he picked up some signals while he was in captivity that the JOD and their buddies in Al-Qaeda were planning something big and it all seemed to center around the Death Dart!”
Grover had already got the message. “Have you spoken to the Bureau?”
“Yes, sir and they will be double-checking security domestically with all USAF bases here in North America!”
“And you’d like us to liaise with all the overseas customers of Winston to make sure they’re not doing anything stupid?”
“Exactly, we’re getting a list prepared for you by Winston of all their overseas contacts.”
“Do we have a time scale on this, Jake?” Grover asked.
“Not really,
sir, but I guess the sooner we make sure everything is zipped up tight, the better.”
“Very well, as soon as we receive the list, we’ll start initiating contact immediately. If we come across anything unusual we’ll be in touch and please do the same.”
“We will and thank you for your help, Director Grover.” Jake rang off.
CHAPTER 21
After a long day at the plant, Jake and his colleagues were feeling much more confident that they at least had the beginnings of a game plan under way and to have both the FBI and CIA in their corner, had been a major achievement.
Both Jake and Sarah realized that somewhere in the background there had been a quiet push by the White House to bring both government agencies on board so quickly. It was amazing how helpful a President could be after they had rescued his only son from rogue mobsters masquerading as Arab terrorists about to execute the First Son!
They were just finishing coffee after a meal in the hotel restaurant and comparing notes.
Sarah was the first to speak. “You know, guys, trying to figure out what these terrorists are planning is a nightmare!”
“You’re right,” Steve replied, “Particularly those JOD and Al-Qaeda mongrels, since many of their group are regular, but gullible Americans who have been radicalized to join the Muslim faith.”
“Exactly,” Jake added. “And all these clean-cut, all-American kids have a damned US passport so they can come and go in and out of the US at will and there’s not a damned thing we can do about it!”
“That’s true,” Sarah was in agreement. “The only way we could possibly put a block on their movements is if their family realize that these kids have become radicals and even if they did, it would never dawn on half of them to blow the whistle on their own flesh and blood!”
Jake was about to comment when his cell phone rang. He answered. “This is Jake?”
The voice on the phone had an American accent but it was not a voice that Jake recognized. “I know who you are, Mr. Harrigan!”
Jake was suddenly curious. “Who is this?” he inquired.
“Who I am doesn’t matter,” the voice continued, “But I have some information that will be useful to you!”
Jake looked across at Sarah as if the call could be significant. “Okay, I’m listening?”
“Not on the phone.” the voice answered.
“Well where then?” Jake asked.
“St. Thomas Cemetery, Tullahoma, midnight!”
Jake was not buying it. “No way am I driving out there unless I know what this is about, okay?”
There was a pause on the line as if the caller was considering his options.
“Just one word that would make sense?” Jake prompted.
The caller uttered just one word. “Drones!”
Jake was immediately interested. “Okay, whereabouts in the cemetery?”
“There’s a large mausoleum in the northwest corner. Be there at midnight. If you’re late I’m gone! Make sure you’re unarmed.”
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
The voice continued briefly. “Come alone or the deal is off.”
Jake calmed the man down. “No sweat. This had better be good!”
“I’ll let you be the judge of that.” the phone went dead.
Jake clicked his phone shut and looked at Sarah and Steve. “I’ll be damned!”
“What was all that about?” Sarah asked.
“Sounded like an American guy. Said he had something to tell me about drones, but I had to go alone and unarmed and meet him at midnight in St. Thomas’s Cemetery.”
Sarah looked concerned. “Will that be safe, Jake?”
“It will with me and my sniper scope,” Steve replied. “One false move and I’ll take the top off his head. I’ll get there ten minutes before you, Jake and get set up. Whereabouts did he say to meet in the cemetery?”
“He said in front of a large mausoleum on the northwest corner.”
Steve had it all figured out. “Right, we go in separate cars and play it as it comes. Sarah stays safe back here, okay?”
Jake and Sarah looked at each other and smiled. “Okay, Arnold, if you say so.” Jake replied.
* * *
With Steve already in position in the darkened cemetery, Jake arrived alone in the SUV, parked and hopped over the fence before heading towards the northwest corner. It was a clear, moonlit night as he made his way towards the white marble mausoleum.
He checked his watch and it was five minutes to midnight. He looked around and sat down on a tombstone, waiting patiently and the hairs on the back of his neck were up to their old tricks again.
Suddenly, behind him he heard a voice. “Mr. Harrigan?”
He spun around to see a young American man in a hoodie, pointing a gun at him.
Jake spoke slowly, casually. “That’s me. There’s no need for the gun, son!”
“I prefer to hang on to it. No sudden moves, okay?”
Jake nodded in agreement. “Well, you called the meeting, I’m listening?” he could see the young guy looking around nervously. He would have been even more nervous if he had realized that his head was right in the cross-hairs of Steve’s sniper rifle pointing at him from a tree nearby.
Finally, the young man began to talk quickly as if he were being watched. “I’m a Muslim. I recently converted to the faith and I know that certain things are being planned!”
“Oh, my God!” Jake mused. “A jihadist!” He looked calmly at the young man. “What kind of things. Ah, you didn’t say your name?”
“I said forget my name!” the man almost screamed.
“Okay, okay,” Jake calmed him down. “On the phone you said you wanted to talk about drones? Any particular drone?”
“I’m not a fool, Mr. Harrigan, we both know which drone I’m talking about!”
“You mean the Death Dart?”
The man nodded imperceptibly.
“So, what about it?” Jake continued to prod gently.
The man started to open up a little. “I was recruited by some extremists.”
“You mean Jihadists, right?”
Again the man nodded affirmatively.
“So, why are you telling me this, son?”
“I’m not your son, so listen, damn it!”
“Go on?” Jake coaxed.
“There’s something going down that will be some sort of action against the Americans.
“I’m listening? What kind of action?” Jake asked
“I don’t know all the details, but although I’m a loyal Muslim, I’m having second thoughts about being involved in any kind of possible murder of innocent Americans!” he was still looking around nervously as Jake tried to continue to calm him down.
“So, let me get this straight, something big is going down, innocent people could get killed and it has something to do with the Death Dart, right?”
Again the man nodded in confirmation.
“And what was your role to be in this attack?” Jake asked.
“I’m not discussing that!” the man was now really nervous as Jake continued to probe.
“And where is this going to take place?”
“They haven’t told us that yet.”
Jake then threw out his biggest hook. “And this is Jihad of Death and Al-Qaeda we’re talking about here, right?”
The man wasn’t going to answer, but Jake kept prodding. “C’mon, man, what good is what you’re telling me if I don’t know who I’m dealing with?”
Finally, the man gave a brief nod of confirmation as Jake realized that the man was getting ready to run. “And who’s running this mission, wherever it is?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know his name.”
“Is he Muslim or American?”
“I don’t know.”
“So, what else can you tell me?”
The man thought a moment. “I know it’s going down on 9/11! That’s it!” he continued to keep Jake covered with his gun as he ran off into the night, ove
r the cemetery wall and he was gone.
Seconds later, Steve emerged from cover a curious look on his face. “So, what did he say?”
Jake motioned them to leave. “C’mon let’s leave. I’ll explain to you and Sarah at the same time. They quickly ran back to their cars and drove back to the hotel.
* * *
Sitting in the bar at the hotel, Jake had just finished telling Steve and Sarah about his meeting in the cemetery.
Sarah was the first to speak. “So, we guessed right, Jake, something big is going down and it has something to do with the Death Dart and its set to go on 9/11! Typical terrorist symbolism!”
Jake nodded. “Correct, but we don’t know where, not even which country, but we do know its JOD and Al-Qaeda, which makes sense of why these bastards were ready to torture more information out of our buddy Ben!”
Sarah’s mind was moving ahead. “So, now we need to let everyone know starting with Doug, then Peter Davies, Director Grover and then John Mulroney at the White House.”
“Exactly and most important of all, we need to keep a lid on this or we’ll have mass hysteria on our hands. Even without this going down, everybody and his brother sees terrorists hiding under the bed on 9/11!”
“Correct,” Sarah nodded. “So, are you going to call Doug?”
“You bet!” Jake was already dialling.
At one a.m. a sleepy Mulgrave answered the phone and after apologizing for the late call, Jake told him of his meeting with the informant.
The CEO was already analyzing the situation. “So, if this is right, Jake and this guy was an American converted to Islam and he’s still here, it’s a good bet that the rest of his terrorist cell are also here, which means……”
Jake finished the sentence for him. “That the hit will be on American soil!”
“It certainly looks like it,” Mulgrave added. “So I guess we need to speed everything up, we’ve only got a few days left. Leave it with me, Jake and we’ll have a further meeting in the morning with Roddy. Then we can start putting the pressure on. I don’t like this at all!”
“That makes two of us.” Jake replied as he rang off.
Jake’s next call was to an equally sleepy Peter Davies and his reaction was very similar to that of Doug Mulgrave.
“Well, Jake,” he began. “It looks like we’re dealing with the big boys and it could be on US soil. D’you think this informant was legit or just a smoke screen to confuse us?”