Reprisal in Black

by Dan Fox

  My gift with languages soon became apparent, it was also picked up in the wider area and we heard that a few telephones started to ring with the callers making guarded references what they called this new phenomenon. That was quite amusing to us.

  An imposing visitor appeared at our uncle’s Peshawar house late one night just after we had finished our prayers and gone to bed. We found out later that the man belonged to Al Mogli a peculiar and most secretive fundamentalist sect with views a little to the right of the most infamous terror group.

  He negotiated with our uncle who kindly sold us for the equivalent of a good year’s income. We were told the following day. We were to be trained on a mission for Allah. We would spend the next ten years preparing ourselves for this.

  We were a little confused but completely won over with the promise of great service to our God.

  A little later we were told how it would work. We would go to live in New Delhi, India. We would be brought up as infidels in a Hindu house, go to a Hindu school and be trained to pass as a Hindu in any and every walk of life.

  We were stunned. We thought we had been betrayed and our life was over.

  Gradually and with some harsh threats and a few attractive promises we became resigned to the idea.

  We had but one role in life. Ours was to serve Allah. Allah would watch over us. Allah would forgive us for our sins. Allah would understand.

  Before we arrived in Delhi via Kashmir, we were given the new Hindi names of Rani and Dado Desai and were told about our new ‘parents.’ Our forged paperwork was expertly done and caused no problems at any of the border checkpoints we passed through.

  Once in the new house in Delhi we were told of the master plan. We would be educated at home initially, primarily to get over the new language problem, and then well-educated up to University level, trained in surveillance, weapons and martial arts. We would be taught to drive cars, trucks, motor bikes, and a variety of military transport. We would major on discreet communications, computers and electronics. Then we would emigrate to America on a student exchange basis. We would work and study hard at American universities. There we would stay until called upon to do our duty for Allah.

  Whilst in the Delhi house we would live as the Hindu and learn the language and its customs well. We would have but one hour a day to communicate with Allah.

  We were immensely proud that we had been chosen. It was a great honour.

  With that, our ‘mother’ and ‘father’ also took up residence in the previously unoccupied premises and began our indoctrination and training.’ The cover was that we had all relocated from Kashmir as a family.’

  Dado had said little during Rani’s detailed explanation but now started to speak.

  ‘We spent about six months perfecting Hindi before we were allowed out of the house. Then we were enrolled at a private junior school and began normal lessons within a normal, for Hindus, syllabus. We were streets ahead of the other pupils and were largely taught on our own by a very wise old teacher. We learnt a lot and very quickly too.

  When it was time we transferred to a higher education college. Because of our ‘father’s’ influence we took a lot of time off, ostensibly for holidays and travelling. The cover for this was that as he was a Professor at the University he would make sure that we did our studies and homework. Of course we did no such thing. We were taught to drive all sorts of vehicles, we learnt all about weapons and explosives, and we were subjected to a brutal regime of Martial Arts training.’

  He smiled for a moment and continued, ‘Yes we both still carry some of the scars. When it was time for us to go to University, and our grades to that point were exceptional, our ‘father’ was in the process of getting us onto the Student Exchange Programme. Because our grades were so good, we didn’t have a problem being accepted. We know because we had been trained in counter surveillance that we had been thoroughly vetted, so whoever forged our records had been very good. Someone should have picked up on the frequent and long absences from our studies.’

  Chapter 46

  ‘We don’t know why we were given Baltimore as a University. That was good luck I guess. The rest you know.

  We communicated carefully and infrequently with our ‘parents’ and on rare occasions with Massood Malhi himself. Everything that we were supplied with including some amounts of cash came from Massood Malhi or our parents. We had no contact with anyone else save the guy who ran the café in Baltimore.’

  Rani then continued, ‘We had been told to act American. Act like American students do. On one occasion, and after a particularly heavy night drinking beer, I took the whole day off to pray to Allah for forgiveness. It had been ingrained into us that our mission was all-important.

  We were not concerned in the slightest about anyone investigating us. We used Dead Drops, the odd phone call in code, and occasionally Internet chat sites. The important part was that we kept in touch, but did it infrequently enough to cause not the slightest suspicion. If we needed anything else it came via the Dead Drop, but that was rare.

  When I went back to India on the last occasion we had many discussions and eventually a plan began to develop. Both Dado and I both had access to Andrews Air Force Base on a normal day to day basis. We needed to further this trust for Dado to gain access to at least one of the presidential Jumbos.

  As the overall plan came together it became obvious that we could each play our own but collectively important parts.

  We discussed for hours how we could disable the president’s plane in mid-air and fly it to a designated point. We couldn’t shoot the pilots or we’d have nobody to fly and land it. We’d never get away with trying to substitute our own pilots as the security was so tight, and it would be plain suicide to try and storm it. Everyone who got on that plane was checked and double checked through a range of measures including facial recognition and fingerprinting. No, there had to be another way to kidnap the president.

  We agreed that Dado would be the key. He was the one who was working on the Air Conditioning systems for Boeing. We wondered could he find a way of releasing some chemical which would render the entire compliment on the plane either disabled or unconscious for several hours, and do this without killing them. Well without killing the president anyway. He was not expendable at that point.

  Over the next few days we talked more and more and the basic plan was conceived. ‘Father’ just needed some advice on chemicals from a sympathiser at the University of Islamabad in Pakistan.

  I left to return to Baltimore just after the weekend taking an audacious plan to discuss with Dado. I was convinced that Dado would be most impressed at our ingenuity.

  I told Dado that we had been given a great task to perform and that with our help our brothers would kidnap the president. I remember that Dado was speechless at first and then said ‘Kidnap the president!! Where and when will this happen?’

  ‘I told him that there were details and methods to work out and an opportunity to present itself, but we had to be ready. I explained further in a little more detail and whilst Dado was very nervous at first he became very excited about it. But we realised that we had to remain calm. We realised that we were very close to serving Allah and must not screw up.

  I know that Dado was clear on his mission. He had to gain access to one or both planes and on some pretence of Air Conditioning checks or modifications, find a way to insert a small dormant electronic device coupled to a small container holding a very special chemical mix. We knew that a less potent and much less safe version of the mix had been used for years by third world countries to quell prison riots and the odd revolt. It worked very well for several hours even if it had killed a few along the way.

  I later received a text message saying that my ‘mother’ had found my missing CD and was going to send it to me in the next few weeks when she had chance to go to the Post Office. Our instructions on how to obtain the chemicals were soon to be on their way.

  A couple of months later I went
to a café in Baltimore frequented by Asian immigrants and came away with a small briefcase. Inside the case and amongst other camouflaging clutter were the essential components for the electronic trigger.

  We had originally targeted September 2011 for the insertion of the device and its chemical payload. We thought it would be nice to coincide it with the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, but that it should not compromise our mission.

  That Spring we took a long weekend away in Atlantic City, choosing a small and unremarkable hotel. We knew we needed to be anonymous. In our room we assembled and re-assembled the device and later, after walking by the sea eating burgers, we threw the wrappers into a particular refuse bin and extracted an eight ounce coffee jar which contained the chemical we needed.

  The chemical was a laboratory enhanced form of Curare called Curaramine. The original stuff was what the South American Indians used on the tips of their war and hunting arrows. We knew it disabled motor powers instantly so the victim was immediately immobilised and that they would not be able to speak or lift a finger or blink an eye, and that people would be unconscious in literally a couple of seconds. We also knew that this new version did not stop the victim breathing completely unless they had a very bad heart. We had been told that the right quantity heated to a colourless odourless vapour and mixed in with the Aircraft’s re-cycled air would put everyone on the plane out of action within a few seconds. No-one would realise what was happening until they were drifting into the black.

  We’d been told of time estimates which said that people would be out for a minimum of twelve and a maximum of eighteen hours and that was plenty enough time to get the job done.

  As May approached Dado began to spend more time on Air Force Two. It seemed his bosses wanted to prove the new air conditioning principles on the ‘spare’ plane. I know that initially he was gutted but after we had talked it over we realised that all we had to do was force the planes to be switched at the right moment. At the time we thought it would be that simple.

  In the meantime, Dado’s efforts needed to be multi-fold. He had to find a way of concealing the dormant electronic device. He had to connect some form of reservoir for the chemicals to the device and ensure that nothing looked out of place. He had to do this with work colleagues around and with Government Security Agents hovering about like a plague of flies. I knew it was not a job for the faint hearted.

  That was the genius behind the electronic device Dado had to hide away on the plane. It gave away no electrical trace until it was activated. Its battery would be shielded and it wouldn’t be activated until after the plane had been airborne for some time. But there was one other device that had yet to be delivered to us which was the Autopilot override. We received that at the very last minute.

  All the main air conditioning units were housed in the same general area as the main computer servers for all the on-board systems. As several air flow pipes came into a bigger diameter one at that point, we realised it should be straightforward to hide the device in there and attach the chemical reservoir to it. However the pipe junction would need a modification which Dado convinced the management was necessary and so they sanctioned a trial.

  Dado had about two weeks to achieve this as it had become common knowledge that the president was on his travels in a westerly direction. No-one was certain of the itinerary yet but India had been mentioned. Of course this information was very hush-hush, but that kind of rumour spread like wildfire.

  I know that over the next few days he worked tirelessly to achieve a time opening within which he could fit the devices and get out without appearing suspicious. He spent most of his time at work and I didn’t see very much of him. Dado’s opportunity came when the Secret Service agent who was based in that area of the plane tripped on the metal steps up to the cargo hold and badly gashed his shin. It needed many stitches and in the confusion Dado got the five minutes he needed to conceal the devices.

  Dado was a nervous wreck at the time and I know it took every ounce of his inner strength and determination to appear calm.

  When we were alone and out of earshot or listening device, Dado told me that he had completed his part of the job. It would now be my task to make sure that Air Force One did not take off in nine days time. It was a big gamble but we knew how I could achieve this and make it look like an unfortunate accident by someone simply overawed and careless. If it was done right they would have to use Air Force Two instead.

  The next couple of days went by without incident and Dado’s nerves calmed down a little and he carried on as per normal. Someone then dropped it out that the president was flying to LA the following Wednesday evening, then leaving for Hawaii the following night. After a day in Honolulu he would be off to New Delhi in India, which was later changed to Chennai, which was originally and better known as Madras, because it would reduce the president’s travelling time by several hours. Our contacts in Pakistan could find out the precise time of take-off from Hawaii and alert their other friends closer to their ultimate destination that the plane would be directly overhead at about thirty-five thousand feet. It wouldn’t matter if the cargo ship that was to set off the devices remained stationary for a few minutes in the open ocean. It was most unlikely to be spotted. There would be absolutely nobody else that far out in the ocean.’

  Dado then continued, ‘Rani went back to India twice I think. It was on the last occasion that the idea of the toxic gas was hatched. All I had to do was find a way of secreting the device on the aircraft. At that point we didn’t know about the Autopilot override. I think up until then they thought they could smuggle someone on board who could trigger the device. When they realised that was next to impossible they came up with the Virus device. Of course I had to fit that as well.’

  Rani chipped in again, ‘Dado was very well respected by Boeing, Grange Engineering and the staff at Andrews Air Force Base. He didn’t have too much problem with the suggested experimental alterations or getting enough time to fit the devices.’

  Rani said ‘I had worked hard to get my place with Andrews Air Force Base’s catering services, and even harder to get onto the airfield crew with its strange vehicles. It was easy to damage Air Force One enough to make them swap to Air Force Two.’

  Chapter 47

  At that the tape stopped. Jean turned off the player and stowed the headphones. The president, the top CIA, NSA and Homeland Security people and the FBI needed to hear that tape and understand what simple things they could do to stop this kind of event happening again. She went to see Steve and explained what the boys had said and how detailed their explanation had been. Yes she had interrupted them a few times and got them to explain a point in more detail, but in overall terms she was satisfied with their explanation. It was as if they were unloading all their guilt about their mission as if, somehow, it would make a difference to their fate. Some hopes.

  After she’d spoken to Steve, she went to the boy’s cell and with side-arm drawn she unstrapped them and ushered them into the Interrogation Room. There she shackled them firmly into the Dentist chairs. They were instantly afraid, very afraid.

  ‘I’ve listened to your explanations and comments on the tape and I have a few questions’ she hissed. ‘How did you escape from America? Did you have a planned exit strategy or did you make it up as you went along?’ asked Jean as she switched the tape back on to record.

  Rani began, ‘Obviously we needed to get out of America as quickly as possible. As you Americans or is it British say we had ‘burnt our bridges.’ If we left by one of the recognised routes we would be traced. We could not afford that to happen. We believed we could blur the issue by traveling internally at first and then jumping off by a less obvious method. That is why we drove to Virginia first and then flew to St Louis and then to Miami. Dado had seen a documentary about island hopping around the Caribbean and that sounded good. We bribed a boat owner in Miami to take us to the Bahamas. We used our spare passports to the full and had no problem landing there.

&n
bsp; The American dollar is the universal currency and can get you anywhere. We thought it would be more difficult to trace us if we got to South America. Most of that continent is Spanish speaking and we thought a plane to Madrid would be easier than London or Amsterdam or Paris. What we didn’t realise is that you’d be looking for us in Pakistan. We didn’t realise anyone knew we had lived there. Obviously we badly under estimated how quickly you’d start hunting for us.

  We did the same island hopping thing to get to the largest Turks and Caicos Island and again to Puerto Rico. From there it was quite easy to get to Caracas in Venezuela. From there we flew to Madrid and from there to Dubai. Getting to Islamabad was the most straightforward of all.’

  ‘Did you have any problems at all getting to all these various places?’ said Jean inquisitively.

  ‘Not really’ said Dado who had been quiet through most of the conversation and seemed to prefer his brother to take the lead in most question and answer sessions.

  ‘We were very nervous when there were Police about or Customs Officials about. I actually fainted from the stress when we arrived in Puerto Rico and were confronted by their armed Airport Police. Eventually we found out that they were looking for a couple of drug dealers and we had a similar description. Two men, thirty something, dark skinned, travelling without luggage. It was only when they received photos of the two wanted men that they let us go, but their Inspector was most suspicious of us and wanted to keep us for a while. He didn’t say why but I suppose it looked strange that we had no bags with us, not even a Laptop. That was when I fainted. It was all the stress and anxiety building up. Rani told him I had a pathological fear of flying but if I could rest for a while and take some calming tablets I would be fine.