Traitors Within

by James Rosone

  Julie piped in and said, “It doesn’t sound like you think this is a good idea.”

  “It’s not,” he responded. “All of the background investigations are coordinated with your office. I’d say about two or three percent of them should have been denied, but we were overridden by NCTC and told to pass them anyway. I personally think we’re accepting some bad apples, but I’m not the one in charge, so I have no say in the process.”

  Stone sat there for a minute before responding, “That seems to be a common thread. People who should have been discarded from the program are being overridden by NCTC. This is only my third month there, but I’m starting to see that these decisions appear to be more politically motivated than driven by security.

  “I understand your frustration, Billy, I really do. I’m not sure I can fully correct the problem, but I sure can highlight it. Our group is traveling to the various camps in Jordan and Turkey over the next three weeks to see if you guys are ready to handle the influx. Have you found any ISIS supporters or recruiters within this camp? Or any of the others in Jordan, for that matter?” Mike asked, wanting to know if there was an immediate security concern that they should underscore in his report.

  Billy looked at Mike and then stood up. He signaled for everyone else to stay seated as he winked at Julie, giving her his best smile. He walked over to his desk, pulled a folder from it and handed the file to Mike to look over.

  “Those are the ISIS recruiters that we’ve identified in the various camps in Jordan. There are twenty of them in total. One of our sources tells us that they are training people on what to say during the interviews we conduct. You see, we’re required to ask a basic set of twenty questions. We have some leeway to ask a few questions of our own, but these interviews are very structured and mechanical. It’s not like an interrogation, although I wish it were.” Billy watched as Mike thumbed through the file and then handed it over to Agent Leary.

  Leary put the folder down once he had also rummaged through it. “So, Billy, you’re saying that these ISIS recruiters are prepping them for the interview and your hands are essentially tied?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” responded Billy, sighing deeply.

  The group continued to talk for another hour before their little impromptu meeting broke up. After they’d been given a tour and spoken with several State Department officials, Mike directed everyone to start working on writing up their assessment of the camp. The consensus was they needed more screeners to meet the new quotas, and without them, a lot of people were going to be approved to travel to the US as part of the refugee and asylum program, potentially without any interviews being done at all.

  Chapter 9

  The Ghost

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  Burj Al Arab Jumeirah Hotel

  Nihad Nassimi, the US Director for CAGIR, was sitting at a table that had been reserved by the man he was meeting with. The GOLD ON 27 was an immensely opulent bar at the world’s only seven-star hotel in Dubai, the Burj. The man Nihad was meeting always chose this place for them to talk whenever he was summoned to Dubai, which didn’t happen often. Though Nihad had never actually seen the man’s whole face, he assumed he must be a rich member of the Saudi royal family as he had a distinct Saudi accent when he spoke Arabic, which was seldom. Nihad had only heard his Arabic in passing though, because their conversations had always been in English.

  The man was known to those in a small circle as Al Shabah, which translates to “the Ghost.” Nihad had only actually met the Ghost in person two other times. Each time, he had appeared in a different disguise. The first time, he had shown up in traditional white Arab garb, and the next time, he was dressed as a Saudi general officer. His eye color was even different each time they met. Nihad was never one for the cloak-and-dagger sort of games. He did, however, understand the need for secrecy and didn’t judge the man for using various disguises to hide his true identity.

  As the Ghost exited the elevator, he quickly made eye contact with Nihad, who was sitting at their reserved table in the corner. This time, the Ghost was dressed in a fancy $15,000 suit. Nihad estimated that his shoes must have set him back two grand as well. His contacts made his eyes appear vibrant green, and only as he got much closer did Nihad wonder if his facial hair was actually a very expensive professionally done fake beard and mustache. He appeared every bit like one of the numerous rich businessmen staying at the Burj in Dubai for the Middle East Banking Consortium Conference, which attracted nearly 5,500 attendees each year. It was the perfect cover for their meeting.

  The Ghost walked up to Nihad and greeted him in English, “Ah, Nihad, it’s great to see you again. I hope you like the venue for our meeting,” he said in a jovial tone.

  Nihad smiled warmly at the man standing before him. He gestured with his hand for the man to sit down as he replied, “Yes, of course. This place is great. I was just perusing the menu; everything looks quite tasty.”

  The Ghost smiled at his unwitting fool. “I’m glad you like it. They employ some of the best chefs in the world at this hotel,” he said as he sat down. They both placed their order and then got down to business.

  “Nihad, I appreciate all that you have done for me over the years. The work CAGIR is doing in America to expand Islam to their heathen lands, and the political influence you have been able to develop, is something that has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated,” the Ghost said with a smile, stroking Nihad’s ego.

  “As you know, this is an election year in America. Everyone believes the former Secretary of State will be elected, but we aren’t taking any chances. The group of likeminded people I represent are going to be making some large donations to CAGIR, and we expect the contributions to be handed out appropriately,” the Ghost said. He slipped Nihad a piece of paper. On it was a list of candidates that they wanted campaign contributions to be made to—it was a long list.

  He continued, “In addition, the President is increasing the number of refugees and asylum seekers the US is going to accept, starting tomorrow. We have additional names we would like your help in expediting.”

  He slid a new piece of paper across the table to Nihad, who picked up the list and began to look at it. “This is a lot of names, more than you requested the last time we met. I’m not sure I can get them all in,” he said tentatively, unsure of the request.

  The Ghost simply smiled at Nihad and slid an envelope across the table, waiting for Nihad to open it. Nihad’s eyes grew a little wider when he saw the cash, then he quickly slipped the envelope into his suit jacket pocket.

  “Nihad, you’re a clever man. I’m sure you can find a way for these forty-six individuals’ applications to get approved. Work your contacts. We’ve given you more than enough money. You’ve always delivered solid results in the past—I’m sure you can handle this,” the Ghost said with a devilish grin.

  Nihad just smiled and nodded. As long as he was being paid, he could make things happen.

  “I appreciate your confidence and trust,” he said. “I won’t let you down.”

  Chapter 10

  Raid Gone Wrong

  Baltimore, Maryland

  Deputy Marshal Jim Greer walked up to the front of the room as the gathered police, FBI and marshals talked amongst themselves about last night’s spectacular NFL football game. The Baltimore Ravens had defeated the New England Patriots in a gripping game that ran into overtime.

  “OK, everyone. Let’s cut the chatter. It’s time to earn our keep,” Jim said in a loud enough voice to be heard over the excited din.

  The conversation quickly died down. Jim got down to the business of getting everyone ready for that morning’s raid. They had been monitoring the residence Mr. Khalid Mohammed al-Baghdadi had been staying in for the past several weeks. During that time, they had identified a few patterns in his daily routine and planned on exploiting them this morning.

  “Today is the day we raid Mr. al-Baghdadi’s home. We’re going to hit this place just
like we do any other fugitive arrest. I want local PD to establish the roadblocks and cordon off the neighborhood while the marshals and FBI move in to make the arrest. I spoke with the police chief last night. He’s making their SWAT team available, which I’ve graciously agreed to use.”

  Some grumblings could be heard from the marshals, who had hoped they’d be the ones to lead the entry into the house. It was a source of pride for them to be the ones to actually take down the suspect and put him in cuffs, but that honor would now fall to the local SWAT team.

  “SWAT’s going to lead the breach, quickly followed by the marshals, and then the FBI will come in to begin collecting any evidence left behind.” Jim saw the looks of disappointment on some of his agents’ faces but quickly dismissed them. His job was to make sure his people came home alive each day and they apprehended their suspects.

  “It’s 0530 hours right now. We hit the house at exactly 0700 hours, so let’s suit up and get ready.”

  *******

  Khalid Mohammed al-Baghdadi had just finished his morning prayers when he received an urgent text letting him know the police were on their way to his house. He had minutes left to get things ready. Pushing himself off the floor, he reached over and made sure the wires he had attached to the front door were ready. He then moved quickly to the rear door to check that entrance as well.

  With his tripwires in place, Khalid grabbed the iconic American rifle, an AR-15, and made sure the thirty-round magazine was properly seated and a round chambered. When the authorities arrived in a few minutes, he’d be ready for them.

  A handful of minutes went by when he heard the roar of several vehicle engines approaching his house from down the street. In seconds, he heard the loud screeching of tires as the drivers slammed on their brakes. Next, he heard a few sharp words spoken by someone in authority as several clusters of black-cladded men rushed toward the front porch of his house.

  Just as the first person shouted “US Marshals! US Marshals!” Khalid raised the barrel of his AR-15 at the front door and fired several rapid shots at the whoever was about to barge through it. He heard a couple of loud grunts and some stumbling, followed quickly by a barrage of bullets fired right back at him.

  Khalid hit the ground and slid behind the couch he had placed near the hallway to act as a barrier should his first tripwire not work. Suddenly, one of the darkly-clothed figures burst through the front door, fully extending the tripwire and triggering the charges he had rigged throughout the house. In the flash of an eye, the entire structure erupted in one gigantic fireball.

  Chapter 11

  Hearings

  Washington, D.C.

  Capitol Building

  Director Mallory Harper was under intense scrutiny from the Congressional Intelligence Committee and her old employer, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, for the failure in detecting Khalid Mohammed al-Baghdadi before he entered the United States. The subsequent raid at his residency on January 3 had turned into a complete nightmare. When the FBI had executed the arrest warrant along with local police, the entire house had blown up, killing four FBI agents and six police officers and injuring nearly a dozen more.

  The explosion had also caused the neighboring houses to catch on fire, making the situation even worse. The resulting explosion had invariably destroyed any evidence that might have been in the house, along with other possible leads that could have been helpful. As the FBI, NSA, and DHS began to conduct a detailed electronic exploitation and social media deep dive of Khalid, the FBI unearthed plans to launch a terrorist attack against several metro stations in the Baltimore area. They also identified three other men who might have been part of the attack. Two of the three men had also been a part of the refugee program and were now at large as the FBI conducted a nationwide manhunt for them.

  Because of the explosion, the raid made front page news, and garnered coverage from all the major TV networks. Of course, Fox News was hyping the incident, parading one terrorism expert after another who was denouncing the President’s counterterrorism strategy and preaching the danger of the President’s refugee program. It didn’t help Mallory’s cause that three of the five men now being implicated in this potential terrorist attack had all been refugees themselves.

  The congressional and Senate intelligence committees wanted to know how these suspects were missed during the vetting process, and more importantly, how NCTC could assure the country that the increase in the number of refugees being accepted wouldn’t pose a greater danger to the USA.

  Director Harper was beginning to sound very defensive after hours of being grilled. “Senator, I can assure you my staff are doing all they can to ensure the refugees are being properly vetted,” she asserted.

  Clearing her throat, the ranking Democratic Senator from California asked, “Director Harper, can you enlighten us on what measures your organization has taken to improve security?” This was clearly a softball question to give her a chance to talk about some of the positive things going on in her department.

  Mallory’s face softened. “Yes, Senator. The effort to screen and process the refugees is a joint effort between the State Department, the FBI, Homeland Security and the intelligence community. Over the past three months, an additional 120 personnel were sent to the refugee camps in Jordan and Turkey to assist in the vetting process. An additional sixty analysts have been provided by various organizations within the intelligence community to assist in the process. I assure you, we are doing everything we can to ensure they are being properly screened.”

  The grilling went on for several more hours before the verbal pounding shifted from the Senate chambers to the Congressional chambers, where Director Harper reiterated what she had told the Senate.

  *******

  The following week, the FBI had located the remaining terror suspects and taken them into custody. The refugee dust-up had died down as the GOP presidential debates began to take center stage.

  With a very bombastic technology billionaire who had thrown his name into the ring over the summer, the primaries became almost a circus show to watch. The billionaire began to eviscerate his fellow Republicans as being bought-and-paid-for cronies of the special interest groups that the American people continued to rail against. He also took specific aim at the refugee and asylum seeker program, citing the recent terror suspects as an example of how Islamic extremists were manipulating the system to infiltrate their people into the country.

  Chapter 12

  Preparations

  Chicago, Illinois

  Jamal Sattar al Sayed had managed to receive asylum status just as he had been told he would. It had been an adjustment when he’d first arrived, but he had fully established his cover in the United States. Because of his education and skill level, it hadn’t been very hard for him to get a job, and most of his neighbors just thought of him as a polite but quiet guy. Little did they know he was also known in some circles as “The Chemist,” and he was a part of a sinister Valentine’s Day attack.

  His handler had given him specific instructions, so in his spare time, Jamal had been doing a lot of tourism of the city. He did his best not to draw any attention to himself, but most of the places where he spent his time had so many visitors from all over the world that one more man looking around and snapping pictures was just normal background activity. At Union Station, he spent a lot of time examining the supports holding up the platforms near the tracks, especially around platform nine-eleven. He gathered information on the types of material that were used, and then used his Privoxy to obtain other schematics of the structure online. After thorough calculations, he determined that he could destroy the foundation of the Riverside Plaza with about ninety pounds of high explosives and a shape charge. The rest would be up to gravity.

  With that in mind, he bought a large rolling suitcase and began to design a bomb that could do the job and fit inside the suitcase. It would be imperative that the suitcase be laid down correctly next to the column for the shape char
ge to work. Each projectile would cut through one after another of the support structures under the station along platform nine-eleven. Then the explosive core of the bomb would destroy the ceiling above, which would, in theory, weaken the foundation enough to allow for part of the first floor of the Riverside Plaza to collapse on to the tracks below. From there, the laws of physics would go to work and the rest of the structure didn’t stand a chance.

  Jamal had been told he needed to build two additional bombs to be used that day as well, to increase the spirit of chaos and confusion. Once the initial bomb went off, two additional attackers were going to drive their utility van to the corner of South Wacker Drive and West Adams Street, as if they were there to conduct a cable repair. This would place the vehicle at the base of the Willis Tower for the second attack.

  Jamal had spent considerable time designing the bomb for this vehicle. He had removed everything from the stolen van and loaded the interior walls with nearly 50,000 ball bearings and 8,000 pounds of high explosives. The bomb for this vehicle was being designed to essentially act like a large Claymore antipersonnel mine, the type the US military uses—only this one was a vehicle. The goal of this bomb was not to take down the Willis Tower, but to maim and kill as many people around it as possible. The size of the explosion would, of course, cause significant damage to the surrounding buildings, but it wouldn’t be enough to bring down the structures. The bomb would be detonated via a timer, set to go off approximately forty minutes after the first one. If that failed, it could also be detonated via remote control.