"I've seen drones on the news, but I've never been involved with the use of one," Amanda said.
"They've saved a lot of cops and agents in the last few years. We don't get many runners anymore. They know they aren't going to outrun the drone. That also means we have less physical confrontations by having officers chase them down. Some officers get 'Hunting Dog Syndrome'. They get pumped up and involved in the physical chase. The adrenalin high can make them less than objective when they finally catch the suspect. The same thing happens to the suspect. So you get two jacked-up individuals confronting each other. That usually ends with somebody getting messed up. With a drone, it doesn't become as personal," Jack said, as the drone stopped on the edge of the tree line.
"It's too open. Get the drone above the tree line and swing around to the south. The trees are closer to the house from there," Jack said.
The drone reversed course, and then began rising through the trees. When it rose above the trees, it skimmed above the green field of branches and headed west, then south.
"We've got over 30 officers and agents surrounding the house, but I don't want to just charge in. If the Chinese Special Forces guys are there, then they'll have someone on guard duty. They might even have their own sensors deployed to warn them of anyone approaching the farm. Either way, I don't want a shootout if I can help it," Jack said.
"Everyone stay in position, stay silent and stay hidden, until I give the order to move in," Jack said over his comm link. Multiple clicks answered in response.
"Sir, I'm south of the buildings," the drone operator said.
Amanda could see that the drone was hovering just above the trees. It looked like the house was only 30 yards away.
"Okay, no vehicles present, but they could be parked inside the barn. No personnel visible, but thermal is iffy," Jack said, wondering where a guard would be placed.
"Let's start with the barn. Start at the south end, and then swing around the east side. If there are any windows, pause and look inside," Jack said.
The operator nodded. They could follow the flight path as it dropped down past the trees and approached the south side of the barn. The window on that side was covered on the inside, so the vehicle slid to the right, and flew to the east side. A second window was also covered.
"Who would cover the windows in a barn? They almost look like curtains," Jack said.
"A woman would. I know that's sexist, but a woman would put curtains in a room. That room must be different from the rest of the barn for some reason," Amanda said, while pointing at the ruffles visible through the window.
"But there aren't any women on this team. They're all Siberian Tigers," Jack said.
"That we know of. Remember the report about the Prepper. They may have safe houses all over the country. Somebody has to maintain them," Amanda responded.
"There's a window at the far end. I'll check that one," the operator said, as the drone drifted sideways, stopping outside the last window on the east side of the barn.
"No vehicles or personnel visible inside the barn," the operator said, while the drone shifted to the far side of the window.
"Swing around the end of the building. See if there's a window on the north end of the barn," Jack said.
The view showed an empty barn. An inside door at the south end led to a closed room.
"That door leads to the room with the curtains," Amanda said.
"Turn and check the house. If you don't see any movement, then swing around to the west side and enter the barn," Jack told the operator.
"No movement at the house, entering the barn," the operator said.
The drone drifted to the edge of the open barn doors and paused. The concrete floor had been swept clean, but oil spots from a leaking vehicle's oil pan showed that at least one vehicle had been parked inside.
As the drone flew inside the barn, Amanda said, "Wait! The wooden beam on the left, the vertical support. Go toward that and zoom in about five feet up."
As the drone shifted and zoomed in, they could see that the beam had been carved. The Chinese character for 'Tiger' was clearly visible.
"Holy shit! This is the place," Amanda said, while turning toward Jack.
"All personnel, we have visual indication that this site has been used by Siberian Tigers. Prepare to move on the house, but wait for my signal to begin the approach," Jack said over the comm link.
"Get in the vehicle. Maintain contact with the drone while we move in. I want an eyes-on look before we go in," Jack said, as the drone operator slid into the back, and Amanda rushed to the passenger side.
All the other agents from the vehicle were on the assault team. Thirty armed officers and agents began to slip through the trees until they were at the edge of the woodline on all sides.
"Move the drone to the back of the house, southeast corner. We'll start from there," Jack said, as he guided the Suburban down the long unpaved driveway.
The drone drifted from window to window until the entire outside had been inspected. No sounds were heard or movement detected. The Suburban had reached the edge of the treeline. Jack and Amanda jumped out as the drone operator reestablished his control position at the back of the vehicle.
"All personnel, no indications of movement. Begin the assault. Proceed with caution," Jack said, as he and Amanda joined a group of heavily armed agents at the edge of the woods.
"I hate this part. You never know what you're going to run into. There are two EOD personnel on the assault team. If anyone finds anything suspicious, they won't touch it. They'll leave it for the EOD personnel," Jack said, while he and Amanda began jogging toward the house. All the teams were closing in from every direction.
Jack and Amanda ran down the driveway, as other groups breached the woods to their left and right. The farm house had a long porch that ran the length of the front. Wooden steps in the center led to a bright red door.
Amanda and Jack were at the rear of the second group. As the first man placed his foot on the lowest step, a pressure switch triggered the IED. The explosion ripped off the front of the house. The 55-gallon drum, hidden under the front porch, was filled with ammonium nitrate fertilizer, nitromethane, and diesel fuel. Just for good measure, 1000 nails had been added to the lethal mixture.
Five men and women were killed in the initial blast. Eleven more suffered the effects of shrapnel and concussion from the explosion.
Amanda later remembered a flash and flying through the air. When she recovered consciousness, it was to the sounds of a battlefield. The screams of the wounded mixed with the wail of sirens and the sound of helicopters. Medical personnel were rushing the most severely wounded onto medivacs. Others were placed in ambulances. She found herself standing by the woodline, beside the same Suburban that had driven them to the house. She had no memory of walking there. Her ears were ringing, as she stared at her hands. They were filthy and shaking. She raised her eyes toward the house. It was a burning ruin. Firefighters were setting up to extinguish the blaze before it spread to the nearby woods. Dozens of law enforcement personnel were scouring the area, and searching the barn for suspects.
Amanda touched her face. It felt raw, like a bad sunburn. Her clothes were torn and filthy. She moved her arms and legs, examining herself for any wounds. Other than a few scrapes, and a raging headache, she had escaped serious harm.
As her mind began to clear, she thought of Agent Honer, and began walking back toward the house. The dead were still lying where they fell. Priority was given to the many wounded, and securing the area. She found him under a sheet. A breeze had blown the white linen off his face. The sheet was soaked with his blood. She could see a nail imbedded in his forehead; another had torn open his throat as it spun through the air. She remembered that he had cut in front of her as they were running toward the house. He had shielded her from the shrapnel of the explosion with his body.
The cell phone in her coat pocket began chiming. It was the sound of the doorbell on the house where she had g
rown. A memory flashed through her mind of the previous Christmas. Her two brothers had arrived from the West Coast. One lived in LA, the other in San Diego. They were all sitting at the dining room table that her father had built 40 years earlier.
"It was a great Christmas. It even snowed," she said, as tears began flowing down her dirty face. She wanted desperately to be sitting at that table, surrounded by her family.
The phone had stopped. Then it rang again. She pulled the phone out of her coat pocket, noticed that it was almost 6 PM, and answered. The assault on the house had started at 5 PM.
"Agent Langford," Amanda answered, and cleared her throat, shocked at how raspy her voice sounded.
"Amanda . . . it's Janet, are you all right? The explosion at the farm is all over the networks. I'm watching video from a helicopter circling over the scene. What happened?" Janet asked.
Amanda began coughing, stopped, and then replied, "IED. They set a booby trap. My mind is still a little foggy. A lot of people are dead, a lot more wounded. The farm house is gone. They were definitely here. The 'Tiger' was carved into a wooden post in the barn. We saw it with a drone. I think the barn is still standing. I'll head there now," Amanda said, while kneeling down and placing the bloody sheet over Agent Honer's face.
"Amanda, are you injured? How close were you to the blast? Have medical personnel examined you? You probably have a concussion," Janet said, while remembering her own experience with being in an IED explosion in Iraq.
"I'm fine. I'll call you back when I get to the barn," Amanda said, then terminated the call.
CHAPTER 34
The 2nd Farm
447 Weldon Lane
Sanford, North Carolina
August 2, 2017
1530 hours EST
Aiguo stood in front of the map of the Harris Nuclear Plant. The map was now covered with details provided by Security Sergeant Davies. Each guard tower was highlighted in red, security patrol patterns in blue. Notes filled the margins of the map, color-coded to the subject. A hand-drawn map of the floor plan of the Security Building was attached to one edge of the plant map. It had almost as many notes in the margin as the large map.
Ten men stood at attention in the middle of the room, facing the maps. All were dressed in the gray uniforms of the Harris Security Force. Each man was wearing covert body armor under his uniform. Aiguo inspected each man from head to foot. The ball cap properly perched and of the correct size, the insignia on each shoulder, the name tags above the right shirt pocket, the positioning of the web gear and the standard issue 9mm Glock, the highly polished black combat boots. Each item was critical to the effectiveness of the deception. Most importantly, each man had a photo ID, key card and TLD procured by Sergeant Davies.
"Remember, for the purposes of this mission, you are additional personnel assigned to the plant because of the upgrade to Security Level 1. You have been sent by the Duke Energy Corporate Security Manager. Sergeant Davies will secure Command Central. From there, he can control all security doors and gates within the facility, including the small building at the entrance to the plant site that they refer to as the 'Shack'. We will approach the shack in the black van that Bingwen has modified for this mission. There are three guards at the entrance. After they are removed, we will proceed to the Security Building. The device will be transported in the brown truck. The truck will wait at the top of the access road until I call for it. Security turnover takes place in the back of the Security Building at 1930. We will proceed to the main entrance; eliminate all personnel in the search area, and anyone else we come across. At the end of the search area is a series of personnel entrances. They call them turnstiles. Sergeant Davies will unlock these barriers as we enter the building," Aiguo said.
"Comrade Lieutenant, everything seems to depend on Davies. If he fails to cooperate, we will fail," Heng said.
"If he fails to cooperate, he believes that his family will die a gruesome death. He is weak. He will betray his country and his comrades, before he will allow that to happen," Aiguo said.
"As I was saying, after we penetrate the barriers, Team Fang will dispose of all the security personnel located in the Security Building," Aiguo said, as the team stepped forward, snapped to attention and clicked their heels.
"Guards who are assigned to patrol the Power Block and the plant grounds will be at the turnover meeting. The only personnel absent will be in the six guard towers located across the plant site. Sergeant Guan and Team Claw will 'relieve' the security personnel at those locations," Aiguo said, addressing the group.
He paused as Sergeant Guan's team began to laugh.
"Correct, Lieutenant . . . we will relieve them . . . of their pitiful lives," Sergeant Guan said, as his team stepped forward and snapped to attention.
"But . . . my comrades . . . remember who you really are, and the true purpose of your mission. We represent the Chinese people. The Chinese created an advanced civilization when the Europeans were still living in caves. The Europeans, and their bastard progeny, the Americans, have conquered, raped, and ravaged whole civilizations into extinction. They have stolen advanced knowledge from other cultures and used it to advance their militaries. Today the West is represented by the so-called United States, whose culture is so contaminated that they can't tell a woman from a man. China has risen from the ashes of history, and is ready to take its rightful place as the dominate power on this planet. Only one thing stands in our way. General Kung understood this. Our national leadership still does not. They have become contaminated with financial success. They are no better than their Western counterparts. They have forgotten the words of Chairman Mao. 'Power grows out of the barrel of a gun.' Comrades . . . we are the gun, and tonight we will place that gun on the forehead of the bastard child of Europe . . . and pull the trigger," Aiguo said, his voice filled with rage.
All of the men before him still stood at attention. Several were shaking with the righteous anger that Aiguo had hoped to instill in them. Others had the grim visage of the warrior preparing for his final battle. Two wept, not in fear, but in rage.
"I can see that you are ready for battle. The fire is lit and burning bright. Now you must tamp down the fire. Keep a smoldering cinder in the center of your chest. On the outside you will appear calm, but on the inside sits the tiger waiting to be unleashed . . . the Siberian Tiger," Aiguo said, as he stepped back from the line of men and saluted.
Nine pair of boots clicked as one, as the men snapped to attention once more, and saluted their commanding officer.
"At ease! You have the zeal for this mission. Now, each one of you will approach the map, and show me your knowledge of your particular assignment," Aiguo said.
Farm House
1630 hours EST
Aiguo sat in a rocker on the front porch of the farm house. He found the heat and humidity of the afternoon relaxing. The men were inside eating what would probably be their last meal. The door opened and Lingli stepped out onto the porch.
"Good, I have a mission for you, Doctor. I want you to go relieve Chonglin at the Davies' house. It's a 30-minute drive. Here are the directions," Aiguo said, as he handed her a slip of paper.
"You will stay with them as the mission unfolds. Tell Chonglin to return here. You will not allow the family to leave the house or contact anyone. After the device detonates, I would suggest that you flee to the south. The woman has her own car. What you do after that, or what you do with the family, is up to you," Aiguo said.
"I thought you were going to kill them," Lingli said, while reading the directions on the paper.
"I was. Chonglin was disappointed when I told him my decision. He's a brutal bastard, and has almost ruined the mission with his damn carvings. But he's a killer, and I can't afford to lose him now. It's funny, I'm prepared to destroy a country, to kill millions of people, but I don't want to kill that woman and her two young girls. It is a weakness in me that I can't explain. I suppose it's a character flaw. A tiger has no mercy when it hunts . . . pr
ey is prey, whatever its age or sex. I have made this mistake before on this long mission. Never get to know your enemy as a person. That was part of my training. I took it as just another lesson. Instead, it was a warning," Aiguo said, while rising from the rocker, and resting his hands on the front porch railing.
"Take your old Suburban. Leave now; and thank you for your help on this mission. Thank you for healing me. Without you, this mission would have failed," Aiguo said, never looking at her.
"You don't have to go through with this," Lingli said, knowing that the words might cost her life.
"I'm afraid that I do. General Kung was right. The Americans have to go. Do not force me to kill you, Doctor. Leave, and do as I ask," Aiguo said.
Lingli turned away, walked into the house, grabbed the keys and left. She didn't say goodbye to any of the men she had lived with for the last few months. Tears rolled down her face as she stepped off the porch and walked toward the Suburban. She hated the path that her life had taken. Instead of being a healer, she had turned into a killer.
"I'm no better than he is. I could stop this with one phone call, but I won't. I can't betray the mission. I can save one woman and two children. That will have to be enough," she said, as she started the vehicle and pulled away from the farm house.
CHAPTER 35
The Davies House
3400 Avent Ferry Road
New Hill, North Carolina
August 2, 2017
1700 hours EST
Lingli turned into the driveway and drove around to the back side of the Davies' house. The small brick home stood 50 yards off the road. The nearest house was a quarter of a mile away. The house was surrounded by woods on three sides. Chonglin was standing outside the back door as she got out of the Suburban.
HARRIS (Detonation) Page 12
