by David Nees
With the simple plans set the men made small talk. Hakim prepared tea and a simple meal. The men had little appetite however. It would be two hours before they had to leave. Hakim wanted to keep their minds off what was going to happen. He wanted to make sure they would be able to press the triggers when the time came.
Ahmed pulled up to a rundown apartment building. There were few in Frankfurt, a very upscale city. It was in the Nordend-Ost and could probably be consider more bohemian than old and seedy. He got out and noticed the car stopping at the beginning of the block. Let them wait. They will be sitting here when hell’s fire erupts at the airport. He smiled and went into the apartment building. Jabbar was right to have the six men split up and gather their separate men. Even if some were captured or compromised, the rest could still carry out the attack.
There were three men in the apartment. They were armed with Romanian versions of the AK-47, a short barrel variant designed for close quarters. They had pulled together all the ammunition they had and each man carried three extra thirty round magazines for a total of one hundred, twenty rounds each. They could do a lot of damage.
The men went through their morning prayers before sitting down to strong coffee and pastries. This could be their last meal. They were somber but committed. They were fighters getting ready to go into battle.
Ahmed smiled at the thought of what the teams could accomplish. They would have eight shooters in total with automatic weapons and two drivers who would also be armed. Some of the terrorists had only two magazines but it would be enough. Allah willing, they would kill many and be able to fight their way out and escape in the panic and confusion they would sow.
Dan called Roland. It was now 8:00 am. “Any movement?”
“Coming out now, how’d you know?”
“Psychic, I guess. Are they still together?”
Roland counted the figures. “There’s three of them. Not sure if the same two are in the group.”
“They’ve split up. There’s probably another two or three leaving from somewhere in the back. Just follow the group you’ve got eyes on. We know where they’re going.”
“When do you think it’s going down?”
“My guess is mid-morning. Let’s hope Jane got the BND on the alert.”
Roland thought about that for a moment. “I can follow them. They won’t know I’m here. I’d worry about losing them except that we know where they’re headed. My worry is getting shot by the BND. Except for the long coats, these guys look pretty regular, not like terrorists.”
“The coats are probably hiding machine guns.”
“Yeah. And I’ll have my M4 which may put me in the same class as them as far as the police go.”
“I know it’s a problem. You have to be careful.”
“Thanks. But that’s not very helpful. You’re out on the perimeter and I’m going to be in the thick of it.”
“If you see the police, just alert them. They’re probably not wearing suicide vests so the cops can take them down at any time…the sooner the better.”
“Good point. Talk to you later, buddy, gotta go.”
Chapter 49
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D an called Jane and told her about Roland’s concerns. She agreed to have Henry contact his counterpart in the BND and make sure they knew about both Dan and Roland.
Upon hearing back from Henry, Jane called Dan.
“The BND says that Roland should stay away from the airport. They will handle things on their end.”
“But Roland has eyes on one of their cars. There will be multiple cars arriving, maybe at the same terminal. It will be a blood bath if they can get inside. Did Henry tell them about the rocket launcher?”
“He did. The BND doubts that’s what you saw. They don’t think the group could have such a weapon, but they’ll have the police do regular patrols along the perimeter road.”
“People park there to watch the planes take off. The plane enthusiasts will provide Jabbar with some cover.”
Jane sighed. “That’s what they told Henry. They don’t want you to endanger civilians.”
“You want me to stay on this? I can interrupt the attack. Jabbar will simply wait for the patrols to go by. He’ll have no lack of targets. The planes will be steadily lining up.”
“Yes. But be discrete. What about Roland?”
“He’ll follow the one car into the terminal. He can try to attract the police when it stops. Maybe they can get to the terrorists before they get into the terminal.”
“Roland speaks only a little German and if he gets a stubborn cop, they’ll be inside while he’s trying to get through to the guy.”
“I know. It’s a tricky situation.”
“He needs to do the best he can.” She paused. “And then both of you need to get out of there, no matter what else happens. I don’t want a spotlight shining on you or the operation.”
“Why the hell are we here then?”
“To take Jabbar down…and to contain casualties, if we can.”
“Okay, I’ll buy that.” He hung up the phone.
There were now eight shooters armed with automatic AK-47 rifles and two suicide bombers, all in four cars, driving around Frankfurt with a morning rendezvous at the two main terminals. In addition, Jabbar was going to be using the rocket launcher to attack the planes on the runway. Roland was following one of the cars with shooters while Dan was positioning himself to intercept Jabbar. The men from the BND were dutifully watching the Volkswagen parked in front of one of the apartment buildings that had housed some of the terrorists.
Roland followed the Opal as it made its way to the airport. Just before 10:00 am the car pulled into a parking area off of the road to Terminal One used for drivers waiting for pickup calls. Perfect. I can wait here with them and not be suspicious. Bet the others will show up as well. Roland called the news to Dan.
“That’s good. Let me know if the others show up and call me when they head out,” Dan said. “I’ll update Jane.”
“Tell her to get the BND’s ass in gear. I can’t do this alone and don’t want to get shot by the police.”
“I hear you. I’ll pass it on.”
Within minutes Roland saw two other cars pull in that looked suspicious. They had young men, some with beards, in the vehicles and everyone was wearing long coats. The men were on their phones.
Roland called Dan. “We have three cars of attackers. I count eleven including the drivers.” He described the three vehicles.
“Roger that. Let me call Jane.”
Dan punched the number on his phone and Jane answered on the first ring. “Roland’s identified three cars with eleven terrorists in them. They’re waiting at a cell phone pull-over. The attack is imminent.” Dan passed the descriptions to Jane.
“I’ll call Henry’s counterpart at the BND. Henry told him he’d hear from a female who’s in touch with what’s happening on the ground. He doesn’t know who I am but he’ll take my call.”
“Let him know that Roland will be following them to the terminal.” Dan gave her Roland’s car information.
“The BND will contact the airport police. Tell Roland to hold back and let them make first contact.”
“Unless they don’t get there in time and the terrorists start for the terminal. You said to try to minimize casualties.”
Jane sighed. “Yeah. That’s what we do. We engage and not just defer to the locals. We try to do more.”
“And maybe pay a price for that. I’ll let you know when the cars leave.” Dan looked up in his mirror and saw Jabbar’s car go past. It was headed for the pull-off at the end of the runway. “Gotta go, my target just drove by. That confirms a rocket attack on the planes as well.”
“Go. I’ll pass that along as well.”
Dan pulled out and drove up to the viewing area. Thankfully there were a few other cars there, even in the morning. It made taking Jabbar down more dangerous but gave Dan some cover. He parked thirty yar
ds away from Jabbar’s car. He pulled out his binoculars and started looking at the planes.
Roland sat at the car park. He was nervous. The enemy was in three cars, there were going to be civilians all over the field of engagement, and the police would be involved and might see him as one of the bad guys. It seemed like a recipe for disaster…disaster for him.
At 10:15 am he called Dan.
“They’re on the move. Terminal One. I’m following.”
“Roger.”
Dan passed the message on to Jane and then put his phone away. There would be no more calls. It was time for action. He watched Jabbar’s car carefully. The man would need some time to set up the launcher. Dan assumed that the driver would help load, so Jabbar could fire the launcher faster.
Chapter 50
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R oland pulled out to follow the three cars. The road was packed with traffic; Roland was a couple of cars behind the group.
Traffic slowed.
The line was creeping forward in a stop-and-go fashion when the lead terrorist car jumped out of line and accelerated ahead. The two others followed. Roland cursed. Acting like they have a deadline. Coordinating the timing? Maybe an attack on the other terminal? There was no time to call anyone. He pulled out amidst much angry honking and followed. The three cars pushed ahead and muscled back into line before getting to the harried airport policeman who was trying to keep things moving.
Roland was able to force his way to the curb three cars back. He took a deep breath and slid his M4 carbine, covered with his jacket, from the passenger seat onto his lap. He waited. Let the locals handle it…if they come in time. He was happy to do that, but if they didn’t come in time, he would not let the terrorists simply walk into the terminal and begin killing innocents.
He waited, body tense, his eyes darting around. Where were the police? Would they get there in time? Would he be caught up in their response?
It was 10:20 am. The car doors opened.
At Terminal Two the two suicide bombers stepped out of their car.
“Allah maeak,” God be with you, Hakim said to Omar and Rafik. They nodded and started for the terminal. They stood out with no luggage and coats which hid their vests, making them look thicker than they really were. The passengers who hurried towards the terminal, however, paid little attention.
“Don’t walk so close,” Rafik said to Omar.
“I’m afraid,” Omar replied. “Let me walk near you on this last journey.”
Rafik shook his head in derision. “If you must, but don’t speak loudly in Arabic. It will draw attention to us.”
Back at Terminal One Roland stepped out with his M4; it was time to act. He ducked around the back of his car, looking at the men over the trunk. He was twenty yards away. As the men began to step out, he shouted in Arabic, “Waqf!” Stop!
The men looked in his direction as Roland brought his carbine up. When they saw the weapon, one of the men pulled his AK out from under his coat. That was all the confirmation Roland needed. He fired a short burst at the three men, still grouped close together. One terrorist’s head exploded. His rifle dropped from his hands as he collapsed to the ground. The other two were hit in the chest and flung back off their feet. One reflexively fired his AK, the rounds spraying the concrete as he fell. People near Roland ran for cover behind the line of cars. Those on the sidewalk screamed and began running in different directions away from the fallen men.
In the next instant the driver of one of the terrorist’s cars closest to Roland jumped out and began firing at him. Some of the rounds shattered his windshield and some flew over his head. Roland ducked. A civilian fell from one of the bullets, others dropped to the ground or scrambled away in panic. The panic was spreading to the larger crowd going in and out of the terminal. Roland moved to the front where the engine would shield him. He leaned around the front bumper and fired a short burst, at the driver who was walking towards him. The man was hit in the chest and face. Brains and blood erupted from the back of his head; his body collapsed to the pavement.
By then the men from the first two cars had exited. Three started running for the terminal while the other two fired at Roland. He dove to the rear of the car in front for cover.
He was crouched behind the car and not easily seen when the two of the traffic polizei ran up. They saw the terrorists and focused on them. There were shouts to stop and get on the ground in German. The terrorists fired at the arriving polizisten. Both men were hit in the chest and fell to the pavement.
Roland could hear sirens approaching. The rest of the terrorists started for the terminal, following the first three. The crowds now had parted from the center of the shooting. There was a flurry of bodies running, stumbling over each other. They parted like a wave from the advancing terrorists. The crowd collided with many that were fleeing the shooting coming from Roland which led to people being knocked down and trampled. Some of the people just dropped to the ground and lay still.
This parting of the crowds left Roland with a clear line of fire. He switched to single-shot mode and fired after the running terrorists hitting two of them solidly in the back. They fell to the ground, dead or too wounded to fight. The three others didn’t stop to return his fire, much to his frustration. They kept going towards the doors.
Just then two guards came rushing out of the terminal doors. The terrorists, without breaking stride, opened fire on them before they could get off any shots. The guards went down in a lethal flurry of rounds. Roland got off two more shots, one of which hit one of the terrorists in the shoulder and spun him sideways. The remaining two terrorists disappeared into the terminal.
It had only taken a few minutes. Sirens sounded and a dozen anti-terrorist police, the GSG9, jumped out of four SUVs. At that moment the drivers of the two lead cars tried to force their way out. The GSG9 ordered them to stop; when one of the drivers pulled his pistol out the police opened fire on both cars, killing the drivers. Two of the police stopped to check the fallen terrorists; the others ran for the terminal.
The cavalry had arrived. There was no more for him to do. Roland knew the GSG9 could take care of things. He was relieved. He had not been caught in a crossfire, and had not been seen by the police. He put his carbine under his jacket and turned away, leaving his car. There was still a crush of people trying to leave the area. He joined the throng and fled the scene. Once clear of the area, Roland commandeered a vehicle and drove off to rendezvous with Dan.
The two suicide bombers were at the front doors when they heard the sound of gunfire. Omar shuddered. Rafik grabbed him and shoved him through the door.
“We have to split up now. It has started,” Rafik whispered in a harsh voice. He started away from Omar.
“Rafik,” Omar shouted. “I’m afraid. I can’t do it.”
Rafik turned and shouted for him to be quiet. The commotion caused a security guard to approach them. Omar turned and ran for the door. The guard hesitated, not sure whether to pursue the runner or interrogate his friend. Both men looked and acted suspicious.
In that moment Omar ran back out the entrance and tripped. He fell to the ground as the guard called out to him to stop and Rafik pushed his button. There was a roar and a lethal spray of round shot cutting through the crowd near the bomber. Rafik disappeared into pieces but the damage was done. Dozens of people fell wounded or killed by the metal balls propelled by the explosives.
Outside, Omar got up and ran for the car with tears in his eyes. His coat flew open revealing his vest. A GSG9 officer shouted for him to stop. The crowd gave way, running from the blast which had torn out the terminal windows. Omar ignored the officer who, after a moment of hesitation, leveled his carbine and shot him. The terrorist hit the ground, his hands fumbled for the button, but he couldn’t find it. A moment later two officers grabbed his arms and secured them as Omar gasped his last breath.
Jabbar and the driver got out of their car parked at the observation lot. Jabbar was
on the far side of the car from Dan’s position. He had the rocket launcher in his hands. There were three cars with plane watchers between Dan and the terrorist. Dan slipped out of his car with his M4 and crept around to the back side. He could not see Jabbar or the driver.
Dan heard gunfire in the distance. The others in the parking area might not know what had happened, but Dan knew that Jabbar would. A moment later there was a larger explosion.
The driver went around to the back of the car and opened the trunk. He took out what looked like a rocket. Dan sighted the driver and pulled the trigger. The single shot rang out and the man’s head exploded. He dropped to the ground. Dan continued to fire at the car, trying to hit Jabbar, who was on the far side. Glass flew and two tires were flattened. As Dan was firing, Jabbar launched the rocket. It flew towards the first plane that was sitting parallel to the road. The shot was errant and hit the tail of the plane, ripping it off.
Both Dan’s shooting and Jabbar’s rocket launch caused the occupants in the other three vehicles to panic. Two of them had the presence of mind to start their vehicles and race out of the lot. Jabbar reached around the back of his car and grabbed the second rocket from his dead driver.
Dan didn’t have a shot. He waited, wishing the third car would leave. The occupants had dropped below the window lines and seemed to be afraid to move. Through the rear glass and side window of his car, He saw Jabbar swing the rocket launcher over the hood towards him. Dan didn’t have a clear shot. He fired and missed; the glass deflected the rounds. As he dove for the ditch behind him to get another position, Jabbar fired. The rocket hit the car shattering it and lifting it up off the ground.
Dan’s ears rang from the explosion. Shrapnel from the explosion flew across the ditch. He would have been killed except for the protection the gully provided. Dan lay there disoriented and dazed. When he looked over the edge of the depression Jabbar was diving over the fence and running to the woods.
